WHAM! Daschle Becomes 2nd Obama Nominee To Withdraw Today As Embarrassments Mount
Tom Daschle threw in the towel today, withdrawing his name as one of President Obama's top picks for his administration. Daschle is the second nominee to pull out today following disclosures about unpaid taxes. Daschle withdrew his nomination for health and human services secretary after fielding mounting criticism over his failure to pay more than $130,000 in taxes.
The move marked a stunning turnaround from the day before, when Daschle mounted a campaign to retain allies on Capitol Hill and President Obama told reporters he "absolutely" stands by the former South Dakota senator.
But the president accepted Daschle's withdrawal with "sadness and regret" Tuesday morning, according to a White House statement.
"Tom made a mistake, which he has openly acknowledged. He has not excused it, nor do I," Obama said. He added that the "mistake" should not diminish the "many contributions" Daschle has made to the country.
The move marked a stunning turnaround from the day before, when Daschle mounted a campaign to retain allies on Capitol Hill and President Obama told reporters he "absolutely" stands by the former South Dakota senator.
But the president accepted Daschle's withdrawal with "sadness and regret" Tuesday morning, according to a White House statement.
"Tom made a mistake, which he has openly acknowledged. He has not excused it, nor do I," Obama said. He added that the "mistake" should not diminish the "many contributions" Daschle has made to the country.
Labels: Barack Obama, Tom Daschle
posted by Mike McCarville @ 1:57 PM
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