DaschleBy Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
President Barack Obama needs to say goodbye to Tom Daschle -- immediately.
The administration should pull the plug on Daschle's nomination as health and human services secretary given his massive and embarrassing problems in paying his taxes.
Obama's continued support for Daschle would be a slap in the face to Americans who are counting on the president to help change the culture of self-entitlement in Washington.
Obama already succeeded in getting one tax-cheat appointed to his Cabinet -- Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner.
Geithner deserved approval by Congress, given his reputed skills to deal with the nation's economic meltdown.
But there's no need to waste Obama's goodwill with the American people on trying to push through Daschle, the former Senate Democratic leader.
While health care is an important issue, there are plenty of other people who could handle the topic for Obama over the next four years.
On Saturday Politico was reporting that Daschle paid $140,000 in back taxes and interest in recent weeks.
Daschle used the Cadillac and driver around Washington while working as a consultant to a New York City private equity firm, InterMedia Advisors. He used the limo 80 percent for personal use – resulting in unreported income of more than $255,000 for the three years, Senate Finance Committee documents show. InterMedia paid Daschle consulting fees at a rate of $1 million a year – or $83,333 a month. Daschle’s financial disclosure forms put his income from InterMedia at more than $2 million since 2005.
Unfortunately, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he's confident Daschle would survive a vote by his old colleagues.
That's the kind of palling around in Washington that Americans don't want to see anymore.
Delicious
Digg
ed hardy ed hardy ed hardy
ed hardy ed hardy
ed hardy clothing ed hardy clothing
ed hardy shop ed hardy shop
christian audigier christian audigier
ed hardy cheap ed hardy cheap
ed hardy outlet ed hardy outlet
ed hardy sale ed hardy sale
ed hardy store ed hardy store
ed hardy mens ed hardy mens
ed hardy womens ed hardy womens
ed hardy kids ed hardy kids ed hardy kids
If you love fashion,you must
If you love fashion,you must konw abercrombie and fitch
and you are a abercrombie manor
abercrombie womensand
hollister clothingis also very fashion.
And you know RuehlNo.925
I also like abercrombie outlet,and you?
ugg boots
Good ! I like it ! Welcome to read following news: ugg boots,Nike dunk sb,discount ugg boots, uggs ,nike dunk low,ugg boots sale,UGG Bailey Button boots,new nike sb,UGG Classic short boots,UGG Nightfall boots,cheap nike dunks,UGG Classic tall boots.
A pretty small flaw
While it does seem frustrating that too many public officials have some sort of smudge in their background, the same is likely true for most of us.
In my opinion Daschle's transgression is less of an issue than Geithner's.
Had Daschle's employer followed proper procedures in requiring him to separate personal use from business use no problem could have taken place. The employer has the leverage to do this by simply requiring the required information or the benefit is charged and reported to the IRS as 100% personal.
Considering the many scoundrels that have raped and pillaged our economy and taxpayers over the past 8 years whose names we will never know, Daschle should be one of the good guys.
What should concern citizens much more is the massive amounts of money paid to influence public policy. with that thought in mind Daschle will be especially qualified to differentiate between ideas and plans to make health care better and those that keep it dysfunctional.
Not really.
Daschle will be especially qualified to differentiate between ideas and plans to make health care better and those that keep it dysfunctional.
I don't believe there is any evidence in Daschle's Congressional career or his years as Senate Majority leader that would support this claim. Nor has he spent his last few years out of office showing anything of the sort either.
I have worked with a few women who signed their individual tax returns prepared by their husband or some "expert". Amazingly, the IRS doesn't give a rat's a@@ that the wife was unaware or trusted other's for their accuracy. When their wages are garnished years later to pay the tax lien, its a little hard to find any sympathy in the predicament of Tom Daschle.
Good Ole Boys Club
Tom will get approved because he is a life member of the Good Ole Boys club proving that Obama is only changing the seat of power in Washington, not any reality. Well duhhh!
