WASHINGTON (AP) -- Trying to salvage his nomination, Tom Daschle apologized Monday for delinquent tax payments as President Barack Obama and a top Senate chairman stood by him as the choice to lead the Health and Human Services Department.
...Obama, speaking to reporters, said he was "absolutely" supporting his Cabinet choice. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate panel, said he backed Daschle's confirmation. The expression of support from Baucus came hours before Daschle was scheduled to meet with the committee and despite a less than amicable relationship between the two men.
Daschle wrote a letter to the top leaders of the Finance Committee. The letter, released Monday, sought to explain how he overlooked taxes on additional income for consulting work and the use of a car service. He also deducted more in charitable contributions than he should have.
Daschle recently filed amended tax returns for 2005-07 to report $128,203 in back taxes and $11,964 in interest.
"I am deeply embarrassed and disappointed by the errors that required me to amend my tax returns," said Daschle, the former Senate Democratic leader. "I apologize for the errors and profoundly regret that you have had to devote time to them."
In the letter dated Feb. 1, Daschle provided a timeline for when the errors were discovered and tax payments made.
...Daschle filed the amended returns after Obama announced he intended to nominate him as secretary of Health and Human Services.
Daschle explained in his apology letter that the presidential transition team flagged charitable contributions they concluded were deducted in error. When his accountant realized amended tax returns would need to be filed, he suggested addressing another matter that Daschle raised with him earlier in the year: whether the use of a car service provided by a close friend and business associate, Leo Hindery, should be reported as income.
The unreported income for that car service totaled more than $250,000 over three years.
..."I disclosed this information to the committee voluntarily, and paid the taxes and any interest owed promptly," Daschle wrote. "My mistakes were unintentional."
This is crazy.
There is only one reason that Daschle filed amended returns -- He had to.
If Obama hadn't picked him, there is no way that Daschle would be the turning over the money he should have paid to the government.
His apology is a joke.
"I disclosed this information to the committee voluntarily, and paid the taxes and any interest owed promptly."
No, he didn't pay his taxes promptly. "Promptly" doesn't mean pay your taxes when you're being scrutinized for a Cabinet position. It means pay your taxes when they're due.
When tax cheat, lawbreaker Daschle says, "My mistakes were unintentional," he means he never intended to be called on his evasion. He was skirting the law.
It's disturbing that Obama is willing to tolerate this stuff at the same time he's passing judgment on others, calling them shameful.
I'd like to see a little consistency from Obama, like stop serving wagyu steak.
Shameful!
____________________
Speaking of being inconsistent...
Look at what John J. Pitney found:
“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.
Priceless.
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