Daschle withdraws his nomination for HHS Secretary.
Daschle withdraws his nomination for HHS Secretary.
Former senator Tom Daschle has withdrawn his nomination for Health and Human Services Secretary, after it was revealed he failed to pay over $100,000 in taxes. In a statement, Daschle vowed that he “will not be a distraction” from the fight for health care reform.
Just yesterday, Obama said he “absolutely” still supported Daschle’s nomination. Earlier today, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) called on Obama to withdraw Daschle’s nomination, becoming the first Republican to do so. Also, freshman Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) said he worried that “those of us in government should set a good example and I’m not sure that this is setting a good example.”
Daschle’s full statement below:
I have just informed the president that I am withdrawing my name from consideration for secretary of health and human services.
To be chosen by President Obama to run the Department of Health and Human Services and to lead the reform of America’s health care system is one of the signal honors of an improbable career.
But if 30 years of exposure to the challenges inherent in our system has taught me anything, it has taught me that this work will require a leader who can operate with the full faith of Congress and the American people, and without distraction.
Right now, I am not that leader, and will not be a distraction. The focus of Congress should be on the urgent business of moving the president’s economic agenda forward, including affordable health care for every American.
We need the best care in America to be av ailable to all Americans. We need this effort to succeed. Lives and livelihoods are at stake.
I will not be the architect of America’s health system reform, but I remain one of its most fervent supports. Thank you.
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Saddening news. Dashcle is a true champion of health care reform. It’s a shame that one highly qualified man had to be dismantled in such a horrid way, but it’s a testament to his character that he would withdraw in order to restore confidence in our government.
Let’s see how the conservatives spin this.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:57 pmThe re-puke will want a corrupt crony in his place to detract us from the real issue, the stimulus package.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:58 pmHoward Dean for HHS?
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:58 pmDammit.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:58 pmPussy.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:58 pmi think this might be unfortunate… not really sure…
i am surprised…
but, when the name HOWARD DEAN came up a few days ago, i really liked that idea… maybe we can help draft DR. HOWARD DEAN…
eh?
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:59 pmUnfortunately, Obama has really taken it on the chin with his nominations – I will try to remain optimistic and give him a chance.
Lest anyone misunderstand what I am saying – yes, perhaps he can create the “change” that was the foundation of his candidacy.
Unfortunately, he has given his distractors a great deal to hit him and his policies over the head with. This is not a good thing – especially when it comes to health care reform.
His proposals were tepid at best, polls consistently show Americans favor real change here. I have less a problem with dachle’s tax problems than I do with the fact he appears to be bought lock-stock-and-barrel by the health care industry.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:00 pmHoward might actually stand up to the insurance companies, that would be swell.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:00 pmI didn’t have a good feeling about Daschle…
I won’t shed a tear.
Especially if Obama looks Howard Dean’s way. he’d be a perfect choice. Plus he’d rile up the wingnuts something fierce.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:00 pmHow is it that people who pass the tax laws refuse to pay them?
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:01 pmHmmmm. Howard Dean? I like it. He’d be great.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:02 pmHm, Howard Dean would be quite an intriguing choice, but I think that it would generate some measure of controversy. Chances are that the conservatives would nit-pick and find something in his former presidential candidacy to moan about, not to mention a questionable action or two during his time as chairman of the DNC.
Regardless, I support him wholeheartedly.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:02 pmWhere is keltoy to tell us what is wrong with Obama’s appointee’s now!!!!
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:03 pmElBruce Says:
Pussy.
I could not disagree more, El Bruce. This is a huge testatment to Daschle’s character, and an even huger shot in the arm to Obama’s credibility as someone who walks the walk.
It is sad for the Left, Daschle was a perfect choice for HHS, but it is good news strategically for Obama.
It does raise the question though, why did Geithner survive his tax problem and Daschle did not? Especially when Geithner is now running the IRS? Its like Goldman Sachs getting bailed out and Lehman Brothers being allowed to go down. Strange.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:03 pmDashcle is a true champion of health care reform.
Not so sure. He was/is a big-time lobbyist for health insurers, that at least put a ? against his credentials.
His value to Obama was his knowledge of how DC works. If Obama wanted to get healthcare reform through, Daschle might have been the guy to do it. But there are more ideologically committed healthcare reform people out there.
There’s a lot to like about Obama, but on healthcare reform he has yet to show us the money. Now he has a chance.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:04 pmFear not, Fred. The conservatrolls will flock here momentarily.
Three, two, one…
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:04 pmLeftside Annie Says:
Hmmmm. Howard Dean? I like it. He’d be great.
I dunno…he is kinda the anti-Daschle. Daschle was famed for being well liked on both sides of the aisle and was generally regarded as an affable fellow. Dean is a real lightening rod….I think his take no prisoners style may not be the best for this task. I am also not sure how well he and Obama get along.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:05 pmJoe, his problem is change. Rembember, bush appointees were not required to reveal their tax status……
It’s called transparency and it is change.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:05 pmFred Says:
——————————————————————————–
Where is keltoy to tell us what is wrong with Obama’s appointee’s now!!!!
In the next comment, Fred, sent in the same minute you posted. I will try to be quicker next time.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:08 pmBWHAHAHAHAHA! obama’s dream team is really coming together!
You’re real amusing, do you know that? It’s called character, something you apparently lack. The fact that Dashcle withdrew out of concerns for how he could improve the image of government is honorable, indeed. Obama’s vetting team has done more than the former administration did. Who knows how many taxes they were unable to pay, particularly Cheney?
You know, the Cheney who received a bonus after he stepped down from Halliburton in order to become the VP? Regardless, he was able to ascend.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:08 pmFalling down isn’t failure… STAYING down is failure. Haven’t seen anyone stay down yet.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:09 pmShould have voted Repuglican,,,heck they seem to be running the show on everything from the stimulus package to Obama’s nominations..Hell with the continuation of the last 2 years of Dems being wimps, what good did it do to win an election in a landslide…
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:09 pmDaschle was very much a part of the transition process, he knew exactly what to do to move forward with health care reform and the legislative know-how to do it. After Obama won election, he set up a website for others to bank their health care horror stories and hopes for reform. Daschle was listening. I think he is making a mistake when confirmation was still a bright prospect.
ARE WE GOING TO LET REPUBLICANS TAKE YET ANOTHER NEXT FOUR YEARS BY MAKING POLITICAL HAY OUT OF RESOLVED TRIVIALITIES WHEN THEY HAVE THE EXTENSIVE RAP SHEET?
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:09 pmWell good. I really don’t see this as something to hit Obama on the head with at all, though. But I think Obama should have got rid of anybody who had some tax problems. I bet if were to investigate all of Congress we’d find a lot of people who needed to pay taxes somewhere.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:09 pmThis is an unfortunate turn of events – inevitable as it is.
As for Daschle’s emotional state today, not only has this been an enormous embarrasment for him, but he has been tending to a very ill brother this week.
I’d like to raise my hand for Howard Dean, who was someone I wanted from the start.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:11 pmThis is a shame. I can’t remember when Bush was elected, all the scrutiny these people are getting, but facts are facts. Sometimes these pols live in luxary for so long they are amune to the real world. If you, or I, skimpped on our taxes, are asses would either be garnashed or we would be trown in jail. Sigh!
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:11 pmJ.Davis Says:
BWHAHAHAHAHA! obama’s dream team is really coming together!
Hey criminal, you don’t belong anywhere near politics. Shut up and sit down.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:12 pmHas he heard of the vetting process? Slow down, big O. Speed kills.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:13 pmPlease Please Please Nominate Crazy Howard Dean that clown would be great for comedy material.
Please Please Please nominate the former Governor and M.D. Please, I want to see Proud’s head explode.
How does it feel to be a basement troll with no prospects in life, Proud?
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:14 pmAnd remember kids do as I say not as I do. Higher taxes are “patriotic” (as long as I don’t have to pay them.)
