Tax problems sink HHS Daschle, chief performance officer noms

Didn't these two learn from the Nannygate affairs back in the day? The former Senator from South Dakota, Tom Daschle, has withdrawn his name from consideration for health and human services secretary and that's in the wake of Nancy Killefer's decision to drop out as the nom for Chief Performance Officer. Daschle did a mea culpa run up on the Hill to no avail.

Former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle on Tuesday withdrew his nomination to oversee the Health and Human Services Department, just a few hours after another Obama nominee also withdrew.

Both had controveries with taxes.

Earlier Tuesday, Nancy Killefer withdrew as President Barack Obama's nominee to be the first chief performance officer for the federal government.

"Nancy Killefer has decided to withdraw her nomination, and we accepted her withdrawal," said Tommy Vietor, a White House spokesman.

The White House later released her letter to the president, which in part stated: "I recognize that your agenda and the duties facing your Chief Performance Officer are urgent. I have also come to realize in the current environment that my personal tax issue of D.C. unemployment tax could be used to create exactly the kind of distraction and delay those duties must avoid. Because of this I must reluctantly ask you to withdraw my name from consideration."

Killefer, a 55-year-old executive with consulting giant McKinsey & Co., was the second major Obama administration nominee to withdraw and the third to have tax problems complicate their nomination after President Barack Obama announced their selection.