Breaking: Tom Daschle withdraws his name as HHS nominee
By David Neiwert Tuesday Feb 03, 2009 10:25am
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Not a good day for the Obama administration:
Former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle on Tuesday withdrew his nomination to oversee the Health and Human Services Department, just a few hours after another Obama nominee also withdrew.
Both had controversies with taxes and cited distractions over that as their reasons for withdrawing.
In a White House statement, President Barack Obama said he accepted Daschle's withdrawal "with sadness and regret."
I gather that Daschle woke up, read the NYT editorial, realized he was going to be a major distraction for Obama, and opted out.
It's unfortunate, but probably the right decision.
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Corporate Trained Seals where that one came from.
Did you even read what Matt Tabibi wrote about Daschle the whore???
Real progressives should be dancing in the fucking street!!!
here
Greenwald here.
thanks for the link.
Dancing away!
Who's the other nominee that also withdrew?
Earlier Tuesday, Nancy Killefer withdrew as nominee to be the first chief performance officer for the federal government.
Thanks!
Rich enough to hire a maid, but too poor to hire an accounting firm and a tax lawyer, a small investment to save one's career. And the fact that she's seen this go on since at least Clinton, and still fucked the dog on this...well then she's too god damn stupid for the post anyway. Same goes for Daschle.
Question....does ANYONE in DC have their taxes in order?
Or are they all idiots?
I can't believe it's just a Democratic problem, it just seems that Democrats get that much more scrutiny.
No shit...who knows what ungodly stuff we'd find if repugs were scrutinized like the dems.
We all know how repressed the repugs are...I bet they got some serious kinkage goin on...not to mention their shady business dealings.
..and ball gags, listed here:
http://www.armchairsubversive.org/
...neither R's or D's. They're all Crooks & Liars!!
The right decision is always fortunate.
Otherwise its politics.
Yes it is unfortunate, yet hopefully this will help in the long run - though I'm sure the Republicans won't miss the chance to promote this as a victory. Not to mention point out that this is the possible third Obama appointee who has Tax issues. Actually they are already alluding to that at this very moment on various right-wing blogs. Nothing like seeing crooks riled up over 'tax cheats' when they don't see anything wrong with Corporations and Banks spending the first bail-out on needless goods and bonuses (and attacking the American populace as socialists for seeking unions and health care).
This makes me sad. Everyone said he had the right background for the job and understood it better than anyone. I wonder what would happen if every Senator and Rep. were audited by the IRS. People really do make mistakes. Innocent mistakes, even CPA's make them.
Not Greenwald here.
Unless by the right background you mean sleaze.
Excerpt:
His leaving doesn't make me sad. The only way he would have helped with the healthcare crisis is this country would have been to further entrench and enrich the insurance companies.
We need someone in that job who is not beholden to the corps., and who has some new ideas about how to convert our system to universal coverage. Daschle would never be making that happen.
And, Patricia, you are right, everyone makes mistakes. But, folks like Daschle and Geithner (who should have also been run off, in my opinion) have lots of "people" and there is no excuse. These are not "mistakes" - these are evasions.
i think dennis kucinich would be the best candidate for the job. i can hear the outcry of conservatives everywhere now...but lets face it, the man knows more about healthcare than most conservatives
Here, here! Unfortunately I fear Obama will never go there. But you are absolutely right, Dennis knows more about healthcare than really anybody in politics.
Can I use the word..."Hope?"
you are audacious
As others have mentioned here (see below), Dean is a good candidate for the job, although in my opinion not the best, since D. Kucinich would be better. Here is why:
Dennis is a peoples' healthcare person. Most of his experience working in healthcare comes from dealing on the "consumer" end of the spectrum (e.g. working with poor families who need healthcare, urban clinics, etc.). I would say he has a better understanding of the needs of the average healthcare user as compared to Dean. Yes, Dean is an M.D., but that's only one side of the equation and frankly not the side that matters most. Out of most of my experiences with MD's, their direct families, etc. I have found very few that support universal coverage, let alone single payer universal coverage. Why? because that inherently means their pay will go down and they could end up being a government employee. This side of healthcare reform does not need a platform, as it already has that in numerous lobbying groups. Hence Kucinich is the best candidate.
You won me over...but will Kucinich even be considered by Obama?