Hey, conservatard. Do you know that Joe Biden actually said that higher taxes are “patriotic” for wealthier Americans? What an utter horror…he had the nerve to say that executives should contribute more to the tax pool. Apparently, the fact that Dashcle withdrew his nomination out of concern does not strike you as honorable.
Also, he’s President Obama, not Obamama. Idiot.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:15 pmMN Senate Litigation, Day 6 Recap
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=203&ArticleName=Litigation%2c+Day+6
MN Senate Litigation, Week 1 Recap
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=202&ArticleName=MN+Senate+Litigation+Recap%2c+Week+1
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:15 pmCanny wrote:
Let’s see how the conservatives spin this
EXACTLY. Along with the “liberal” media.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:15 pmaccording to ed, it was daschle who prompted obama to run…
it was daschle who convinced kerry to have obama speak in 04…
this is rather sad…
ed also announced that he was being inundated with emails calling for DR. HOWARD DEAN for HHS…
ed said: well don’t tell me, tell the white house!
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:16 pmEXACTLY. Along with the “liberal” media.
There is no “liberal” media, despite what conservatoids may believe.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:17 pmanyone know the chances of getting a replacement candidate who is not in the pocket of the insurance industry?
…or has tax problems? /facepalm
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:17 pmI’m truly sorry since he’s been a really good person and senator,overall. I’m just so amazed that it’s that easy to cheat at taxes and get away with it, except under extreme scrutiny. I am so careful every year in filing my small return but maybe I should follow my leaders…not really. I hope that someone out there will be checking on all those sanctimonious Republicans, who are still out of jail, since where a few go there may be many.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:17 pmgo to WHITEHOUSE.GOV and DEMAND Howard Dean for HHS
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:17 pmThat’s too bad. But, it’s probably for the best.
Now if Obama really wanted to do the right thing he would appoint Howard Dean. Unfortunately Dean and Emanuel don’t get along do that’s probably not going to happen. I understand that my former Governor Kitzhaber is in the running. He would be awesome. He has been working on health care reform in Oregon for a long time.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:18 pmOkay… so I’m not going to take back what I said about Joe the Plumber in the thread below… the man’s a feckless buffoon.
However, there maybe a place for such a total clown in this circus after all.
Ya gotta admit, Ralphie… their material may be a bit thin so far, but the trolls are showing more fight than they have in quite a while.
Whack-A-Troll™ is back!
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:18 pmBush didn’t have such problems — everyone he wanted was quickly passed, including Cheney who selected himself with all the baggage he brought along with his Halliburton ties — which he still has.
When it comes to Dems, everyone must be squeaky clean, Repugniscum are sanctimoniously and superiorly self-righteous but that is the facade for their total lack of morals and integrity. IOKIYAR
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:19 pmKeltoi at Night Says:
ElBruce Says:
Pussy.
I could not disagree more, El Bruce. This is a huge testatment to Daschle’s character, and an even huger shot in the arm to Obama’s credibility as someone who walks the walk.
It is sad for the Left, Daschle was a perfect choice for HHS, but it is good news strategically for Obama.
I would have been more impressed if Daschle had done this sooner, but it had to happen.
I’m sure the country has plenty of people just as qualified for the position without the unnecessary baggage. It would also be great if people being asked to run the government be a lot more honest about revealing potential issues while they’re still in the vetting process. And it would be even better if the people who want to run the government follow the same laws the rest of us do.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:20 pmWhy is it trolls and Repugs take acting in an honorable fashion as some sort of failure? Daschle didn’t ‘have’ to step down, he chose to do so.
How many Repugs have ever displayed this kind of responsibility?
(Hint, the list doesn’t exist for the last 8 years.)
Dean would be an excellent choice.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:20 pmThere is definitely no “liberal” media, and those who are always expounding on the media as being “liberal” have their heads up their asses. It seems that the media talking heads are gleefully reporting anything that seems to be glitches on the Obama administration’s radar. This Dashle withdrawal is just one more little “tee-hee” on their part. Why am I not surprised?
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:21 pmMore republicans prosecuted and convicted…..bet on it.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:21 pmgo to WHITEHOUSE.GOV and DEMAND Howard Dean for HHS
I concur. Mr. Dean would be a stellar replacement.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:22 pmDaschle’s a good guy, but if the government wants the rest of us to pay taxes honestly – you just can’t promote cheats to leadership.
I think this is great news for the Obama administration. Let’s continue to raise the bar. And send the message that, if you want to be entrusted with leadership, the expectations are higher.
Good move for Daschle. Good move for Obama. Good news for the American people.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:22 pmThis man is a true defender of a decent health plan. But he was right to resign. I just wonder. Isn’t this the second or third one nominated who did not pay their taxes?
It is said the devil is in the details. This is a big detail. And don’t these legislators have a duty to check themselves? If they cannot be vigilant enough regarding their own business, then what about our business. And Obama’s vetting process needs work. They evidently don’t ask enough of the right questions. It makes them look like careless amateurs. These legislators should get tax consultants or a business manager to be responsible if they can’t be.
Pure carelessness in the nominee and the vetting process.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:23 pmDumb Fox the Average Golfer Says:
Dashcle is a true champion of health care reform.
Not so sure. He was/is a big-time lobbyist for health insurers, that at least put a ? against his credentials.
That is a total lie. Daschle was never a lobbyist for the health care industry. The closest he got to that was working for a firm as a consultant that had lobbyists.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:23 pmWow — so many screen names for the same clueless, scum-sucking troll…
You really gotta start taking your lithium again, Mr. Pee — your multiple personalities are showing!!
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:23 pmbackup Says:
Daschle’s a good guy, but if the government wants the rest of us to pay taxes honestly – you just can’t promote cheats to leadership.
So backup. Have you never made a mistake on your income taxes?
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:24 pmBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
That’s too bad. But, it’s probably for the best.
Now if Obama really wanted to do the right thing he would appoint Howard Dean. Unfortunately Dean and Emanuel don’t get along do that’s probably not going to happen. I understand that my former Governor Kitzhaber is in the running. He would be awesome. He has been working on health care reform in Oregon for a long time.
Kitz? He would be fantastic, but he’s on record, numerous times, that he has no interest in leaving Oregon and living in DC. Of course, that was in discussions about running for the Senate. He might be willing to take the job for a shorter term. I honestly cannot think of anyone better suited for the job.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:25 pmQuestion for historians out there, has a President ever been impeached within his first 3 months in office, if this circus continues he may be well on his way.
You would like that, conservatard, wouldn’t you?
Clue: He can’t be impeached for something as trivial as the vetting team skirting around a tax issue. Obama is not the one responsible for investigating the nominee during the vetting process. Even Bush defended some of his more controversial appointees, and he was never impeached.
Get a clue, my friend, and swiftly.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:25 pmAs to personality conflicts, etc., that might exist with Dean…Who is Secretary of State?
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:26 pmWhat no one has mentioned yet is that Howard Dean started his career as a family doctor. That would seem to make him a better fit for the top position in Health and Human Services.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:27 pmCan anyone tell me what Daschle’s position on Medicare Part D was.
If he was for that, then it’s best that he is gone.
I know Fienstein voted for it.
¶ AIO
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:27 pmYou really gotta start taking your lithium again, Mr. Pee
Methinks HALDOL® would suit this situation better.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:27 pmMarie Says:
Bush didn’t have such problems — everyone he wanted was quickly passed, including Cheney who selected himself with all the baggage he brought along with his Halliburton ties — which he still has.
