On Tuesday’s CBS Early Show, correspondent Bill Plante reported on Health and Human Services Secretary nominee, Tom Daschle, failing to pay taxes and working as a health care lobbyist: "Daschle's problem shines a light on something that usually stays in the shadows around here, and that is how connections work in Washington. When is a lobbyist not a lobbyist, and how does a power player, like the former Senate majority leader, not know that he owes back taxes?"
The report featured Melanie Sloan of Citizens for Responsibilities and Ethics, who defended Daschle: "What Tom Daschle does is the more sophisticated kind of lobbying we have in Washington, where he's a consultant. And he talks to people about the strategy for getting a piece of legislation passed...Maybe the truth of the matter is, you need some of those Washington insiders in order to make your new government work. But then let's say that."
However, in a 2005 column by Ari Berman in the liberal magazine, The Nation, Sloan was quoted reacting to an ethics scandal surrounding Republican House majority Leader Tom Delay: "The fact that Tom DeLay is under criminal indictment and Senate majority leader Bill Frist is under criminal investigation is a historic first...This demonstrates the culture of corruption among the Congressional leadership that has become a cancer on our country." Berman’s column was posted on the CBS News website.
Later on Tuesday, Daschle withdrew from the nomination. However, Plante concluded his morning report by optimistically declaring: "The Senate is almost certain to confirm Daschle next week. After all, he was one of them. The White House just wants to change the subject. The president wants to talk about the stimulus plan and its tax relief instead of about who owes back taxes."
Here is the full transcript of the segment:
7:00AM TEASE:
MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ: All the president's men and their confirmation troubles. President Obama tries again with his commerce secretary nominee as tax troubles threaten his health nominee, Tom Daschle.
TOM DASCHLE: It was completely inadvertent. But that's no excuse. And I deeply apologize.
7:08AM SEGMENT:
HARRY SMITH: A confirmation hearing is scheduled next Tuesday for former Senator Tom Daschle, nominated for secretary of health and human services. Initially believed to be a shoo-in, Daschle has a big tax problem. We're joined by CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante. Morning, Bill.
BILL PLANTE: Morning, Harry. Daschle's problem shines a light on something that usually stays in the shadows around here, and that is how connections work in Washington. When is a lobbyist not a lobbyist, and how does a power player, like the former Senate majority leader, not know that he owes back taxes? Let's have a look at the Daschle dossier. When Daschle lost his seat in 2004 after 17 years in the Senate, he joined the law and lobbying firm of Alston and Bird, but he's not technically a lobbyist.
MELANIE SLOAN: What Tom Daschle does is the more sophisticated kind of lobbying we have in Washington, where he's a consultant. And he talks to people about the strategy for getting a piece of legislation passed.
PLANTE: The Alston Bird firm represented a long list of clients in health services. Daschle also joined media investor Leo Hindery to chair a new company of regulatory experts. He was paid over $2 million, $83,000 of which was not reported because of a clerical error. Hindery also gave Daschle the use of his private car and driver. But it was only last June that Daschle asked his accountant if he owed taxes on the use of the car. And December when he paid $140,000 in taxes and penalties on the car and the unreported income.
SLOAN: Maybe the truth of the matter is, you need some of those Washington insiders in order to make your new government work. But then let's say that.
PLANTE: Daschle says if he's confirmed, he'll take no part in any decisions affecting former clients. And he's now apologized to his former senate colleagues and the public.
TOM DASCHLE: It was completely inadvertent, but that's no excuse. And I deeply apologize.
PLANTE: The Senate is almost certain to confirm Daschle next week. After all, he was one of them. The White House just wants to change the subject. The president wants to talk about the stimulus plan and its tax relief instead of about who owes back taxes. Harry.
SMITH: Alright, Bill Plante at the White House this morning, thanks so much. And it's -- I think it's going to get harder for Tom Daschle. In the New York Times editorial page this morning, it says he ought to pull out. So, we'll see what happens.
MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ: I've heard at least one person say 'why should I pay my taxes if he didn't?' And he gets to be on the cabinet, so.
—Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
→ Sad news
February 3, 2009 - 18:24 ET by Cool ArrowSince Daschle, like Geithner, was the only person who could handle the post to which he was nominated, how can they possibly fill it?
Watch as Howard Dean fills HHS with a cloud of dust and a hearty Heeeeaaaaagghhh-ho Silver.
