Conflict Of Interest? Daschle Promotes Co-ops Which Dovetails With Interests Of His Industry Clients

nytimes.com:

WASHINGTON Six months have passed since the morning when Tom Daschle, the former Senate Democratic leader, under fire for not paying certain taxes, called President Obama in his study off the Oval Office to withdraw his nomination as health secretary and reform czar.

Read the whole story: nytimes.com

Comments

[kbkw54]

Daschle was Obama's choice for health secretary who had to withdraw because he didn't pay his taxes.
Daschle is paid by United Health Insurance company and his wife owns a lobbying firm in Washington. He is against public option and for anything that will make his client more money. Why is this guy advising Obama???

[phylliscooper1]

After reading this, I realize how little good my daily emails, in favor of the public option, to my senators and congressman must do. How many average citizens, living in the real world, without lucrative advisory jobs in business and political arenas, does it take to equal one Mr. Daschle?

[Montgriz]

Obama and the Dems need to take a clue from the people of South Dakota who threw this guy out, even thought he was speaker.....they saw what we see but what the politicians refuse to see as it is too close to home....

[RoveRoveRoveYourBoat]

aaauughhhh......he resigned after cheney sent him anthrax
to prevent opposition to the, so called, "patriot act".

[Bpeirce]

Tommy , HEAR ME CLEARLY...CO-OP IS OFF THE TABLE. GOOD PUBLIC OPTION IS ON. THATS WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT, THATS WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT NOW!!!!!

[kbkw54]

Do you have a link to that??

[ConjureMan]

Look at it ths way re Obama: If your not part of the rel solution, youare the problem.

[who38]

Has this dude paid his back taxes? Has Geithner?

[dc2nm]

Except being a member of the DNC, Daschle is now a private citizen. We've known for some time that he lobbies for the health industry. And he voices his opinion (and/or his client's) on the health care debate.

So where is the conflict of interest? He's no longer in office.

[kbkw54]

He is advising Obama.

[NoFactsJustTruth]

This person DOES NOT represent the interests of 'The People' in OUR country.

[nancytheragingliberal]

I agree, No Facts, What happened to ol' TD? The glitter of gold got to him and I am not happy about his meeting with O., nor am I happy about the people appointed by O. either. Americans continue to be scr**ed and "hope" is fading fast.

[DocTwain]

Let's put it this way, the guy's glasses are not red because he's pinko, but because he's plutocratic GOP.

[illinoisan]

Where's the conflict? Seems like a perfect confluence of interest.

[keepyourheaddown*]

Tom Daschle is a CROOK AND A LIAR!

[unch]

Bernie Sander et al represent the best of the Democrats fighting for real reform; support them.

[nancytheragingliberal]

There should be tons of Bernie Sander's out there to represent the people of this country. Corporations, with their billions, plus billions this ripped off from tax payers need to be put back in their places and tough laws needed to reign them in.

[unch]

despicable Daschle, Baucus, Conrad, Coburns, Grassley etc, One can tell a man, O, by his company.

[Carl Caroli]

He's a pseudo-lobbyist and a danger to the people. Obama promised to limit lobbyists in his administration and yet he has a raft of people with too close ties to too many industries for my taste. Their blatant leanings towards corporate interests are killing this country. Obama needs to flush the toilet and start listening to the people.

[TheHandyman]

A lobbyist by any other name would smell as corrupt!

[jme-SD]

South Dakotans can't quite decide who Tom Daschle is. I've met him in person and having seen him last week in a hometown health care forum, he was at least a refreshing alternative to the people believing in the myths and he was not opposed to a public option in his remarks in his home town. The local newspaper covered the event as if it was loaded with tea party protesters when there were maybe 10 and there were at least a hundred others really interested in listening and many supportive of universal care and needing the government to do something because they were uninsured.

I see his mom occasionally and I think his motives about home health are genuine. It's hard not to trust him when you meet him and his family because they are the nicest people you'd ever meet.

I do worry what happens when he gets around his DC friends. He was touting in a speech last fall a relationship with Gingrich and coming up with a health care plan plan - and Gingrich turned his back on him pretty fast. I can't decide if he's tainted, or retains so much of the eagerness to trust midwesterners are known for that he gets burned by people that he thinks he can trust or who use him when their motives are mixed. Either way, he should keep more distance and stop negotiating something away that if Dems unite, they can get. It would be better for everyone.