I’m sure there are a lot of Democrats out there who are regretting cooperating with Boosh on his appointments. If they had investigated Boosh’s appointments, I’m sure they would have come up with a lot worse than tax mistakes. And maybe if they had resisted some of Boosh’s appointments, they would not have been able to do so much damage to this country in 8 years.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:27 pmThe “change” that Obama was talking about cannot come from within the current Democratic leadership.These people are currupt to the core!Obama needs to go outside the party system and fill his cabinet with proven leaders with no political agenda,who have a a track record of producing results without waste.If left to the crooks in washington the “change “that I believe Obama truly wants will never come to pass.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:28 pmWow — so many screen names for the same clueless, scum-sucking troll…
They have nothing better to do than parrot Rush Limbaugh and pray tirelessly for Obama’s failure. Utterly disgusting.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:28 pmBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
So backup. Have you never made a mistake on your income taxes?
$100 dollars is a mistake. $2000 dollars is a mistake. Voting for Bush twice was a mistake.
$100,000 dollars… that’s extreme carelessness.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:28 pmimagine if rushpublicans had to face the same intense vetting process under Bush – some of his cabinet would STILL be waiting confirmation
Bush did not require HIS nominees to disclose their tax information
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February 3rd, 2009 at 1:29 pm‘ere – Atlanta’s Progressive Jazz
(yes that’s me on the piano)
Find us at ReverbNation.com/ere
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gummitch Says:
Kitz? He would be fantastic, but he’s on record, numerous times, that he has no interest in leaving Oregon and living in DC. Of course, that was in discussions about running for the Senate. He might be willing to take the job for a shorter term. I honestly cannot think of anyone better suited for the job.
I really can’t see him saying “no” to Obama and his country. Here’s hoping!
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:29 pmThe closest he got to that was working for a firm as a consultant that had lobbyists.
And a rose by any other name is still a rose.
He consulted the consuls, i.e. lobbied the lobbyists.
GOT IT.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:29 pmDas-hole is a corrupt politician but he’s not a dummy.He probably thought; “I,m gonna have to pay this fine and make 120k a year when I made 5 mil in 5 years greasing skids? The heck with obama, corruption is my game!” BWAHAHAHA obama,s cabinet confimation is like a perp walk parade!I’m sooo glad Mac lost!
This is a stellar example.
“I’d rather watch government fail than do my part and be mature.”
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:29 pmQuestion for historians out there, has an ex-President ever been hung for being a traitor to his Country, if enough whistleblowers come forward Bush may be well on his way?
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:30 pmkaty Says:
but, when the name HOWARD DEAN came up a few days ago, i really liked that idea… maybe we can help draft DR. HOWARD DEAN…
Me likey. At this point, Obama owes the Left, he should toss us that bone.
Plus, it might teach the Republicans a thing or two, next time they think about trying to block a nom.
.
Another Joe Says:
Unfortunately, Obama has really taken it on the chin with his nominations…
Not so much. I’ve seen a lot worse. Compared to a lot of Cabinet nomination slates, this is relatively mild. Compared to some of the things Republicans were talking about using to oppose the nominees it’s really mild. Daschle would have prevailed without too much of a fight. Some fight sure, but nothing he couldn’t survive.
.
stewarjt Says:
How is it that people who pass the tax laws refuse to pay them?
It wasn’t refusal. Daschle got audited, an error was found, he paid the difference. It happens to lots of people. It’s happening to the nominees more because Obama’s auditing their past returns as part of the vetting process.
.
Keltoi at Night Says:
I could not disagree more, El Bruce. This is a huge testatment to Daschle’s character, and an even huger shot in the arm to Obama’s credibility as someone who walks the walk.
What? His character? That he backs down from a fight shows character? And what does Daschle’s decision have to do with Obama’s credibility?
.
Keltoi at Night Says:
It does raise the question though, why did Geithner survive his tax problem and Daschle did not?
Because Geithner isn’t a pussy.
.
Proud Says:
…he gave Daschle his full support after he knew about the tax issue, what kind of change is that.
Daschle got audited, an error was found, he paid the difference.
.
drive by troll Says:
Damn Obamama can you get any picks right?
How about all the others? Except for whassername.
.
rogerD Says:
Has he heard of the vetting process? Slow down, big O. Speed kills.
Pardon my repetitiveness. All of the nominees are having their back taxes audited as part of the vetting process. Bush didn’t do this. As far as I know, nobody has ever done this. That’s why past errors are being found, and why they’re being corrected.
This is more transparency, which means better vetting, not worse.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:30 pmHoward Dean for HHS?
Exactly!!!
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:30 pmBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
I really can’t see him saying “no” to Obama and his country. Here’s hoping!
You were right about Merkley and I was wrong; I’m hoping your record continues.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:31 pmI recall a quote… “The empty chamber makes the loudest noise”. A lot of troll noise, from a LOT of empty troll chambers.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:31 pmKwame Kilpatrick for HHS, he’s free he just got out of jail last night, Obama called him a rising star among democrats. Or better choice Blago he is also currently unemployed and I’m sure would do a great job.
You’re a pathetic caricature of a human being, do you know that?
Newsflash, retard: Obama is not the head of the vetting process. He is the president, not the investigator. The fact that you want to see more of this supposed “circus” (actually, it’s nominees honorably stepping in) is shameful.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:32 pmCorrection:
stepping down.*
My apologies.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:32 pmI suspect Daschle’s withdrawal of this name (no doubt not entirely voluntary) was not about his tax issue, but rather his connections with United Healthcare. It puts a cloud over his actual willingness and ability to actually reform the health care system in this country. I admire the man a great deal, but I think there’s got to be someone else that would be better and would NOT have the appearance of a conflict-of-interest. My vote is for Howard Dean also. The system needs to be radically changed, not a cosmetic “reform.”
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:32 pmLuis M Says:
Bilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
So backup. Have you never made a mistake on your income taxes?
$100 dollars is a mistake. $2000 dollars is a mistake. Voting for Bush twice was a mistake.
$100,000 dollars… that’s extreme carelessness.
Except for the fact that the only reason why it was $100,000 is that Daschle overpaid. He decided to calculate what he owed on the basis of the car/driver being available to him 24×7 which wasn’t the case. It was also a mistake his tax accountant made and when Daschle found out about it, he immediately rectified the situation.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:33 pm39. finland Says: anyone know the chances of getting a replacement candidate who is not in the pocket of the insurance industry?
…or has tax problems? /facepalm
Agreed. If Obama really wanted to promote ‘change,’ he could start with someone like Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, who has campaigned tirelessly against the pharma/FDA chokehold against consumers. Howard Dean would just be another Washington insider retread.
Reform, not re-form.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:34 pmProd, you keep thinking like a Republican — “get the most corrupt guy you can. Loot the treasury!”.
Democrats are in charge now. get used to it.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:35 pmgummitch Says:
Bilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
I really can’t see him saying “no” to Obama and his country. Here’s hoping!
You were right about Merkley and I was wrong; I’m hoping your record continues.
Hey, I forgot about that. I’m not right all that often when it comes to predicting what is going to happen. I was really happy I was right on that one.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:35 pmNo Canny,I’d rather sit on my porch drinking beer (burrrupt) and watch YOUR government fail! I am loving every minute of this! OOH! is that the edge of the waterfall I see just ahead? Hold on progressives,it’s gonna be a long drop! HAHAHAHAHA
Government is for all of us. It’s sustained by our faith and work, not merely by the work of politicians. You “loving every minute” of this is sickening. I’d rather be an honorable progressive than a trolling conservatard.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:36 pmJ.Davis Says:
Canny55 Says: “I’d rather watch government fail than do my part and be mature.”
No Canny,I’d rather sit on my porch drinking beer (burrrupt) and watch YOUR government fail! I am loving every minute of this! OOH! is that the edge of the waterfall I see just ahead? Hold on progressives,it’s gonna be a long drop! HAHAHAHAHA
Proof positive that the recent election made most Republican’ts go insane. I’m hoping they all have nervous breakdowns and end up in padded rooms.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:36 pmIt would probably be a cheap shot but I can’t help but wonder what would happen if the IRS was directed to do full audits of all members of Congress.
Just to get a benchmark.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:37 pmYou foks gotta realize, J.Davis doesn’t consider himself an American.
