Huckleberries Online

2-Fer: Daschle Withdraws Name …

Feb. 3, 2009 10:01 a.m. • 35 comments

… from HHS nomination here. And: Nancy Killifer has withdrawn her name from consideration to become Obama’s first chief performance officer for the federal government here. Unpaid taxes were the underwriting problem for both former nominees.

35 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Cabbage Boy on February 03 at 10:17 a.m.
Wow, what is it with the elite not paying their taxes?. (no partisanship here as both parties are guilty.)

The corruption in politics has to have reached a point where most people say enough. I just can’t see how any democrat or republican can defend their party when this is the norm.

I am part of the GOP trying to change it from the ground up. But I won’t defend criminal behavior of the GOP.
JamesBond on February 03 at 10:21 a.m.
The only thing about this that bothers me is that I just did not hear many of you partisan Democrats calling for him to withdraw. Do not be afraid to call our your own party.
hmoffsuite on February 03 at 10:28 a.m.
Bond. You got it right. Where was the outrage? Had it been a republican, the media and everybody else would have been all over this. And, I agree. It is not a partisan issue. Our elected officials are, in many cases, a disgrace for believing they have a different set of rules than the rest of us.
Cabbage Boy on February 03 at 10:28 a.m.
JB, that is just it. Everyone has dillusions of grandeur and so they are afraid to call out their own.
JamesBond on February 03 at 10:30 a.m.
He committed Tax Evasion, and the average taxpayer would probably go to jail for what he did. At least the liberal New York TImes got it right. Where are you partisan Democrats on this issue? Do not let your party get away with murder. Hold them accountable.
Me on February 03 at 10:36 a.m.
And on it goes………… And I don’t for a minute think it would be different if they were Rs (except that I do agree that the press would be frothing more) - I’m sure there are plenty of them doing the same - it is the ELITE full of themselves corrupt $$$$ seeking politicians we have. So sad. There is a slight glimmer of hope with these particular people withdrawing. Perhaps that will show the rest of them who are doing it that if they have loftier goals they better be straight arrows???? Maybe not - I think it will take more - it will take not just them withdrawing, but those nominating them speaking out too.
zelda on February 03 at 10:59 a.m.
I’m a Democrat but I didn’t want Daschle from the get-go. The guy is a major proponent of alternative medicine and if health-care reform is in the cards, I don’t want taxpayer $$ going to pay for quackery like aroma therapy and homeopathy.

I knew Daschle was toast yesterday when Obama said he was 100% behind him. This is no different than when a board of directors says it’s solidly behind its CEO. He’s doomed.

“I don’t want to be a distraction” is the political equivalent of “leaving to spend more time with his family.”
pjc on February 03 at 11:18 a.m.
Well, now Daschle can go back to not paying taxes.
florined on February 03 at 11:50 a.m.
The guy may have made a great HHS leader, and there may be aspects of his tax situation that are explainable (maybe), but to not advise Obama of a major known problem is just not acceptable. Thus spake this Democrat, early in the game.
JamesBond on February 03 at 11:55 a.m.
Yet another Obama nominee, the White House Performance Officer, has also withdrawn due to unpaid taxes.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9646DBG0&show_article=1

Seriously, Democrats do NOT pay their taxes. It is no wonder why they have no problem raising them.

Wow. Obama better get control of this situation. This is ugly. He’s now had 3 major nominees go down, but he did get a Tax Cheat in charge of the IRS. That should make these pesky revelations about Democrats not paying their taxes go away in the future, once Geithner gets complete control of Treasury.
Me on February 03 at 12:01 p.m.
Did those holding out their hands really not expect this next step??

In the Senate, Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., urged the administration to proceed with caution.

“I think we’re all appalled by these — some of these executive salary arrangements and bonus arrangements and perks and all the rest,” he said. “On the other hand, I really don’t want the government to take over these businesses and start telling them everything about what they can do. Then you truly have nationalized the business.”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090203/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_bailout
toadman on February 03 at 12:08 p.m.
“Wow, what is it with the elite not paying their taxes?. (no partisanship here as both parties are guilty.)” -Cabbage Boy

Agreed. I think these things are no fault of Obama. Look at the pool from which he has to choose, you know? I’m going to suggest he start looking outside the box. Or, maybe he’s just going around picking people who he knows have tax problems, and making them come clean, which they all have, apparently.

It’s like becoming the new boss somewhere and tasking people, and finding out, as you task them, that they’re all a bunch of screw ups…but, well, sometimes when you start out, you have to work with what you’ve got, right?
hmoffsuite on February 03 at 12:15 p.m.
toad >> “Look at the pool from which he has to choose, you know?”

Maybe he should look for another pool. He said he would, but, unfortunately, that seems to have been campaign rhetoric.
pjc on February 03 at 12:17 p.m.
toadman, an argument could be made that Obama isn’t vetting these people very well. Obama is not completely blameless. Obama was backing Daschle yesterday, explain that one.
idawa on February 03 at 12:40 p.m.
I’m just surprised that someone can run up 132K in back taxes on a car service! So, the value of the car service must be in excess of 200K. To have a private party donate services worth more than value of the average family home is an illustration of both the money and power that is concentrated in the hands of a few. This is a society “WE” have wrought, but at least we are starting to wake up to basic inequalities that are inherent in it.
pjc on February 03 at 6:11 p.m.
Toadman wrote: “Agreed. I think these things are no fault of Obama.”

Wait a minute, he is the President and he nominated the guy. Oh course it is his fault, he is the President and he is the one nominating the guy. It isn’t like President Obama picked Daschle’s name out of the phone book.
Escapee on February 03 at 10:10 p.m.
Basically, Daschle Fell On His Sword. It was the merciful thing to do. I would advise Mr. Obama, though, to really, Really check out carefully the finances of anyone else he nominates.
wheels on February 04 at 7:36 a.m.
A Geithner reversal would seem very appropriate.

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.