Daschle hopes dashed- and of course it’s a woman’s fault!

President Obama's choice for government performance officer Nancy Killefer withdrew her name from consideration, possibly causing problems for HHS nominee Tom Daschle. (Linda Davidson / staff/ The Washington Post)

Another Rant by: BettyJean Kling

 

 

Another one bites the dust ! and another one bites the dust !

Poor poor Daschle – if it hadn’t been for a woman he might have gotten away with it!

If that is the case then I am damned glad she is the reason he got caught! I am sick and damned tired of these bastards getting away with this crap- funny when a woman does something – she gets caught- remember Martha Stewart? All of a sudden there is a convenient scapegoat to blame the downfall of Daschle.

They are blaming it on Nancy Killefer. They even have her pictured here looking like the poster child of GUILT! And it reads How Killeffer hurts Daschle- let me makes this abundantly clear- Daschel HURT Daschle.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2009/02/how_killeffer_hurts_daschle.html?hpid=topnews

UPDATE 12:48 p.m.: Tom Daschle has withdrawn from consideration as the Health and Human Services Secretary designate, citing his desire not to be a distraction to the president.

Original Post

The decision of Nancy Killefer to withdraw her name from consideration as President Obama’s chief performance officer due to tax questions has the potential to further complicate former Sen. Tom Daschle‘s (S.D.) already rocky confirmation process as secretary of the Health and Human Service Department.

 

In a letter of resignation released by the White House, Killefer wrote: “I have also come to realize in the current environment that my personal tax issue of D.C. Unemployment tax could be used to create exactly the kind of distraction and delay those duties must avoid.”

 

Killefer is the the third Obama pick to face tax questions; Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner was forced to apologize for not paying $34,000 in Social Security and Medicare taxes but ultimately was confirmed while Daschle continues to fight for his political life amid revelations that he had failed to pay more than $140,000 in back taxes.

As we wrote this morning, Daschle faces major problems — the optics of having not paid taxes on a car and driver provided by a wealthy donor are TERRIBLE — but will likely be confirmed barring any other revelations.

 

Killefer’s resignation could be those “other” revelations.

While the Killefer resignation is obviously not directly connected to Daschle, it certainly will have an effect on the political environment in which the former South Dakota senator finds himself battling for his nomination.

As any reporter knows, three related events amount to a storyline — meaning that Obama and his senior aides are now certain to face a barrage of questions (starting with today’s press briefing) on whether the president has a problem with his vetting process for top Cabinet picks. Obama’s interviews this afternoon with the top anchors for the major networks will now almost certainly lead off with questions about Killefer, Geithner and Daschle.

Obviously, that is not the narrative the Obama White House wants dominating the news coverage as it tries to sell the economic stimulus plan to a somewhat skeptical Senate.

All of that spells trouble for Daschle — as does the continued drumbeat on the story, which was kept up this morning by two developments.

The first: a New York Times editorial calling for Daschle to step aside.

 

“Mr. Daschle is another in a long line of politicians who move cozily between government and industry,” reads the editorial. “We don’t know that his industry ties would influence his judgments on health issues, but they could potentially throw a cloud over health care reform. Mr. Daschle could clear the atmosphere by withdrawing his name.”

The second is an old Daschle campaign ad circulating among the Washington chattering class this morning that — irony of ironies — shows Daschle driving around in a beat-up Pontiac (and driving by a chauffeured limousine).

 

In politics, the context in which any given event happens and the way in which said event is perceived are absolutely critical when analyzing the outcome. Until this morning, Daschle looked like he would make it through the nomination fight — battered but confirmed. The Killefer revelations badly cloud Daschle’s prospects and make the next 24 to 48 hours even more critical.