He considers himself a citizen of the Glorious CSA. All that messy business about losing the Civil War, and Reconstruction and the feds enforcing desegregation — that’s all just a clerical error.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:37 pmIt would probably be a cheap shot but I can’t help but wonder what would happen if the IRS was directed to do full audits of all members of Congress.
Just to get a benchmark.
Did Republicans ever complain about Cheney’s Halliburton parachute?
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:37 pmBilbo. come on. $100,000 isn’t a mistake. I’m not suggesting to role Daschle over the coals, he’s probably a great guy. But, those that we choose to lead us, ought to meet a higher standard.
I applaud Daschle’s choice. I’m not saying Republicans of the past weren’t as, or more crooked.
But, if we are really talking about progress, this is it. Higher standards of integrity for our pubic officials.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:37 pmHoodathunk Says:
It would probably be a cheap shot but I can’t help but wonder what would happen if the IRS was directed to do full audits of all members of Congress.
Just to get a benchmark.
I’m willing to bet the farm that most members of Congress, especially the Republicant’s would have at least one major tax transgression in their recent background.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:38 pmOh, and thank GAWD Daschle withdrew. Daschle is pure lobbyist scum who has simply enriched himself by helping to turn the pharma/insurance healthcare stranglehold into the nightmare we enjoy today. Heckuva job, Tommy…
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:38 pmOkay, b-cup, I’m with you on this one. A hundred grand in tax delinquencies isn’t a simple mistake, and cabinet members need to be held to a high standard. I like and respect Daschle, but that’s just a black mark for a nominee.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:39 pmHoodathunk Says:
As to personality conflicts, etc., that might exist with Dean…Who is Secretary of State?
Yeah, you’re right, I don’t think Dean gets along with her either!
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:40 pmHoodathunk. Audits might be a good idea. Not just to prove some partisan point, but to ensure that those people that are taxing us understand and participate in the tax code they expect us to follow.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:40 pmHoodathunk says:
GREAT idea… as I said, everyone has demons, and I guarantee you would find a lot on BOTH sides of the aisle.
Difference is, for 8 years, a lot of those guys got away with it. The noise being generated over libs and dems having tax issues is just that. Noise. Perhaps to keep a full audit from taking place.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:40 pmChicago come to Washington!
Chicago is corrupt, but it’s *hardly* the only state with deplorable ethical standards. Before Blago, let’s be mindful of the fact that the governor was a rather corrupt Republican who was ultimately jailed for his backroom deals.
I do think Dashcle has sound proposals, but I am willing to acknowledge that his background was too questionable. His willingness to step down makes him a leader to me. Remember, if this was Chicago, he wouldn’t have honorably withdrew his nomination out of reform concerns.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:41 pmDynamo squawks:
Intelligence, come to TP!
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:42 pmKeltoi at Night Says:
I dunno…he is kinda the anti-Daschle. Daschle was famed for being well liked on both sides of the aisle and was generally regarded as an affable fellow. Dean is a real lightening rod….I think his take no prisoners style may not be the best for this task. I am also not sure how well he and Obama get along.
As long as the obstructionist Repukes think they’re running things — maybe a “take no prisoners” kind of guy is EXACTLY what we need – to kick every single obstructionist Repuke whiners to the curb.
As far as I’m concerned, President Obama has had far too much patience and given them far too much credit – undeserved credit – for being anything other than the Party of No-No-No.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:42 pm“Government in America today is nothing more than the tyranny of majority,”
????????????
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:42 pmBWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
(ralph wipes tears from eyes, catches breath. Reads statement again)
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:42 pmThe only government that failed recently, J.Davis, is the fascist regime of your boy-king Dumbya — after all, he couldn’t keep this country safe from a terrorist attack even when he had info at least a month in advance that the attack would be coming!
Bush: 0-for-1, 3000 American civilians and 4500 American servicemen dead
Obama: a couple of tax problems with his cabinet nominees.
I think I’ll take the latter over the former…
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:43 pmI’m sure FOX will continue trouncing him . .
I think he did the right thing!!
Next time he’ll know to ask ‘does this job come with the car/driver’?? Who’s paying?
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:43 pmCheney come on Dynamo!
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:44 pmNo Canny, Government in America today is nothing more than the tyranny of majority,well ,that and corruption.It’s sustained by power,greed,force and arrogance! What dream world do you live in?
You need better reading comprehension. I said that government cannot be sustained solely by politicians. I specifically told you, in wording that even conservatoids could understand, that the people must also work to sustain the government and work with it to establish sound ethical standards.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:44 pmEXACTLY, Annie!
Excellent point.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:44 pmHey,obama is getting gitmo cleaned out so he has somewhere to put his cabinet after the trials! I knew he had a good reason for making that promise!
What’s your IQ? 20?
Do you even know the purpose of Gitmo? Tax evasion is hardly terrorism.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:45 pmWe’d manage, Jeff, but it wouldn’t be near as much fun.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:45 pmMoonElf Says:
EXACTLY. Along with the “liberal” media.
The story that should be going out is that Obama is losing a few due to the transparency inherent in his own vetting process. That he’s doing the right thing even if it costs him a few battles.
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Hoodathunk Says:
Why is it trolls and Repugs take acting in an honorable fashion as some sort of failure? Daschle didn’t ‘have’ to step down, he chose to do so.
I still say Daschle’s being a pussy. Doing the right thing is only half of the equation. The other half is being willing to step up, take some punches and throw some punches (politically speaking). If the vetting process exposes past tax errors, you’ve got to be willing to stand up and explain that before the Senate. Geithner proved that the Republicans are just a paper tiger when it comes to trying to block nominees. Not to mention Holder – remember the stuff they were threatening to do to stop Holder?
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backup Says:
Daschle’s a good guy, but if the government wants the rest of us to pay taxes honestly – you just can’t promote cheats to leadership.
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curious Says: This man is a true defender of a decent health plan. But he was right to resign. I just wonder. Isn’t this the second or third one nominated who did not pay their taxes?
It is said the devil is in the details. This is a big detail. And don’t these legislators have a duty to check themselves? If they cannot be vigilant enough regarding their own business, then what about our business.
This is the third one nominated for whom past tax errors were found on a full audit and they paid the difference.
Most people get very nervous when they hear that their past tax returns are going to be audited. There’s a good reason for that. The tax code is complex, and it’s easy to make a mistake. Do you really think you’d withstand an audit with 0% errors found? I doubt if I would, and my tax returns are nowhere near as complicated as Daschle or Geithner’s.
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Proud Says:
Question for historians out there, has a President ever been impeached within his first 3 months in office, if this circus continues he may be well on his way.
Dream a little dream for me…
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Hoodathunk Says:
As to personality conflicts, etc., that might exist with Dean…Who is Secretary of State?
Yeah seriously, these are grownups we’re talking about.
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WaltTheMan Says:
What no one has mentioned yet is that Howard Dean started his career as a family doctor. That would seem to make him a better fit for the top position in Health and Human Services.
You could make the same argument to nominate Bill Frist. Ew.
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J.Davis Says:
Das-hole is a corrupt politician but he’s not a dummy.He probably thought; “I,m gonna have to pay this fine and make 120k a year when I made 5 mil in 5 years greasing skids?
He already paid the fine. And I thought you were against the Federal income tax anyways?
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kerribo Says:
Obama needs to go outside the party system and fill his cabinet with proven leaders with no political agenda…
Contradiction in terms. If you’re a proven leader, you have a political agenda. If you haven’t pushed a political agenda, you’ve never proven leadership.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:45 pmEven the idea of the possibility of Dean has the Repugs reaching for the new line of Depends. The ones with a scoshy more in the seat.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:46 pmEven the idea of the possibility of Dean has the Repugs reaching for the new line of Depends. The ones with a scoshy more in the seat.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:49 pmJ.Davis Says:
Canny55 Says: “I’d rather watch government fail than do my part and be mature.”
