Posted on 02/01/2009 3:57:57 PM PST by Baladas
(CBS) The Senate's leading Republican said he is taking a wait-and-see attitude toward the revelation that former Senator Tom Daschle - named to a cabinet post by President Obama - recently filed an amended tax return and paid $140,000 in back taxes and interest.
Appearing on CBS' Face The Nation, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., refused to say whether he thinks Daschle's nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services is in trouble, but admitted news of Daschle tax troubles was "a surprise."
“The Senate Finance Committee is meeting tomorrow to go over this and to come up with recommendations for the rest of us," he told host Bob Schieffer. "And I think I'm going to just wait until they give me their opinion."
Regardless of the embarrassment over the news (and what it says for the Cabinet vetting process, given the recent withdrawal of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson after being named for Commerce), the opinion seems to be that Daschle - who is popular in Washington - would not fail to be confirmed.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the vice chairman of the Democratic Conference, said Daschle's tax problem is less important than his serving in the Obama administration. "This was clearly an oversight," Schumer told Schieffer. "He's made recompense. He's admitted it.
"Daschle is one of the most respected people, and particularly in health care. He knows the health care issue. He knows the senators. He knows the politics. At a time when we have to really dramatically overhaul health care because people are hurting, I think we need Daschle as secretary of HHS. … And I believe that he will be approved by both the Finance Committee and the whole Senate.”
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Haha “wait-and-see” on the SECOND tax cheat? Come on.
Wow, so if you are popular in DC, you can commit whatever infractions you like.
Please. When Tommy ran the Senate, any R with the issues he has would not even make it to committee. He shouldn’t either.
Daschle looks like a sissy with those red-framed glasses he is now wearing.
He's the father of the "super-majority" and then stood in front of America with a muffler telling us that only the rich could afford a tax refund.
Don't even let him in the door!
Mitch’s career dissipation light is blinking.
I see the play! You stop trying to take Sen. Judd and we will let “Tommy The Tax Cheat” get approved!
McConnell is going to let this one pass, too....McConnell looks as he drinks embalming fluid....what a clueless, spinelss wimp
Wait and see?
Jeez...DITCH MITCH now.
Mitch needs to show he isn’t a corpse. SOB sure looks like one. Prove it Mitch, until then I will be looking at gravestones for you.
I think the best thing to ask is this: "Who on God's green earth did you hire to do your taxes? Based on your answer, you might just have a cell-mate."
Well, a couple things here.
First, I have noticed that when anyone uses the word "clearly" in this way the situation is rarely as clear as he wants you to believe it is.
Next, anybody who has raised kids knows that daschle got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Hell, anyone who has been a kid knows daschle got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
As folks in my neck of the woods are wont to say, "One of them would lie and the other would swear to it." Fits daschle and schumer.
Schumer, an OVERSIGHT? If I did it, it’d be called a crime!
Surprise? Dishonest weasels are just FULL of surprises.
Surprise? Dishonest weasels are just FULL of surprises.
Funny thing about these “oversights”. The perps seem to catch them right about the time they find out they’ll need to face confirmation.
I certainly have mixed emotions about some of these nominations. I don't want to see hoodlums of this stripe benefit at the expense of decent people, but ... it would be nice to hear daschle introduced in perpetuity as "sec'y daschle, obama's nominee, who was forced to pay $140,000 in delinquent taxes bill before taking office."
Agree 100%. Let’s get rid of that mealy mouthed, spineless, limp wristed group that calls themselves conservatives...let’s vote some real men & women into office and sweep back into power.
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