February 04, 2009

2/4: Daschle Goes Down

Most liberal bloggers welcomed ex-SD Sen. Tom Daschle's decision to withdraw his nomination as HHS Sec., calling it "the right thing to do". However, other lefty bloggers were saddened by the news, as they believe that Daschle's departure has damaged the long-term prospects of health care reform. Ex-DNC Chair Howard Dean appears to be the netroots' favorite choice to replace Daschle, but some think that Pres. Obama is unlikely to nominate Dean.

Conservative bloggers, meanwhile, are blasting Obama for "sacrific[ing] his principles" and nominating Daschle. Righty bloggers clearly smell blood in the water; they're describing Obama's first two weeks as a "disastrous start" and a "fiasco". Several conservative bloggers are calling on Treasury Sec. Timothy Geithner to resign, now that tax problems have sunk Daschle's and Nancy Killefer's nominations.

What else is happening in the blogosphere?

• Liberal bloggers (Houle, Giordano, Dayden, Benen) are pleased that the Obama admin. is reportedly planning to impose a $500K salary cap on top execs at companies that receive bailout funds. Conservative bloggers (Malkin, Hawkins) are less enthusiastic about the idea.
• Liberal bloggers (Moulitsas, Clawson, Beutler) are complaining about the conservative views of incoming Commerce Sec. Judd Gregg.

DASCHLE: Good Riddance!

Most liberal bloggers welcomed Daschle's decision to withdraw his nomination as HHS Sec.:

• MyDD's Jonathan Singer: "I applaud Daschle for putting the new president's reputation and the future of healthcare reform ahead of his own ambitions."
• Firedoglake's Jane Hamsher: "[This] was the right thing to do. And it speaks really well of Obama that he didn't put personal loyalty above principle."
• BooMan: "Good. It's embarrassing for Obama but he'll be better off in the long-run."
• Brian Beutler: "I think this is probably for the best as far as Barack Obama's lasting credibility -- and therefore effectiveness -- goes."
• Firedoglake's Eli: "My first reaction upon hearing that Daschle had dropped out as HHS nominee: relief. Yeah, it's a setback and an embarrassment for Obama and all that, but it's not my fault his vetting staff can't do a better job than John 'It's a Google' McCain's. I know I'm supposed to be disappointed the Republicans got this great big win, but I'm just not feeling it."
• Obsidian Wings' hilzoy: "I think this is a good thing. I think Daschle would have been an immense asset in trying to get health care passed, and I do not take that lightly. Nonetheless, I do not think that he is irreplaceable. And the combination of his tax problems and his ties to the health care industry were, I think, a very serious problem."

DASCHLE II: A Blow To Health Care Reform?

Other liberal bloggers worry that Daschle's departure has damaged the prospects of health care reform in 2009:

• Ezra Klein: "This is good for the cause of ethics in government. Senators and Congressmen who look forward to an executive branch appointment someday will now be much more wary of immense consulting gigs and highly paid speeches to industry stakeholders. But this whole debacle has been very bad for health reform. Put aside Daschle's unique advantages -- his knowledge of the Senate, his relationships with legislators, his direct line to Obama. The administration will now spend time finding a new nominee, vetting him or her, waiting while they build trust and relationships in the administration and on the Hill, and so forth. I'd say the chances of health reform happening in 2009 -- and thus at all -- are lower now than a week ago. This also makes it more likely that the process is Congress-driven as opposed to White House driven."
• The Washington Monthly's Steve Benen: "The good news is, the scope and seriousness of the questions surrounding Daschle had become both distracting and embarrassing. By cutting Daschle loose, the president is, albeit reluctantly, able to distance himself from the kind of political 'business as usual' he's always opposed. The bad news is, the United States really needs to tackle healthcare reform, sooner rather than later. Daschle was well positioned to help advance the White House agenda through Congress, and had already done quite a bit of work in advance of his expected confirmation. Now that the tax controversy has forced Daschle out, the administration has lost time and momentum on the issue, and the likelihood of an ambitious push this year is probably lower today that it was a week ago."
• MyDD's Charles Lemos: "His loss is not just a loss for the Obama Administration but a loss for the country. [...W]hatever Mr. Daschle's shortcomings, the fact remains that he was rather uniquely qualified to lead the charge on reforming a broken health care system."

The Washington Post's Greg Sargent looks on the bright side: "Many thought Tom Daschle would be indispensable for moving Obama's health care reform agenda through Congress, but even with Daschle out, a number of his deputies remain deeply embedded within the Obama administration. And that's very good news indeed for reform advocates."