No Canny,I’d rather sit on my porch drinking beer (burrrupt) and watch YOUR government fail! I am loving every minute of this! OOH! is that the edge of the waterfall I see just ahead? Hold on progressives,it’s gonna be a long drop! HAHAHAHAHA
Spoken like a true dittohead and rush arse-licker! You haven’t had a coherent or original thought since you saw your first pro-resslin’/monster truck show double header at the local county fair grounds in Hooterville.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:50 pmEven the idea of the possibility of Dean has the Repugs reaching for the new line of Depends. The ones with a scoshy bit more room in the seat.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:51 pmour new Sec. of Treasury , Tiny Tim , ex-head of the N.Y. Fed. Reserve , can screw-up his taxes and be put in charge of the U.S. treasury . Yeah , that inspires CONfidence .
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:53 pmYou know, Dean wouldn’t back down from a nomination fight.
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Bilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
Except for the fact that the only reason why it was $100,000 is that Daschle overpaid. He decided to calculate what he owed on the basis of the car/driver being available to him 24×7 which wasn’t the case.
I was wondering about that figure. I could practically live in a limo for a year for that rate. I just figure the limo company really ripped him off.
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J.Davis Says:
No Canny,I’d rather sit on my porch drinking beer (burrrupt) and watch YOUR government fail! I am loving every minute of this! OOH! is that the edge of the waterfall I see just ahead? Hold on progressives,it’s gonna be a long drop! HAHAHAHAHA
I’m really enjoying the fact that this is what wingnuts think “failure” looks like.
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Hoodathunk Says:
It would probably be a cheap shot but I can’t help but wonder what would happen if the IRS was directed to do full audits of all members of Congress.
Not a cheap shot at all. Consider – Congress was fine with Daschle while he was a Congressman, but for some reason the HHS secretary needs to be held to a higher standard? Doesn’t make sense. A pre-emptive audit would also clear the air. In case future Congressmen were appointed to Cabinet positions, their past tax errors would be already known, and therefore not newsworthy.
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backup Says:
But, if we are really talking about progress, this is it. Higher standards of integrity for our pubic officials.
Don’t you guys usually complain that the tax code is too complicated? It’s not a question of integrity – when the mistake was found, he paid the difference. It’s a question of trying to get your tax form straight.
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hanshiro Says:
Oh, and thank GAWD Daschle withdrew. Daschle is pure lobbyist scum…
In light of our previous debate on Daschle’s worthiness, I hereby congratulate you on this turn of events.
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Dynamo Says:
Chicago come to Washington!
Why do you hate (arbitrary and constantly rotating geographic regions of) America?
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J.Davis Says:
Government in America today is nothing more than the tyranny of majority,well ,that and corruption.It’s sustained by power,greed,force and arrogance! What dream world do you live in?
The real one. You’re the whacko nutjob here.
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J.Davis Says:
See Ralph,what on earth would y’all do without me?
Just because you’re amusing doesn’t mean you’re useful.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:56 pmYeah , that inspires CONfidence .
Your CONfidence must be shaken all to hell after the last 8 years!
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:58 pmWork to sustain the govt. that has ground my home under it’s boot for a century and a half? Sure…y’all are such suckers…….
And you are an idiot.
I said “sustain the government” by establishing greater ethical standards, which will only happen if we work and ensure that politicians are not the sole runners of the show. No wonder you type like a fool: YOU, sir, are one.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:58 pmMan…anyone watching the news conference? I can see a thought balloon hovering over Gibbs head that says “Why did I say yes to this job?”
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:58 pmSorry about the multiple posts. TP and my computer were having a bit of a tiff.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:58 pmGibbs is giving his briefing, stuttering and stammering, trying to cover for this joke of an administration, the circus continues……..
You know, at least TP allows these naysayer trolls to contribute here, however foolish they may be. At least we’re not like Michelle Malkin, who restricts commentary on her blog to select members. It’s a difficult situation to explain. Of course Gibbs will “stammer”: he’s a human doing his utmost to articulate how the administration feels.
Idiot.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:02 pmI’m sorry to hear that Tom Daschle withdrew his name, but understand why he felt he had to move aside.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:02 pmI’ve already emailed the new White House website (not that it will be read or taken into consideration), but I would really hope that President Obama would consider former Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber (MD) for the post of Secretary of Health and Human Resources, the person to tackle health care reform. Governor Kitzhaber has been fighting for health care reform since he left his office of Governor by establishing the Archimedes Movement, and working hard to build a grassroots movement for change. He is a physician. They have very good ideas of how to tackle and fix this very broken system.
And just what are the Repugs and trolls going on about here? A President who actually has a real vetting process? Who found these ‘egregious errors’? It seems the only transparency they understand is the Saran Wrap over Limbaugh’s privates.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:02 pmHoodathunk Says:
Even the idea of the possibility of Dean has the Repugs reaching for the new line of Depends. The ones with a scoshy more in the seat.
It might teach ‘em a thing or two about trying to block Obama’s first choice next time…
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upside99 Says:
Spoken like a true dittohead and rush arse-licker!
Folks, please quit confusing J.Davis for a standard example of wingnuts. He’s a particular, bizarre form of wingnut, and not a representative sample. J.Davis believes that the North should have let the South go instead of fighting the civil war. At any opportunity, he will try to derail any thread into a discussion on this. It’s about the equivalent of thinking that a UFO nut is a representative example of liberals.
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dabubba Says:
our new Sec. of Treasury , Tiny Tim…
Wow, you guys are quick with the nicknames. Good to see there’s something you can do well.
Of course they aren’t very clever, but at least you’re quick. I hereby pat you on the head.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:05 pmRegardless, it was a difficult situation for the vetting team. These candidates have experience and an honorable background in their respective fields. They have been nominated, and so the team working under Obama (who, by the way, doesn’t have a critical role in the subsequent investigations that usually uncover these discrepancies) must ensure that the American people are informed on the situation.
Daschle did the honorable thing by withdrawing.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:06 pmIn 1972 Nixon earned 50X my earnings and I paid more taxes than he did. He said it was an oversight and an error in filing.
Conservatives are upset about this $100,000 when people should be concerned with the $300 BILLION per year single-payer universal healthcare would save us. Plus everyone would have healthcare (including dental and eyecare). We currently have 47 million with nothing and many others not able to pay deductible and co-pay. Eighteen thousand Americans die every year due to lack of healthcare.
Other developed countries do not have a single citizen without healthcare and at most they spend half of what we spend.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:07 pmThere’s no excuse for this.
Pay your taxes you incompetent dumbass.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:07 pmProud Says:
The “vetting” is the problem he knew about the tax issues for the nominees and Obama continued to support them that is the problem.
And I’m sure you were highly vocal in your criticism of Bush when he regularly supported staff and nominees who turned out to be dishonest, stupid or criminal.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:08 pmIt is a disturbing truth. We invest the most in health care for any developed country, and yet the mortality rates in this nation are stunning. Reform is what is needed, and effective leaders able to clearly articulate their case to the American people are facing a shortage.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:09 pmProud, you really might want to reconsider a post about vetting. They usually call it doctoring in your case.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:09 pmProud Says:
Gibbs is giving his briefing, stuttering and stammering, trying to cover for this joke of an administration, the circus continues……..
Dude, Gibbs is a Republican.
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nwmuse Says:
…I would really hope that President Obama would consider former Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber (MD) for the post of Secretary of Health and Human Resources
Thanks for the tip. Sounds interesting.
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Hoodathunk Says:
And just what are the Repugs and trolls going on about here? A President who actually has a real vetting process? Who found these ‘egregious errors’?
It’s their method. Consider the only reason they pick on ACORN – because ACORN actually goes through their registration cards, flags some of them and reports probable fraudulent cards to the electoral districts. Therefore there’s data the Republicans can use upon which to base their claim that ACORN is corrupt. For other voter registration organizations, such data doesn’t exist so they ignore them. Even the Republican ones that have been caught falsifying cards or throwing them out.
