Daschle filed amended tax returns for 2005, 2006 and 2007 to reflect additional income for consulting work, the use of a car service and reduced deductions for charitable contributions. He filed the returns after Obama announced he intended to nominate Daschle to head the Health and Human Services Department.
Most of the additional taxes resulted from unreported income from the use of a car service provided him by a close friend and business associate, Leo Hindery Jr. The unreported income for that service totaled more than $250,000 over three years.
Daschle also had unreported consulting income of $88,333, in 2007. He also had reductions to charitable contributions totaling about $15,000 over the three years covered, according to the Senate Finance Committee document. The document, marked "Confidential Draft," is a committee statement concerning Daschle's nomination.
The White House insists that this "stupid mistake" won't derail the nomination, as does the Democratic leadership. But given that Obama's (self-imposed, strictest in history) lobbyist rules are also getting bent a bit, the tax flap is giving critics of the Administration plenty of ammunition to gleefully play with. Going to bat for Daschle invites a lot of distraction from the aggressive domestic agenda that Obama seeks to implement, and Daschle (a veteran Senator with many post-Senate "consulting" affiliations and other associations) may simply have too much baggage to be effective in pushing that agenda through. The sheen of technocratic comptence that is so critical to building popular support for bold policy starts to wear thin when your Cabinet picks keep making "stupid mistakes" (direct quote from an unnamed White House upper-up).
What was Daschle's qualification for HHS, anyway? I am aware of his legislative record and policy expertise, but Daschle remains firmly within the old guard of the Democratic Party, the same generation as John Kerry (whose nomination for president didn't exactly light a fire under America's collective consciousness). It's great to have the grizzled voices of experience and senior expertise in the diplomatic sphere (which is why I applaud the choice of Holbrooke and Mitchell as envoys - under Secretary Clinton's direction). But in terms of executive leadership, we need new blood.
The argument for Howard Dean as Secretary of Health and Human Services is quite straightforward. He's a medical doctor, and has more executive experience than anyone else in Congress or the White House. In his six terms as Governor of Vermont he paid off the state's public debt, expanded health insurance for children, lowered taxes, signed civil unions into law, and delivered a balanced budget every year. And of course as Chairman of the DNC he implemented the 50-state strategy that gave Obama the foundation for victory.
The only reason Dean wasn't tapped for HHS outright? Rahm Emmanuel, who bitterly opposed the 50-state strategy that brought his new boss to victory. As I mentioned earlier, Dean's name was excluded from consideration quite early on, citing Dean's "partisan background" and lack of congressional experience. That argument is total nonsense - and applies far more to Daschle than it does to Dean anyway.
It's time to acknowledge that Howard Dean is the right choice for HHS.
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I strongly agree that Howard Dean would make and be considered the best choice to be Secretary Of Health and Human Services. I've heard on the radio that at this moment, he's assisting the liberal parties in Europe in organizing their campaigns. Howard Dean doesn't belong in Europe. He belongs in this nation in assistng the President and his Administration in drafting a health care reform program for this nation. Besides his personal career as a medical doctor, he's considered an outstanding organizer and spokesperson for the medical profession. With the background that he has in the field of medicine, who could convinced the american people and this President for the need of a health care bill. The most powerful groups of interest that would fight against the idea of universal health coverage will definately come from the American Medical Association, who have a lot at stake in this program. You can't fight a powerful group without knowing the actual and prudent way to fight them other than someone who comes from the American medical profession. Roosevelt understood that fact when he appointed Joseph P. Kennedy to oversee the newly created Securities and Exchange Commission to fight and catch the crooks in the stock exchange. Roosevelt once said of Kennedy, "It will take a crook to catch a crook". It will take a doctor to overcome the medical doctors in the fight to have universal health coverage.
Howard Dean appears to be a great choice for seeing that Insurance companies stop bilking Americans out of money. We use to have "Humanity" laws that were suppose to be enforced to protect run away greed by insurance companies. Either get rid of greedy insurance companies and have us pool our money in some other "national"
Health fund or have major transparency. Once again, the bulk of money earned with Insurance companies is going to CEOs instead of lowering costs and saving lives.
As a person deeply impacted by the health crisis and knowing whatever solution will be far from perfect, I do believe that Howard Dean will make a much better HHS than Daschle or any of the other names floated. Why Obama is alienating independent-minded outsiders like Dean for the usual corrupt Democrats and Republicans is beyond me. He talks about "bipartisanship" when he should be advocating "NONpartisanship". Most American's aren't glued to a political party but vote based on what they think a candidate will deliver.
Dean worked hard for his own party, but he also recognized the weaknesses and corruption within his party. Maybe the fact he (rightly) referred to many in Congress as cockroaches still has the corrupt cockroaches still up in arms.
Will Obama do the right thing? I doubt it. Corruption feeds corruption and they are too busy stealing our tax dollars and getting rich off of us to change. I think the only Senator who isn't wealthy is Feingold because he hasn't been corrupted by the payoffs the others take.
Rahm Emanuel needs to get over himself! Howard Dean was and is a superior pick for HHS. The fact that he hasn't been discussed yet has confused me for some time now.
Obama ran on a platform that included massive healthcare reform. Dean is someone who will get the job done by cutting the red tape, if necessary. Oh yeah... he's also a medical doctor and has a history of providing healthcare reform in Vermont as governor.
This is a no-brainer: Obama should select Dean for HHS and move on to tackling the other issues.
Governor Howard B. Dean, MD, is clearly the best choice for Secretary of HHS
and it would be a real shame if, with his talents, background, and deep concern
for health care for all, he were to be passed over on account of some
inconsequential issue that may have existed in the past between another person
in the Obama office and him.
Furthermore, many people think it would be very "un-Obama-like" if our new
leader of the free world was not himself giving deep thought to who would do the
best job in that HHS position. The man who put together the 50-state strategy
which really helped us get "our man" into the White House thinks like our new
president does in many ways and has the qualities to make a very big difference
in this world because he, like President Obama cares deeply for equal services
for the under-served - particularly in health care . Please do not allow some
undercurrent of bad feeling between one person in your West Wing and Governor
Dean to cause you to miss an extraordinary opportunity to put the best person
for that spot in where he belongs.
Thus far, listening to others somewhere, you chose a couple of probably fine
people in their own right but NOT right for your adminstration. We expect you
to work like you said you would: directly to maintain the highest caliber person
for each important position.
Governor Dean is the right man for the HHS. Do not pass him over for something
in which you were not even involved. We want YOU to make the decision !
With great pride,
Judith Rocchio
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