DASCHLE III: Don't You Ever For A Second Get To Thinking You're Irreplaceable

Among the netroots, Dean is a popular choice to replace Daschle:

• Firedoglake's emptywheel: "Why not Howard Dean?"
• TPM's Josh Marshall: "[A]t least among emailers there's a groundswell for Howard Dean."
• The Huffington Post's Cenk Uygur: "At this point, if Howard Dean is not selected for at least one of these positions [HHS Sec. or Health Czar], it is a clear snub. But not just to Dean, but to all like-minded progressives. There's no way that [WH CoS] Rahm Emanuel's animosity toward Dean can be explained away if they pass over him again, especially given his tremendous success at the DNC. That success is not a claim he holds over the Democratic Party, it is a testament to his ability to get things done."
• MyDD's Jerome Armstrong: "There's no surprise at where the enthusiasm among Democrats on MyDD stands, for Daschle's replacement. [...] Is anyone listening? Do the netroots get a seat at Obama's table?"

Klein doesn't think Dean will get the job: "Dean and Obama have a poor relationship. Obama didn't keep Dean at the DNC, and he didn't even put Dean on the stage when he announced Gov. Tim Kaine to replace him. I'm not entirely sure where the distaste comes from, but it's there. And you really don't want the lead health reformer to suffer from a chilly relationship with the president."

In a separate post, Klein makes a list of potential replacements for Daschle, which includes ex-WH CoS John Podesta, PA Gov. Ed Rendell, KS Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, ex-OR Gov. John Kitzhaber, various Senators (John Kerry, Tom Harkin, Ron Wyden, Dick Durbin, ex-Sen. Bob Graham), and Jeanne Lambrew (Deputy Dir. of the WH Office of Health Care Reform).

Meanwhile, conservative blogger Paul Mirengoff thinks Obama should replace Daschle with a GOPer: "Maybe President Obama should do what he did following [NM Gov.] Bill Richardson's withdrawal as the Commerce Secretary nominee -- look to a Republican. There's a better chance of avoiding an ethics problem that way."

OBAMA: Finally, A President Who Admits Mistakes!

Liberal bloggers are praising Obama for telling NBC's Brian Williams "I screwed up" on the Daschle nomination:

• Daily Kos' DarkSyde: "It's been a long time since I've heard these words from any politican, much less from a President. [...] I'll happily support a President with enough basic respect for We the People to look us in the eye and own up. We'd almost forgotten what honesty looks like. It looks like change."
• Oliver Willis: "Remember that press conference when President [George W.] Bush couldn't think of a single mistake he had made? There's a new sheriff in town."
• Benen: "[I]t's refreshing to see a president own up to a mistake, candidly and unequivocally, telling the nation that if we're looking for someone to blame for an error, the buck stops with him."
• AMERICAblog's Joe Sudbay: "What a concept. Responsibility and accountability. That's got to have the heads of the press corps spinning. They won't know what to do when an administration is honest with them."

The Atlantic's Andrew Sullivan: "It has taken Obama two weeks to say something that George W. Bush couldn't manage to say in eight years: 'I screwed up.' This is change we can really believe in."

OBAMA II: A Colossal Screw-Up

Conservative bloggers, on the other hand, are blasting Obama for nominating Daschle:

• Michelle Malkin: "Screw up, move up, no consequences for the Screwer-Upper-In-Chief. Cue 'I'm Sorry' and let's talk about my glistening pecs again, shall we?"
• Pajamas Media's Jennifer Rubin: "It was never realistic to expect President Obama would reinvent politics, but it would have been nice had he not sacrificed his principles quite so quickly. It has not earned him any brownie points. Instead, conservatives are revived, liberals are dismayed, and the general public is left wondering: Didn't we vote for something better than this?"
• Power Line's John Hinderaker: "The Obama administration is off to a surprisingly rocky start. They ran a great campaign, but after only two weeks in office the wheels are starting to come off. Nothing that can't be remedied -- yet -- but it's going to be a long four years if Team Obama doesn't get its act together."
• RedState's Jeff Emanuel: "In a city legendary for overpromising and underperforming, the Obama administration is setting itself up to reach a new high in terms of inflated expectations and flat delivery."