I highly doubt it...I doubt he'll even consider Dean.
you may be right. But, most M.D.'s I know (in particular I have several friends from college who
are docs, 2 are Ob/gyns)) are not generally opposed to health care coverage reform. I guess it's possible that the pay scale for various procedures/office visits could be lower, but right now they all have to pay 2 or three additional staff members just to fill out paperwork and file claims with all the insurance companies. But, whoever is in charge, there's no doubt it needs fixing >>> and Soon!
this may be a difference between doctors who own their own practices or who are part of a bigger system. talk about bureaucracy in our health care system...there is no doubt at least 1/3 of the cost for typical healthcare comes from this paperwork
Pfffft!
Teh Koooch knows more about healthcare than most cons or libs.
Plus it is hard to call a few hundred thousand dollars of unpaid taxes as a "mistake."
If Mr. Daschle can't even handle squaring his taxes squarely, it sort of follows that he should not be able to manage something which is orders of magnitude more complex: the administration of the Health Services dept during one of the worst crisis in American history.
trying to get out of paying his taxes is the least of his character flaws....
he would "manage" the healthcare system even further into the loving embrace of for-profit healthcare.
that's Obama's plan. Keep for-profit health care and we'll continue to pay the insurance companies for coverage we don't get.
it is
obama supports the insurance-dominated, for-profit healthcare system.
he has never given the slightest impression he wants real healthcare reform.
i completly agree
If I'm not mistaken, Daschle's "mistake" was in overlooking the fact that having access to a limo and driver for months on end might be construed as income by the IRS. I can see how Joe the Plumber might miss that one, but not a former senate majority leader. He thought he could slip one by, pure and simple. On the other hand, I challenge any of the right-wingers who banged the drum so loudly to whip out their returns. If an agent wants to find something, he or she can find something.
So any takers? Boehner? Cantor? Limbaugh? O'Reilly? Others?
daschle is effin terrible, the worst kind of polician. his word is slime, and his moral compass is nonexistent.
read the greenwald piece alice pasted
read the matt taibbi piece:
http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbou...
I pay MY taxes. Forgetting..is not an excuse. I don't care if you are a Democrat or a Republican.
Americans are ALL busy...multiple jobs, both spouses working, kids, school, homework, laundry...most of us don't have au pairs and gardeners and housekeepers and personal finance managers to handle our lives...we have to do it all...AND puleease don't tell me about how Congressman work long hours...does ANYONE really work a 40 hour workweek anymore.
Did you know? that when you buy something on line from out of state you are supposed to mail your state the sales tax if the merchant did not collect?
Do you pay sales tax on garage sale items? Stuff bought on craigslist? Then you too are a tax cheat.
Someone mentioned the tax code is seriously flawed. That is more accurate that saying I pay all my taxes.
so Tom Daschle is being oppressed. I see.
A few dollars is a few orders of magnitude than a few hundred thousand.
Also, I believe sales taxes are mostly the responsibility of the seller not the buyer.
because a part of your compensation (wage) is not declared doesn't have SHIT to do with a 'tax code [that] is seriously flawed.'
It has to do with being greedy, lazy and or stupid. Too stupid to hold a cabinet post. This guy could have invested in specialists that would have preserved his political career, but chose not to.
Stupid, AND makes bad choices.
then the tax code is flawed
if i use my car as an independent contractor...i can write it off as an expense
if i dont, i dont get a write off
if someone gives me a car to use...i dont get a write off but i have to declare it as compensation? makes no sense
He seemed to have omitted a few months from his $1million a year position.
It is not that hard to figure out that your "income" tax refers to all the months you "worked" not just "some of the months you feel like paying."
That being said, it seems that his $1 million a year position was mostly symbolic. I.e. he did not have to do anything other than influence and get contracts. So it makes sense he figured he did not have to pay much in taxes on account that he did not have to work much for his paycheck.
Being a paid corporate lackey, I guess, made Daschle an ideal candidate for heralding the HHS according to Obama. Joy!
and there a qualified CPAs and tax attorneys who know how to determine if something is an expense, or compensation. And rich fuckers like Daschle should know how to use them.
That's the truth ruth!
Not unfortunate. Definitely fortunate. And pragmatic.
