Daschle, of course, is the most innocent in this guilty system. His plan was to serve the public as long as he possibly could. The voters in South Dakota terminated that plan. His desire is to return to public service, working on a set of issues that he feels passionate about. Indeed, issues he actually knows something about. So no doubt, he is a good soul in a bad system.
But his goodness doesn't inoculate the system. And the system is why no one should count on real CHANGE till it, the system, gets changed.
The Tragedy of Tom Daschle
Wednesday February 4, 2009
Categories: Politics
I was really, truly excited about Tom Daschle as HHS Secretary. I think he is a fundamentally good person. Larry Lessig agrees, but says that doesn't excuse him:
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Technorati
Add to Digg
Add to Newsvine
Add to Facebook
Add to StumbleUpon
Advertisement
Advertisement
Search This Blog
About The New Christians
Tony Jones is the author of many books, including The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier and The Sacred Way: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life. He is a leader in the emergent church movement and a renowned expert on postmodern theology and the American church landscape.
Find out more about Tony, his books, and his speaking schedule at his website.
Subscribe
Tag Cloud
barack obama, bible, blogalogue, blogging, christian, christianity, christianity21, church, comment of the day, doctrine, emergent church, emerging church, gay issues, glbt, god, homosexuality, jesus, new testament, news, original sin, paul, politics, prayer, rod dreher, same sex marriage, scot mcknight, spirituality, theology, tony jones, transforming theology
I could not disagree more. What kind of transformation is he hoping for when he stacks the deck with insiders and Clinton retreads? Daschel an innocnent victim is like saying Tom Delay is a good Christian witness? Give me a break.
I went from a supporter of Daschle over the years to suspicion after reading a few blog posts. I think the article by NPR's Ron Elving captures the problem with his nomination in a fair and respectful manner and the good news that he has withdrawn his name. I like to think it was my email to President Obama via whitehouse.gov that effected the change.
Nearly every politician involved in potential conflicts of interest will have someone defending him or her with something like "no doubt, he is a good soul in a bad system." Sort of the "trust me, I'm upstanding" defense of former VP Dick Cheney and his closed door energy policy meetings. But potential conflicts of interest are often the cause of the systemic corruption. Indeed, as Professor Lessig notes the system does need to be changed and I think Obama being held to his commitments is important. Part of the change is ensuring someone like Daschle doesn't oversee the very companies he received millions from and the impact that money seemed to have on his moral compass.
http://www.npr.org/watchingwashington/2009/02/why_washington_isnt_disappoint.html
Tragedy of Dashcle
Former Senate "rascal"
Trapped by sin
Original or not
Give me a nickel
For everyone who would be in a pickle
Count all those "laxes"
Who don't pay all dere taxes
If it were me
I'd cut him a break
But my color blue
Might have my neighbor seeing red
And wishing Dems dead
Like somebody said
An eye for an eye
A tooth for a tooth
The whole world's blind
And gumming Gerbers
As for me
I must stay humbled
Cause I know I've stumbled
Don't want my sin
A media event
I know my soul
Couldn't take that dent
God bless Tom
God bless America
And God bless this whole d--- world
Because not one of us is clean
IMHO, Tim
Great bit of verse!!!
Thanks,
Ryan Connor
see the clip..."nuff said".
Post a Comment
By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.