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Politico: Baucus Credited With Slowing Down Daschle Confirmation

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Obama Administration
Posted on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 08:57:40 AM EST
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A daily kos diarist, citing Politico, says Baucus To Blame For Slow Daschle Confirmation.

From where I sit, this is one of the few things I can laud Max Baucus (D-MT) for doing. Good work Baucus. Keep it up.

Speaking for me only

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    Politico: Baucus Credited With Slowing Down Daschle Confirmation | 54 comments (54 topical)

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    Obama and senate democrats (5.00 / 5) (#3)
    by dk on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 09:06:33 AM EST
    want us to let Dashle get away with not paying $120,000 in taxes simply by making an apology?  Get real...would we be satisfied with this were it a Republican...or some corporate/bank executive?

    Excuse me, but this is not like taking a bong hit...apologies should not let you keep your endorsements.

    more importantly (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by BobTinKY on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 09:53:06 AM EST
    what would happen to you or me if we were tax deliquent to the tune of $120K?  

    I am not a fan of either Geitner (see today's Krugman column) or Daschle given their cavalier attitude towards paying taxes that I bend over backwards every year to see I have correct.

    The idea that these individuals are indispensable and have some unqie attribute essential to the success of the Administration is baloney.  

    And no, I do not suspect things would be different if HRC were Pres.  This is the inside the beltway network covering up as always for each others' transgressions.  

    Parent

    What would have happened to (none / 0) (#49)
    by BackFromOhio on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 07:46:06 PM EST
    Hillary's SoS nomination had she failed to pay even $20 in taxes?

    Parent
    Didn't Baucus put forward (5.00 / 4) (#4)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 09:09:34 AM EST
    his own health care program a few months ago? I think there is a lot going on here.

    I did not realize at the time that (none / 0) (#6)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 09:18:21 AM EST
    a) Daschle was a contender for HHS or
    b) Baucus and Daschle don't get along

    Lovely.

    Parent

    Exactly (none / 0) (#37)
    by TheRealFrank on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 11:59:17 AM EST
    I think Baucus has selfish reasons for this. He wants to be the champion of healthcare reform.

    I think there's some, let's say unfortunate, powerplay going on here.


    Parent

    It looks like Obama wants him bad (5.00 / 5) (#7)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 09:22:16 AM EST
    Enough of these embarassing nominees already!  It's really hard for me to imagine that Daschle will bring competency and needed tangibles for the people with him in dealing with our healthcare crisis.  The only thing I've ever seen him competent at is turning milquetoast gridlock into millions for self.

    It's the Obama tax-dodger plan (5.00 / 5) (#19)
    by Cream City on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 10:10:30 AM EST
    and I applaud it.  He's even going after his own party's tax dodgers -- nominating them to make them pay up.

    The plans has its flaws, of course.  They don't have to pay the penalties that we the public do.

    And, of course, we would have to expand the Cabinet to hundreds to catch all the pols who dodge taxes that they so blithely put on the American people.

    Parent

    LOL (none / 0) (#53)
    by suzieg on Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 06:35:17 AM EST


    Parent
    3 and counting... (5.00 / 9) (#10)
    by jbindc on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 09:30:54 AM EST
    Three cabinet secretary nominees and counting....Who woulda thunk that after all the pearl clutching and hullaballo, HRC would turn out to be the cleanest member of the cabinet?

    It was obvious (5.00 / 3) (#11)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 09:33:20 AM EST
    Clinton ran for President. And she is a clinton. No one has been more vetted in politics than the Clintons.

    Richardson's problems sprang up after he was out of the race.

    Parent

    I know (5.00 / 5) (#12)
    by jbindc on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 09:36:07 AM EST
    But all the hand-wringers were just outraged that Obama would let her sully his "cleanest administration ever".

    I'm just laughing.

    Parent

    Of course (none / 0) (#13)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 09:42:21 AM EST
    Idiots spring up everywhere. and especially among Clinton detractors.

    Parent
    The less officials who get the hookup the better (5.00 / 7) (#18)
    by vicndabx on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 10:05:28 AM EST
    I'm glad Baucus is holding Daschle up, and I really hope Daschle returns to the desert.  What burns me up about these guys is they make tons of money and still scam the system.  Either they continue to get taxpayer funded health insurance and other perks in spite of the fact they're financially sound enough to not be on the dole, or they exploit loopholes in the tax system to further line their pockets.  Regardless of the truth here, Daschle's tainted appearance is not what Dems need right now.  This is the type of crap that Americans are getting fed up with.