This was an ugly episode to watch. And the abysmal understanding of the situation demonstrated by Daschle and others who shall remain nameless that carried it over too many news cycles shows exactly why Daschle would have been a disaster heading HHS.
Now Obama has to pull another turd out of the heap and start polishing.
Really who does he have to pick from at that level that's clean? Hint: if they have senator in front of their name, they're most likely dirty, unipolishable turds.
Doctor Howard Dean.
Howard Dean for Health & Human Services Secretary.
Contact the boys.. http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Make it happen and spread the word. We need the Doctor back.
We did it for the Chairmanship of the Party.
We can do it for OUR Health & Human Services Secretary!!!
Republican Senators up for re-election in 2010.
* Richard Shelby of Alabama (Nasty)
* Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
* John McCain of Arizona (Nasty and confused)
* Mel Martinez of Florida - will not run in 2010 (announced 12-02-08)
* Johnny Isakson of Georgia
* Mike Crapo of Idaho(Racist State)
* Chuck Grassley of Iowa (Nasty)
* Jim Bunning of Kentucky (Racist State)
* David Vitter of Louisiana(Racist State)
* Kit Bond of Missouri
* Richard Burr of North Carolina
* George Voinovich of Ohio
* Tom Coburn of Oklahoma(Racist State)
* Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania
* Jim DeMint of South Carolina(Racist State)
* John Thune of South Dakota(Racist State)
* Bob Bennett of Utah(Racist State)
was gonna pull-out in 2010? :-P
...that was supposed to avoid embarrassments like this?
He was a horrible choice to begin with. While the speaker he talked out of both sides of his mouth and was always capitulating to big business.
Try a progressive.
Get a good CPA and some new glasses.
His Hairy Scrotum?
What can we do to get Howard Dean in as HHS Secretary.
Ideas? Suggestions?
see mine at 1054
I'm with you on that. I hope more people and this blog in particular keep the ball rolling. We don't need Ramn's DLCers taking over for us and representing the corporations. We need people willing to stick their necks out from time to time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm5fp7QScCU
Daschle will be like Larry Summers behind the scenes just not the head of the dept. As far as that Nancy lady she was appointed to a position that never existed before
He did the right thing.
When Bush appointed lobbyists, we squawked, and rightly so. Daschle made too much money lobbying to be anywhere near clean. I think this is a victory for good government.
is that ex senator asshole allowed his name to be put forward. Fucking time waster. WTF did he think, "Oh no prob, bob. King's X. You are so fucking great, we'll give you a pass"?
Idiot
conflicts of interest.
Like being wholly and totally in the bag for the Health Insurance Industry...
No, like Capone, he goes down on taxes...
Well, at least he's done...
Now, how about nominating somebody with actual cred: Howard Dean, MD
I am sure Mr. Emmanuel will try to rahm (pun intended) yet another DLCer down our throats.
Or maybe Obama will try another "visionary" reach to the other side of the aisle and will appoint Bill Frist. Afte rall Mr. Frist is an awesome doctor who can make accurate diagnosis via tape. Joy!
how about dennis kucinich?
Republican Senators up for re-election in 2010.
* Richard Shelby of Alabama
* Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
* John McCain of Arizona
* Mel Martinez of Florida - will not run in 2010 (announced 12-02-08)
* Johnny Isakson of Georgia
* Mike Crapo of Idaho
* Chuck Grassley of Iowa
* Jim Bunning of Kentucky
* David Vitter of Louisiana
* Kit Bond of Missouri
* Judd Gregg of New Hampshire
* Richard Burr of North Carolina
* George Voinovich of Ohio
* Tom Coburn of Oklahoma
* Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania
* Jim DeMint of South Carolina
* John Thune of South Dakota
* Bob Bennett of Utah
Gregg, Voinovich, Martinez (as you noted), and Kit Bond (iirc) have already announced they're finished...
Bunning hasn't got enough brain left to wipe his ass, but he'll get reelected if he runs.
Specter SHOULD get a challenge, but will win.
Coburn is untouchable, as are Shelby, Isaakson, McCain, Vitter, Grassley, Burr, DeMint, Thune and Bennett...Not merely 'red' but absolutely CARMINE in color...
Unless you mean the caste?
But, for elections ... no not untouchable. If the Dem. running against him has good name recognition in the state, and Obama still has an approval over 50%: I bet Burr gets tossed.
