Breaking: Daschle Withdraws!

A day after President Obama said he "Absolutely" supported him, former Sen. Tom Daschle (pictured here wearing the glasses that are the only evidence that he has collected the souls of Sally Jessy Raphael and Jerry Springer) has withdrawn himself as nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services. From Politico:

Wrote Daschle: "I have just informed the President that I am withdrawing my name from consideration for Secretary of Health and Human Services....If 30 years of exposure to the challenges inherent in our system has taught me anything, it has taught me that this work will require a leader who can operate with the full faith of Congress and the American people, and without distraction. Right now, I am not that leader, and will not be a distraction..."

Now, the news of Nancy Killefer's withdrawal makes more sense. Initially, I thought it was an ill-conceived attempt at a sacrificial lamb, but it's obviouos, wth the Daschle withdrawal, what happened.

Obama must have gotten really fed up, called a meeting with all of his appointees, and said, "Anyone here with so much as an unpaid parking ticket, anyone who bought an unstamped pack of cigarettes, get the f*#@ out now. If you didn't declare your income from your f*%#ing paper route, if you even own a copy of the Beatles' 'Tax man,' if you forgot to pay for your Tic Tacs, get the f*$3 out!"

He's employing the same sort of "reverse-Untouchables" strategy he did with surrogates in the primaries. One of ours gets sent to the hospital, we send the rest to the morgue.

This is a good call for Obama, if a little bit late, although with Geithner, I think the sacrifice will pay off. If Obama's history is any indication, any further appointments will be cleaner than surgical instruments dipped in bleach, then sprayed with Febreeze.

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