Tax evasion in high places
This is just amazing. Late Friday, when most folks were not paying attention, the news comes out about yet another Obama cabinet pick who dodged his taxes.
Before it broke, I was planning to focus attention on Tom Daschle’s plans at HHS and the danger of health care rationing.
When it broke, I posted something down below. Dishonest politicians. Partisan excuses. Where’s the ‘Change’?
But the story grew, though you wouldn’t know it from ‘mainstream’ elite media. Daschle’s transgression is important, and the Senate confirmation committee ought to take it seriously. Since Obama is defending him, they probably won’t.
South Dakota’s Tom Daschle did his candidate no favor when he neglected to tell President Obama’s staff during their vetting process to nominate him as secretary of Health and Human Services that, oh, by the way, I neglected to pay, like, $146,000 in taxes. The back taxes included those on a luxury car and driver provided by Democratic businessman and Silicon Valley favorite Leo Hindery Jr.
He has submitted a letter of apology, hoping that will clear things up.
I am deeply embarrassed and disappointed by the errors that required me to amend my tax returns…. I apologize for the errors and profoundly regret that you have had to devote time to them.
Sure, he’s sorry now. Probably real sorry. But one wonders if what he’s most sorry for (beyond the obvious embarrassment) is that he got caught. Only Daschle knows.
“I will be happy to answer any committee members’ questions about these issues,” Daschle, a former Senate majority leader, told the senators in a letter dated Sunday.
In a letter Sunday. Super Bowl Sunday. Like anyone is going to even notice this stealth maneuvering.
Daschle said “my mistakes were unintentional” and that he had “disclosed this information to the committee voluntarily, and paid the taxes and any interest owed promptly.”
This is not ‘prompt’, it’s under pressure of losing a Cabinet position. And he uses the word “unintentional” just like Tim Geithner did, though he got the Treasury job anyway.
How do you ‘unintentionally’ not pay your taxes? Tell that to the IRS next time you make a mistake on your return. See if you are excused. By Geithner’s IRS.
