Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Puff Daschle Blows Away

Tom Daschle, President Obama's nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary has asked the President to withdraw his nomination. "Puff" Daschle, former Majority Leader of the Senate, who used to lead Senate filibusters preventing confirmation of President Bush's judicial nominees, has been hoist on his own confirmation petard. Senator Daschle was driven out of contention by, among other things, tax problems with a car and driver provided by a former business partner.
Quite amazing: to my recollection Daschle's the first Senator nominated for a position not to benefit from the old-boy network and be confirmed since John Tower failed confirmation for Secretary of Defense, in George H.W. Bush's administration.
Additionally, the President's proposed "Chief Performance Officer," Ms. Nancy Killefer, withdrew her name from consideration for this new position this morning. It seems Ms. Killefer has tax problems of her own. All this comes after Treasury Secretary Geithner fessed-up to nanny-tax issues prior to his own confirmation.
One wonders what the story is with Obama's vetting process. Can't anybody play this game?

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