DISSECTING DEMOCRAT BALONEY
February 3, 2009 - 19:15 ET by reelman46DISSECTING DEMOCRAT BALONEY
W-ASS-INGTON
(AP) - Despite the tax problems faced by high-level nominees, and the
exceptions made to the no-lobbyists pledge (13), President Barack
Obama’s spokesman is defending the administration’s ethical standards.
***Despite? Try finding that word for a Repub admin… 13 exceptions to ethics means no ethics, he lied***
Robert Gibbs told reporters Tuesday, “The bar that we set is the highest that any administration in the country has ever set.”
***The standard democrat lie from the lowest standards (personal =
Klinton) and political basement = Obama …because Obama is a coward,
unable to mean what he says…or you can say a sneaky snake you can’t
trust…isn’t either wonderful?
During a briefing filled with questions about Tom Daschle’s decision
to withdraw from consideration to be Health and Human Services
secretary, Gibbs pointed to experts who describe the administration’s
ethics rules as the strongest in history.
***Now Gibbs repeats a lie from a liar…a Treasury Secretary who did
not pay his taxes for 4 years… pleeease …Gibbs with a sincere straight
face…its Obama-style…suckers***
He also said those experts recognized that Obama would need to make
exceptions to his pledge to run an administration free of former
lobbyists.
***Did “experts” recognize Bush exceptions? Recognize “exceptions”
to a perfect war will be made? Who are these “experts”? What
gibberish.***====
CRAWFISH NOTE: Liberals can defend the indefensible
any day any time…with a confident straight face…pledges and promises
mean nothing to them after being elected. Remember Klinton’s “middle
class tax cut” that went away after the election? The libmedia changes
democrat diapers daily.
The network media is sick and dangerous.
http://conservablogs...
Doug Schexnayder, Ph.D. (theconservativecrawfish)
LMAO......
February 3, 2009 - 22:00 ET by ScrapironHannity has two educated, but as stupid as anyone you'll ever find, liberal females on tonight. They would try to alibi Daschle if he got caught on camera selling dope to kindergarden students. They would blame the drug sales on the needs of the kids. When will a liberal admit Daschle got caught with his hand in the cookie jar and a mouth full of cookies. They are still denying he was stealing cookies. Daschle has been a criminal for 20 years or longer and nothing will change that fact. Kind of reminds me of a fellow who entered the Senate with a net worth of $800,000 and two years later his net worth was over $8 million. I think his name, according to the liberals, is 'the Messiah'.
I truly believe that within 4 years there will be a march on D.C. by millions of citizens and a 1,000+ democrats will be hanged in the street. The only questions required to determine guilt will be, are you a democrat congress critter or are you related to a democrat congress critter?
Old, Retired and glad of it.
Oh yeah, scrap!
February 3, 2009 - 22:02 ET by BlondeI liked the preacher in the middle, though.
Scrap, we have always said
February 3, 2009 - 22:11 ET by TheBigBScrap, we have always said in South Dakota that Tom Daschle could have been caught on video having sex with a sheep and the explanation the media would give us was that he was "showing his support for agriculture by standing behind livestock producers."
".....And as we look at the News at 10 time-lapse SkyCam, we see as the sun goes down it gets dark."
The Press
February 3, 2009 - 18:43 ET by iveseenitallThese "journalists" have no ethics or principles remaining. They are amoral to the point that, in their eyes, right and wrong no longer exist. To these hypocrites there's only right vs. left, libs vs. conservatives, Republicans vs. Democrats. Their left-wing ideology trumps all. For one of these creeps in the media to claim that $83,000 is just a "clerical error" is disgusting.They are actually in league with crooks like Daschle. How sad for this once great nation that the "free" press will not live up to its Constitutional responsibilty as the guardians of the people.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
Melanie Sloan is another
February 3, 2009 - 19:07 ET by bigtimerMelanie Sloan is another far leftist in disguise with the name of their group...leftist always use cutesy all-american sounding names to pose as real critters fighting for the fairness to all in this country...she is full of shite...always has been, always will be.
Proof is in the pudding with right here with Kyle's blog post and her own hypocrisy.
Just another enemy within in sheep's clothing...just like her messiah as far as I am concerned.
SCREENCAP
February 3, 2009 - 19:09 ET by the strugglerDidn't that dude play guitar for Skid Row?
→ No struggler
February 3, 2009 - 19:13 ET by Cool ArrowHe played a ukelele on Laugh-In
BT, How about another
February 3, 2009 - 19:41 ET by USA4freedomBT,
How about another “dog” in human clothing..
