First there was Timothy Geithner for Treasury Secretary. Now it’s former Democrat leader of the Senate, Tom Daschle.

Both were nominated by Obama for cabinet positions. Both failed to pay taxes. Both received the Obama get out of jail free card.

Like typical Washington sleeze bags, they both chalked it up as an honest mistake and the Democrats looked the other way. They say that his failure to pay taxes do not disqualify him for the position as Secretary of Health and Human Services. I say it disqualifies him automatically because we need to hold our politicians to a higher standard.

We can do better than this.

Points to note for this slimer:

• Tom Daschle paid $140,000 in back taxes, interest, and penalties to the IRS. AFTER he learned of his nomination in December.
• He failed to report a month of income, $83,000. I guess that’s chump change that you can forget about when you’ve reached elite, above-the-law Senator status.
• The people already rejected Daschle, the Senate majority leader, when they chose John Thune in 2004. If he was so great, why did he get thrown from a leadership position?
• Daschle has received millions of dollars per year from special interest and lobby heavy firms.

President Obama promised to change Washington with a no-lobbyist mantra. Yet it appears as if Daschle is a closet lobbyist, who has made over $2 million over the past two years from a law and lobbying firm named Alston & Bird. Last time I checked, Daschle isn’t a lawyer. What do you think he “consulted” for to earn that kind of money as a part timer?

Bush was a big spender. Obama is a big spender, as evidenced by his “stimulus” plan. No change here. Obama promised no-lobbyists, yet nominates them to his cabinet right out of the gate. No change here.

Business as usual in Washington. Pay to play politics at it’s finest.