Another Cabinet Nominee Can't Pay His Taxes

[Night Strike]

Looks like the only change that has come to Washington is in the nomination of people who can't pay their taxes. No wonder why they're asking all of us to pay for these stimulus packages.

The White House has acknowledged that former Sen. Tom Daschle, President Obama's nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, had "some tax issues," which, the administration says, have been resolved and shouldn't bar his confirmation as secretary.

FOX News confirmed that Daschle alerted the Senate Finance Committee, which will oversee his confirmation hearing, that the matter involves more than $100,000 in back taxes and interest for a car and driver that was provided to him for four years by Leo Hindery, a wealthy Democratic donor and longtime friend of Daschle's.

Daschle incorrectly assumed the use of the car and driver was not subject to taxation. But the White House says he discovered the error during preparation for his confirmation and filed amended tax returns with the proper payment and interest.

The White House issued a statement Friday night affirming that Daschle "is the right person to lead the fight for health care reform."

"Senator Daschle brought these issues to the Finance Committee's attention when he submitted his nomination forms and we are confident the committee is going to schedule a hearing for him very soon, and he will be confirmed," it says.

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., the committee's chairman, has scheduled a closed-door meeting with committee members to discuss the matter before proceeding with Daschle's confirmation hearing.

The news comes on the heals of an uproar over the tax troubles of another one of Obama's Cabinet nominees. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was confirmed this week after apologizing for failing to pay $34,000 in taxes on time, an error that he said was a "careless" mistake.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's office released a statement Friday strongly backed Daschle despite the new revelations.

"Senator Daschle will be confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services," Reid spokesman Jim Manley said. "He has a long and distinguished career and record in public service and is the best person to help reform health care in this country. Senator Reid looks forward to a swift hearing and is confident Daschle will be confirmed."

A spokeswoman for Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Finance Committee, issued a statement Friday acknowledging that the committee's vetting process had turned up the tax violations, though she did not say whether Grassley had taken a stance yet on the matter.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/30/white-house-daschle-tax-issues-shouldnt-bar-cabinet-confirmation/

[jbrettlip]

I love the fact that everyone who wants to redistribute the wealth, makes sure it isn't THEIR wealth!!!! This is BY far the most corrupt cabinet ever assembled. Hell we are 11 days in, and already the US Treasury has brought in over 100k in back taxes.

Shit, maybe Obama is a God-send. The govt may break even as he continues to nominate people who haven't paid taxes for years!!

HAHAHA..I wish I lived in a country that wasn't turning commie.

[Night Strike]

Does anyone have an answer as to why when we are in an economic crisis with the Democrats calling for more spending than the Iraq war, that they are fully ready to spend our earned money but can't even pay their own "patriotic" taxes?

Time for members of the Senate to grow a spine and stand up to this hypocrisy at the beginning Obama administration.

[spurgistan]

If Cabinet members were supposed to be moral leaders, NS, you would have a point. But Geithner and Daschle were not nominated by Obama to lead the country forward through a difficult moral patch; that's his job, and our own. He nominated Geithner and Daschle to their positions because he felt they would be important in recommending and guiding legislation through Congress. It's a purely inter-governmental position. Moral leadership, while not a terrible thing for Cabinet members, isn't why they get the job. If you think Geithner's policies are right at the Treasury, whether or not he screwed up his taxes 10 years ago shouldn't matter.

Also, I don't know much about Daschle's issues, but Geithner's tax problems involved whether some multi-national bank he worked for paid taxes in the US, or something. Inexcusable, but it's possilble that he didn't willfully avoid paying taxes, and did so in ignorance rather than malevolence.

As far as why we're trying to spend massive amounts of money in a recession... may I direct you to your nearest Econ 010 class. Hell, Nixon was a Keynesian.

[InkL0sed]

I think you mean "101"

[Night Strike]

I never said the guys had to be moral leaders (not that I probably agree with their morals anyway). I just expect some of the guys in charge to be able to follow the law. If the President is supposed to be the moral leader, why is he allowing these people in his cabinet?? Obama is the one who said he was going to have the most open and ethical executive branch, but he has utterly failed that promise within the first 2 weeks.

If I didn't pay my taxes and was caught, I would probably be jailed. When these guys don't pay their taxes, they get promoted.

By the way, my Econ 101 class (actually Econ 2003 at my school) teaches that it's profitable businesses who create jobs.

[jbrettlip]

If Cabinet members were supposed to be moral leaders, NS, you would have a point. But Geithner and Daschle were not nominated by Obama to lead the country forward through a difficult moral patch; that's his job, and our own. He nominated Geithner and Daschle to their positions because he felt they would be important in recommending and guiding legislation through Congress. It's a purely inter-governmental position. Moral leadership, while not a terrible thing for Cabinet members, isn't why they get the job. If you think Geithner's policies are right at the Treasury, whether or not he screwed up his taxes 10 years ago shouldn't matter.