NRO's Victor Davis Hanson warns that we are on the brink of an "Obama Meltdown": "We are quite literally after two weeks teetering on an Obama implosion -- and with no Dick Morris to bail him out -- brought on by messianic delusions of grandeur, hubris, and a strange naivete that soaring rhetoric and a multiracial profile can add requisite cover to good old-fashioned Chicago politicking. [...] This is quite serious. I can't recall a similarly disastrous start in a half-century (far worse than Bill Clinton's initial slips)."

Hinderaker (mostly) agrees: "I think Hanson overstates the case slightly; in my view Obama's administration so far has been a fiasco, not a disaster, because nothing has happened that can't be remedied. But Hanson is correct that if Obama doesn't change course quickly, the country's security will be imperiled."

Glenn Reynolds, on the other hand, thinks Hanson is going too far: "[Obama]'s had some bad appointments, and he's being tested by the Russians, et al., but isn't it a bit early to declare him a failure?"

GEITHNER: Now It's His Turn To Go

Now that Daschle and Killefer have withdrawn their nominations due to tax issues, several conservative bloggers are calling on Geithner to do the same:

• AmSpec Blog's Wlady Pleszczynski: "With today's Daschle and Killefer withdrawals, the principle has been established that tax cheats have no business serving in a presidential administration. Timothy Geithner may have snuck through, but he is now permanently damaged. There's only one honorable thing for him to do -- resign."
• NRO's Larry Kudlow: "For all of Mr. Geithner's apparent skills and knowledge and other professional qualifications, he still has a tremendous ethical problem. Pres. Obama has made much of the need for a new era of responsibility and ethics. Obama is right. But Mr. Geithner is wrong. He should follow Daschle and Killefer by submitting his resignation."
• Hot Air's Ed Morrissey: "Obama erred in making his apology too expansive, as the double standard argument applies most to Geithner. After all, neither Daschle nor Killefer would collect taxes from Americans, as Geithner will do, with the IRS reporting to him as Treasury Secretary. Geithner's presence will affront Americans who endure audits over the next few years and get adjudicated to their detriment."
• RedState's Dan Spencer: "Obama is still sending the wrong signal about tax cheats. Even though Tom Daschle and Nancy Killefer were thrown under the bus for their tax issues, tax cheat Timothy Geithner is still Treasury Secretary."

EXEC PAY: "$500,000 Is Not A Lot Of Money"

Liberal bloggers are pleased that the Obama admin. is reportedly planning to impose a salary cap of $500K for top execs at companies that receive bailout funds. They're also mocking a businessman who's quoted in the article as saying, "$500,000 is not a lot of money, particularly if there is no bonus."

• Daily Kos' DHinMI: "Congratulations to the Obama administration for fixing one of the glaring shortcomings of the original TARP program. Keep it up."
• Al Giordano: "Oh, man, they're gonna squeal like pigs in the stockyard and scream bloody socialism. But this is necessary medicine. And the louder they yelp, the more the public is going to like it. And bless [MO Sen.] Claire McCaskill for standing up and telling it like it is."
• dday: "Sorry, Masters of the Universe. It's a new era of responsibility out here."
• Benen: "I suspect there are plenty of sharp people in the business world, anxious to make a name for themselves, would who love the opportunity to get $500,000 to turn around a company facing collapse, with the possibility of a huge pay day down the road if they succeed."

Naturally, conservative bloggers feel differently:

• Malkin: "In theory, I have no problem with limiting the executive pay and bonuses of corporations that take billions in taxpayer-funded bailout money. [...] But the first question is: Where are the limits on Fannie and Freddie corruptocrats' executive pay? Have those been passed yet? Are they equal to the limits on private executives' pay? And the second question is: Where will it stop? [MA Rep.] Barney Frank has no intention of restraining his grubby government paws."
• Right Wing News' John Hawkins: "Now the socialists in the Obama administration are moving to actually micromanage what people can be paid, it would be easy to point out that different professions received different levels of compensation and that $500,000 really isn't that much for someone who runs a major bank. [...] Moreover, while this may be viewed as a 'punishment' on the banks, what it's really doing is guaranteeing that they won't be able to attract the top talent in the industry -- you know, exactly the sort of people who could turn those banks around in a hurry."