    The Tax Issue is Important but... (5.00 / 3) (#21)
    by santarita on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 10:28:02 AM EST
    Daschle's involvement with the health care industry is important too.  I don't trust him to be an impartial broker in health care reform negotiations.  And I don't think that he provides bold thinking on health care reform.  Other than representing a health care client and having written a recent book, what are his special qualifications for the person who will head health care reform?

    Daschle won't withdraw (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by esmense on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 10:49:38 AM EST
    The Obama campaign was practically a proxy Daschle campaign.

    Despite all the talk about foreign policy and Iraq, I think it is apparent that the biggest, most contentious stake in the party's primary fight was who would control (and/or get the credit and reward for) health care reform. (Look at all the players, other than Clinton, with a long term interest (and/or hopes for a legacy) in the issue; Kennedy, Dean, Daschle.)

    Makes Me Wonder About What May... (5.00 / 1) (#33)
    by santarita on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 11:33:11 AM EST
    have pushed Clinton into accepting the SoS position.  Maybe she didn't want to be a part of the "health care reform" fight or maybe she realized that whatever was likely to come out was not going to be close to what she feels we need.

    Parent
    I'm sure she understood that when she lost the (5.00 / 4) (#38)
    by esmense on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 12:00:10 PM EST
    primary she lost ANY chance of playing a major, or perhaps even minor, role in health care reform. In some sense at least Obama's challenge to her candidacy was a challenge by big pharma and the insurance companies to her candidacy. Anyone who understood Daschle's background, and the depth of his involvement in Obama's candidacy, probably realized that he, along with the corporate interests he represents, was going to be in charge of health care reform in an Obama administration.  

    Parent
    Yup (5.00 / 2) (#39)
    by Spamlet on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 12:08:49 PM EST
    In some sense at least Obama's challenge to her candidacy was a challenge by big pharma and the insurance companies to her candidacy.

    I would only replace "in some sense at least" with "in virtually every sense."

    Parent

    Credit? (5.00 / 1) (#50)
    by BackFromOhio on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 07:49:32 PM EST
    If Congress passes half-baked healthcare reform, it's unlikely to work, will get a bad name, and we can probably kiss real healthcare reform goodbye for generations to come.

    Parent
    And Baucus who has his own (none / 0) (#23)
    by oldpro on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 10:52:02 AM EST
    healthcare plan.

    Parent
    I don't know anything about Baucus' plan, yet. (5.00 / 2) (#24)
    by esmense on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 10:59:05 AM EST
    But Daschle has always been the last person I wanted to see in charge of health care. Still, I think he is most likely inevitable (perhaps Baucus is hoping for some promises and concessions?)

    Parent
    agree (5.00 / 2) (#27)
    by jedimom on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 11:06:12 AM EST
    you nailed it IMO esmense, Baucus biggest roadblock to the Universal Mandate is Daschle and he knows it....

    Parent
    Baucus Plan (5.00 / 1) (#28)
    by jedimom on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 11:08:52 AM EST
    esmense, if youre interested

    here is the post I did with liknys to Baucus initial outline and presser for his plan

    Number one is universal mandate :0)

    and an excerpt form Baucus interview with Era Klein at the Convention:

    EK: So you need to take it a step further than the Obama campaign?

    MB: Well I wouldn't phrase it that way. He has an individual mandate for children, he doesn't for others, but I don't see how you can get meaningful universal coverage without a mandate. It's pretty hard to get universal coverage without a mandate. You need the large pool to deal with preexisting conditions. It's very hard to get to meaningful universal coverage without a mandate.



    Parent
    Thanks (none / 0) (#31)
    by esmense on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 11:19:42 AM EST
    Good luck to Baucus. Daschle, with all his questionable ties to corporate health care interests, and demonstrated dishonesty, really shouldn't be confirmed. But, if a commitment to a universal mandate can be wrung from his difficulties, his (what I believe is) inevitable confirmation would be a little easier to take.

    Parent
    Baucus (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by jedimom on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 11:03:07 AM EST
    Perhaps Baucus is playing Lets Make a Deal..

    Baucus supports a UNIVERSAL mandate for health care, TRULY UNIVERSAL

    Daschle does not...
    \
    maybe its a quid pro quo....

    like Holder on not prosecuting Bush officials

    quote going around.... (5.00 / 7) (#26)
    by jedimom on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 11:05:29 AM EST
    "Make no mistake, tax cheaters cheat us all, and the IRS should enforce our laws to the letter. " Sen. Tom Daschle, Congressional Record, May 7, 1998, p. S4507.