Ugh..
I just love this line:
MELANIE SLOAN: What Tom Daschle does is the more sophisticated kind of lobbying we have in Washington, where he's a consultant..
What Tom Daschle does is the more sophisticated kind of cheating.. we have in Washington, where he’s a reprobate...
Ronald Reagan, 1962: I did not leave the Democratic party, the party left me.
Insert: your name, 2008, and the Republican party.
"Tiptoe, through the
February 3, 2009 - 21:19 ET by Jerry"Tiptoe, through the garbage, past the scandals, kissing Barry's hiney. Come tiptoe, through the tulips, with meeeeeeee."
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
Cool
February 3, 2009 - 22:25 ET by thebutlerdiditWhy am I sure if I click your link I will see Tiny Tim? Tiptoeing through those tulips! I saw the screen grab and thought, boy, that is one ugly woman, who does she remind me of? LOL> My hubby was telling me earlier that Daschle's glasses cost $700.00 a pair. I asked him who punked Daschle with those. Did he get them in the women's department or the very gay man's department?
Bringing the government in to run Wall Street is like saying, "Dad burned the dinner, let's get the dog to cook." PJ O'Rourke
Daschle and Geithner are crooks
February 3, 2009 - 20:06 ET by slickwillie2001Does anyone doubt that if Geithner and Daschle were Republicans, that there would be calls for criminal prosecution for tax fraud from these same liberal media poobahs?
The 'charges' against DeLay were a joke, a political hit-job by hack Texas county DA Ronnie Earle who by the way is still on the job. He gives Austin a bad name.
slick.... Exactly right
February 3, 2009 - 20:11 ET by bigtimerslick....
Exactly right you are...and it still makes me furious how the repubs caved in to what the members in the House on the left wanted things done, let alone the msm...we have been losing members since Delay has been gone...it would have been nice if they learn to stand up to these enemies within, all the time...in unison.
Geithner and Daschle
February 4, 2009 - 00:16 ET by merlin61If they were Republicans an immediate Congressional hearing would start. Obama
would be investigated and recommended for
impeachment. (If he was a republican).
Obama's off to a good start, he's pissed off the
EU, India, Canada, etc. I thought he was the
uniter. He was going to change America's
image to foreign countries. Hey, Obama,
are the walls closing in on you? Is the sky
falling yet? Keep it up and it soon will be.
Geez
February 3, 2009 - 20:34 ET by doug1950I thought that was Tiny Tim in the photo until I read the header.
Apples and oranges
February 3, 2009 - 21:08 ET by shawn228What Tom Dasche did was wrong and I am not defending that but from my understanding he is not under any criminal investigation.
He had my vote
Not yet
February 3, 2009 - 21:10 ET by BlondeI doubt if he will be, either. He's a dem, after all.
But it's been a very bad week for The One....and it's only Tuesday.
Hi Blonde
February 3, 2009 - 21:17 ET by shawn228It has been a tough week for the one. However I heard Obama say two things that I have not heard Bush say in 8 years.
1. "I messed up"
2. " This was something that was my fault"
He had my vote
Shawn, it's easy to say
February 3, 2009 - 21:23 ET by JerryShawn, it's easy to say those things while the press is busy making excuses for you.
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
Jerry
February 3, 2009 - 21:29 ET by shawn228I believe regardless of party or the relationship you have with the press, it takes a big man to admit it when they are wrong.
Obama admitted he was wrong and Daschle has apologized, I believe that at leasts merrits some recognition.
He had my vote
I disagree - talk is cheap - it's actions that matter
February 3, 2009 - 22:56 ET by Dee BunkIf Obama meant what he said he'd be replacing Geithner also. He doesn't mean it. He was boxed into a corner. If Geithner hadn't come first then he wouldn't have asked Dashel to withdraw.
If the Liberal NYT hadn't asked for Dashel to withdraw it wouldn't have happened.
Having two big tax crooks was so outrageous for even some liberals who loved him that he had no other choice. Geithner is the first tax cheat ever to be confirmed. Many before him had much more trivial mistakes and were not confirmed.
I'll give Obama credit when his actions meet his words and not before. Until he gets rid of Geithner and either changes his fake bogus lobbyist rules or gets rid of his lobbyists then I'll just say his words mean absolutely nothing.
You weren't paying attention
February 4, 2009 - 10:53 ET by ArminiusBush did indeed acknowledge mistakes during his eight years. You're merely parroting the left-wing media.