He is sort of Mr. Who? down here.
(Independent in NC)
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 some very good ideas.
Amen!
Maybe Daschle wasn't Obama's choice at all. Maybe he was part of a deal - "you want our support, you take our man." Now Obama could be free to choose the right person for the job.
Grasping for a silver lining..
"I gather that Daschle woke up, read the NYT editorial, realized he was going to be a major distraction for Obama, and opted out."
Or that he watched the Daily Show last night and realized he was a colossal butt of a major joke.
bet they are all tax cheats
Daschle, for me, has always been a poor choice. Just more of the same old crap, not change we can believe in. I'm glad he's gone, but not for this reason, as once again, it looks like Team Obama dropped the ball.
Is Howard Dean near a phone?
Tue, 02/03/2009 - 11:17 — QuakerDave
Daschle, for me, has always been a poor choice. Just more of the same old crap, not change we can believe in. I'm glad he's gone, but not for this reason, as once again, it looks like Team Obama dropped the ball.
___________________________________________________________________
Did their voices deepen too?
That Daschle was Obama's appointee speaks volumes about what Obama wants to do about health care. It's Republican-liteism. Daschle is the type of Blue-Dog insider Democrat that is cap H Hypocritical and should have no place in an administration calling for "change you can believe in".
Will be interested to see if Obama learns his lesson here and goes for a real "reformer" (not the Palin version) who will work towards Universal health care.
That isn't Obama's plan in the least, no matter who fills the spot.
but if the climate is right (admittedly it's not right now) and support keeps growing for single payer system, and you have someone open to fighting for it and who is not in the pockets of the HMO's and big Pharma, than you gotta chance. Maybe slim, but it's a chance.
Here's my nominee:
http://www.amoeba.com/dynamic-images/blog/Sar...
from Inseminnary School?
Good Riddance to Daschle -- he was so feckless as the Democratic Leader in the Senate that he makes the incompetent Harry Reid look like a genius. Neither Daschle nor his idiot twin who was kicked out of the House, Dick Gephardt, should ever be let near the leadership of the Democratic Party again, lest they be allowed to break the ship's rudder again.
I guess this just means all politics boils down to is the lesser of two evils. The past 24 hours makes Democrats look like tax evaders. Or you can side with pedophile Republicans. You can have your stimulus plan with the only ideas Republicans can come up with, tax cuts or a Democratic pork filled one. You can have another George Bush to lie us into a war, or an Obama who promises no lobbyist in his White House then appoints lobbyist. He's no different, where's the "change"? All politicians are scum. I've really been disappointed with my vote this past week. But what choice did I have? McCain, Nader, Barr? I guess someone has to run the country. What would happen if no one voted?
I'm giving up and not voting anymore.
as we know - you got your Crooks and you got your Liars! How about if we give up and not pay our taxes anymore??!! Think no one would notice? right....
Daschle and his wife are bottom-feeding filth. He's been lobbying for the insurance and pharmaceutical industry for years while not registering as a lobbyist. He uses a middle-man to do the actual lobbying, but he gets paid to peddle his influence. His wife doesn't have to pretend she isn't a lobbyist, so she is just an outright registered lobbyist.
I am getting discourged by Obama's choices and I really hope that discouragement doesn't turn to disgust. I thought he would at least PRETEND for a while that he was someone different who didn't rely on on filthy Beltway whores. There are thousands of smart Americans who are health care administrators who aptly qualify for that position. How about hiring someone who has actually been administering health care in the real world for the past 20 or 30 years?
The American Nurses Association has come out in favor of universal health care. One of their administrators isn't smart enough to do the job of heading up HHS, but some Washington lobbyist whore is? Get Howard Dean.
we have a winner.
Yep, spot-on.
although i think howard dean is a good choice (as compared to Douschle) i think Dennis Kucinich would be a better choice. see my post above (11:49) for reasoning.
that Kucinich represents "real" change, which is a bit at odds with Obama's change which is more of the "make believe" persuasion.