Also, I don't know much about Daschle's issues, but Geithner's tax problems involved whether some multi-national bank he worked for paid taxes in the US, or something. Inexcusable, but it's possilble that he didn't willfully avoid paying taxes, and did so in ignorance rather than malevolence.

As far as why we're trying to spend massive amounts of money in a recession... may I direct you to your nearest Econ 010 class. Hell, Nixon was a Keynesian.

Since you admit you don't know much: Geithner signed forms that disclosed his taxes weren't being paid on a quarterly basis. The smae forms also stated his income was "grossed up" in order to cover his taxes. So basically he got paid EXTRA and neglected to pay his taxes.

Daschle has repeatedly stated that people that owe/cheat on their taxes are traitors to America and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Geithner's new role involves overseeing the IRS.

You are wrong, idealistic but wrong.

[spurgistan]

ink - might be different at some institutions, but at Clark the Intro to Economics class is numbered 010. wouldn't be the quirkiest thing about Clark University, by a long shot.

NS - For one thing, it seems like failure to correctly pay taxes (willfully or not, you know how hard taxes are) shouldn't affect what we think of their policy. Again - if you think Tim Geithner's right for the Treasury, it shouldn't matter whether or not he pays his taxes. If something came up that legimately compromises his ability to be a good secretary (for instance, if like most Treasury Secretaries he was a Goldman Sachs man, at a time when Goldman Sachs is jockeying for bailout money) I would take it into account. But this is sort of penny-ante criticism which is really just obstructionist if it interferes with the stimulus package. It's not people failing to pay taxes that caused the financial crisis.

Yes, profitable private businesses are the optimal machine for creating jobs. But on a macroeconomic scale, for reasons that have little to do with how well most companies performed, most businesses are not profitable. Seeing as private businesses are losing more jobs than they create, the government should fill the role that market failures open.

I'll give you idealistic. I'll admit that last paragraph is above my pay grade, but I feel like most of this is grounded stuff.

[InkL0sed]

Idealistic? Hardly, Keynesianism is very mainstream.

And 101 is generally what intro classes are called. I thought everybody knew that...

[Juan_Bottom]

The whole thing is messed up. I've heard that Obama has appointed 10% of America's members of the trilateral commission to office. And a significant number of Builderbegers like Clinton. Just attending Builderberg is at least a felony, but probably also treason. Amiright?
Does anyone have stats or information on all of his appointments?

[jbrettlip]

This isn't a cabinet, it is a case study in "conflict of interest".

1) Hillary Clinton- Sec of State. Oversees relationships with foreign powers. Her husband is actually the investment advisor for kuwait. WHAT?? When did he become a stock broker? But that is what he is paid for. He also has taken money from several central govts for speaking and lobbying on their behalf.

2) Geithner-signed forms saying he knew he owed taxes. Was audited, errors were found on 4 years of taxes. He paid the 2 years that was audited on, but the other two had passed the statute of limitations. He didn't pay them....until nominated to run the IRS. You want to argue he is the man for the job, yet he can't work Turbotax???

3)Daschle- Health Secretary- has earned hundreds of thousands as a senator from the industry he will oversee

4)Richardson-oh never mind, he already withdrew his nomination amid scandal

5) Dodd- not part of the cabinet, but took sweetheart deals from Countrywide mortgage, said he didn't know they were sweetheart deals, (4% interest rates!) although he oversaw banking and finance, including Freddie and Fannie!!

6) Carolyn Kennedy-wanted to be senator from NY, withdrew due to "tax issues"

Do you see a pattern here?? These people are not on your side. They are on THEIR side. The democrats like to say they willl take care of people, but they don't. At least the republicans just come out and say "take care of your self".

And stimulus bill....please. Spending bill. Here is the quickest and best stimulus bill:

1) Corporate tax rate is now 5%
2) All money repatriated by firms is taxed at 5%
3) Tax rate on individuals drops 5% across the board, leaving the highest bracket intact.

[Juan_Bottom]

Bill Clinton is also a memebr of Builderberg(it exists! see the thread from last year) which sets global policy for governments.
Daschele is a memebr of the Trilateral Commision I believe. Another shadowey political club.

[jbrettlip]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090203/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_killefer


Another Obama pick withdrawls....can you guess why?

1) didn't pay taxes
2) didn't pay taxes
3)didn't pay taxes
4) all of the above

PS In the interest of fairness to those who hate standardized testing, I made it easy for you.

