The Respectfully Republican Conversation

On the other hand his Republican nominee for Commerce Secretary Judd Gregg appears to be "clean". Maybe Obama will turn to Republicans now for his nominees.

BTW I haven't seen it mentioned here but  Performance Czar Nancy Killefer also withdrew her candidacy.

I guess we should feel bad ... I feel just sick about this whole thing.  It would have been great if we were wrong about him.  I would have been ready to eat my words and still will, if he turns things around. 

The sickening part is that many, many people were saying that he was not properly vetted.  Where were his old friends? Where are the new people he's going to appoint to bring in change?  We heard people asking what his plans were .. Hope and Change ARE needed, he was right about that. But how he was going to bring it about was never something he put into print or tried out on a local playing field.  The man simply appealed to the populace like a snake charmer or the Pied Piper.  Right words, no plan. 

Then he brings in the people that his own staff hadn't researched before putting them on display? This is the action of an inexperienced man.

Ok .. so, we could say, "Told ya so,"  but I don't want to say that.  I really want him to get some people in there that will help us.  Maybe he should call Palin!  LOL .. Seriously, maybe he should get some sound advice from some experienced people who have brought companies back from the brink .. and keep Madame Frozen Face away from the WH!  I would also not be adverse to using Bill Clinton as an advisor; he should look at Reagan's policies, too. 

What a mess!

BO has no LEADERSHIP ABILITY.  Who would stick by someone who had not paid their taxes - especially someone who had made 5 million dollars over the last two years. These people (Geithner and Daschle) are educated, can more than afford a good tax accountant - there is absolutely no excuse. As soon as the tax problems came up for Daschle - BO should have taken his name out of consideration. It took just about every news organization in the country to say NO MORE for Daschle himself to withdraw - had he not - he would have been confirmed by the Dimwits in the Senate - who don't see a problem with Democrats who are rich not paying their fair share of taxes.

Are you ready for this?  In the stimulus package there's an earmark to give Hollywood a 50% tax break.  We saw all those stars coming out supporting their leader and here's the payoff for them.  There's legislation being offered to slash the Hollywood earmark out of the package.  McCain is up and talking about it. He also is saying that again there still is resistance from the Dems for them go get together and get this package done right.  This is so pathetic. 

Palin put the Alaskan checkbook online so the citizen's could see every single check that the state writes.  Talk about transparency in and of government! 

Maybe BO will get fed up with these thugs and demand true change ... maybe he can force them all to come clean with taxes!

The big board is liking what the Repubs want to do.  Boxer is still running her mouth.  I believe there's gonna be a big fight.  I'm still mad as hell about the subprime mortgate crap!  So, I say SHUT UP.

Boxer..."mr pres I'm so disapointed."  Something about he's reaching out to the other side.  BS!  Yeah, he's listened.  He's got big ears.  But no brain! 

ijl, just part of the article.

From N.Y. Times

Not the whole article. And this is peanuts compared to the other two.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- 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.

"Nancy Killefer has decided to withdraw her nomination, and we accepted her withdrawal," Tommy Vietor, a White House spokesman, said Tuesday. The 55-year-old executive with consulting giant McKinsey & Co., was expected to explain her reasons for pulling out later in the day.

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 ho

I think the repubs will submit amendment after amendment for each part of this package, which will need to get voted on.  Or, they could sit down together and get it done correctly, and then just vote on the package.  So we do amendment after amendment.  I'm in for that. 

It worries me that the Rep. Senator Gregg?  will take the job leaving us one vote short of a filibuster.  They won't get his replacement there fast enough.  We have to watch this.

The Mikulsky amendment looks good.  A rebate if we buy American made cars this year that will include getting the interest back for the loan too.  Not a bad idea. 

Edited to say, the excise tax and interest is tax deductable for this year.  I like it. 

From what I've heard is that Obama knew about Daschle's tax problem when he was vetted.  So, what's that say about Obama?  Also, I believe he knew about Geithner's.  Did he think this country would just sit there and accept these people?  Of course he did.  After all, he's the Messiah.

