Former Democratic Senate leader Tom Daschle  withdrew his name from nomination to be President Barack Obama’s secretary of Health and Human Services today.

The action occurs after revelations that Daschle failed to pay $128,000 in taxes.

”If 30 years of exposure to the challenge 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,” Daschle said in a statement.

“Right now, I am not that leader and will not be a distractuon,” he said.

Obama said Daschle’s mistake should not diminish his record of public service.

No surprise really with the New York Times calling for his withdrawal and support reportedly fading in the senate.

On a related note Nancy Killefer, Pres. Obama’s nominee to be the government’s Chief Performance Officer has withdrawn her name from consideration. Killefer reportedly failed to pay employment taxes on household help for half a year.

Nancy Killefer, who failed for a year and a half to pay employment taxes on household help, has withdrawn her candidacy to be the first chief performance officer for the federal government, the White House said Tuesday.

Killefer 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.

The White House said Obama had accepted Killefer’s decision and that the 55-year-old executive with consulting giant McKinsey & Co., would explain her reasons for pulling out later Tuesday.

When her selection was announced by Obama on Jan. 7, The Associated Press disclosed that in 2005 the District of Columbia government had filed a $946.69 tax lien on her home for failure to pay unemployment compensation tax on household help.

What the hell is going on here??? This is third Obama administration nominee with tax problems… It’s going to be a long four years folks.

Tom Daschle, President Barack Obama’s choice for secretary of Health and Human Services, paid about $140,000 in back taxes and interest after questions surfaced during the vetting of his nomination, according to documents being prepared by the Senate Finance Committee.

Mr. Daschle made the payments to cover a luxury car and driver provided to him by an investment firm where he was an adviser after leaving the U.S. Senate in 2005, but which he didn’t report as income, people familiar with the report said. The payments also covered unreported consulting income and unwarranted charitable deductions. The tax period covered 2005 through 2007.

Mr. Daschle told committee staff that he had grown used to having a car and driver as Senate majority leader and didn’t think to report the perquisite on his taxes, according to staff members.

Daschle is the second one of Pres. Barack Obama’s cabinet nominees with serious tax problems… As far as I’m concerned Daschle’s nomination should be withdraw. The fact that it hasn’t speaks volumes about the moral and ethical fabric our political culture.

Michelle Malkin notes White House spokesman’s Robert Gibbs rather glib answer when pressed on whether Daschle was the best suited nominee… “Nobody’s perfect.”

Nobody’s perfect??? God Save us!