The Scandal continues:
President Obama’s choice for health secretary, Tom Daschle, was aware as early as last June that he might have to pay back taxes for the use of a car and driver provided by a private equity firm, but did not inform the Obama transition team until weeks after Mr. Obama named him to the health secretary’s post, senior administration officials said Saturday.
As Senate Democrats rushed to save the nomination of Mr. Daschle, their former leader, the White House spent the day trying to explain how he survived its vetting process despite his failure to pay $128,000 in taxes.
The White House would not say when the president himself learned of the tax issue, but said Mr. Obama is standing by his nominee.
“The president believes that nobody is perfect, but that nobody is trying to hide anything,” Robert Gibbs, the president’s press secretary, said in an interview, adding, “I think Senator Daschle rightly is going to have to answer questions, but I think members will be satisfied with the answers that he gives and will understand that he’s the right man for the job.”
At least six leading Democratic senators have come out in support of Mr. Daschle, but the fate of his nomination is unclear. The Senate Finance Committee, which is charged with holding a confirmation hearing on Mr. Daschle’s nomination, will meet behind closed doors Monday to discuss his taxes. After Timothy F. Geithner, Mr. Obama’s Treasury secretary, faced similar issues, some senators may have little appetite for confirming another nominee with tax problems.
“It’s totally shocking,” an aide to a Democratic senator said Saturday. “Why do we have to continue to have the same story over and over again with these nominees?”
via Daschle Knew of Tax Issues Over Car Use Last June – NYTimes.com.
I find it absolutely amazing that the Democrats would still confirm this guy, after learning about all these indiscretions. But then again, integrity is not one of the Democrats strengths. If the shoe was on the other foot. The Republicans would have already withdrawn his nomination and someone else would have been offered. But because he is one the team of “The One”, he will confirmed and his tax problems quickly forgotten. Funny how that works, is it not?
Others: Althouse, Betsy’s Page, JustOneMinute
(via Memeornadum)