The only difference isn’t that Dems are any more corrupt, it’s that Dems don’t cover up corruption.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:11 pmplargo Says:
There’s no excuse for this.
Pay your taxes you incompetent dumbass.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:07 pm
___________
Why is it that you conservatives are always “TAX CUTS TAX CUTS TAX CUTS,” but when someone like Daschle or Geithner actually takes a tax cut you’re the first to rail against them?
Bit of a double-standard, don’t you think?
Why do you hate America, plargo?
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:13 pmIt is good that Daschle withdrew his nomination.
He closed the door on distraction and future unnecessary political gossip.
It is good for Daschle and it is good for Obama.
Start a new page..and be sure to pick up a guy who is not a lobbyist.
Daschle served his country well for a long time,and he realized it is time for him to withdraw.
He did the right thing and he deserves a credit.
Let’s move on…
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:13 pmCanny55 Says:
It is a disturbing truth. We invest the most in health care for any developed country, and yet the mortality rates in this nation are stunning.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:09 pm
_____________
Good point. The last time I checked, the mortality rate for Americans was hovering around 100%. It’s an outrage!
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:16 pmhussein toasterhead, you crack me up!
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:18 pmProud Says:
The “vetting” is the problem he knew about the tax issues for the nominees and Obama continued to support them that is the problem.
They were audited, errors were found (in only a few cases between all the nominees), the errors were rectified, and any difference was paid. That’s not a problem.
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anny55 Says:
Daschle did the honorable thing by withdrawing.
It’s no more honorable to back down from the nomination than it would be to agree with the trolls in here just to get them to shut up. They’re wrong. Daschle should have taken his lumps, stood his ground, taken the job and gotten on with the business of fixing the country. Being a pussy isn’t honorable.
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plargo Says:
There’s no excuse for this.
Pay your taxes you incompetent dumbass.
Already discussed. Page up, you incompetent dumbass.
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Canny55 Says:
It is a disturbing truth. We invest the most in health care for any developed country, and yet the mortality rates in this nation are stunning. Reform is what is needed, and effective leaders able to clearly articulate their case to the American people are facing a shortage.
Oh no, let’s not talk about actually fixing health care, let’s talk about old complicated tax filings, and hoot and jeer at anybody who’s ever made an error in one (except for Republicans, who don’t audit their nominees).
/wingnut.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:18 pmExcept for JD. He’s been around over 160 years.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:19 pmIt’s a major loss, but Daschle should’ve seen this coming. As for a replacement…
John Dingell. By next week, he will have been the longest serving Representative in history. He and his father have been continuously pushing for a national health care system since 1926…and with the griping against his friendliness with Detroit’s auto industry, what better way for a legendary statesman to end his career?
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:19 pmBill Frist was never a family doctor. He was a cardio and thoracic surgeon, and his family founded the Hospital Corporaion of America. Sort of a Republican version of a family doctor.
Howard Dean actually started a family medical practice in Vermont with his wife. He had an upper class upbringing (the Hamptons, Park Avenue, Yale) but made an interesting choice.
A Dean appointment would stir the pot nicely.
As for Daschle–never liked him: too wimpy. But maybe we should make allowances for the victim of a terrorist attack on his office? Doesn’t that earn him some McCain Points™?
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:20 pmAs much as I admire Daschle, Bruce, it would have been too controversial for him to remain in the administration. It would have been a distraction, what with the conservatives shouting him down and the American people distrusting his intentions. Polls generally show that Americans strongly disapprove of tax evasion.
Let’s move forward.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:23 pmgummitch Says:
hussein toasterhead, you crack me up!
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:18 pm
__________
:)
I am not above a cheap pun in much the same way that the ocean is not above the clouds.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:25 pmElBruce Says:
Daschle should have taken his lumps, stood his ground, taken the job and gotten on with the business of fixing the country.
Maybe so and maybe he had other reasons for passing the torch. He has acted with honor, maybe we should honor his choice.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:25 pmhussein toasterhead Says:
Why is it that you conservatives are always “TAX CUTS TAX CUTS TAX CUTS,” but when someone like Daschle or Geithner actually takes a tax cut you’re the first to rail against them?
It’s more appropriate to ask why conservatives, who I agree with when they say that the tax code is far too complex, seem to think that anyone (provided they’re a Dem politician) who’s ever made an error on their taxes must be a criminal.
Let’s talk about Joe the Plumber if we’re going to go that route. And while we’re at it, let’s go ahead and grant their method of holding up Joe the Plumber as a representative example of your basic, “hard working American.” I imagine most people have had difficulty calculating their taxes. I imagine that if most people were audited, they’d have to pay some extra. That doesn’t make most people dishonest or “tainted” in some way. Let’s get really wingnut – any system that makes most people de facto criminals is a bad system, and should be reformed.
Now look at Geithner – the taxes he forgot to pay were his employer’s payroll taxes due to them being a multinational nonprofit. I don’t know of anybody who’s had to deal with a situation like that, and I imagine a lot of people would fail to get it right. As for Daschle, I wouldn’t even know where to begin calculating the value of a limo perk. So these are some pretty rarified line-items to begin with.
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tarazan Says:
It is good for Daschle and it is good for Obama.
Just look at what the wingnuts are saying here, amplify that across the MSM and imagine if Daschle had taken the Geithner route of just sailing through. Backing down in the face of wingnut opposition merely emboldens them. Now he’s given them a talking point. That’s bad for Obama.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:26 pmOkay, as a not so innocent bystander, let me see if I can absorb all this HUGE POLITICAL NONSENSE!
Nominee A was picked to head HHS by our 44th President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama.
A committee was formed to make sure all the “correct cards where aligned in the deck”, so to speak.
Nominee A, upon review, was found to have an error regarding his PAST taxes, something more than likely not made by him but his accountant, to which he paid including penalties.
Nominee A gets heated distractions from the media and the right.
Nominee A does the honorable thing and steps down from HHS.
And all this basically shows how incompetent President Obama is? Of how he knew all this beforehand? And still when with a vetting process? And he now should be impeached?
My f’ing Gawd, my head hurts!
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:26 pm“when” should of course be “went”, of course of course.
(My horse. My horse for a preview tab before posting)
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:28 pmMistake on my previous post..Dingell senior didn’t enter Congress until 1933
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:29 pmUnpaid taxes? Really?
People in impoverished countries around the world are feeling the effects of this drastic financial crisis even harder than we are. The number of people going hungry each day is increasing at a steady rate as food prices rise. We have the capability to do something about it. Learn more at the BORGEN PPROJECT website, http://www.borgenproject.org.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:29 pmGermany has had universal healthcare since Otto von Bismarck’s Health Insurance Act of 1883. Oh, those sloppy, incompetent, commie Germans (snark).
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:30 pmKeith Says:
Germany has had universal healthcare since Otto von Bismarck’s Health Insurance Act of 1883. Oh, those sloppy, incompetent, commie Germans (snark).
Wow! You go, Keith. Never thought I’d be seeing the Iron Chancellor shown some love on TP! :)
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:35 pmThat’s not a circus, that’s people actually doing their jobs. Something we haven’t seen in the last 8 years. Bush hadn’t even started picking his cabinet by this time. He was too busy cutting brush. And Cheney was still looking for ways to line up contracts for Halliburton and KBR. While Obama is making these decisions Cheney and Bush were plotting 9/11 and looking for an excuse to invade Iraq.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:36 pmI’m in favor of universal healthcare—-not everything Bismark did.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:37 pmalenka Says:
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:42 pmListen alenka and your thousand other alter egos. I wouldn’t go to the borgen site if it was the last site available at this point. Go away.
Time for Howard Dean
Daschle would have been an exceptional DHS head, and it is a sad loss to lose him. However, I believe Howard Dean would be equally exceptional and uniquely qualified in this role as well. We’re lucky to have such talent available for such a key position.
