Sign in to wowOwow

Enter the email address that you used when registering at wowOwow.
The password field is case sensitive. Click here if you have forgotten your password.

Please register for wowOwow

Newsletter subscriptions
Sign up to receive wowOwow's weekly newsletter and get our best picks delivered right to your inbox. Our newsletter content is hand-picked by the wowOwow editorial team and provides the top features, news, and commentary from our site. Subscribing to our newsletter is free and safe. We will never share your email or other information with a third-party without your direct consent.
By registering, you indicate that you have read and agree
with our privacy policy and terms of service.
Home › Politics

Politics | 02/03/2009 11:50 am

Daschle Withdraws Bid Over Taxes, Ethics

By The Staff at wowOwow.com
© AP

The Obama administration can’t catch a break today. MSNBC and other news sources are reporting just now that Tom Daschle, the president’s pick to head Health and Human Services, has withdrawn his nomination. Daschle came under heavy scrutiny last week after it was revealed that he had failed to pay about $140,000 in taxes, including personal income from a limousine a powerful friend lent to him for personal use.

Those woes may have only been the beginning, for some are speculating that the former senator’s long-standing relationship with the medical and health industry could have tarnished his tenure at HHS. MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, who spoke to Daschle today, says Daschle cited a New York Times article published today that highlighted tensions between Mr. Obama’s alleged ethics reform and his scandal-stained nominations.

Nancy Killefer, who was the president’s pick as his Chief Performance Officer, also stepped down today over tax issues.

Read more about: Andrea Mitchell, Barack Obama, Cabinet, MSNBC, News, Taxes, Tom Daschle, Washington DC

213 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

caj p
Good another gone, lets weed them all out there is no time for this nonsense.
By caj p on 02/03/2009 12:07 pm
T P
Thank you God!
By T P on 02/03/2009 12:08 pm
f p
There are no sky people on in your imagination.
By f p on 02/03/2009 12:12 pm
T P
FP- Why?
By T P on 02/03/2009 2:16 pm
Buh- Bye
A great, big :D
By Buh- Bye on 02/03/2009 5:31 pm
Diamond In The Rough
Another thorn in the Obama administration…not to mention his stimulus package is under steam
By Diamond In The Rough on 02/03/2009 12:13 pm
Lucinda Herbert
Daschle cited a NY Times article published today that highlighted tensions between Mr. Obama’s alleged ethics reform and his scandal-stained nominations. There’s certainly been a number of them. Were they Republicans, they’d be had for lunch. There’s clearly a flaw in the vetting process. Somehow you’d think these matters would cme to light before the press gets ahold of the name. You know the old limousine liberal reference is going to circulate after this one.
By Lucinda Herbert on 02/03/2009 12:13 pm
Libra Lady
Lucinda…good post…do they really even do any vetting of the dems??? I think if they do, they forgot obama.
By Libra Lady on 02/03/2009 8:00 pm
phyllis Doyle Pepe
The primary weapon for a president who really intends to clean up Washington is credibility — and that requires integrity. Mr. Obama showed that he has both of those things in abundance with his refreshingly frank admission that he “screwed up” and his assurance that he had learned from his mistake.
By phyllis Doyle Pepe on 02/04/2009 9:12 am
Lucinda Herbert
I agree with you, Obama admitting that he “screwed up” was huge. As candidates come forward in future, however, they should be more forthcoming about their “sins” so as not to put him or themselves, for that matter, in an embarrassing position. As I heard one of the pundits last night say, only can they then decide whether they are “venial” or “mortal”.
By Lucinda Herbert on 02/04/2009 11:02 am
f p
Good— now pay your damned taxes Tom.
By f p on 02/03/2009 12:13 pm
Elizabeth Bennett
Well he paid the taxes. He just paid them later than he should have. I think it was a mistake, a human thing, and I would hate to have someone inhuman as head of HHS. So I do think it is a loss. Tom Daschle knows a great deal about how to get universal health care to happen. So I am sad that his withdrawing his nomination may interfere with achieving that goal. I don’t buy the distraction issue. I understand why he thought he was a distraction, but I think he could have been confirmed and this could go forward and it would be fine. I have already lost one member of my family due to lack of universal health care. I don’t want to lose another for the same stupid reason. If Canada and Singapore and Germany and France can all have universal health care, why can’t we? Aren’t we supposed to be a superpower?
By Elizabeth Bennett on 02/03/2009 10:34 pm
Lucinda Herbert
Elizabeth, I think we have to come up with something that works better than what we’ve got now, but I can assure you that the systems you reference are imperfect as well. Patients sometimes have to wait critical weeks and months to see a specialist, which is why so many come to the United States to be treated — and again, it usually is only those who are able to economically afford to make the trip and pay for the services who come here.
By Lucinda Herbert on 02/04/2009 11:06 am
Elizabeth Bennett
No human system is perfect, but I think that the systems I reference are less imperfect than ours! See the documentary, Sick Around the World. It is really an eye-opener on just how bad our system is compared with other country’s systems. Even our pattern of having employers provide health insurance puts those companies at a competitive disadvantage with companies in countries that have a government run health insurance system. As for waiting to see a specialist, it depends on what country you are talking about. That kind of delay is not built into every health care system. That is a Canadian and British thing primarily. Wealth should not be required for health. It makes no sense from dozens of perspectives, humanitarian, economic, practical.
By Elizabeth Bennett on 02/04/2009 1:37 pm
Lucinda Herbert
“Wealth should not be required for health. It makes no sense from dozens of perspectives, humanitarian, economic, practical.” I couldn’t agree with you more! And with regard to each country, the ones I am most familiar with are the UK and Canada — and here in New York we get a lot of Canadians seeking specialists. The advantage larger companies have over smaller companies and sole proprietorships, when it comes to insurance, is not fair — and it’s not right either. I don’t know what the best structure should be, but I’ve thought that perhaps a cafeteria approach to insurance that makes insurance available to everyone — rich and poor alike — might bring the overall rates down — each person or family could choose the type of coverage they needed from well-baby visits to extraordinary situations. It would have to allow you to choose any doctor or specialists you want to see without getting approval from a “primary care physician” or “gatekeeper” first and pre-existing conditions wouldn’t preclude coverage. There also would be no limitations on devices, drugs or specialists. I may be dreaming …
By Lucinda Herbert on 02/04/2009 5:02 pm
123456789…next ›last »