Probably Obama considers Kucinich as more of an enemy/threat than Hillary ever was...
although i agree with your first statement, one can only hope Obama makes a move strongly resembling that of the nomination of Steven Chu to energy post. i.e. get someone who knows what they are talking about rather than get a political insider who has just dealt with it in some committee.
i don't see how kucinich can be considered a threat. didn't kucinich throw his support behind obama right after he dropped out of the race? additionally, kucinich has little political sway (being only a Rep) and a weak public image (with regards to people outside his "far-left" sphere). these add up to little ways that kucinich can hurt obama.
So there is no way in hell Obama wants him anywhere near a position of power.
If you look at Obama's nomination, you see that the whole concept of "team of opponents" is a bit disingenuous at best (I consider it a ruse), since it is more like a "team of colleagues."
I am willing to bet serious money that Obama's replacement nominee will be some unknown person or another DLCer/GOP person... either way the person who is nominated will have ties to the Pharma/HMO industry. As usual, I am hoping to be proven wrong... but I am long done with being naive with regards to Mr. Obama's presidency and where it is going.
i see your point about kucinich,as he has no tendency to get in-line, but it makes me think that obama has made more dangerous appointments in that regard (e.g. richardson, clinton, emanuel, biden). wouldn't kucinich have more to lose when leaving his rep position for a post in obama's cabinet and then get forced out? i doubt he would have enough cred to find work politically, other than being elected back in his old district and losing his seniority in the house
i guess we shall wait and see who he picks as replacement....i sure hope you are proven wrong also
however eons of failure by the powers that be have turned me rather cynical...
"although i think howard dean is a good choice (as compared to Douschle) i think Dennis Kucinich would be a better choice. see my post above (11:49) for reasoning."
what the hell does that even mean? try contributing something constructive to this discussion
who had problems understanding his posts.
Welcome to the club.
although to be honest, I never liked Obama's health care proposals. Those were areas in which I considered Hillary's plans to be slightly better.
That being said. I am now aware of Obama's game plan: I don't think he wants reform as much as stability. He is interested, like everybody else, in maintaining the status quo. Although what he meant by "change" is not was some of us lefties understood by it. I think he is a moderate trying to infuse some stability into the system and hoping we can weather the storm with the old structures of power intact.
I guess, at this point... I am willing to take "stability" over the utter incompetence of the GOP governance. However, I get a tad annoyed/insulted when Obama makes an obviously partisan choice in selecting some corporate whore (or GOP member as it has been some of his choices for commerce), which basically it is a message by Obama which says "don't worry I am OK with the current structure." And having to endure legions of apologists trying to twist it into some kind of genius masterstroke of bipartisanship and change.
Hillary's Health Care Plan: Mandate that citizens buy insurance, penalize them if they don't. The insurance companies LOVED that plan.
Any effective health plan is one that the insurance companies will hate and fight tooth and nail to the grave.
Want to cut the cost of health care in half? Eliminate insurance companies.
... I'm sure there are people in Washington with more corporate ties than Daschle and his wife, but not many.
i am fine with dashel pulling out. It is rather refreshing after watching the criminal cabal that just left. At least we got rid of these before they were able to handle anything like say brownie did or abramhof or gonzales and john yoo. God man think what it would have been like if we were not saddled with the incompetence of the people appointed by the bush administration.
It looks a little more like honesty then we have ever seen from a republican president!
Maybe it's the republican in him.... :-)
Thank goodness Daschle has dropped out, no matter how it was orchestrated. Daschle was just WRONG! It was starting to look like Obama was tone deaf and going against his own principles. Let's hope the administration realizes that they have a base to appease. Obama was elected as the un-Republican but he appeared to be trying more to appeal to the Repugs than to his base.
Is this the new wave of responsibility, or will
crookspoliticians simply adopt a lower profile?I mean Dems are caving in one after the other and bending over back wards to try to please/ kiss some Republican a**.
This is stunning!! With a super majority of votes they still can't function with a few right wing whackos yelling at them. WOW!
Resulting in all the hard-line moneyed people who they happily kiss each others ass for -are winning all the prizes.
Ford and every other American business are losing out- because New York/Wall Street and K Street are deciding who stays and who goes.
And they get what they want INSTANTLY.
While YOU my friends and neighbors are told by the FED, in a recent major opinion -backed by Obama and the Congress, that YOU hard working smucks must wait 18 MONTHS for the Credit Card companies to rescind their anti-stimulating and unfair economic lending practices - like tripling your interest rate out of the clear blue sky - because they (J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America and CITI, " NEED TIME TO PRINT THE NEW AGREEMENTS."
