TPM: Daschle's Actions "Business As Usual"

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Obama Administration
Posted on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 12:51:04 PM EST
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Change we can believe in?:

Individually, each charge -- with the exception, perhaps of the until-recently-unpaid taxes on the InterMedia car and driver -- might be seen as not much more than business as usual for a former Congressional leader who has slipped through Washington's revolving door to offer his contacts and expertise to private interests. But cumulatively, they paint a picture of a Washington insider who, at best, has grown negligent about tracking the various forms of compensation he's receiving.

(Emphasis supplied.) So the new Obama slogan will be "Business as usual we can believe in?" Again, I never much cared about all this, but I did detest the sanctimonious BS that got flung around regarding all the "change" we would see.

Speaking for me only

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TPM: Daschle's Actions "Business As Usual" | 40 comments (40 topical)

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I have been anxious to throw (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by andgarden on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 12:58:07 PM EST

all of those stupid slogans back at the administration at every point possible. The minute Obama decided to keep gates at Defense, change (indeed, the very change some of his most ardent supporters were hoping for) went out the window in a very symbolic way. So now do we get to look past the slogans for policy and substance, or are we still going to be told to STFU?

I think we'd better "hope" that Daschle doesn't cause any further embarrassment.

It does put in ... (5.00 / 4) (#3)
by Robot Porter on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 01:10:12 PM EST

sharp relief all the idiocy of the primary season. And why supporting someone based on style and slogans is never a good move.

But, I must admit, with the all problems facing our country being right about all this stuff is small comfort.


No comfort at all (5.00 / 3) (#4)
by andgarden on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 01:12:47 PM EST

I actually want him to succeed, but I fear that he doesn't really understand how to.


His big sucess of getting (5.00 / 4) (#8)
by gyrfalcon on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 01:33:24 PM EST

nominated and elected involved a good deal of fakery and frank snake oil. What lesson would he have learned from that?


Send in a Governor (5.00 / 1) (#11)
by andgarden on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 01:38:23 PM EST

Mark Warner and Ed Rendell can explain how to negotiate a legislative package. Heck, Obama has it easy: his party controls both chambers and he doesn't have to balance the budget.

How hard could this really be?


: Of course it could be (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by dk on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 01:45:57 PM EST

the case that Obama is getting the stimulus package he wants. I haven't seen any evidence that would lead me to think otherwise.

well said (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by kmblue on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 01:34:30 PM EST

andgarden


this is my favorite (none / 0) (#36)
by lilburro on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 03:57:37 PM EST

Plouffe: "It's almost as if the election didn't happen and that the message wasn't received: that people in Washington need to cooperate a lot more than they have in the past."

I'm pretty sure that those who voted in Republicans did so for a reason - so Republicans would act like Republicans. And we worked our @sses off so that we wouldn't have to fret about cooperation - so we would have substantial majorities and would be able to get sh*t done.

More "I won" please.


GATES! What a sick joke that is! (none / 0) (#14)
by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 02:04:57 PM EST

I've been shocked ... (5.00 / 1) (#16)
by Robot Porter on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 02:15:44 PM EST

by how many of my very lefty friends have accepted the continuation of Gates at Defense.

Their arguments are (to say the least) unpersuasive.


Let's see (5.00 / 2) (#17)
by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 02:18:39 PM EST

He's already up to speed. No learning curve involved in the middle of wars. I'm not certain he was ever much of a hawk. He will be taking orders from Obama.


: Yup ... (none / 0) (#21)
by Robot Porter on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 02:26:04 PM EST

unpersuasive.

I was also a little surprised that no one (5.00 / 1) (#24)
by tigercourse on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 02:35:43 PM EST

raised a stink about "Civilian control? What civilian control?" Blair as DNI.

Or our Republican National Security Advisors. Most of Obama's military and defense people seem to be Republicans.


And so... (5.00 / 2) (#2)
by jbindc on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 12:59:42 PM EST

The excuses begin.

To those riding the unity pony - Any of this stuff going on now would be "outrageous" and "criminal" under a Bush, McCain, or Clinton administration, but now, it's "Hey, everybody does it."

Again - anyone who is surprised was not paying attention.

Slogans (5.00 / 4) (#5)
by mmc9431 on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 01:13:08 PM EST

Why do they insist on beating a drum for a year and then throw it away the minute they get the job? Why not campaign on things you do beleive in? Maybe they really don't believe in anything other than getting elected.

I remember when GWB road into town as the compassionate conservative that was going to restore integrity to Washington too. Sad how that worked out for the country.

Ah, best comment yet (5.00 / 3) (#6)
by jbindc on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 01:22:13 PM EST

Found at Volokh:

Instapundit reader Dale Britton emails: "I think it is incumbent upon Obama to nominate Wesley Snipes for something immediately."