GREGG: Taking Over A Department He Wanted To Abolish

Liberal bloggers are upset that someone with Gregg's conservative views is taking over the Commerce Dept.:

• Daily Kos' Markos Moulitsas: "Yeay! We have Judd Gregg at commerce! He's a rabid Right winger who voted to abolish the Commerce Department a few years ago as part of his anti-government agenda, but let's put the guy in charge so Obama can continue to give Republicans presents for spitting in his face. Just as it has been the last 20 years, bipartisanship means giving everything to Republicans and getting nothing back in return. Feel the change!"
• Daily Kos' MissLaura: "The strategic wisdom of appointing Gregg is a reasonable debate, as long as you have no illusions about Republican commitment to bipartisanship being any more real than the tooth fairy. The moral wisdom of appointing someone so viciously opposed to the interests of working people is not up for debate -- it's entirely lacking."
• Beutler: "Maybe this is a very wise move, and I'll come to my senses once I see the 'pro quo'. In the meantime, though, I'm just left with this thought: We're finally in an era where decent government is a real possibility. Whereas Bush appointed [Spencer] Abraham to run the DOE, Obama chose Nobel Prize winning physicist, and experienced administrator Steven Chu. Our new Treasury Secretary, for all his flaws, is a renowned economist, and our Attorney General is a well respected attorney, and by and large that pattern holds...except for the fact that Obama wants to put this one agency in the hands of Judd Gregg, who doesn't think the agency ought to exist."

CA Rep. Barbara Lee makes a similar argument in a Huffington Post diary: "Two of the most important responsibilities of the Commerce Department are to ensure that minority-owned businesses are fully integrated in our nation's economic recovery and to conduct the decennial census. In this light, Sen. Gregg's record of previously voting to abolish the Commerce Department and his attempts to block President Bill Clinton's efforts to secure adequate funding for the 2000 census raise troubling concerns."

On the right side of the blogosphere, Morrissey is sad to see Gregg give up his Senate seat: "[T]his is still a net loss for Republicans and fiscal conservatives. Gregg would probably have won re-election in 2010, especially if this stimulus bill performs as badly as most economists expect. Instead, Democrats will probably get an easy pickup, unless a high-profile Republican starts working immediately on a campaign."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Daschle Postmortem

Beutler:

"Whether Barack Obama actually pushed Daschle out behind the scenes or not, what you witnessed yesterday was a genuine manifestation of the idea that words matter. Obama promised change*, and just hoped everybody would ignore the giant asterisk. He set up two different definitions of vetting: One for people outside the family, who had to be squeaky clean, and one for people inside the family and people he was stuck with (Hillary [Clinton]), who didn't. For the latter group, vetting meant digging up the embarrassing details of their pasts and then cooking up talking points in the event that the press sniffed some of it out. And that wasn't going to fly forever.

Which isn't to say Obama's a huge hypocrite or just another corrupt hack. I think he was up against an extremely difficult task and began to feel the tension between setting up a working administration quickly and smoothly, and making sure all of its members met a standard of ethics that's difficult to obtain in politics. He promised both, though, and so he had to deliver both -- or at least appear to be trying to deliver both. Daschle made it look like he wasn't even trying."

LEST WE FORGET: Liberal Journalists In Liberal Administration Jobs: Totally Non-Partisan

Gawker's Hamilton Nolan criticizes Joe Biden spokesperson/ex-Time reporter Jay Carney for saying, "I don't see this as a partisan job at all":

"Journalists tend to be liberals because they tend to be educated but not wealthy, and haughty smartasses. So it's no surprise ex-journalists are pouring into Obama administration jobs. Why can't they just admit their fandom? [...] Jesus Christ Carney you're the spokesman for the Democratic VP. It is a partisan fucking job. Be proud of what you believe, for once! Douglas Frantz, former managing editor of the LA Times and investigative reporter, is now an investigator for John Kerry and the Foreign Relations Committee. 'Pursuing the truth is apolitical,' he says.

Sure it is, but figuring out which version of 'the truth' wins is what politics is all about. Amazing how all these political reporters find that politics cease to exist once they get administration jobs! Dudes, the fact that you have opinions does not invalidate everything you ever did as a journalist. This angle of attack is tedious. Maybe, like David Brooks says, they're all secretly trying to get in there and make life hard for the really rich people, out of jealousy over the fact that even fancy reporters and government officials don't make enough to hire more than one live-in maid. Or maybe all these guys who have been 'framing' the political debate for the whole country for years and years really don't know what politics is all about.

Or, most likely, they're still scared of the 'media liberal' tag, that was once a solid debate-ender. Well it's a new day, people. Everything is different now. You reporters are the lucky ones! You have jobs. You can revel in your liberalness. You're not some conservative hack like Rich Lowry or Tony Snow or Bill Kristol."

Posted by Ian Faerstein at February 4, 2009 01:02 PM