[jbrettlip]

Daschle just withdrew himself from nomination! HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA...Nice work Obama, you are building quite a team. I hear Blagovich is free, maybe he can be Czar of Hair or somehting.

[Juan_Bottom]

Daschle just withdrew himself from nomination! HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA...Nice work Obama, you are building quite a team. I hear Blagovich is free, maybe he can be Czar of Hair or somehting.

I'm from Illinios you know...

[jbrettlip]

Sorry, Juan!

Where are all the Obama-ites now...boy after the election this forum was teeming with them. Mpjg, snorri, etc have all run to the hills!!!!

[pimpdave]

lol @ this thread

[jbrettlip]

Oh yeah, and PimpDave...how could I have forgotten you!!!

[InkL0sed]

I see you had to pad your list of cabinet members with non cabinet-members.

Nice one.

[GabonX]

I see you had to pad your list of cabinet members with non cabinet-members.

Nice one.

Just because they were forced to pull out of the nomination process because they were tainted with scandal is no reason to forget that they were nominated.

[jbrettlip]

Well you are right. Carolyn Kennedy wasn't and won't be, you know, a cabinet member, you know. But she does represent, you know, THE first family of democrats, you know. Raise taxes, big government, you know, but she apparantly doesn't pay them herself, you know.

Just laughable. The house of glass that the liberals have been throwing stones from is crashing down. Corruption everywhere you look. But thanks for pointing out that I had a non cabinet person in my post. I am quite surprised you didn't mention W was the worst president ever. THat seems to be the liberal rallying cry!!!!

[InkL0sed]

I see you had to pad your list of cabinet members with non cabinet-members.

Nice one.

Just because they were forced to pull out of the nomination process because they were tainted with scandal is no reason to forget that they were nominated.

Hmm. You seem to be referring to Bill Richardson.

Well you are right. Carolyn Kennedy wasn't and won't be, you know, a cabinet member, you know. But she does represent, you know, THE first family of democrats, you know. Raise taxes, big government, you know, but she apparantly doesn't pay them herself, you know.

Just laughable. The house of glass that the liberals have been throwing stones from is crashing down. Corruption everywhere you look. But thanks for pointing out that I had a non cabinet person in my post. I am quite surprised you didn't mention W was the worst president ever. THat seems to be the liberal rallying cry!!!!

And you're referring to Carolyn Kennedy, of course.

Chris Dodd is a nominee for the Cabinet too, now?

I think that's, what, half of your list? Not to mention Hillary Clinton was just randomly thrown in there.

Seriously guys, talk about grasping at straws.

[GabonX]

Well maybe if you had specified in your first post it would have been clear. Regardless, mentioning those people does not in any way shape or form change the fact that a number of Obama's nomines were poorly vetted and have tainted the credibility of all involved. I suspect that the other names were mentioned because they establish a pattern of politicians who are willing to raise taxes and show charity with other people's money while they are not willing to live up to the standards they set for the common person.

This is hardly grasping at straws. A number of Obama's nominations would be forced to make late payments had they not been directly associated with the president. The others just accentuate the hypocrisy.

[InkL0sed]

Well maybe if you had specified in your first post it would have been clear. Regardless, mentioning those people does not in any way shape or form change the fact that a number of Obama's nomines were poorly vetted and have tainted the credibility of all involved. I suspect that the other names were mentioned because they establish a pattern of politicians who are willing to raise taxes and show charity with other people's money while they are not willing to live up to the standards they set for the common person.

This is hardly grasping at straws. A number of Obama's nominations would be forced to make late payments had they not been directly associated with the president. The others just accentuate the hypocrisy.

Are you saying Geithner and Daschle haven't made late payments? Because... they have?

Hillary in no way fits this pattern you perceive, and as far as I know nobody knows for sure why Carolyn Kennedy withdrew from Senate consideration.

That leaves, what, four Democrats who've been late on tax payments? Oh lord, whatever will we do. Of course, I'm sure Republicans are completely pure on the matter.

This is grasping at straws. Are you so naive to think that politicians aren't inherently hypocritical? That people aren't inherently hypocritical? I frankly don't care how much spin you put on it; I think Obama's chosen some very capable and qualified people for Cabinet spots, and whether or not they once forgot to pay their taxes really shouldn't matter if they can get the job done.

[GabonX]

This is grasping at straws. Are you so naive to think that politicians aren't inherently hypocritical? That people aren't inherently hypocritical? I frankly don't care how much spin you put on it; I think Obama's chosen some very capable and qualified people for Cabinet spots, and whether or not they once forgot to pay their taxes really shouldn't matter if they can get the job done.

Even if that job involves collecting taxes