Tom Daschle's Shameful Tax Cheating

As the late, revered President Ronald Reagan might say of Wonderboy's most recent broken promise,

"There he goes again!"

This time, the New Messiah has insisted on appointing tax cheat and former Democratic Senator (and Senate Minority Leader) Tom Daschle as Secretary of HHS.

Daschle's tax cheating is not small potatoes. Oh no. He owed over $100,000. And, just like Tim Geithner, Wonderboy's new Treasury Secretary, Daschle didn't think it was important to obey the law and pay the taxes until....he was nominated to a cabinet post.

It seems that some friend of Daschle's gave him a car and driver. You know, normal gifts between friends. Tommy then conveniently "forgot" to pay the tax on this non-cash income.

Oh, and Tommy forgot to pay the medicare taxes on the driver, too. Apparently he just wrote that check to the government this week.

Much has been said by others regarding the punishment you or I would suffer, had we committed this offense.

But, as I noted in the Geithner situation,

"If the first objection is simply ignored, then we have to consider his intent. That is, maybe it was deliberate. Or deliberate dismissal of his needing to observe rules and laws applying to everyone else.

You know. Those little people. The people who aren't Tim Geithner, important financial sector hotshot."

This time, word is that the Democrat Senate majority will vote along party lines to confirm one of their own as a cabinet officer, despite his incredible violation of our nation's tax laws.

Of course, by continuing to back, let alone insist on the confirmation of both Geithner and Daschle, Wonderboy has lost all credibility that he is bringing any sort of meaningful, positive change to Washington.

Or that he has any sort of moral high ground, compared to anyone. Instead, he's degrading the cabinet-level offices of our country by populating them with tax cheats. Tax cheats who are forgiven violations and penalties that you or I would surely suffer, were we to be found guilty of the same offenses.

And make no mistake, neither Geithner nor Daschle have argued they are innocent. They've admitted their guilt by paying the back taxes without protest!

Whatever ethical issues may have existed in the Bush administration, this new President has already outdone Bush 43 in plumbing a new low in Washington ethics, scandal and criminal behavior by insisting on the nomination and confirmation of admitted tax cheaters.