Daschle Hid Tax News From Obama For A Month

It seems the every few minutes new revelations come out about Tom Daschle's tax situation, and this news isn't going to help:

Former South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle waited nearly a month after being nominated to be secretary of health and human services before informing President Obama that he had not paid years of back taxes, the Washington Post reports.

On Jan. 2, Daschle paid $140,000 in back taxes and interest to the U.S. Treasury and about two days later informed the White House and the Senate Finance Committee, the White House confirmed to the Post.

Obama's transition team discovered in December that $15,000 of the $276,000 in charitable contributions claimed by Daschle lacked proper documentation. But Daschle waited until after amended returns were filed before he mentioned the larger tax liability.

The second-ranking GOP senator said Sunday he is troubled by Daschle's admission that he failed to pay taxes, but added that it is too early to know if the blunder will affect his chances of becoming the next health chief.

Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona -- who serves on the Senate Finance Committee that is set to meet Monday to discuss Daschle's nomination -- suggested that the speed at which Obama selected his cabinet members might have prevented candidates from being properly vetted.

"You wonder if this would have happened with Bush," Kyl said on FOX News Sunday.

The answer to that question is "no". Thanks to the Florida recount Bush had a fraction of the time Obama has had to get his cabinet together, and yet he still managed to properly vet his nominees and didn't have any significant issues with any of them. His first big problem didn't come until he tried to put Harriet Miers on the Supreme Court, and her opposition came from fellow Republicans.

Don Surber adds a little perspective on the Dashle situation:

Remember, Daschle voted against ending the marriage penalty.

Daschle voted against the $1,000 per child tax credit, which to most parents was refunded as they owed little or no federal income taxes.

Daschle voted against wiping out the death penalty tax for all but the richest people.

Daschle did all this because he opposed “tax cuts for the rich.”

He’s rich, but he does not need those tax cuts — because he does not pay all his taxes.

I think it's time for the Senate Republicans to stand firm on this one and tell Obama "no, you can't have this guy". I don't care that he's a former colleague and Majority Leader, or what he might know about health policy. He needs to be rejected and Obama needs to be taught a lesson about personnel selection.

There's some other news about Senator Kyl that's a little bit troubling. A report today suggests that he's actively pushing for Sen. Judd Gregg, Republican from New Hampshire, for Commerce Secretary. I don't know what he's thinking. If Gregg takes the position he'll be replaced by an appointment from the Democrat governnor of New Hampshire, thus further reducing the Republican presence in the Senate. There's talk of some sort of compromise with the Dems on the replacement, but I don't believe that governor will have to accept any deal they cook up. He could go right ahead and appoint someone who would not only be a Democrat, but a guy who would be a strong candidate in the 2010 election.

Gregg has reportedly said he would not accept the position without a deal to keep a Republican in the seat. I have no idea how he could enforce that.

I think it would be better to "just say no".

UPDATE: On Fox News Sunday Bill Kristol described Daschle this way:

"Daschle is a limousine liberal who didn't even pay taxes on his limousine."

UPDATE 2: Somebody dug up an old quote from Daschle:

“Make no mistake, tax cheaters cheat us all, and the IRS should enforce our laws to the letter. ” Sen. Tom Daschle, Congressional Record, May 7, 1998, p. S4507.