    10 recs for this comment, if I could! (5.00 / 1) (#30)
    by Cream City on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 11:15:26 AM EST
    and it reminds me that Blago ran in Illinois on a reform campaign to clean up politics there.

    Parent
    In other words (none / 0) (#35)
    by vicndabx on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 11:45:11 AM EST
    Yes!  I too live in a glass house.

    Parent
    Killer column / Glenn Greenwald (5.00 / 4) (#40)
    by oldpro on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 12:12:39 PM EST
    on the Daschles yesterday (Sunday).

    Dreadful people.  Class warriors of the village variety...the post-partisan establishment.

    Where's the change?

    Sometimes Matt Taibbi (5.00 / 3) (#41)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 12:20:35 PM EST
    says what I wish I could say.  Not when it comes to HRC, and he lost my loyalty there HUGELY.  When it comes to Daschle though

    In Washington there are whores and there are whores, and then there is Tom Daschle. Tom Daschle would suck off a corpse for a cheeseburger.

    Matt Taibbi speaks for me :)

    Parent

    4 or 5 years ago, Taibbi (5.00 / 1) (#43)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 12:31:18 PM EST
    wrote this dreadful piece on Clark, based on his experiences working for the Clark campaign.
    He went on and on about Clark's lifeless, beady eyes, among other things.
    That was my first, and last exposure to an entire Taibbi article. Every time I read a snippet, I see that I'm not missing anything.

    Parent
    He's often out of control (5.00 / 1) (#46)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 12:47:03 PM EST
    Sometimes in good ways though. He is not what one would call an unbiased journalist.  I met him in Crawford, rode in the shuttle back to Camp Casey with him when I went to Peace House to eat and he showed up.  I tried to direct his attention to Iraq Veterans Against the War.  The group was just beginning and I picked up one of the group creators at the airport on my way to Crawford.  The internet connected people in amazing ways back then. He wasn't very interested in IVAW though anymore than a couple questions and a few words. There was this local radio DJ though who was claiming that we demonstrators in front of the ranch had physically attacked his vehicle, threw water bottles at him and called him names. He was broadcasting this hogwash and I was super chapped about it because it was total BS.  I said something about it in the shuttle and Taibbi used my phone because I had signal to call the radio station seeking confirmation of the "attack".  He says, "Yes, this is Matt Taibbi for Rolling Stone and I'm calling to confirm that Crawford demonstrators attacked your DJ or his vehicle or something?"  I was dying laughing, there was no confirmation and the DJ stopped broadcasting his lies :)  Matt didn't much care for any of the exsoldiers though demonstrating at Crawford.  He does love himself some Code Pink though!  And then there was watching the Crawford tourist trap shop attempting to prepare for the arrival of Hannity.......that never happened and never was going to happen.  Matt Taibbi started that rumor and you should have seen Crawford prepare and they called friends and family who drove hundreds of Texas miles to meet up with the not coming Hannity.  I'm sorry but that was a riot to witness.  I had no idea how anybody got that crazy idea that Hannity was on his way either until I read Taibbi's article.

    Parent
    Indeed (5.00 / 1) (#45)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 12:41:58 PM EST
    But why not extend it to the Blogs, and legsl bloggers like, say, Adam Bonin (the progresive supporter of Roberts and Alito)?

    I'll tell you why - progressive blogs do not give a sh*t about the SCOTUS and the courts and when Obama nominates Sunstein for the SCOTUS no one is is going to say sh*t about it - except me and Greenwald of course.

    Hm (none / 0) (#47)
    by Steve M on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 01:45:30 PM EST
    How about Scott Lemieux?  He is good on judges and legal issues.

    Parent
    Perhaps such so-called (none / 0) (#51)
    by BackFromOhio on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 07:55:46 PM EST
    "progressive blogs" are not "progressive"; and perhaps, the intellectual rigor required to understand the issues before the Supreme Court are too much for today's instant message world and bloggers.

    Parent
    Yes indeed (4.50 / 2) (#1)
    by SOS on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 09:00:38 AM EST
    well the bill collectors won't rest while these two guys waste everyone's time.
    Indeed (5.00 / 3) (#2)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 09:03:07 AM EST
    If Daschle withdrew, we could move on.

    Totally agree with you.

    Parent

    BTW (none / 0) (#8)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 09:22:52 AM EST
    I love the thread of the Baucus post I link to.

    Look at the names defending John Roberts. How do you feel about your position now Steve M.? You think Roberts was not worth opposing?

