Democrat culture of corruption

Another 'screw-up': A taxing concern
Friday, March 6, 2009
It turns out President Barack Obama has "screwed up" again.
Former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, nominated by Mr. Obama to serve as U.S. trade representative, is not up to date on his taxes. He will have to pay close to $10,000 to resolve tax issues for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Hiring competent people who aren't tax scofflaws shouldn't be this difficult. This is what passes for "change"?
Mr. Kirk hardly is the exception. Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner owed more than $30,000 in taxes, which he paid before he took office. Former Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., who owed more than $100,000, ended up withdrawing in embarrassment as a nominee for Health and Human Services secretary. And Nancy Killefer, Obama's pick for chief performance officer, stepped aside because of tax problems.
After the Daschle debacle, Obama made it clear that "there aren't two sets of rules for elite and for other Americans." And yet the White House still wants the Senate to confirm tax scofflaw Kirk. Obviously the Obama administration has no qualms embracing a double standard.
At issue is far more than whether the infractions were "minor," according to some apologists, or even the competence of those reviewing the president's nominees. To wit: The president cannot square his own proposed tax increases -- and claim that some Americans haven't been paying their fair share -- when so many of his own nominees owed back taxes.
That's beyond screwed up.