Tom Daschle Is Out and Good Riddance

I never really cared when Tom Daschle was in. Daschle was a horrible Senate Democratic leader. I have little reason to believe Daschle would have made a good Health and Human Services Secretary. The only reason Daschle was nominated was because he was an Obama campaign advisor. The $100,000 in back taxes is a good reason to kill the nomination.

Daschle couldn't defend himself from attacks by Jeff Gannon. Daschle was a worse Congressal leader than John Boehner. The American Prospect's Robert Kuttner wrote "Daschle Too Timid To Take on Bush Tax Cut." Daschle publicly backed the Iraq war.

Ahead of the vote, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle announced Thursday morning he would support Bush on Iraq, saying it is important for the country "to speak with one voice at this critical moment."

Daschle, D-South Dakota, said the threat of Iraq's weapons programs "may not be imminent. But it is real. It is growing. And it cannot be ignored." However, he urged Bush to move "in a way that avoids making a dangerous situation even worse."

Why would Barack Obama pick Daschle to be his universal health care point man? What is it in Daschle's background that made the President a believer? Did Daschle suddenly gain Hillary Clinton's health care knowledge and Dick Cheney's skills as a political operative? Daschle would not have been seeking a second tire cabinet position, if he was that smart. My only conclusion is Obama was rewarding a campaign crony.

Update: Facebook has the group Appoint Howard Dean to HHS!

Update: ""I screwed up," Obama, on the Daschle nomination.

Update: PSoTD thinks Daschle withdrawal "might be the best thing that's happened to the Obama administration so far."