DROP DASCHLE

I think his fancy glasses gave him delusions of grandeur:



Or maybe once he started using a driver he decided he needed fancy glasses... hmm....

The lesson here, boys and girls, is be wary of politicians in fancy glasses!





(I don't know a lot about this -- I know, right? but I just haven't been reading this stuff lately -- but I'm not impressed with what I've seen so far.)

Why don't liberals pay their taxes?

The party that wants to raise everyone's taxes is the same
party that refuses to pay their own personal income taxes.

PrezBO is surrounding himself with corrupt individuals... no change here.

I have other reasons for wanting Obama to drop Daschle. His lobbying firm has way too many financial connections with the big corporate health industry companies and I don't think he'd do a very good job of representing the interests of the people in implementing the health care plans of the Obama administration. If that isn't enough, his wife is also a Washington lobbyist for aviation industry corporations.

Daschle's tax problems point out the need for some heavy auditing of wealthy individual and corporate tax returns. Perhaps that should also be a requirement for any major shareholders of a corporation receiving government bailout money, and for ex-government officials who lobby for them.

Soz, you can catch up on the details about Daschle's tax problems here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Daschle

I know the basic outlines it's just that there are competing spins and I haven't done my usual information overload to take it all in, digest, and figure out what I think about it. This has some of the different takes:

http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/a-tax-dodge-or-an-honest-mistake/?hp

In view of his previous boasts about a squeaky clean administration and restrictions on lobbyists, it might be wise of President Obama to withdraw this nomination. Expectations are very high for the new President and an adoring media has elevated him to probably unsustainable heights. These things can come crashing down rather quickly.

Finally, Obama appears to be having a hard time taming the Democrat establishment in the Congress. Dropping Daschle might be a good start.

I'm probably not the only person not surprised by this.

I'm pretty sure McCain wouldn't have had any problem taming the republicans.

But it ain't a blackberry any longer, far as I've read, (as if).

Honest mistakes or not, are we to beleive that both Daschel and Geithner are the only people who can lead their respective agencies? If that is the case, then isn't it a bit elitist to say that the rules are different for them because they are so special?

Take Daschel (please.) He has been a lobbyist in all but name. I don't like the way Obama is thinking we can't see through that bs. I'm disappointed in him.

Me too, its beginning to look a little worrisome. I didnt vote to get a GW Bush of the left. I think that Obama needs a picture of Bush and his inner circle as a reminder of his mantra of "loyalty over competence"

Obama has been portrayed by an uncritical and adoring media as fully described by his skillful and often soaring rhetoric. If this turns out to be true he will indeed be an historical, and very unusual, figure. More likely he has feet of clay just as everyone else. The danger for him is that the fall from a very high perch can be very damaging.

Daschle has been a model for exploiting a Congressional career for personal gain by serving as a paid lobbyist with his former collegues in the Congress. His power and draw in this role has been greatly enhanced by the Democrat's capture of control of the House and Senate and the expectation that he would play an important role in the new Democrat Administration. In short he represents exactly the opposite of what President Obama put forward as the essential character of his new administration.

I can't imagine anyone in business being unaware of the tax rules on company provided transportation or vehicles. This is an elementary feature of tax law with respect to compensation, and it has very wide applicability to many taxpayers. There is nothing obscure or arcane about this provision of the tax code.

Now with a second tax cheat among the appointments for cabinet level staff, it seems that this will be hard for the president to ignore. Obama can do without Daschle, who wasn't a particularly effective Minority leader in the Senate anyway. He would be very wise to drop Daschle, and if he doesn't I will have a very hard time believing that he has the will and strength of character to actually lead the cast of prima donnas he has assembled around himself. It is important for the leader to actually lead and exert his will over those around him. For a relative newcomer to the game (like G.W. Busdh before him) this can be particularly difficult. In this case Daschle has handed the new president a golden opportunity. I hope he takes it.

In fact, in managing small businesses, this was an aspect of taxation with which i became very familiar. The IRS is very specific about which mileage can be deducted and which cannot, and in lieu of mileage, which expenses can be deducted and which cannot. So, for example, commuting is not deductible, nor are expenses which arise from merely going to and from home and work. Therefore, any benefit such as a car and driver provided at the company's expense becomes a taxable form of compensation. (A vehicle provided by an employer, for which the employer pays all expenses, and which the employee is required to operate him- or herself, including travel during the course of the employment day, is another matter altogether, and is not treated as a compensation benefit to the employee.) This is Tax Regulation 101, and i do not for a moment believe that anyone doesn't know this. If the employee is sufficiently stupid not to know, the employer will certainly not be that stupid. I don't buy it, and i don't want Daschle.

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O'George, as is so often the case in such discussions, goes over the top, in this case by describing Obama's appointees as prima donas.

Excellent point. He can turn this into limonade and give the nation and his cabinet the "rules".
As far as prima donnas, I think what Obama was going for was "best and brightest". I hope he doesnt waste a lot of capital on "Standing behind his nominee" too much, itll muddy him up a bit.

I predict (maybe a combination of wishful thinking/denial)Daschle's nomination will be dropped w/in 72 hours.
Obama shouldn't hang onto this guy too long even for appearances of loyalty.

I sent an email to the white house asking that Daschle be dropped. I suggest everyone who feels strongly enough do the same.

For lazy slobs like me, Miss Swimpy, can you post the address?

just go to whitehouse.gov. There is a link.

Thanks, Boss.

The only people who, in the majority, pay every dime of tax due are the working classes. They fund the government.

Wealthy people often don't pay all of the taxes they owe. That's how they get and remain rich. They can afford accountants and lawyers who find every possible loophole in the tax codes, even some that aren't there. The tax laws are also usually crafted to benefit the rich. Is Tom Daschel one of those who cheat? I don't know. I've always admired Daschel and will be very disappointed if he is a tax cheat.

BBB

Wow, now Killefer drops out because of undisclosed tax problems....this doesn't look good.