He was chosen to be Barack Obama's Health and Human Services secretary, but tax problems got in the way, and earlier today, Daschle pulled the plug on himself.
I want to add one more reason why Daschle never should have been offered the HHS job.
While he was the head of the Senate Democrats, his wife, Linda, worked as a lobbyist, concentrating on airline issues. She claims she didn't lobby Senators, but just having her name out there was enough. After all, Daschle is not a common name. For his part, after his 2004 defeat at the hands of John Thune, Daschle went to work for a lobbying firm--but did no lobbying. He made a lot of money, however, doing what he was, or wasn't, doing.
During the presidential campaign, Obama singled out lobbyists as one of the problems facing Washington, and under the banner of "Change," he would fix that.
Daschle is the second Obama cabinet designate to withdraw his name from consideration. A month ago Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM) bowed out because a "pay-to-play" scandal was inching in his direction.
Hat tip to Tom Mannis of the Chicago News Bench.
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