More Ethics
From a WSJ story this morning:On Thursday, the White House conceded that the husband of Labor Secretary-nominee Hilda Solis this week paid about $6,400 to settle tax liens on his business that had been outstanding for as long as 16 years. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee postponed a confirmation hearing after the news broke.
She was the fourth nominee to come under questioning on tax-related issues. Health and Human Services Secretary-designate Tom Daschle and White House performance czar Nancy Killefer withdrew their names from consideration this week after their own tax problems came to light. Mr. Geithner won confirmation despite failing to pay tens of thousands of dollars in payroll taxes on time.
Peter Kirsanow says there is a "strange ineptitude" in the Administration's otherwise exhaustive vetting process for nominees, describing the voluminous disclosure forms, FBI and IRS investigation, and detailed interviews for potentially disqualifying or embarrassing information. "Either Obama and his nominees aren't easily embarrassed, or the vetters have tin ears the size of satellite dishes," he concludes.
The Home School Legal Defense Association has called for members to oppose the candidacy of David Ogden for deputy attorney general, based on his support for conscience-violating provisions of the unratified U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Given the success rate of President Obama's nominations recently, it may behoove us to pay careful attention to the deputy positions as well -- they may be promoted soon.
posted by Hal @ 3:59 AM
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