Obama Cabinet Ethics: Tom Daschle & Nancy Killefer nominations Ended Due to Tax Troubles
No matter what “The One” says … There are two sets of rules, one for prominent people and one for ordinary folks who have to pay their taxes. Obama nominees Bill Richardson, Tom Daschle and Nancy Killefer all out of Obama Cabinet on ethics issues.
...President Barack Obama had promised the most transparent and ethical administration ever. So far he cannot even get through the vetting process without numerous issues with his nominees. Obama’s recent disastrous political choice of nominees has left “The One” to only make one comment … “I screwed up.” So much for that ethical high ground that Obama talked about for 2+ years during the campaign. It would appear that of Obama had really wanted to be ethical, he would have never have nominated them in the first place, not wait until the fire storm began opposing his cabinet choices.
...Yesterday, House and Human Services nominee Tom Daschle’s appointment ended before it began due to his tax troubles. However, it was not just Daschle who removed his name from consideration, it was Obama nominee Nancy Killefer as well. What was her issue, taxes of course. Obama talks about how it is important not “to send message that there aren’t two sets of rules – you know, one for prominent people and one for ordinary folks who have to pay their taxes.” Really, if that is the case President Obama, why did Timothy Geithner get a pass? Are you saying that Geithner did not get rewarded for his bad behavior because of two sets of rules? One might say that Geithner, who has been heralded as the only may in the United States who can fix our economy, should have know better than Tom Daschle and paid his taxes.
..Barack Obama on Tuesday gave up his nomination fight for Tom Daschle and a second high-profile appointee who failed to pay all their taxes, fearing ugly confirmation battles that would undercut his claims to ethical high ground and cripple his presidency in just its second week. “I screwed up,” he declared.
..“It’s important for this administration to send a message that there aren’t two sets of rules – you know, one for prominent people and one for ordinary folks who have to pay their taxes,” Obama said in one of a series of interviews with TV anchors.
“I’m frustrated with myself, with our team. … I’m here on television saying I screwed up,” Obama said in an interview on NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams.” He repeated virtually the same words in several other interviews.
BTW, did anyone catch the comment made by Obama,“We were just tired of being in the White House.” Didn’t he just get there?
Did the Daschle debacle really humble Obama or did it just teach him a lesson that even the Obamamessiah cannot get away with everything? Humbled no, embarrassed yes! No one has told Obama no since he began his run for the White House. He was given a free ride at every turn. Now, Obama actually faces some obstacles and reacts to the pressure. So with all the happenings that occurred on Obama’s rockiest day as President, he did his best version of a Southwest commercial … Wanna Get Away. Barack, this is hardly going to be your most trying time as President, one may want to show a bit for fortitude in the face of difficulty. When the going gets tough, leave?
On the rockiest day of his young administration, President Barack Obama did what surely made him happy for a while.
He left.