BTW, without using Google, can you name one non-Monica mistake that Bill Clinton admitted to while he was in office?
Shawn,I'm not impressed
February 3, 2009 - 22:03 ET by the strugglerShawn,I'm not impressed
Hi Struggler
February 3, 2009 - 22:20 ET by shawn228Not impressed with what?
He had my vote
Shawn
February 3, 2009 - 22:33 ET by thebutlerdiditI actually gave him some credit for saying he made a mistake, on another thread. However, I don't want to hear him say it again, anytime soon. Also, he didn't say "messed up," he said "screwed up." That's fine for regular people to say, I guess, but not our President. He needs to learn to choose his words more carefully, and use some more respectable language, and have more gravitas.
Bringing the government in to run Wall Street is like saying, "Dad burned the dinner, let's get the dog to cook." PJ O'Rourke
tbdi
February 3, 2009 - 22:37 ET by shawn228"I think I messed up. I screwed up in not recognizing the perception that even though this is an honest mistake, I believe, on Tom's part, that, you know, ordinary people are out there paying taxes every day and whether it's an intentional mistake or not, it was sending the wrong signal. So again, this was something that was my fault. I continue to consider Tom Daschle an outstanding public servant, uh, and what we're going to do now is make sure we get somebody confirmed and start moving forward"
He had my vote
tbdi
February 3, 2009 - 22:44 ET by shawn228I don't know if I consider "screwed up" disrespectful language.
He had my vote
shawn
February 4, 2009 - 01:46 ET by thebutlerdiditsorry, didn't catch the messed up, part. I have some hearing issues. I didn't read any of the transcripts, just listened. I said "screwed up" was ok for everday use, but it doesn't go over well in a lot of business situations, major corporations can be sticklers over stuff like that, and I think the President should be a little more formal. He diesn't need to be cool, at all. He needs dignity. If we want cool, we can watch Snoop.
Bringing the government in to run Wall Street is like saying, "Dad burned the dinner, let's get the dog to cook." PJ O'Rourke
About Melanie Sloan and CREW
February 3, 2009 - 22:55 ET by ArminiusFrom "What Really Happened: The Story of Clinton Inc.’s Efforts to Rewrite Bill Clinton’s Record on Iraq and Terrorism":
McClatchy Newspapers at the time described CREW as a “Democratic-leaning watchdog group.”[1] In fact, Melanie Sloan, CREW’s executive director, used to work for Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), as well as for liberal Democrat senators Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden.[2] CREW’s deputy director and communications director, Naomi Seligman Steiner, formerly served as communications director for Media Matters for America, a left-wing media “watchdog.” According to a July 2006 article in the Washington Post, “a Democracy Alliance blessing effectively jump-started Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.” The same article noted, “Democracy Alliance was formed last year with major backing from billionaires such as financier George Soros and Colorado software entrepreneur Tim Gill.” In addition, Democracy Alliance “lavished millions on groups that have been willing to submit to its extensive screening process and its demands for secrecy,” including Media Matters for America and the Center for American Progress.[3]
[1] http://www.mcclatchy...
[2] http://www.citizensf...
[3] http://www.washingto...
I don't buy any of Mr.
February 4, 2009 - 06:10 ET by eaglewingz08I don't buy any of Mr. Obama's explanation or his screw up or mess up excuse. Deadbeat Daschle's evasion wasn't innocent or honest. He kept that from Mr. Obama's team until December. Why isn't Mr. Obama mad about Deadbeat Daschle's making him look like a fool? That is a real question. I know libs hate laws, but not following the law and then getting penalized a little for it (no not going to jail, just not getting a juicy appointment) is not being 'victimized'. We expect more of someone who was in Congress, by his own admission, for THIRTY years, and who WAS RESPONSIBLE for writing most of the TAX LAWS he violated. How can he be INNOCENT. He did it deliberately, he couldn't even use the TURBO TAX exception. Perhaps the new version of TURBOTAX should ask the taxpayer whether he/she worked for the IMF at any time during the preceding tax year? You know, for the slow learners? But maybe at least with Geithner he could say, I worked for the INTERNATIONAL MONEtary Fund, so the MONEY I got paid was INTERNATIONAL, and therefore NOT taxable by the USA. However, Deadbeat Daschle's car was in the USA ALL the time. So, if Deadbeat's company had given him a vacation home, say like some high profile Chair of a House committee, Deadbeat would honestly believe he wouldn't have to report that either?