Tom Daschle Should Bow Out

[dynasaw]

Not only is he facing questions about his taxes but his wife Linda Hall Daschle
should make his nomination questionable. Hall Daschle who has been described as
"one of the "most influential professional lobbyists in the capital" s a registered lobbyist with the
Washington firm of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz.

" . . .Although she does not have health care industry clients, the company does represent numerous
health interests . . .and She was one of a few Baker Donelson lobbyists on accounts for the pharmaceutical company Amgen Inc. and cigarette makers Lorillard Tobacco and Philip Morris Cos. in 1999."

"Daschle has some health care related connections of his own: He serves on the boards of Prime BioSolutions and the Mayo Clinic, among others, and his law firm lobbies for a number of industry clients, including CVS Caremark, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, Abbott Laboratories and HealthSouth. Daschle does not lobby himself, but his law firm has a lobbying arm."

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/washingtonpostinvestigations/2008/11/daschles_lobbyist_wife_might_c.html

IMO Never liked Daschle and always thought him corrupt. The Obama team goofed in putting this jerk up for the post when they should have gone for Dr. Dean in the first place.

[Loki]

1. Mr. Daschle

It is now time to put your country first. Please remove your name from consideration immediately and allow our President to make a far better choice in Dr. Dean.

[Selatius]

2. Yeah, it does look like a conflict of interest.

If your employer counts among its clients health insurance corporations, it raises questions about exactly what kind of influence it has on your policy stances relating to health insurance and the problems people are facing with the current structure.

[Faygo Kid]

3. Agreed. Enough is enough.

I totally agree, also, that Dr. Dean is the right choice for this job.

Daschle is too tainted. The tax errors are egregious, and he is too beholden to the health care industry.

Withdraw, Tom.

[a kennedy]

11. Just read this on Buzzflash.....Daschle collected 250,000 in speaking fees from the health industry

Tom Daschle collected nearly a quarter of a million dollars in fees in the last two years speaking to leaders of the industry President Barack Obama wants him to reform as the administration's health secretary. Daschle's finances are drawing additional scrutiny because he failed to pay his taxes properly. Although he has made amends with the government, senators said Sunday they are awaiting guidance from the committee reviewing Daschle's nomination before deciding whether the tax problem could stall or even derail his confirmation. Obama has said that no one in his administration who has lobbied on a set of issues within the past two years can deal with the same subject matter. The president has already approved a few exceptions, one of them a former Goldman Sachs lobbyist picked to be chief of staff for Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Daschle, however, is not a registered lobbyist.

http://www.buzzflash.net/story.php?id=1000662

[Bonhomme Richard]

4. I agree. Not so much from the tax issue, ..........

as bad as that is, but more so his close ties to the health care INDUSTRY. I don't believe he will take them on and make the real changes this country needs.

[graywarrior]

5. Yep.

[lonestarnot]

6. Bye bye cheater!

[Triana]

7. I agree. OUT with him. He's not a great pick to start with even without all the

tax issues and healthcare industry ties.

[dynasaw]

8. Obama needs to start with a clean house

He talked about taking responsibility and one of his first tasks is to ensure he starts with a clean bunch . . . there is that old quote that "Caeser's wife must be above reproach." Likewise Obama's staff.

[bvar22]

9. Daschle doesn't need to "bow out"....

He needs to slither away.

[bdamomma]

10. put Howard Dean in that position after a serious vetting period.

make sure he has paid his taxes!!!!