"Change! we can believe in" (VII) When the Geithner Paradigm fails: Daschle, Killefer out.

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The lines keep on coming: "Of COURSE democrats love higher taxes... they just don't pay them!"

"Welcome to Washington, where cheering for the Redskins is mandatory, but paying your taxes is optional."

So, do you feel increasing confidence in Mr. Obama's personnel choices? How's that vetting process working for you? How's that "judgment" thing shaking out?

You do remember that "judgment" was all Mr. Obama HAD to run on... right?

First, we have our own criminal Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner. He had just the tiniest tax problems (as well as hiring an illegal alien) and HIS penalty? Why, he gets to take over the Treasury.

Wow. Tough gig.

Then, one of the dimmer bulbs on the Senate tree, Former DEMOCRAT Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle ponies up tens of thousands of dollars in taxes... his penalty? An abortive effort to fill yet ANOTHER Cabinet position with yet ANOTHER criminal.

Up until this morning, I had never heard of Nancy Killefer. But she joined the herd of democrats who seem to view taxes as mere suggestions, and she was tossed under the Obama Appointment Bus this morning, and will NOT be appointed "Chief Performance Officer."

Perhaps, the heretofore and increasingly legendary tone deafness of the Obama Administration has been pierced... and maybe the New York Times should get the credit, because when the NYT comes after you in an editorial and you're a democrat... you are in serious trouble, indeed.

The widening splash of reality as people are asking themselves: "Have we elected a moron?" is something that the Administration cannot afford to be answering.

The answer, by the way, is "yes."

Editorial The Travails of Tom Daschle

Published: February 2, 2009

When President Obama nominated former Senator Tom Daschle to be his secretary of health and human services, it seemed to be a good choice. Mr. Daschle, as the co-author of a book on health care reform, knew a lot about one of the president’s signature issues. As a former Senate majority leader, he also knew a lot about guiding controversial bills through Congress, where he remains liked and respected by former colleagues.

Unfortunately, new facts have come to light — involving his failure to pay substantial taxes that were owed and his sizable income from health-related companies while he worked in the private sector — that call into question his suitability for the job. We believe that Mr. Daschle ought to step aside and let the president choose a less-blemished successor.

Mr. Daschle’s tax shortfall is particularly troubling because it comes on the heels of another nominee’s failure to pay taxes due. We were not pleased when the president’s Treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, admitted that he had failed to pay tens of thousands of dollars in federal self-employment taxes while working for the International Monetary Fund despite having signed paperwork acknowledging the obligation.

Now we are confronted with an even larger lapse by Mr. Daschle, who failed to pay $128,000 in taxes, primarily for personal use of a car and driver provided to him by a private equity firm for which he consulted. Although the firm — headed by a major Democratic donor — had not issued a form 1099 for the value of the car service, Mr. Daschle said he became concerned last June that he might owe taxes on it and instructed his accountant to investigate. Neither was concerned enough to actually pay the taxes.

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