I am also hearing that Obama didn't have to accept Daschle's resignation.  He could have said no...you're in.  And probably Daschle would have been voted in.  However, after reading the NYT and other papers Obama et al knew that Daschle would be a burden.  Think about it..all was well last night.  Then, when people started turning on Obama, Daschle withdrew.  Thank God Bush didn't follow polls.

I want things "fixed" too.  However, Obama has no experience to know how to do this.  He'll leave  it up to Pelosi and Reid.  I doubt Obama even read this mess.  He told the congress that he wanted a bill to sign as soon as he was sworn in.  So, they threw something together that is absolutely ridiculous..not stimulus.

The argument, Taxes are just too complicated and the nominees just made a common error is a very stupid statement.  I am a CPA, I don't practice anymore, but have a nice 30 years background in Taxes.  Dashel had a CPA, when Dashel turned over his information to have his return prepared, there are a few key flags that any Accountant would note.  Dashel was a self employed consultant.  He consulted with a law firm (means lobbyist firm) he was a consultant for drug companies and a big dem supporter.  One of the first thing the CPA would have looked at was expenses, including a main one of transportation.  If the CPA did not ask about travel and automobile expense of a traveling consultant and a fee paid public speaker, then the accountant is guilty of mal practice.  If Dashel said no I don't have a car and ask how do you get around(taxies or such), or a car is provided, the accountant would file that as income.  If a company that paid Dashel over 80000 dollars a month, did not provide a 1099, the CPA would have immediately contacted the Co. to request one so if one was later filed, it would not conflict with the estimate of his client. 

What I am saying, that the only way this could be an accidental omission was for the CPA to have committed such gross malpractice that his license would be revoked.

HAHAHAHA Laura.

IBC, you were an accountant?  I thought they were supposed to be boring.  You're not boring.

I thought I heard that Daschel asked his accountant if the car and driver was included in income and the accountant said yes.  What do I know.

My dh didn't receive a 1099 for  a little over $700.  He could have left it off our income tax..he prepares ours..we're not rich..it's simple for him..and yes HE'S BORING!  Anyway, my dh still listed it cuz he was afraid he'd get audited.  And he wasn't taking a chance.  When he did his CAD from home he would not list the room (one of the extra bedroom since all the kids moved out) because he didn't want them to walk in any time they wanted and see it was used for other things besides business.  AND, HE'S TOO HONEST TO CHEAT ON HIS TAXES!

Maria, I don't think any of us have heard from Moody.  I hope the docs have found out what's going on.

Shirley,

Am I ever glad you corrected your earlier statement about Palin.  I knew she couldn't be supporting it.  Only 27% of those polled are supporting it in this format. 

I heard Boxer telling the Repubs to roll up their sleeves and get together with them to fix it.  Reid must have been dying.  He didn't invite them to the stimulus planning party.  What is she thinking? 

Hollywood didn't get their tax deduction.  The vote was a close call.  52 to 45, Mikulski amendment goes in, but I almost dropped when I heard the cost....$11 Billion.  I probably would have voted against it after hearing that.  But who wants car companies coming back for gazillions?  This time, we get the break. 

Same here...I free-lanced from home for the past 6 years...my dh (not boring...most of the time) did my taxes (1099) every year. I was always urging him to take my deducts to the limit. But Shirley, like your dh...he too didn't want the hassle of an audit or them nosing around our house. One year, the company I free-lanced for didn't send out 1099's (too lazy?)...legally they don't have to, but legally I still had to file/pay!  I will admit - for a minute or so, I thought...hmmmmmmmmmmmm... but the ol' conscious kicked in and dh WOULD NEVER have allowed it... he's slightly more conservative than me. I gathered all my pay stubs and paid - to the penny - what I owed. Please don't think I'm patting myself on the back...not the point. But I know you all know the point.