The Margin of Error for Obama Appointees

daschle.jpgGoodbye Daschle, and your little red glasses, too! Apparently, his error was too big to pass muster. Do we need to find appointees who are absolutely perfect? It’s a tough balance when government is in need of some serious ethics. While I agree that Daschle’s case was fairly serious ($128,203 in back taxes and $11,964 in interest), it’s hard to lose these people who probably would’ve been effective at their jobs. New Mexico governor Richardson has had some possibly shady dealings with contractors who were also political donors. Geithner made it to confirmation despite having paid late income taxes (approximately $34,000).

Sadly, you can also say goodbye to Chief Performance Officer appointee Nancy Killefer. Killefer withdrew herself from the appointment with an acknowledgment that she’d also made a less than a thousand dollar error ($298 in unpaid taxes, $48.69 in interest, and $600 in penalties) on her DC employment taxes. She failed to pay employment taxes for a year and a half for household employees.

Do women hold themselves to a higher standard than men? Maybe. Or Killefer may have had more to hide. While I’m ecstatic about the positions of Pelosi, Clinton, Boxer, and Feinstein, I’d love to see more women appointees and hope more women have the stomach to stay in the fight. Wouldn’t it be great to have more women on the Supreme Court?

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February 3, 2009 | Filed Under Historical Context, Perfect World 

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