This morning, as President Obama announced the nomination of Sen. Judd Gregg as the Secretary of Commerce, the past withdrawal of Bill Richardson loomed heavily over the situation. Not that Richardson himself had any part in this morning's activities, but this morning two other presidential nominees withdrew their names from consideration for a presidential appointment, due to tax reasons.
First, Nancy Killefer, who was set to be the federal government's chief performance officer resigned her nomination, telling the president, "my personal tax issue of D.C. unemployment tax could be used to create exactly the kind of distraction and delay that these duties must avoid."
Just hours later, Tom Daschle, the nominee for the Secretary of Health and Human Services, withdrew his nomination.
President Obama accepted Daschle's withdrawal "with sadness and regret." He says that Daschle's mistake and decision to resign his name from the nomination "cannot diminish the many contributions Tom has made to this country, from his years in the military to his decades of public service." He vows to move forward with his economic plan.
Daschle expressed similar sadness in withdrawing, but is confident his decision is in the best interest of the American people. He feels that the upcoming healthcare challenges "will require a leader who can operate with the full faith of Congress and the American people, without distraction."
"Right now I am not that leader, and will not be a distraction."
There are still so many unknowns in the process right now, and it's quite probable that both Daschle and Killefer's decisions will continue to create "distractions" for much of the immediate future, at least. While it's still unknown who will fill these roles, the next nominees will encounter extreme scrutiny.