Too Many Mistakes

One screw-up can be written off as just a mistake -- everybody makes them. Two mistakes, and I begin wondering just what is going on. But when the third one comes, I have to think that someone is not doing their job. Who is vetting President Obama's picks for high-ranking positions in his administration? Why aren't they doing their job?

It was bad enough that Treasury Secretary Geitner seems to have forgotten to pay $34,000 in federal taxes. He's lucky that he finally got confirmed. Personally, I wouldn't have cared much if he hadn't. Ordinary Americans are expected to pay their taxes on time. I don't see why the head of the Treasury Department shouldn't be expected to do the same. But every administration makes some mistakes, and I was willing to forgive and forget.

But now we find out there are at least two other nominees who also have tax problems. They are Tom Daschle, who was nominated to head the Department of Health and Human Services, and Nancy Killefer, who was to oversee budget and spending reform. Both have admitted to making "honest mistakes" and failing to pay some federal taxes.

I am a supporter of Barack Obama, and I have been since Bill Richardson left the presidential race, but I'm starting to get irritated about this. Why wasn't this known in the vetting process? It was easy enough for the Republicans to find out about it. If they can do it, surely the Obama vetters could have done the same. And if they did know, why were these picks allowed to proceed?

Fortunately, both of them withdrew their names from consideration yesterday. That's a good thing, but it should never have been allowed to get this far. Also yesterday, President Obama took responsibility for the screw-ups and promised it wouldn't happen again.

The president said, "I've got to own up to my mistake which is that ultimately it's important for this administration to send a message that there aren't two sets of rules. You know, one for prominent people and one for ordinary folks who have to pay their taxes. I think I screwed up. And, you know, I take responsibility for it and we're going to make sure we fix it so it doesn't happen again."

He's right. It does give the impression that there's two sets of rules. And it's also true that since he's the president, he must be ultimately responsible. At least, he's man enough to admit it -- that's quite a change from the last administration in which the president could never own up to his mistakes.

I hope President Obama has learned from this, and that it doesn't happen again. The country really needs for him to succeed and fulfill his campaign promises.