Tom Daschle: K Street Tax Cheat Turned Health Reform Promoter

IBD Editorials ^ | September 9, 2009 | MICHELLE MALKIN

[Kaslin]

Tom Daschle is the human toe fungus of Washington — a persistent infection that may disappear from time to time, but always comes back with a vengeance.

Despite abandoning his secretary of health and human services nomination in disgrace in February 2009, the K Street tax cheat who evaded IRS rules for years remains a top White House confidante and policy strategist.

In fact, he's leading the drive to save ObamaCare. He climbed up from under the bus back into the Oval Office and onto the sets of "Meet the Press" and "This Week With George Stephanopoulos" to offer his rescue plan.

It's Daschle's idea to morph the unpopular "public option" into nonprofit "health care co-ops" that will almost certainly receive government funding, support and tax advantages over private insurers.

Old colleagues on both sides of the Senate aisle are now promoting his alternative. Last week, he penned a "Do It for Teddy Kennedy" pep rally op-ed in the Wall Street Journal urging Democrats to go it alone and depend on the backroom Senate reconciliation process if necessary to get a deal done.

The White House told the Washington Post that Daschle is simply a trusted "sounding board" and "friend" offering invaluable assistance as an experienced individual with a passion for health care reform. But Daschle is the dictionary definition of a self-interested Washington lobbyist and Beltway swamp creature.

Married to heavy-hitting aviation lobbyist Linda Hall Daschle, the former U.S. senator from South Dakota has earned more than $5 million as a professional back-scratcher since leaving life as an entrenched incumbent.

[Kaslin]

[dalebert]

you know this administration is bad if they brought back little tommy

[eeriegeno]

What I saw was Bob Dole introducing Tom Daschole? And it made me want to puke!!!!

57% of the American people feel that Congress should be replaced. That is a plea for term limits......... The good old boy network of Republicrats and Democans seriously needs to be broken up......