18 months for them, while American citizens "swiftly" crash even and burn daily.
I would strongly encourage every American subject to such abuse by Wall Street and our Government, to all file CHAPTER 13 BANKRUPTCY.
It isn't that difficult to do it yourself and for a few hundred dollars worthy of filing fees.
FREE YOURSELF. SAVE YOURSELF, because no one else will.
The current bill is bad news.
curtilingus, you are not right about taxing garage sale items. Legislators have decided that we have already paid the sales tax with initial purchase so these resales get a pass.
I recommend Dr. John Kitzhaber of Oregon. He was a state senator and governor, he is an ER physician and has a health care initiative in Oregon called The Archimedes Project. He would be perfect.
Nader for HHS!
these people are onto something. Good way to stimulate the economy. Nobody pay your taxes. "Oops, I forgot".
Or do I misunderstand the phrase "single-payer?"
And Daschle should give Sally Jesse Raphael back her glasses.
Yeah, now he's gotta find another acceptable corpoRat drone with which to appease his financial supporters in the HMO/Big Pharma industry...with Billy Tauzin already gone, it could be tough to find anyone 'reliable' enough to placate the beeg money guys...
as senate democratic leader and how easily he was taken down by internet prostitute Jeff Gannon (I forget Gannon's real, non-GOPUSA name). Anyway, Gannon was assigned by "Talon News" (a front for various Texas millionaires) to discredit Daschle in the SD media on behalf of John Thune. Daschle folded up like a cheap card table. He couldn't even fend off a prostitute who was blogging against him. Anyone who could be taken down that easily wasn't even trying. Good God, Daschle is a vain, greedy fool.
With due deference to my friends who are advocating people like Howard Dean, Dennis Kucinich, and other feel-good candidates to replace Daschle at HHS and to head up the healthcare effort, the loss of Daschle is a body blow to Obama and to the prospects for healthcare. Daschle is no saint, and he and his wife have benefitted from the industry, but there is no one with possibly the exception of Ted Kennedy who has the knowledge of the healthcare issue and the political juice and moxie to get meaningful legislation passed.
As noted, Daschle is no saint, but anyone who has the skill-set necessary to address the problem has been tainted by the system. In my view, there is no doubt that Daschle was fully committed to getting healthcare passed, and whatever ties he had to the healthcare industry as a lobbyist would not effect his approach to the matter, except as a reflection of his judgment as to what is possible to achieve healthcare.
I am disappointed in Obama that he did not show more backbone in the situation and stand up for his appointee. Obama seems willing to bend and tack. Some might think it flexibility. I am beginning to think that it reflects weakness.
Inquiring minds want to know.
Because other than being an ineffective member of the house, and then turning into lobbying. I fail to see what experience Daschle was bringing to the table regarding health care. And if that is the experience he was indeed bringing, I consider that pretty f*cking far from the kind of "experience" I would like the HSS secretary to have. Esp. during a time in which health care is a source of major concern for most Americans.
Color me skeptical with regards to the notion that Daschle was going to bite the hand that fed him for our benefit.
I don't think someone who takes a freebie limo every day and then doesn't declare it as earned income should be head of a department with "human services" in the title.
I mean, if they change the name of Health and Human Services to Political Connections and 'How to Use Them in Order to Direct a Tiny Amount of Money Towards Real Change In Our Society After We've Taken Our Share', then yeah, I can see that.
i could be mistaken but i believe tom daschle would have been successful at this position under the direction of Obama. this was probably a good move by daschle.
Good, It's what he should do. If you're too dumb to name this problem when you're vetted and asked to name every conceivable issue that could cause problems, then you're too dumb for a cabinet position. Obama insisted his team would be diffferent. If he had actually led here, he'd look powerful and moral right now, instead of compromised.
But keep in mind, no corrupt conservative has ever stepped away from power, while his party was in ascent.
There is this guy named Howard Dean who just finished running the DNC and happens to be a doctor. Maybe he would be interested in the job. Ya think?
not since they tossed him under the bus.
hates Howard Dean
and Dean or Kucinich would work well if Obama really is assembling a "team of opponents" or whatever it is being called.
