Daschle Exits Stage Right
You have to give Tom Daschle some credit for being a class act and bowing out of President Obama’s request to be Health Secretary. But, big old Butt, President Obama should have vetted him just a little bit better than just going on the name of Tom Daschel alone.
Daschle withdraws as health secretary nominee
He tells NBC that N.Y. Times editorial had a role; Killefer also withdraws
NBC, msnbc.com and news services
updated 13 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle on Tuesday withdrew his nomination to oversee the Health and Human Services Department, citing controversies over his taxes and his ties to the health care industry — and telling NBC News that a New York Times editorial also played a role. - MSNBC
Video Link
You have to wonder why President Obama wanted a tax dodging lobbyist as his Health Secretary to begin with? Did he or did he not say that he would have no lobbyists on his staff? Did President Obama think that Tommy would break all ties as a lobbyist for the health care industry? Tommy was a time bomb just waiting to explode all over the media with some form of favors paid for favors given and the one that would be hurt the most eventually would be the agent of change, President Obama.
Exit stage right Mr. Daschle. Thanks for visiting and making Obama look like he pulled a Johnny McCain and didn’t know who you really are.
Papamoka
Labels: Cabinet Position, Daschel, Health and Human Services, Health Secretary, President Obama, Tom Daschle, White House Appointment
posted by Papamoka at
7:00 PM
7 Comments:
This was simply bad politics. He had a reasonable argument, but the fact remains that this was sloppy. Obama shouldn't have wasted news cycles on this with such an important bill pending.
Our friend Frodo, who once worked for the IRS, discusses this in his latest rendering. You might want to read what he has to say. Here is a portion of my comment on his latest post:
Although Merry’s (my Fellowship name) annual income would have to triple for her to owe income taxes, she always fills out that little form at the bottom of her Social Security income statement, then checks and double checks to be absolutely certain she is in compliance. She knows if she inadvertently “cheated” on a single cent, she would end up under the jail.
On the one hand, honesty is (and has always been) the best policy.
So, the United States of America got its $140,000 from Mr. Daschle – as Martha Stewart would say, “That’s a good thing.” On the other hand, America lost the one person deemed by many as potentially the best “architect” of Obama’s healthcare proposals. If that loss results in millions of Americans continuing to receive no health care or inadequate health care, then it seems to Merry the scales have tipped unfavorably for the country as a whole.
Has justice prevailed?
Yes, justice has indeed prevailed. The end does not justify the means. Daschle might be the best guy for the job (the end), assuming that is true, you are saying it would be ok for him not to be held accountable for this mistake (the means). I think we saw enough of this justification during the Bush years to last us a lifetime. In fact, read my most recent post on torture for a prime example.
Anyways, I highly doubt he is the only one capable of doing this job which renders that argument mute. There is always someone else. I hear Dean's name being tossed around the blogosphere, but I am sure Obama has something in the works.
Howard Dean would be perfect! Number one, he is a medical doctor to begin with, and number two, anyone that can pull off a fifty state election campaign has what it takes to get the job done!
Michael Phelps absolutely shone at the last summer Olympics! He has won 14 career Olympic gold medals – the most of any Olympian.
Imagine the dedication that went into such a feat of physical skill and endurance.
In November he attended an off-campus party just down the road from me in Columbia, South Carolina.
Some jerk took his photo smoking pot and sold it, I’m sure, for mega-bucks to a tabloid rag.
Kellogg’s is stipping his photo off its packaging. Other companies might follow suit.
The sheriff of the county south of me is considering filing criminal charges against Phelps.
Is justice prevailing? Or, is it a moot point?
BJ
lol, I'll play along. Is what he did illegal in the country he performed the action? Is it against the rules of the sport he participates in? Would (or has) a fellow athlete been punished for violation of the same rules? Would it be just if he got off and a fellow athlete had not gotten off simply because he is better known? Also, what if it wasn't marijuana, but cocaine?
I would lose my security clearance and therefore my job (my livelihood) if I tested positive for drugs. I know the rules of my job. I know the consequences of my actions. I may disagree with the rules, but unless I fight to change them, it implies I agree with the rules and am expected to adhere by them. Even if I felt the rules were unjust and decided to challenge them, I should expect the consequences of my actions.
I personally think the harshness of this law is stupid, but the law is the law and the rules are the rules. Until they are changed, they should be upheld or at least carried out uniformly from one individual to the next without regard to their stature in politics, popularity, or income. One can debate the merit of the law or of the rule, but the fact remains his conduct violated both.
DB:
You are, of course, right. I have never been into narcotics, nor have I broken any laws. I certainly do not condone, either. My former husband, a high school principal, always said, “If you break the rules for one student, you have to break them for all students.” I get it.
Sadly, the injustices in our criminal justice system are relative, and they are real.
Have a good day!
BJ
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home