Obama admits mistakes with nominees

Two of President Obama’s nominees for critical government posts on Tuesday withdrew their names from consideration, forced by bad publicity over tax problems to step aside and hindering the Democrat’s efforts to usher in a new, drama-free political era.

Tom Daschle dropped out as health and human services secretary and also will not serve in his powerful appointed role of health care czar, dealing Mr. Obama’s agenda a major blow.

Mr. Obama said during a series of network interviews Tuesday afternoon that it was his own mistake, reversing his vote of confidence in Mr. Daschle the previous day when he had told reporters he “absolutely” stood behind his nominee.

“Did I screw up? Absolutely,” the president told NBC. “I’m willing to take my lumps, that’s part of the job.”

Mr. Obama said it was “an embarrassment for us,” and said he was frustrated with himself and his team, but added it was important his administration “send a message that there aren’t two sets of rules.”

Also Tuesday, amid public scrutiny over Mr. Daschle’s failure to pay taxes, Nancy Killefer removed herself from the nomination to be chief performance officer because of her own, far smaller problems with a tax lien on her home. Mr. Obama had tasked her with finding wasteful spending and inefficiencies in the federal budget as he attempts to pass a $900 billion economic stimulus plan being attacked as filled with nonessential special projects.

Even Senate Republicans were saying Mr. Daschle, the former Democratic leader of the Senate, was uniquely qualified and plugged in to be able to push through broad reforms.

The White House refused to give a timeline for replacement nominees, saying only that the search was ongoing, and standing firm behind the vetting process despite three high-profile withdrawals in less than 30 days.

On CNN, Mr. Obama said he was not worried about more tax mishaps surfacing: “We’re going to make sure we fix it so it doesn’t happen again.”

Mr. Daschle, who had to pay nearly $130,000 in back taxes and interest for failing to report a gift of a private car and driver as income, told MSNBC he read a New York Times editorial calling for him to step aside and decided to withdraw to spare Mr. Obama the embarrassment.

He spoke to Mr. Obama by telephone while the president sat in his private study.

Progressive bloggers had been going after Mr. Daschle as elitist and aloof for several days after ABC News first reported the tax flap, and the Nation magazine joined the Times in calling for him to withdraw.

Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich wrote in his blog Tuesday he viewed the public outrage as a broader issue that included Mr. Daschle’s influence within the health care field and the speaking fees he earned consulting for major players.

“Typical Americans are hurting very badly … [and] resent people who appear to be living high off a system dominated by insiders with the right connections,” he wrote. “They’ve become increasingly suspicious of the conflicts of interest, cozy relationships, and payoffs that seem to pervade not only official Washington but our biggest banks and corporations.”

He said Mr. Daschle would have done a good job, “but the public wants change, real change, big change. There’s no tolerance any longer for the way things used to be done.”

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