It made me sick when Obama chose Daschle, because it signaled to me that Obama was going to settle for half-measures rather than real reform.
What would be really good news would be the announcement by Obama that it is time to face reality -- the American health care system is unsalvageable and must be redesigned from the ground up.
During the current economic crisis Americans can watch their health coverage disappear and decide whether they want to continue playing the childish "socialism is evil" game or would prefer to have all Americans covered all the time. No pre-existing conditions, no waiting periods, no fighting to get insurance companies to cover treatments, and no worries about losing coverage when one's job disappears.
Of course it will be expensive. But we already spend far more than other countries to get far less.
Daschle was a terrible Senate leader and there is no reason to believe he would have been any better as Secretary of Health and Human Services. What is certain is that he oozes slime and creates real doubt that Obama has any genuine interest in clean governance.
Now, Daschle can go back to earning millions of dollars for doing little or nothing (that any honest citizen would want done) and Obama can decide whether he wants to continue to pretend that having an ethical administration is a priority or take steps to make it a reality.
The only thing unfortunate about Daschle's departure is that Obama chose him in the first place.
It's time to quit whining about Republicans and whether or not they get the same or even adequate scrutiny. They aren't in office and they aren't promising change. Excusing scumbags like Daschle because Republicans are worse (that's why they lost, isn't it?) misses the point. I want an ethical, competent left-wing government. Obama is delivering people who promise center-right, business-as-usual. I didn't work for Obama so he could appoint incompetent creeps like Daschle or Republicans like Judd Gregg.
wow.....he made a mistake like millions of people do on their taxes. sure i realize his position calls for a higher standard of responsibility. i trusted obama on this appointment and still do. daschle is very knowledgable. i believe under obama and probably some consulting with h. clinton......daschle would have been successful. this whole notion that everyone in obama's cabinet needs to have a perfect past is ridiculous.
Edwards...Richardson...(Caroline) Kennedy...Daschle...
It sure hasn't turned out well for those high-profile Clinton back-stabbers, has it?
They're OUT. She's IN.
Karma is a bitch.
Howard Dean would be great. He could act like a doctor and help fix the country.
John Kitzhaber, former 2 term governor of Oregon is an ER physician. Another great option.
As long as they will not compromise on a single payer health care system. Time for argument on that is OVER.
It's more than the fact that Kitzhaber served two terms as governor and is a physician as well, he's already been working hard at fixing the health care system since January of 2006 with the Archimedes Movement. He would step in with a plan ready to go.You can read their "Statement of Intent," "Archimedes Movement Principles," and "Framework for a New Health System". They are working hard at this already. Who better to step in at this point if universal health care coverage is what we as Americas are really fighting for. The movement started at and works from the grassroots level. These people are about really working at fixing this broken system, not slogans or bandaids.
Senator Wyden is very familiar with the work of the Archimedes Movement.
I've put up a couple of videos of John Kitzhaber speaking on healthcare reform at TheZoo.
Emanuel and democrats would never have Dean , he cares to much about the people running our government... If you remember Emanuel attack him for running a 50 state program which brought democrats back in power...
You will find out the Emanuel is a hot headed person and it is his way or the highway...
Emanuel is the person pushing Obama's sickening reaching out to the republicans who have swore to attack and destroy him and the democrats..
Obama wouldn't have Dean either because OBAMA. IS. NOT. FOR. CHANGE.
And did you hear about this?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/us/politics...
Emanuel RUNS Obama.
Damn! So THAT's who's making the choices for Obama's staff. Rahm the Jackass Emmanuel. Old Washington right down the line, starting with Hillary Clinton, the very thing Obama campaigned AGAINST.
Whoever Obama is and whatever his values are, he's been coopted by the power-hungry DLC/DCCC, the Clinton arm of the Democratic party.
I have detested Rahm Emmanuel for years and give him much of the blame for his DCCC role in supporting so many Bush-dog Democrats in their election efforts that severely weakened the Democratic congress during Bush's tenure.
Edited to add
http://dlcwatch.blogspot.com/2007/05/rahm-ema...
Fascinating analysis of Rahm Emmanuel and his insufferable arrogance. He certainly does detest Howard Dean.
Look . . .we don't want Tommy Thompson back in Wisconsin . . . maybe he could fill in for a while.