: HAH! (none / 0) (#7)
by andgarden on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 01:23:43 PM EST

Things are getting too stupid (5.00 / 1) (#13)
by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 02:02:44 PM EST

to care much right now, I'm glad you keep up for me because I'm already sick as heck of all this bullsnot and it's day what? This isn't a good choice of a nation to get ill in so I'm just going to have to knock it off with watching the migraine creating fiasco. Of all the past screw the people incompetency I never wanted to see again, Tom Daschle has got to be just about #1. Saw the latest White House presser, Tom Daschle all the way yippeee.

A special message from the President (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by Anne on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 02:08:00 PM EST

(well, actually me):

Hey, as President, it behooves me to help the economy in any way I can, and that is why I chose Tim Geithner and Tom Daschle for my Cabinet. It was only a matter of time before Tim's and Tom's tax issues came to light, and I have spared them the humiliation of being virtually unemployable in the private sector. I plucked them out of high-paying positions and put them into what, for them, are jobs that pay practically nothing. This means that Tim and Tom will have to start spending more of their own money to continue their high-quality lifestyles, pay the mortgages on their many homes, keep the kids in private schools. Tim will have to buy another home here in the DC area - another home sold is another commission in some real estate agent's pocket! Tim will need household help here, someone to maintain the grounds. Then, there's the decorating and furnishing of the new house. Man, I am creating jobs all over the place, especially when you think about the high-paying jobs they left that have to be filled; if anyone's interested in running the Federal Reserve Bank of NY or "consulting" (wink-wink), now's your chance. Send your resume in now!
I know some of you are wondering about Bill Richardson - where's his job? Sadly, as much as I would have liked the trifecta of Richardson, Geithner and Daschle, Richardson's "problems" may be worse than than just stiffing the IRS, so, we just couldn't quite work that out. Sorry.
Anyway, I know you heard me talk a lot during the campaign about bringing change to Washington; I guess I wasn't as clear as I could have been that I meant the jingly kind, the ka-ching kind. See that jar on my desk? Full of change. Pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters - it's all there. It's here - change (hey - note to self: suggest Tim get a change jar for his desk, too, and tell everyone in America to get one goin'.)
Well, gotta run. Gotta big meeting with Tom and Tim - Tom wants to know if he still has to report the car service as income if he lends it to Tim. Since Tim oversees the IRS now, I'm thinking this is gonna work out just fine for everyone. I mean, Tim and Tom, not, you know everyone.

/SNL skit

President Obama thanks you for understanding why, really, it's okay because Tim and Tom lead such complicated and high-flying lives that some things just kind of fell by the wayside. It would be like you forgetting to put a stamp on a letter, or not pointing out that the store only charged you for one tire when you bought two. Same kind of thing.

And he hopes you will understand that some of you will become all too familiar with saying bye-bye to good-paying jobs and having to take low-paying ones once the unemployment runs out. Really too bad though that most people won't have the kinds of resources Tim and Tom have. Change is great, but it's still all about who you know!

: I guess Geithner gave Daschle absolution (none / 0) (#44)
by suzieg on Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 07:46:50 AM EST

on his tax liability

Utter stupidity (5.00 / 1) (#26)
by mmc9431 on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 03:06:19 PM EST

What I find inexcusable with Daschle is the utter stupidity of all of this. Whatever mess he's in was his own doing. He's been a politician too many tears to not realize that the opposition wouldn't be looking for ammo. If he's too dumb to cover his own a**, then I sure don't want him in charge of the future of healthcare of the nation.

: Smart and powerful people (none / 0) (#34)
by brodie on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 03:34:21 PM EST

sometimes do stupid things wrt their taxes.
I'm sure there are plenty of examples, but one which comes to mind is the unfortunate case of one James Landis, appointed by FDR as the 2d SEC Chairman (following Joe Kennedy, the first one, with whom he had a long friendship), a Truman appointee to a top post, ex Dean of Harvard Law School (youngest in history there), and appointed by Pres Elect JFK in 1960 (one of the earliest Kennedy admin appointments) to be head of the various fed regulatory bodies.
Landis had a problem though, which came up at some point in the vetting process, namely that he hadn't filed his tax returns for the preceding 5 years. JFK didn't immediately fire him but got him to pay up, and Landis continued on the job, which he'd taken only temporarily, only to find himself being caught up directly, by his own recklessness, in his secretary's messy divorce. Kennedy accepted JL's resignation because of the personal indiscretion, which likely involved some drinking problem, according to my insider source.
The IRS later found his back payment insufficient, and he was prosecuted by RFK's people, some of whom Landis himself had urged Bobby to hire, and sent to jail for 6 months. Law license was suspended, and not long after he turned up dead in his swimming pool.
Landis strikes me as someone who probably wasn't trying to avoid paying so much as a guy who just had his attention focused elsewhere.
I'm not sure what to make of Daschle. But my sense of it is that, compared to JL, we're looking here at the private behavior of a slick professional pol who, except for one election, was used to doing things his way and doing it with impunity.

The problem is that he's set (none / 0) (#10)
by ThatOneVoter on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 01:37:07 PM EST

a completely unnecessary standard for failure
with the lobbyist BS. People will notice that he's not living up to his campaign promise.

