Massachusetts: Tom Daschle

The news of Tom Daschle's withdrawal from consideration for the HHS and health-reform-czar is deeply unfortunate. It would be hard to say that the chance of health care reform didn't take a hit.

I am forced to wonder that having scruples in one area can prevent one from actually exercising one's scruples in another area. Let's stipulate that Daschle's non-payment of taxes was deeply irresponsible, unseemly, even inexcusable; and that his work as a "strategic advisor" is only technically different from lobbying. But, let's also say, for the sake of argument, that Daschle was indispensible to universal health care passing. Are Tom Daschle's missed tax payments and corporate-shilling background a reason to sacrifice health care for 47 million Americans? I think few people would say so.

In a series of TV interviews this afternoon, President Obama took some of the blame for Tom Daschle's withdrawal as his health secretary. “I take responsibility for this mistake,” Obama said, according to excerpts released by Fox News Channel. “We...

Tax trouble didn't stop Timothy Geithner from becoming treasury secretary, and apparently won't prevent Tom Daschle from taking the helm at health and human services. But it appears to have helped doom Nancy Killefer, President Obama's pick for deputy budget...

U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy recently emailed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's supporters seeking contributions to help Reid win re-election in 2010 and indicating that Reid is already the target of the GOP in 2010, according to the email obtained by PolitickerMA.com.

Kennedy, a Hyannis Port Democrat, praises Reid in the email, saying he is grateful Reid is the majority leader. Republicans, Kennedy wrote, know Reid is pivotal to the Democrats' agenda and are already looking to unseat him in 2010 as they did to former Majority Leader Tom Daschle in 2004.