Time to top Howard!
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:43 pmCanny55 Says:
As much as I admire Daschle, Bruce, it would have been too controversial for him to remain in the administration.
My point is that there are more news cycles burned on him withdrawing than there would have been if he went through. Compare this to Geithner, who had the same problem but is now Treasury Secretary with hardly a peep.
There’s no controversy here. As I’ve said at least twenty times: Obama chose to have his nominees fully vetted, including a full audit of past taxes. Some errors were found, and those people paid the difference. That’s not controversial. You’re capitulating to the wingnuts in saying so.
The real interesting thing is if you consider what the results would have been if the Republican Cabinet had been audited in 2000 and 2004…
But I’m not a huge personal admirer of Daschle. He may have been able to do a good job; Obama clearly had him in mind for a role of pushing whatever his health plan would be through the Senate. But if he doesn’t even have the guts to push himself through the Senate, it’s not a big loss. Hopefully now we can get someone with better lefty credentials.
But if you think that the wingnuts are going to “be quiet and move on” because Daschle withdrew, you’ve got it exactly backwards. Their kind only understands one thing – win or lose. They count this as a win, so they’re going to hoot and jeer for at least a week. They shut up only when you beat them down. The harder the better.
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Keltoi at Night Says:
Wow! You go, Keith. Never thought I’d be seeing the Iron Chancellor shown some love on TP! :)
I remember when one troll was screaming that Marx and Hitler invented universal health care, so I went to look it up. Imagine my surprise!
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:43 pmTime for Howard Dean!
Daschle would have been an exceptional head of DHS, and it’s a sad loss to lose him. But I believe Howard Dean is an equally exceptional and uniquely qualified candidate for the position. We’re lucky to have such talent available for such a key role.
Time to tap Howard!
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:44 pmIf anyone lasts in Wash DC for more than a few years, they will surely have some ‘taint’ on them. Washington is a dirty town and the remnants of many political dreams have been thrown to the wayside. Obama is to be commended for his ‘inclusion’ – something Bush was terrified to do. Bush needed yes men at his side to keep the delusional king happy. Obama wants to fix the country’s problems.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:45 pmElBruce,
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:47 pmNot sure, but I believe Jesus was in favor of universal healthcare. He definitely opposed HMO’s.
For those that favor Dean, beware what you wish for. Because the truth is, the real problem with getting healthcare passed will be getting all the Democratic Lions in the Senate to march in step. That is never an easy thing to do, but it is something Daschle did for years. Dean has no such experience; he is an executive, not a legislator, and I think his temprament is ill suited for nuance and persuasion. Obviously I don’t know the man personally, but his public personna and reputation is one of high handed stubborness. That works great when you are knife fighting Republicans, but not when you are cajoling Democrats.
I would be very surprised to see O. pick Dean, but it is true he picked Hillary, so who knows.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:53 pmKeith Says:
ElBruce,
Not sure, but I believe Jesus was in favor of universal healthcare. He definitely opposed HMO’s.
Where was he on a unified Germany?
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:54 pmUNBELIEVABLE!!
This was becoming a Culture Of Corruption even before it started but now, two weeks into it, the Brotha Obama “administration” is becoming synonymous with CROOKEDNESS.
Now there are THREE tax cheats including the latest – Nancy Killefer!!
Anyone in this corrput “administration” heard of VETTING?????????????????????????
He’s President Obama, not Brother Obama.
Furthermore, a “culture of corruption” would be those “tax cheats” remaining in the administration even after the revelations. They honorably withdrew. You are simply a wingnut grasping at straws, desperately looking for something to howl over.
Run back to Ted Stevens.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:56 pmHoward Dean deserves to be asked, that’s for sure. And he likely would do a hell of job with less health industry baggage than Daschele. I bet he paid all his taxes too, having cleaned up his own back yard during his primary runs for POTUS. It irks me that he’s been shunted to a side track by the new administration and his 50 state initiative hasn’t been given it’s due by the folks it helped lift up.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:58 pmDaschle was in my opinion an AWFUL pick for head of HHS. I am very glad that he is gone.
However this assault on his character for these taxes is baseless. My rule is that unpaid any taxes that I wouldn’t be able to calculate on a 1040 can legitimately be claimed as a mea culpa of the individual, not a tax dodge.
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:01 pmHey,obama is getting gitmo cleaned out so he has somewhere
to put his cabinet after the trials!
i swear – the troolls AND the rushcons are stealing our material…
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:03 pmStratRat Says:
If anyone lasts in Wash DC for more than a few years, they will surely have some ‘taint’ on them.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:45 pm
__________
Especially the ones in the DC Madam’s client list.
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:09 pmkaty says:
ed also announced that he was being inundated with emails calling for DR. HOWARD DEAN for HHS…
Thom Hartmann, yesterday and again today, has been talking about this.
It is time we became serious and got behind someone with true intentions of single payer health care…kick out the corporate health insurance companies all together. Pandering or being soft to corporate America, especially health care only plants the seed of doubt as far as I am concerned.
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:11 pmBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
Except for the fact that the only reason why it was $100,000 is that Daschle overpaid. He decided to calculate what he owed on the basis of the car/driver being available to him 24×7 which wasn’t the case.
that may have come back to bite him…
i heard pat buchanan tell ed that if he paid 100k in taxes the actual amount he calculated it on “must have been a half-million dollars! hahaha…”
can’t win for losing with those cons…
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:25 pmnwmuse Says:…
I’ve already emailed the new White House website (not that it will be read or taken into consideration), but I would really hope that President Obama would consider former Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber (MD) for the post of Secretary of Health and Human Resources, the person to tackle health care reform. Governor Kitzhaber has been fighting for health care reform since he left his office of Governor by establishing the Archimedes Movement, and working hard to build a grassroots movement for change. He is a physician. They have very good ideas of how to tackle and fix this very broken system.
sounds like another excellent possibility…
may be even better – it’s the first i’ve heard of him…
an outsider – could be bonus points!
dean would probably be a lightening rod… against obama’s “bipartisan” grain… but wouldn’t THAT be fun!?!
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:33 pmJohn Kerry:
You never got back to me about that monkfish.
I really am starting to think you are indeed a pussy. Are you John? I mean I really don’t want to have to think that but what other evidences are there to the contrary?
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:40 pmwJohn Kerry Says:
UNBELIEVABLE!!
This was becoming a Culture Of Corruption even before it started but now, two weeks into it, the Brotha Obama “administration” is becoming synonymous with CROOKEDNESS.
Now there are THREE tax cheats including the latest – Nancy Killefer!!
Anyone in this corrput “administration” heard of VETTING?????????????????????????
I’m just going to repeat myself until the trolls are nothing more than a greasy smear in the dirt.
This was because of vetting, imbecile. Past administrations didn’t do full audits on their nominees’ past tax returns. Obama is. Some past errors were found for some of the nominees, and those have been corrected by having the nominees pay the difference. In all of these cases, the errors were mistakes that most taxpayers – even most accountants – might be likely to make. Again, this happened because their taxes were audited as part of the vetting process. If Obama had not made the choice to do that, none of us would have known there had been any past tax errors. I imagine the nominees wouldn’t even have known.
I would bet you a year’s worth of 24/7 limo service that had Bush’s nominees been vetted as thoroughly and as transparently there would be a lot more discrepancies, and that most of them couldn’t be so easily written off as simple mistakes in complicated tax forms.
This is not corruption, and you know it. You are lying to try to get any “win” you can. Which means that right now, you are caught in the grip of white-knuckled, sweating desperation.
Good.
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:46 pmRaptureReady Says:
He really knows how to pick them. Change we can believe in, YES WE CAN!!!!
Thought so… you are a fraud as there is absolutely no Christian values to be found in that statement.
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:05 pmHe really knows how to pick them. Change we can believe in, YES WE CAN!!!
Was hasn’t this fundamentalist troll been dismissed?