...for HHS Secretary.
Just to see the wingnuts heads explode ...
but seriously, Dr. Howard Dean has the organizing skills to put together a workable plan AND drum up the support to get it passed.
I don't see this as unfortunate at all, I just wish it would have happened to a few more of Obama's appointees. Other than Steven Chu I think there's little hope of improvement on any critical fronts based on Obama's choices as well as his stimulus package.
Who behind the scenes is making these unvetted recommendations to Obama? Or are these his choices? Why didn't he have these people vetted to the nth degree and lined up before he was inaugurated? I really don't understand this, since there was certainly time. It certainly lends weight to the charge that Democrats are just as corrupt as Republicans, even if it's about different things.
I always liked Dean for this job, above all. I never felt Daschle's proximity to Congress was that important to success in this particular job; I do understand that Obama had and still has a big plan to get through Congress, but I don't agree that Dean was too "abrasive" for that job; anyway, I like "abrasive," personally, especially when it comes to the obvious long overdue imperatives of getting medical prevention through to the Neanderthal and oblivious junk food eatin' and aspartame guzzlin' portion of the exalted American public, and not just perpetuating grandiose schemes of Health Care, blah blah blah.
HHS oversees the FDA, which tries to oversee the full 25% of the US Economy that is either food or drugs!
This will no doubt be a sobering blow to Obama and to his staff, particularly Rahm, with whom Dean fought bitterly over the 50 state strategy, and was proven right, of course...
This article just got picked up by Google search engines....I just hope the President and his staff get the message of support for Howard Dean loud and clear, if the obvious merits of giving him the job are still problematic to them.
What we need is an "abrasive" (not really THAT "abrasive") DNC Chairman in the Cabinet to balance out all of the Republicans, which I really never ever expected....plus, to boot, both he and his wife are physicians, and the nation above all needs a major overhaul in terms more of PREVENTION rather than just more BS on "Health Care."
Great Scot! His Medical degree is from Albert Einstein School of Medicine! Who else would you trust with a complete overhaul of the FDA, which has been overdue for about 25 years.
Stephen Fox
Political and Consumer Editor
New Mexico Sun News
[In 1980, Stephen Fox founded New Millennium Fine Art, a Santa Fe gallery specializing in Native American and Landscape, and is very active in New Mexico Legislative consumer protection politics, trying above to get the FDA to rescind its approval for the neurotoxic and carcinogenic artificial sweetener, Aspartame.]
I think his picks have been exceptional. Keep your eye on the prize and that is the economy. Look how much tax revenue we are generating by these nominees. Keep it up I say.
http://bearmancartoons.wordpress.com/2009/02/...
DEAN > DASCHLE
'nuff said.
Make it happen, Barry!
Please!
At first I was nervous about deciding who to vote for in the primaries: Barry or Hillary. Now my fears are laid to rest because it didn't matter who won, the administration would have looked much the same. Oh and by the way, can someone, anyone, show me somewhere that has universal healthcare that doesn't SUCK? England? Pul-eeez. Canada? Try again....
Well, I'd nit-pick that comment. While both Obama and Clinton are centrist / populist Democrats and would have picked some of the same people to their cabinet, there is a bigger similarity between the two of them. Actually two similarities. Their names are Tom Daschle and Terry AcAuliffe. Both are weak Democrats. Both failed to oppose or question the Bush administration. And both played key roles in their campaigns. And now both are finished.
This is a break for Obama. Now he can pick someone with actual public health experience to lead DHHS. Obama is a winner today.
And also ask any UK citizen if they would like NHS to go away. The answer would be no. (Some conservative dude named Churchill was instrumental in its creation, BTW).
Norway has a system that's pretty good, despite the quirky assisted suicide shit that gies on. Same with Germany, which has the world's oldest system.
Universal healthcare takes the burden of healthcare off the backs of small businesses and individuals. That increases productivity and saves lives in times of economic crisis.
Since our beloved Reagan changed IRS auditing priorities, the tax collectors have focused on earned income tax credit fraud.
With the audits of just two people (Daschle and Geitner) our country has gained an additional $180K in revenue. At $3000 a pop, it would take 60 verified EITC frauds to recoup the revenue that these two clowns owed.
Sixty vs. two... hardly a tough decision.
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