    Parent

    Uh oh (none / 0) (#36)
    by Steve M on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 11:54:51 AM EST
    What is my position?  Are you under the impression I am a Baucus fan?  I think the only thing I had to say about Baucus was that he was one of the good guys in the Social Security fight, notwithstanding the netroots narrative which holds that if you're a bad Dem you must be bad 100% of the time.

    As for whether Roberts was worth opposing, well, I'd say it would have been worth opposing him in the manner I described here.  Given how things actually went down, I don't know that anyone at all covered themselves in glory regarding the Roberts nomination, although some of them did manage to check off the correct box on their little progressive issue scorecard.

    Parent

    Come now Steve (none / 0) (#42)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 12:28:48 PM EST
    Yuo were defending Baucus in my thread. And as for acbonin a/k/a Adam Bonin, he supported Roberts AND Alito.

    And of course wants Sunstein for Obama.

    I find that daily kos FPers, including Kos, are just game players when it comes to the SCOTUS. They neve really cared about having progressives on ther court. I think they still do not care.

    Sure, they will mouth the right words, but actually fight about it? They never did and they never will.

    Parent

    Typo (none / 0) (#5)
    by Steve M on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 09:10:50 AM EST
    Baucus is of course (D-MT)...

    Indeed (none / 0) (#9)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 09:23:49 AM EST
    Thanks for the correction.

    Now you may want to correct your errors from the 2005 post I link to on Baucus and Roberts.

    Parent

    What Daschle did does not seem that (none / 0) (#14)
    by Exeter on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 09:52:45 AM EST
    materially different to me than what Stevens did.

    There are several important differences (none / 0) (#16)
    by andgarden on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 09:55:29 AM EST
    but I think the most important one is that Stevens was a sitting Senator on the Appropriations Committee when Veco built him an addition to his house.

    Parent
    Criminally speaking (none / 0) (#20)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 10:23:40 AM EST
    The issue is the "honest services" bit.

    On the tax laws, it is the same.

    Parent

    I'll take your word on that (none / 0) (#29)
    by andgarden on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 11:11:12 AM EST
    Becuase I don't know public corruption or tax law.

    Parent
    Dump Dashle, Designate Dean! (none / 0) (#17)
    by Doc Rock on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 10:02:51 AM EST
    Dean for Health Care!

    I think Obama detests Dean (5.00 / 1) (#34)
    by tokin librul on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 11:34:56 AM EST
    For the latter's 50-state-strategy success.

    Too much competition...

    Parent

    No, I think (none / 0) (#48)
    by JThomas on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 02:30:42 PM EST
    Hillary supporters hate Dean for his 50-state strategy. Obama took Dean's 50 state strategy and put it to maximum effect in the primary and general election.

    But Obama knows that Dean is too much of a lightning rod for Repubs and Hillary supporters.

    Parent

    I, for one, would (5.00 / 1) (#52)
    by BackFromOhio on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 07:57:22 PM EST
    love to see Elizabeth Edwards take Daschle's place.  

    Parent
    I could never support Dean after he gave his (none / 0) (#54)
    by suzieg on Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 06:54:33 AM EST
    donors list to Obama. He was the only person I gave money to in 2004, since Kennedy physically embraced Bush the night of State of the Union in 2000, legitimizing him in the eyes of the whole country therefore I came to the conclusion that's how the Obama campaign got my email address and that is unforgivable - he should have remained neutral!

    He can go back to Vermont and stay there in anonymity as far as I'm concerned because of his cowardice and bias by coming out 3 days before the end of the primaries to acknowledge sexism and misogyny committed against Hillary!

    I've left the party and I cannot find the words to express how liberated I feel. Being an independent is the best place to be!

    Parent

    Dean a "lightning rod" (none / 0) (#55)
    by lilburro on Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 08:51:31 AM EST
    to Hillary supporters? I don't know that that is true.  How well is Dean known to Hillary supporters (maybe the top dollar ones are kind of pissed). And plus, that's never stopped Obama before.  He installed Patti Solis Doyle into his WH, and many others who haven't been kind to Hillary (or vice versa).  There's probably a better explanation.

    Parent
    Does Baucus Support "Universal Care"? (none / 0) (#32)
    by tokin librul on Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 11:32:56 AM EST
    Or just a different version of mandated insurance?

    None of these flaccid dinks will go to bat for the people against the insurance industry.

    Not a single one of 'em has the stones to buck that money truck...

    Politico: Baucus Credited With Slowing Down Daschle Confirmation | 54 comments (54 topical)

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