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Report: Daschle Pushed For Hindery Job In Administration
The Politico advances the underlying story of Tom Daschle's relationship with media entrepreneur Leo Hindery - a relationship that may have helped jeopardize Daschle's bid to become HHS Secretary, after it was revealed that Daschle failed to pay taxes on the use of a car and driver that Hindery provided him.
Politico has two interesting nuggets:
First, that Daschle backed Hindery, who had run unsuccessfully for DNC chair in 2000, for a job in the Obama administration. Hindery had been mentioned as a possible Commerce Secretary or US Trade Rep. "Tom was pushing for him," says a source.
Ultimately, Hindery "waited for the phone to ring," but it never did.
The website also has a bit more detail on what Daschle might have done for Hindery's firm, InterMedia, to earn the $1 million-a-year he received as a consultant.
It reports:
An industry source said that, more specifically, Daschle's political ties could open doors to labor and state pension funds, major investors in such equity vehicles. The firm controls a fund, Intermedia Partners VII, which has $700 million under management, according to a Thomson Reuters estimate.
Yesterday, we noted Hindery's interesting background, including the fact that he walked away from his tenure as CEO of Global Crossing with at least $250 million, just over a year before the telecom went belly up.
Josh
Zachary
Tax cheat, lobbyist in all but name, and now trying to push his $1 million dollar a year plus free limo benefactor for a position in the Obama administration? Can we all just admit that Daschle is Obama's cabinet version of Reverend Wright? Refusing to distance himself from a person out of loyalty who is causing him political damage? Should have dumped him a long time ago. Even if Daschle gets confirmed, this will be hanging around as evidence that Obama's promise to change the way business is done in Washington was just rhetoric.
BTW - the Chief Performance Officer withdraws over less than $1,000 tax problem and Daschle satys in with almost $140K in tax "issues"? Seriously? Paging Dr. Deam for Secretary of HHS.
February 3, 2009 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
I looked up 'corrupt' in my thesaurus - dishonest, deceitful, unethical, unprincipled, unscrupulous, crooked, untrustworthy, shady, underhanded, venal, deceptive - only because I needed a more comprehensive understanding of the political and corporate power brokers presently running this beleaguered country of ours... into the ground.
February 3, 2009 12:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Change We Can't Believe In.
I feel cheated.
February 3, 2009 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
don't believe everything you read on Politico. That site has a very right agenda--make no mistake about that. The Queen of gossip on that site is Mike Allen--who is like a little old lady--he had that reputation when he wrote for Time magazine.
He's another closet case gop.
February 3, 2009 1:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was at HuffPo and the trolls are wild over there, too. These people are rabid.
Do they not realize that the reason we're hearing much more about each of Obama's choices has more to do with a LACK of thorough vetting, and a sweeping under the rug of questionable activity on the part of the Bush Administration than it does with Democrats being more corrupt than Republicans?
February 3, 2009 2:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
We dodged a bullet with Daschle stepping down. Now we should get behind a candidate who will push for single-payer. I'm thinking John Conyers, though that might depend on who would replace him on his committee.
February 3, 2009 3:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
I never trusted Tom Daschle. Obama is beautiful with words, but he means it. Daschle reminded me of a used car salesman - really really sweet and smooth. If I had a sugar daddy driving me around in a Caddy with a driver, no less ... What's wrong with this picture? And he's supposed to get health care for all the nobodies - when he's made $200K giving speeches to the health care industry? Obama and the rest of us ... It's good it came out before he got in. Obama - Choose the real Mr. Smith this time. I want someone who's never gotten a dime from Big Health Care, who won't sell out our single payer future to some profit driven BS while raking in the bucks under the table. Remember everyone - THis is the watershed to the 21st Century. Welcome aboard for the ride.
February 3, 2009 4:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think the problem might lie with the youth and inexperience of the people doing the vetting. Sid the transition's application might ask about receipt of free stuff like cars?
February 3, 2009 6:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Check his record as Senate Minority Leader, he even hugged Bush.
http://thenation.com
John Nichols
February 3, 2009 7:47 PM | Reply | Permalink