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Daschle out. Dean or Kitzhaber in? (Update: or Wyden?)
BlueOregon —
... Well, former Senator Tom Daschle has withdrawn his nomination for Secretary of Health & Human Services. He's also declining an appointment to be the health reform czar for the White House. ...
Taxes, Virtue & Timothy Geithner
Southern Appeal —
... and withdrew himself from consideration for Secretary of Health & Human Services, presumably because of the controversy surrounding his failure to pay certain taxes. Good for Tom Daschle and good for America. Even so, considering Vice-President Biden recently and solemnly declared that it was ...
The Early Word on Daschle's Exit
Opinionator —
Tom Daschle withdrew his name from consideration to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services earlier today. First takes on the failed nominations began moving over the Internet shortly thereafter. ...
Obama Makes Unannounced Visit to Charter School
The Caucus —
While his press secretary fielded volleys of questions about the withdrawal of his health and human services nominee, Tom Daschle, President Barack Obama left for school. Though the visit was not on the president’s schedule, he and First Lady Michelle Obama made their way to the ...
Obama Copies GM Worker Buyout with GOP Senators
ScrappleFace —
(2009-02-03) — In announcing the appointment of Republican Sen. Judd Gregg (NH) as secretary of commerce, the White House today revealed it had begun implementing a buyout plan similar to the one General Motors extended to 62,000 hourly workers this week.
GM has offered $20,000 and a free car worth $25,000 to any hourly employee willing to leave the company payroll.
Sen. Gregg took the Obama buyout offer, trading in his elected post for an appointment as commerce secretary, a pay hike of about $20,000 and “a transportation package that rivals Tom Daschle’s” according to White House ...
An era of responsibility
Political Animal —
AN ERA OF RESPONSIBILITY.... The last time a cabinet secretary nomination became a humiliating debacle for a president was probably 2004, when George W. Bush insisted that Bernie Kerik was the single best person in the country to head the Department of Homeland Security. (Years later, it's still hilarious.) Once the nomination imploded, the Bush White House quickly sent out word: this is all Rudy Giuliani's fault. Indeed, the LA Times noted today ...
ThinkFast: February 4, 2009
Think Progress —
... President Obama said last night that he had “screwed up” with his nominees who withdrew over tax issues yesterday. “I’ve got to own up to my mistake, which is that ultimately it’s important for this administration to send a message that there aren’t two sets of rules,” said Obama. Andrew Sullivan notes that “it has taken Obama two weeks to say ...
Gays -- still criminalized
Citizen Crain —
February 04, 2009 Gays -- still criminalized Posted by: Andoni Loving gay couple If you thought the Supreme Court decision declaring the anti-sodomy laws unconstitutional ended the criminalization of gays for simply loving another person, think again. For gays in relationships, here is something not very pleasant to think about, especially now when tax problems are haunting a number of high profile public officials. Married straights can legally pass an unlimited amount of money, financial help, assets, benefits, services, etc. from one partner to another. Gay couples, however, cannot. Gay couples (and because the federal ...
Taking Responsibility
TalkLeft —
Refreshing candor from an American president: “I’ve got to own up to my mistake, which is that ultimately it’s important for this administration to send a message that there aren’t two sets of rules,” Mr. Obama said in an interview with NBC News. “You know, one for prominent people and one for ordinary folks who have to pay their taxes.” ... He added, “I’m here on television saying I screwed up and that’s part of the era of responsibility.” After living for eight years with a president who could admit no mistakes, Obama's ...
2/4: Daschle Goes Down
Blogometer —
February 04, 2009 2/4: Daschle Goes Down Most liberal bloggers welcomed ex-SD Sen. Tom Daschle 's decision to withdraw his nomination as HHS Sec., calling it "the right thing to do" . However, other lefty bloggers were saddened by the news, as they believe that Daschle's departure has damaged the long-term prospects of health care reform. Ex-DNC Chair Howard Dean appears to be the netroots' favorite choice to replace Daschle, but some think that Pres. Obama is unlikely to nominate Dean. Conservative bloggers, meanwhile, are blasting Obama for "sacrific[ing] his principles" and ...
What Did Obama Screw Up?
The Caucus —
President Obama screwed up. He said so himself, in interview after interview on television Tuesday evening, as he sought to explain how his administration handled Tom Daschle’s botched nomination for health and human services secretary. But what, exactly, did the president screw up? That question was posed to Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, at the daily briefing on Wednesday afternoon. Here is his verbatim reply: “Well, I think that — taking, for example, the appointment for HHS, that obviously, making health care more affordable is a — as you’ve heard him talk about a lot — for many years a very important issue to him. ...
Date Set for Health Nominee's Confirmation Hearing
The Caucus —
The Senate Finance Committee has scheduled a confirmation hearing next Thursday for Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, who is President’s Obama’s nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services. The hearing, to be held on April 2, was announced by the chairman of the committee, Senator Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana, who is also spearheading efforts for a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s health care system. The withdrawal of Tom Daschle, the former Democratic Senate leader, as Mr. Obama’s original nominee for health secretary, was one of the first major setbacks for the new administration, and the delay in confirming Governor ...
Early Word: Old Adviser
The Caucus —
As the summer recess drives the health care debate out of Washington and the administration’s control, President Obama turns to former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle for some guidance this morning. Mr. Obama will sit down for a White House meeting with Mr. Daschle, the man he originally tapped to be Health and Human Services Secretary and to lead the White House health care office until questions about Mr. Daschle’s taxes derailed the nomination. The question now is whether the administration and Democratic lawmakers will move forward without Republicans in September. Mr. Obama said Wednesday that Republicans stacked the cards ...