Greenwald on Daschle (none / 0) (#18)
by ruffian on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 02:21:24 PM EST

I'm about done with Daschle after reading this. I didn't know much about him before - had no idea he was so embedded in the Washington lobbiest scene, to the point of lobbying for telecom companies at the time Obama was famously going back on his pledge to help filibuster telecom immunity.

Gee, a (none / 0) (#19)
by JThomas on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 02:24:22 PM EST

trillion dollar stimulus bill and there are some people in Washington that want to yap for a bit about it? That is a shock?

It is only the largest bill of its sort in the history of the country...sure,that would be a slam dunk that should have been passed by the 10th day of the new administration,right?

I find it laugable how some folks on here think Obama has not figured it out because he has not gotten this done his first two weeks....just like Healthcare for Hillary in 93,right? I believe she knocked that out in 9 days,right? Of course that would have been a much smaller pricetag than this monster.

Daschle screwed up on his taxes...big deal. If they get a healthcare package done, who will remember or care? Only folks on here who will revel in every little setback along the way.

Anyone that represents that fixing this economy is going to be an exact science is a fool. Krugman has no more of a lock on how to do this than Tim Geithner or Larry Summers...it is all theory at this point. So,all you doctors of economics on here who purport that something that Obama is doing right now is dead wrong or dead right are dead wrong themselves.

Daschle conveniently overlooked (5.00 / 1) (#22)
by Fabian on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 02:30:53 PM EST

some juicy perks he was responsible for paying taxes on.

If he didn't want to pay the extra taxes, he could have turned down the car and driver.


: I have worked on a consultancy fee basis (none / 0) (#42)
by slr51 on Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 03:52:59 AM EST

and have ALWAYS paid taxes based on the 1099's I was given by my clients. THEY are legally required to provide 1099s for ALL taxable items. In Daschle's case they did NOT.
Daschle is clearly responsible for his taxes, but what he did is not really as horrible as some are pretending. He paid 100% of what was due based on the 1099s he got. His accountant did not question the 1099s and neither did he. Later, when he began to be vetted, he himself brought the question about the car & driver up, got the corrected answer, self reported his client's and his own error and paid what was due plus interest.

I'm not willing to give a pass (5.00 / 1) (#25)
by jar137 on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 02:54:36 PM EST

to the wealthy who do not pay their taxes. And the thought that it would be forgotten if we get good results on health care is troubling to me. Do as I say and not as I do is not the way I want my government to be run. There are plenty of others who can do the job without having these issues.


: In Leona Hemsley immortal words: "Only the (5.00 / 1) (#43)
by suzieg on Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 06:32:51 AM EST

little people pay taxes"....

If you think we're going to get (5.00 / 1) (#30)
by rennies on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 03:26:16 PM EST

health reform with Daschle at HHS, your dreaming. Read the Greenwald piece cited by Ruffian above if you want to know why.


: Ooops! (none / 0) (#32)
by rennies on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 03:27:42 PM EST

This was supposed to be a reply to a post above, defending the choice.

iokiyad (none / 0) (#38)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 04:27:11 PM EST

If Obama really delivered (none / 0) (#20)
by Fabian on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 02:25:56 PM EST

on "Change!" then who would be in his administration?

Why not use The Best Of America! if you want a nifty bipartisan slogan?

The term "Obama brand" (none / 0) (#23)
by SOS on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 02:35:17 PM EST

suggested the commodified nature of a political culture that tends to reduce elections to corporate-"crafted" marketing contests revolving around candidate images packaged and sold by corporate consultants and public relations experts.

And Dean (none / 0) (#28)
by jbindc on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 03:16:30 PM EST

who twisted himself in knots during the fiasco called the primary season....

: Better candidate - yes. (5.00 / 2) (#41)
by Fabian on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 05:30:14 PM EST

Better party?
I needed a good laugh.
If the DNC calls, I'll tell them that if I had money to give, they still wouldn't get it.

Couldn't agree more. (none / 0) (#37)
by gyrfalcon on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 04:02:41 PM EST

Well said. <eyes rolling>

Yea but (none / 0) (#40)
by Jjc2008 on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 05:11:39 PM EST

blaming Hillary for any and everything was a team sport on left wing blogs and some of it has become urban legend to the younguns'

Sort of reminds me of how easy it was for a few to create out of spins and lies, "Ronald Reagan, hero of the world." The whole deal was done, intentionally by a Reagan legacy committee who saw it as a way to counter the popularity of Bill Clinton......and they started it pre "Whitewater, Monica, etc."
And who headed it? Grover Nordquist for one...the government hating, tax "reforming" geek who wants government to disappear. And yet this dufus succeeded.....
and with help from the right wing, Bill and Hillary became, at the same time that Reagan was being turned into some heroic icon who single handedly defeated the commies of the USSR, the face of all that evil. Sadly, quite a few lefties still buy it all.
And to them, if Obama picked Daschle, then he must be a good guy.

Daschle withdraws (none / 0) (#45)
by Demi Moaned on Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 12:20:05 PM EST

Just saw a story to that effect on MSN.