What is it With Obama Democratic Cabinet Nominees and Not Paying Taxes, First Geithner Now Daschle

There are now three certainties … Nothing is certain but DEATH, TAXES and Democrats will get a free pass and a Cabinet position after having not paid their taxes. Obama choice for Health and Human Services Secretary-designate Tom Daschle has not paid his taxes either? Does anyone not see a real issues with this and a double standard? Think the IRS will be so generous and understanding to you?

A funny thing has happened on the way to Barack Obama choosing his Presidential Cabinet, he is finding that this superior intellect Democrats have not paid their taxes. This time it’s Heath and Human Secretary designate Tom Daschle who has not paid taxes to the IRS. The tax issue was learned by the White House during the vetting process of Daschle. He recently filed amended tax returns to report $128,203 in back taxes and $11,964 interest.

Most of the additional taxes resulted from unreported income from the use of a car service provided him by a close friend and business associate, Leo Hindery Jr. The unreported income for that service totaled more than $250,000 over three years.

Daschle also had unreported consulting income of $88,333, in 2007. He also had reductions to charitable contributions totaling about $15,000 over the three years covered, according to the Senate Finance Committee document. The document, marked “Confidential Draft,” is a committee statement concerning Daschle’s nomination.

In the past such an embarrassing hit as being a tax cheat would have been fatal to a nominee; however, not when the Obamamessiah has chosen you and is committed to your nomination. Once again we are learning that there are a different set of rules for Democrats.

For now anyway, there is little evidence that Daschle’s tax delinquency is fatal to his nomination. Democrats have called a Senate Finance Committee meeting for Monday to discuss the impact on his prospects. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) endorsed him yesterday, saying, “I believe Tom’s reputation for integrity will assure that he will be confirmed by the Senate Finance Committee and the full Senate.”

While Republican response has been muted, party members are signaling that the case of not one but two tax scofflaws on Obama’s staff is just too good to pass up — a chance to puncture Obama’s squeaky-clean image, particularly at a time when he is scolding Wall Street for about the need for greater personal responsibility.

It would have been one thing if one Obama Cabinet choice had a tax issues; however, there was been others.  First it was Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner designate who was bagged for not paying self-employment taxes. However, Democrats are allowed to get away with blaming TurboTax. So what happens when a Democrat does not pay taxes and is chosen to be Treasury Secretary over the same IRS who they did not pay taxes to … Geithner gets a pass and is approved. What would have happened if this was a Republican? Hell, what would have happened if it was you?

Geithner said he was careless in failing to pay $34,000 in Social Security and Medicare taxes from 2001-2004 when he worked for the International Monetary Fund.

He apologized to Congress. “I have paid what I owed,” President Obama’s Treasury pick said. He also paid penalties.

UPDATE I: Daschle Delayed Revealing Tax Glitch

Thomas A. Daschle waited nearly a month after being nominated to be secretary of health and human services before informing Barack Obama that he had not paid years of back taxes for the use of a car and driver provided by a wealthy New York investor.

So why did former SD Senator Tom Daschle wait a month to tell Obama about his little issue of not paying taxes? Could it be because he would have been taken out of the running for the Secretary of Health and Human services? As The Corner states, if Obama was really serious about ending the “business as usual” in Washington, DC he would nix the Limousine Liberal Tom Daschle. Will Republicans draw a line in the sand and hold Daschle’s tax feet to the fire?

UPDATE II: Tax Revelations Mar, But May Not Derail Daschle Confirmation

Remember when the mere mention of not paying taxes meant your political career was up in smoke? Remember when hiring an illegal alien as your nanny or gardener meant certain doom? Not any more. Didn’t Barack Obama say he was going to end the “business as usual” politics in DC? What a farce. Obama is on the threshold of having two tax cheats in his Cabinet. They only reason why they paid their back taxes is they were caught.