Tom will be a great health reformer
You can go ahead and call for Tom to be dismissed all you want but he is just what this country needs---He is tough---and he will reform health care---something this country drastically needs---so insurance companies---and the pill industry---beware---and the american people can rejoice---Tom is coming and he will make the USA a better place to receive health care for all!!!
Gosh Yael,
"I am so disappointed, and disheartened that you would take such a stance against me. I am so shocked....We need, no we must, come together on this most important issue. Taxes, Yael, you see, you know, are just so basic..I am so devastated that I missed this payment..I just cannot explain to you how upset I am"!
GAG ME WITH A FRIGGING 1040...GET OUT YOUR CHECKBOOK A-HOLE PAY THE TAX, AND THE PENALTIES LIKE THE REST OF POOD SCHMUCKS WOULD HAVE TO DO, AND STOP PISSING AND MOANING!!
WTH is wrong wtih these dorkwads??
A 180 from Yael.
So, Yael, now you think Geithner is a “tax-cheat.” That’s interesting. Only a few days ago you would only describe his “tax-related mistakes” as “amateurish,” and you were willing to forgive him because “he admitted last week that mistakes had been made.” Well, geez, Daschle will happily admit that “mistakes had been made” if that will get him confirmed.
There is a fundamental principle at stake here: there are no individuals so valuable or unique (whether it is Bill Clinton, Tim Geithner, or Tom Daschle) that the American people should lower the ethical standards for those in high office. If we do, we have nobody to blame but ourselves when their next scandal erupts.
What Obama needs to realize
What Obama needs to realize is that he needs to avoid the mere appearance of corruption. He is not doing this when he appoints Secretarial position to people who appear to be less than completely honest.
Tom Daschle's tax problem Jan 29, 2009
Okay, children, let's re-read the article again.
It said that Tom Daschle relied on the annual statement SENT TO HIM by Intemedia.
In the frenzy of the workday, we ALL rely on the annual statements and W-2s sent to us by those who pay us.
It was InterMedia's fiduciary responsibility to SEPARATE the consulting fees from the company-provided transportation on their annual statement.
"But, the official said, Mr. Daschle should not be penalized because he had discovered the tax liability himself, paid up and brought it to the committee’s attention."
-- New York Times
So what is your problem with THAT?
We're all human. We all make errors.
Other company's errors cause OUR errors.
The difference between you and Tom Daschle is, NO ONE is publishing it nationally when you make a mistake on YOUR taxes.
Really, gentlemen (?), you need to either comment publicly on something more concrete, or stay on the porch.
AnnieinKC
It's time to stop drinking
It's time to stop drinking the Kool-Aid and realize what this inexperienced Obama is doing to the country. He is not inspiring or uniting us. Virtually every speech contains an attack, an insult, or a put-down regarding those who disagree with him. (He even has the audacity to tell people to stop listening to the nation's #1 talk-show host.) His appointees have so much baggage and so many character flaws that most would screaming impeachment if it were Bush. Rather than admitting that he made a mistake in nominating people that cannot trusted to do such basic things as pay their taxes, he and his minions arrogantly defend them. His economic stimulus plan will lead us to financial ruin and so full of pork that is utterly indefensible.
Trade-in your Kool-Aid for some coffee so you can wake up! It's time to realize that the historic mistake we made in November will only be compounded if we fail to recognize the harm that his divisive actions and Chicago-style politics can cause us. He will say anything to promote his agenda, yet the rules and values he expects us to follow never seem to apply to him. He is a master of Saul Alinsky's rules for radicals, and he practiced it long and hard in the most corrupt state in the nation. He is not a reformer...instead, he uses the system to try to silence his opponents and gain more power. Wake up please!!
Hard to believe: I agree with Yael
At least I agree with his primary statement.....that Obama would be wise to cut Tom Daschle loose....he certainly does not belong on the public payroll again.
Where I disagree is that he also should have cut Geithner. Whether or not one has skills (and Geithners pathetic oversite and handling of the new york fed, suggest that he may not) should not have overridden his contempt for the laws pertaining to one of the agencies he will lead.
Just More "Change we Can Believe In"
Does the big 0 have no ethics? Must be the Chicago politics' genes staying with him.