Shades of Zoë Baird.

She should stay and Daschle should go. She has a virtually indistinguishable taint compared to Daschle's overpowering, melt-the-paint-off-the-walls taint.

You know, I'm getting pretty tired of hearing about people who have run big businesses and run the any part of the country failing to pay their taxes. I don't care which side their on. In my mind, these are just more rich people who don't feel obliged to follow the rules. I don't care if it's $900 or $900,000. Pay your fucking taxes or get the fuck out of my sight. I pay mine on time every year. Nominate me to run something. I can do it just as badly as any of them.

Daschle has got to go...

There's no way around it - Daschle should not get a pass here, and I'm really disappointed that Obama is giving him a pass. Its hypocritical. Its one thing not to pay - another to sit on this information until now.

Beyond lame

I'm with camel on this one. I'm not a fan of political figures on either side who think they don't have to pay taxes on their nannies because they work in government. That's not being in touch with the American people especially during times of economic strife.

My reasoning for Killefer staying is that she is worried that less than a grand in unpaid taxes will do harm to the administrations efforts. She's thinking of the bigger picture.

Daschle is thinking only of Daschle.

WITHDRAWN! I just heard Ed Schultz on the radio--

Daschle just withdrew his nomination. Thank God. He did the right thing, but I just can't believe he didn't let the vetters know this when they were interviewing him.

YES! Daschle is gone! :)

I've been holding my breath on the Daschle thing. I imagine that Daschle got a bye because Obama felt obliged to him - but dang it, he can't seriously look to hang a noose around Obama's neck - not when the frakking country is in peril!

I don't understand the Nancy Killefer thing, other than her making an example to kill the Daschle thing.

QT

Perhaps Killefer knows that there's more than the $946 that she needs to be worried about, if someone really started looking closer. I have no idea if there is, but it would explain the quick withdrawell.

And I agree with the others here - pay your friggin taxes, like the rest of us do.

I'm glad Daschle withdrew. And now, MSNBC has "Republican STRATEGIST" Trent freaking Lott on gabbing with Andrea Mitchell about this....you know this kind of stuff is like heaven for Andrea.

Perhaps Killfer is actually looking at the big picture here and realizes that a couple of O's picks have been met with intense scrutiny. So, in an effort to minimize the negatives of O's picks, she has withdrawn.

A little altruism...?

She took one for the team. Or, she got 'Martha'd'.

What you're missing is that the "tax problems" of Obama nominees are like a couple of snowflakes threatening to turn into a blizzard. Daschle withdrew, and so probably will any others that turn up now. Geithner probably would have had to withdraw if he were the 3rd, 4th nominee with tax problems instead of the 1st (or one of the 1st?)

"Daschle's overpowering, melt-the-paint-off-the-walls taint"

Wow. That bad? Even after Irish Spring?

[Good Christ, it's SO hard to not be corrosively 'eff-it-all' cynical...]

Unfortunately, Daschle is the most qualified to put together a universal health care plan that will get through congress and Kennedy's health is precarious at best. Dodd is too closely tied to the Insurance Industry for my comfort.

I am relieved that Daschle withdrew anyway, since his tax faux pas was too big to let pass.

This mistake was much more questionable then screwing up the self employment tax. I refuse to believe that Daschle did not know that he was committing tax evasion. He forgot that they provided him a limo service? How the fuck do you forget that? I only rode in the limo while unconscious?

On a side note, there are also rumors that the possible offer to Judd Gregg as Commerce Sec was only provided that he be replaced by a Republican. Gibbs (THANKFULLY!) just denied that rumor.

I hate to lose Daschle as secy HHS b/c he would have been great, but you know I'm tired of rich people getting away with everything. Look at David Brooks's column in the Times today. It's the most unbelievable spattering of horseshit I have ever read (in the past few days). He sounds like the lady in waiting for royalty--not royalty himself but very quick to defend their behavior.

Jon Stewart had a great quote last night on TDS. I don't know if it was his or not but it rang true. He referred to aspects of the recovery package as Revolution Insurance. If we have to continue to watch rich people spend our tax dollars on toilet seats, vacations, etc. while the likes of David "takes it all the way to the balls from Republicans" Brooks tell us we po' folks got no right to criticize how massa lives, and rich people don't have to pay the taxes they hate so much, there will be a revolt.

Sillygit,

You are right on about Daschle. "I forgot", or it was "an honest mistake"? What ever happened to not even giving the IMPRESSION of wrongdoing?

I must say, though, that I also think Geithner lied. It's just too much of a stretch to believe that an economics "genius" made that kind of mistake with his taxes.

Of course, we could use the Tim Geithner case as an ironic example of how the tax code is so complicated that not even the Fed chief knows how to do his taxes. It should be a TV commercial.

I would love to see some enterprising reporter investigate the tax history of all the players in Washington. I find it hard to believe that Obama picked the only three evah to have screwed up/cheated on their taxes. I'm sure some of those people calling for Daschle, et al's heads have some tax skeletons of their own.

Daschle! Geithner!

Who did your taxes??? You both were sweating copiously over a calculator or a home version of Turbo? I find this UNLIKELY!

even if it was only $946, it was supposed to be her job to go line by line getting rid of unneeded gov't expenses. I've worked in gov't and I know there's plenty of waste. I want someone who takes that seriously. I'm glad her and Daschle are out. I give Geithner a waiver simply because I believe his job is more important right now. We have to stop the bleeding and don't have time to go vetting and confirming anyone else.

PPP -

That would be a *great* ad.

bibimimi -

Geithner said he used TurboTax, I have no reason to disbelieve him.

I encountered the SE tax exemption ambiguity myself. I worked as a contract engineer (getting a direct hire engineering position has been virtually impossible since 2002 because no one can afford to provide health benefits). I had one client who was not withholding anything. I had to deal with all that myself, quarterly IRS filings with payments, quarterly state filings with payments, etc. Based on the straightforward interpretation of the S.E. Tax I should have had to pay it, but there were a myriad of exceptions and several appeared to apply to me.

I hired an accountant that year. $400. later I was advised that no one but the IRS can tell you if you qualify for the exemptions so assume that you can. If you don't, they will let you know what you owe and they usually waive the penalty on S.E. tax because the laws are so vague.

Thereafter I just used TurboTax and did whatever it told me.

I never heard anything from the IRS so I guess I did qualify for an exemption. It made no sense to me since I don't think I *should* have qualified, but who pays taxes they are not required to pay?

people often underestimate the importance of a good accountant, calling us beancounters & number crunchers.... Accounting is an art, ladies & gentlemen, and we can fuck you up. :)

[be nice to your accountant - it's a stressful time of year]

ceu -you're an accountant? Can you explain in detail the whole AMT thing? You can FB me if you want.

SWEET! That new car with chauffeur showed up again this morning to take me anywhere I want to go. I guess its payback for my many years of unstinting public service. Sure glad I don't have to pay for the gas, insurance and that nice man who drives.

Its great to be me.

Carl - nope. I don't do taxes for people who make enough to have to deal with AMT. I CAN, however, explain the EITC. :) (you are talking about the Alternative Minimum Tax, right?)

Yes, I'm talking about the Alternative Minimum Tax... am I giving too much away about my yearly income? :)

I don't know, sweetie. We'll talk, k?