Barack Obama Stands Out from Bill Clinton, George W. Bush on Handling Daschle Appointment

February 4, 2009 RSS Feed Print
  • Comment (9)

By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog.

Wow! How long has it been since we've seen a president admit he was wrong? Dubya never came close. If his neck were on a boulder and muscled executioner wielded a cutlass above his head, Dubya would never admit he was wrong. Everyone else was wrong, but not he. Richard Nixon saw enemies in every corner, but he could not admit wrong. Even Bill Clinton never apologized to the country for lying about his encounters with Monica Lewinsky.

For the record, Bill Clinton was forced to admit wrongdoing, signing an "Agreed Order of Discipline" on his last day in office as president. It stipulated that he "knowingly gave evasive and misleading answers" about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, violating Arkansas legal ethics.

President Obama has committed no sin so large as that of any of these above-named predecessors, but he admitted yesterday in several TV interviews that he has bungled some of his cabinet appointments—most recently Tom Daschle, would-be Secretary of HHS who pulled out yesterday following revelations about $140,000.00 in unpaid taxes and hundreds of thousands of earnings as a drug company lobbyist.

That refreshing bit of candor deserves not to go unnoticed. Presidents are people like the rest of us--not better, not worse, just human. But it takes a strong sense of self to admit bad judgment to the world. And President Obama deserves credit for doing so.

Tags:
Barack Obama

Reader Comments Read all comments (9)

Add Your Thoughts
Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

His apology came one appointment too late. Timothy Geithner's selection is a slap in the face to every IRS employee that is subject to losing their job for making the same "innocent" mistakes that he made. The Secretary of the Treasury should answer to the same code of conduct that the people who work under him are subject too!

Remember Zoey Baird, Clinton's nominee for Attorney General in 1993? Apparently Obama learned nothing from nanny-gate which raises questions about what is going on with the current White House crowd.

Obama's apology was nothing more than an attempt at damage control, which judging from this column, is working well with the Kool-Aid drinkers!

Annie O'Connor of GA 2:36PM February 05, 2009

I AM SO ANGRY!

Tom Daschle, and Nancy Killefer are two of the finest, and most competent public servants you could possibly hope for in these appointments. They have been assassinated by the Washington healthcare lobby through their paid Bush Republican henchmen in congress. These Bush republicans are the same people blocking the economic recovery plan put forth by the Obama administration.

I am BURNING MAD America. And you should be too. Tome Daschle and Nancy Killefer were exactly what we needed to help turn this country around and fix our economy, and catastrophic healthcare crisis.

If I were their boss I would tell them to get right back to Washington. And dare congress to not approve them. How ridiculous is it to reject highly qualified people that this country needs just because they made a mistake on their taxes. Don't stand for that anymore America. They apologized, and paid their taxes, and that should be it. Their country needs them. But President Obama has to do what he thinks is best. I understand that. I'M JUST SO MAD at the anti American Bush Republicans.

Like many of you I have been trying to enjoy the after glow of this Beautiful historic election. But I see that the republicans in congress and their cohorts aren't going to be good sports, and LOSER'S!

SO BE IT!

In spite of President Obama's repeated offers, and gestures of collegiality to Republicans. Bush Republicans have seized upon every opportunity to stab President Obama in the back. And by doing so they are stabbing you, and the rest of the American people in the back. Well, you don't have to put up with that. And you shouldn't put up with that. President Obama has only been on the job two weeks. And he inherited two wars, and the worst economy since the great depression.

We had an election. And president Obama, and the democrats won BIG. And Bush Republicans lost miserably!

The Bush Republicans are the ones responsible for the worst economic crisis since the great depression. And the Bush Republicans are responsible for the worst healthcare crisis in American history. A healthcare crisis that is killing hundreds of thousands of you every year. Rich, middle class, and poor a like. Insured, and uninsured. Men, women, children, and babies.

President Obama, and the Democrats should take back all the concessions they granted the Bush Republicans, and tell them to put up! or shut up!

Everyone, start calling and contacting these Bush Republicans and tell them to stop blocking President Obama, and the Democrats recovery plan. And stop trying to block, and corrupt healthcare reform. Tell them to get on board with President Obama and the Democrats, or GET OUT!!

If these Bush Republicans refuse to cooperate I want all of you to immediately begin the process of removing them from office by every legal means possible. Including impeachment, and recall. I want you to bring the full weight and power of the movement down on their heads that swept President Obama, and the Democrats into control of the whitehouse, and congress. Take no prisoners. Use all the techniques you learned over this past historic election. Be flexible, creative, adaptable, and relentless like you were in the past.

To my cyber warriors I call on you again. You are among the best and the brightest. I call on you to move this fight from the cyber world to the living rooms, dens, and work places of the voters these Bush Republicans misrepresent. I know I can count on you. This is a fight worth fighting.

To my fellow World citizens. As an American I invite, and welcome you and your advise, input, and help. By delaying Americas recovery, and healthcare reform, these Bush Republicans are delaying our commitment to your recovery, and to being the better America for you that we aspire too.

I had hoped it would not come to this after our historic election. I had hoped that the Bush Republicans would respect the overpowering will of the people, and the World. But I guess not. All the Bush Republicans really care about is them-selves. Well, SO BE IT! Lets finish the job.

Sincerely

jacksmith --- Working Class :-)

jacksmith of TX 9:45PM February 04, 2009

Bonnie, dear heart, your readers have been around awhile, and recognize glib writing with no substance.

I suggest you heed Obama and change.

J of CA 2:52PM February 04, 2009

Bonnie Erbe

Bonnie Erbe

Bonnie Erbe is a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report and hosts PBS's weekly news analysis program, To the Contrary with Bonnie Erbe. She also writes a weekly syndicated newspaper column for Scripps Howard News Service.

advertisement

Robert Schlesinger

An End to the NRA’s Angry Swagger

Polls show that overwhelming majorities of Americans, and even of NRA members, favor universal background checks.

advertisement