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:13 pmRaptureReady,
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:13 pmHow do you feel about miillions of tiny children not having healthcare in the United States?
Not any other developed country in the world—just the United states.
Elbruce just like a typical lib making stuff up, are you sure you aren’t really Keith Olbermann. This was a complete failure on the part of the Obama circus, they did not properly vett anyone. All the tax cheats came forward on their own, if they hadn’t Obama the clown would hace let these people slide right thru. Daschle himseld said he and his accountant discovered his theft not some mystery Obama vetting team. He could care less if his nominees are crooked he is from Chi Town.
You’re an idiot, my friend. Keith Olbermann is entertaining, but I honestly can’t say the same for your deplorable trolling tactics.
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:19 pmRaptureReady,
So, why are millions of tiny children without healthcare in the USA in 2009? Liberals’ fault? Conservatives’ fault? Evangelicals from SouthEast USA’s fault?
So, you want tiny children to never see their Mommy because she has to work eighty hours a week to afford their healthcare?
Why does no other developed country in the world have this problem? Because every other developed country in the world is to the left of the USA?
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:37 pmRaptureReady Says:
I have no problem with children up to 18, who do not have any alternative to be covered through a health provider, receiving medical aid from the Government. Everybody else is on their own.
What about the person age 50+, becomes displaced employment wise, loses his health care insurance and can not qualify for another plan because our for profit system sees this person as a drag on their profits? A few have the VA but not all. And this scenario is common.
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:45 pmMany Europeans work a 32-hour week and have 100% medical coverage (eye, dental, behavioral, etc), college paid, pension, public transportation, etc., etc.
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:47 pmRight you are had enough. No other developed country in the world has a problem with age or pre-existing condition, or between jobs, or what gender your spouse is, etc. etc. And they pay half or less what we do. We would SAVE $300 Billion every year!!!!!
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:50 pmHOW ABOUT DENNIS KUCINICH FOR HHS SECRETARY?
February 3rd, 2009 at 5:04 pmThis is the third person chosen by Obama that has a tax problems.
In vitting these nominees,Obama staff should have asked them one simple question,before their nomination,and that is:
“Do you have any problem with your taxes or IRS”?
February 3rd, 2009 at 5:23 pm‘yes’ or ‘no’.
MoonElf Says:
——————————————————————————–
HOW ABOUT DENNIS KUCINICH FOR HHS SECRETARY?
Hm! Interesting…better than Dean, for sure.
February 3rd, 2009 at 5:24 pmMoonElf says:
“HOW ABOUT DENNIS KUCINICH FOR HHS SECRETARY”?
I like Dennis and I agree with you, but they will not choose him because he is a fighter and not a ‘Yes Sir’ man’.
February 3rd, 2009 at 5:32 pmtarazan Says:
——————————————————————————–
MoonElf says:
“HOW ABOUT DENNIS KUCINICH FOR HHS SECRETARY”?
I like Dennis and I agree with you, but they will not choose him because he is a fighter and not a ‘Yes Sir’ man’.
More so than Dean? Dean is like a bear with an arrow in its ribs, it fights for the fun of it. I think Kucinich would be a good mix of passion and dedication…plus he knows Congressional Democrats, and that was the best thing Daschle brought to the table.
February 3rd, 2009 at 5:38 pmProud Says:
This was a complete failure on the part of the Obama circus, they did not properly vett anyone.
If they hadn’t been fully vetting them, including audit, you wouldn’t have heard about any of this.
Proud Says:
All the tax cheats came forward on their own, if they hadn’t Obama the clown would hace let these people slide right thru.
Why would they? There’s no law requiring them to submit all past tax returns. It wouldn’t have been found out. And they would have gone through with no problem. Just like Bush’s Cabinet did.
.
Proud Says:
He could care less if his nominees are crooked he is from Chi Town.
It’s all fun and games until the wingnuts decide to start mocking and deriding the place where you live. As they’re taking turns hating each part of America in turn, I’m sure your state will get a chance to be hated too. Just wait your turn.
.
RaptureReady Says:
Everybody else is on their own. If you cannot afford health insurance through your current job, get two jobs. No excuses.
Stop calling yourself a Christian.
.
had enough Says:
What about the person age 50+, becomes displaced employment wise, loses his health care insurance and can not qualify for another plan because our for profit system sees this person as a drag on their profits?
They can die in the streets for all the wingnuts care. All they’re concerned about is that nobody asks them to help their fellow human beings.
.
Keith Says:
No other developed country in the world has a problem with age or pre-existing condition, or between jobs, or what gender your spouse is, etc. etc. And they pay half or less what we do. We would SAVE $300 Billion every year!!!!!
The fact that it would be cheaper is immaterial. The wingnuts are willing to pay extra so that they can avoid helping anybody else.
.
tarazan Says:
This is the third person chosen by Obama that has a tax problems.
In vitting these nominees,Obama staff should have asked them one simple question,before their nomination,and that is:
“Do you have any problem with your taxes or IRS”?
‘yes’ or ‘no’.
Do you have any problems with the IRS? Yes or no? If you say no, and I do a full audit and it turns out you made a mistake eight years back, then what? You say “whoops” and pay the difference. No harm no foul? Not to the wingnuts. At least, not if you’re a Dem.
.
Keltoi at Night Says:
Hm! Interesting…better than Dean, for sure.
You have got to be kidding me. Kucinich is waaay more liberal than Dean. Dennis is somewhere out there in Nader-land.
February 3rd, 2009 at 5:41 pmElBruce Says:
HOW ABOUT DENNIS KUCINICH FOR HHS SECRETARY?
Hm! Interesting…better than Dean, for sure.
You have got to be kidding me. Kucinich is waaay more liberal than Dean. Dennis is somewhere out there in Nader-land.
I don’t think that is a problem for Obama. Universal Health Care is the Holy Grail for the Left; why not appoint one of your True Believers to lead the charge?
February 3rd, 2009 at 5:53 pmyes :)
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:11 pmHere are a couple of videos of John Kitzhaber speaking about health care reform, and the Archimedes Movement that he founded in 2006.
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:42 pmI just can’t imagine putting a better person in charge of REAL health care reform.. I hope President Obama at least considers him. If he is serious about fixing the health care system, he will at least MEET with him.
Did he tell his tax accountant to cheat? Probably not.
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:49 pmKeltoi at Night Says:
I don’t think that is a problem for Obama. Universal Health Care is the Holy Grail for the Left; why not appoint one of your True Believers to lead the charge?
All I’m saying is that from a moderate standpoint, Kucinich would seem considerably more objectionable than Dean.
Huffpo’s also talking up Bill Bennett…
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:56 pmThe Wonk Room backs me up that this was all just because Daschle is a pussy.
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:57 pmrandi rhodes had an interesting question about all these recent tax problems…
how many bushies are in the IRS?
i can’t remember well enough to even paraphrase her, but you get the picture, right?
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:33 pmI see someone about to be pwned…
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:55 pmSam was never a plumber…
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:56 pmI’m happy he left. Just another hypocrite from DC.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:27 pm_______
katy Says:
randi rhodes had an interesting question about all these recent tax problems…
how many bushies are in the IRS?
i can’t remember well enough to even paraphrase her, but you get the picture, right?
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:33 pm
______
That whistleblowers are bad when they expose people you support?
February 4th, 2009 at 2:42 amI wrote:
There’s no excuse for this.
Pay your taxes you incompetent dumbass.
ElBruce responded with:
Already discussed. Page up, you incompetent dumbass.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:18 pm
—————-
Sorry, ElBruce, I don’t spend my entire life monitoring the TP boards. I expressed my opinion, and I don’t give a shit whether or not you’ve seen it somewhere else.
Judging by the number of comments you’ve made on this story alone, either you don’t have a job, or you’re extremely shitty at the one you do have, because obviously you’re never doing it.
Bye bye now.
February 4th, 2009 at 10:54 am