Will Leon Panetta be the next body under Obama's bus?

It's been a bumpy few days on the new Obama administration bus, what with all the bodies throwing themselves under the shiny chassis -- Tom Daschle, Nancy Killefer and the ones yet to come from the transition team that missed the bones in Bill Richardson's closet and Daschle's and Geithner's and Killefer's tax returns.

In public, stand-up political bosses like Barack Obama are, well, stand-up, obediently shouldering the full blame like medicine from Mom. Americans like that and turn very forgiving when they hear it. So, Obama did that so sincerely and stoically on every TV network last night.

The buck stops here and all that, which drew hearty praise today from Robert Gibbs, Obama's own press secretary. But, in private, those bosses really, really don't like to have to do that. And someone will pay. If he/she hasn't already.

Meanwhile, word outta Washington late today that the congressional confirming committees, also embarrassed, are taking a closer look at the documents of some preexisting Obama nominees such as, oh, say, former California representative, Bill Clinton chief of staff and proposed CIA chief Leon Panetta. The Senate Intelligence Committee (no, that's not being sarcastic) takes up Panetta on Thursday morning.

Apparently, his reports to ethics officials indicate the onetime congressman who hung around Washington anyway is now worth nearly $4 million, which makes hanging around Washington seem a worthy pastime for washed-up pols. Last year Panetta took in about $1.2 million in investments, consulting and speaking fees, plus other income from corporate boards like BP and banks that have now failed or taken bailout money like Wachovia. Let's all do that.

All this despite being so intimately involved in the Obama campaign.

Panetta also got thousands of dollars from at least one security-related company that he might be dealing with from his secret CIA director's office in the Langley Batcave that carries the annoyingly Republican Bush name on it.

Panetta's appointment hit its first bump minutes after the announcement when committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein revealed in one of those too-controlled voices that she had not been informed in advance, a very serious breach of political manners in the Washington world that's akin to loud burping at the queen's dinner.

Now our blogging pal Mark Silva in the Swamp has more details on the developing Panetta problems, indicating some senators may have more questions in the morning.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo credit: Associated Press

Comments

[Chris]

You're being generous saying Obama took the blame. For what? He said he screwed up. Really? Then how come the nomination was being pushed long after the tax issue came to light? And how come Geithner is SecTreas if there was a "screw up" w/Daschle.

The nomination was withdrawn due to political pressure, not because Obama and/or his team thought there was anything wrong with unpaid taxes.

[Al Reasin]

President Obama and his team learned nothing from the exposure of tax problems of nominees from the Bush and Clinton fumbles. Yes, they looked at tax records and the like, but did they ask the precise questions about reporting all income or paying nanny SS taxes? Apparently not. And why did they go forward with candidates when they knew of problems? It is apparent that the elites can't be asked such questions, but be allowed to besmirch the Office of the President. Is the President of the United States that stupid as let himself be played 4 times by fellow Americans. How will he handle foreign leaders? Remember the old saying, fool me once, same on you; fool me twice shame, on me. So he has been fooled three times over!

[KansasGirl]

Obama groveled only because he is in trouble.

[rachel]

I don't like it when the President is out there apologizing for mistakes. It makes him seem incompetent! I want a President who is alot more careful and doesn't MAKE them. This guy is inexperienced and in a hurry to wow us with all his great decisions. So far, I am less than impressed. In fact, I am getting pretty nervous. He doesn't know what the hell he is doing! But we knew he had no experience when he ran...so why is anyone surprised now?

[상율 한]

People are serious about health, however, their children's education, future energy, and children's environment including harmful internet contents stand behind it, I think.

[John]

Throwing Ms. Killefer under the bus was revealing too. She had a few hundred dollar problem and she paid up, penalties and interest, years ago when she wasn't in line for an appointment. I'm willing to forgive a minor infraction, if corrected in full early on. I'm not willing to forget Geithner-esque lying about tens of thousands of dollars, avoiding payment till it is politically expedient, and failure to pay penalties that ordinary citizens would owe. If the administration can't tell the difference between the two cases, the administration has a serious problem with perspective and lack of trust in the judgment of the public.

[Lloyd Revalee]

So, we are supposed to overlook the fact that Geitner did not pay his taxes, and accept him as Secretary of The Treasury. They find a problem with two people who did not pay their taxes, but no problem with another who did the same thing. Let Obama pick anyone he wants for his cabinet, but Congress should do their job and not approve the nomination.

It's about time we started to hold Congress responsible for most of the problems in this country. If one reads the Constitution they will find that Congress, not the President, makes the laws.

[Timothy L. Pennell]

I thought that this IDIOT had a big Questionaire, that people had to fill out before they would be considered for a job? Didn't I see that on the News? Was that just for SHOW? Cause, obviously, nobody's filling them out. At least not honestly. Or else they're filling them out, and they're just going in to th garbage. Either way....Birds of a Feather, Flock together, and it's not surprising that this IDIOT, would try and surround himself with other idiots. Like Panetta. Or Richardson. Or Daschle. Has anyone taken the time to check BARRYS' Tax Records?

[Suze]

I find it infuriating that the same people who want to raise my taxes don't even pay their own. Especially after Biden's "its patriotic to pay taxes' remark and Daschle's many votes to raise taxes and his votes against cutting taxes. I think every politician in washington should be audited and find out what the hell is going on here! This is disgusting!

[Teri B.]

Pres. Obama has got to stop letting the Republicans AND THE MEDIA destroy people. He knows better than this. I’m disgusted by what was done to Tom Daschle. Soon, all of you really will be examining people's feces for acceptable amounts of fiber.

Funny how Republicans could find no fault with ANY of the strange, embarrassing revelations about Palin's background and KNOWLEDGE. I'm getting really disgusted with of all this hypocrisy. Our current and former presidents were admitted cocaine users, but Michael Phelps is being destroyed for hitting a little weed? No problem if McCain was up to his neck in Keating 5 dirt, but Daschle and Panetta weren't sposed to earn money or make a living of any kind?

Obama needs to stand up for his nominees like he did for himself when attempts were made to slime him. It's all utter nonsense.

[RIck]

As a Clinton loyalist, Panetta will focus intently in removing any tracks that connect the Clintons to 9-11 and the other terrorist attacks that the ClLintons facilitated with the Jamie Gorelick wall between FBI & CIA. Panetta was Clinton's Chief of Staff, so he knows where a lot of skeletons are hidden. I remain convinced that Panetta is part of a deal that Obama made with the Clintons. The only person worse for national security at CIA would be Sandy Berger

[Cal]

What's your problem with Panetta? That he made money? He paid taxes on it, right? So what exactly is your point, Malcolm?

[barry levine]

We now know that C.I.A. interrogators waterboarded detainees, that mr. Panetta acknowledged waterboarding is torture and that our treaties oblige us to prosecute or extradite those who torture. Since mr. Panetta has said that there will be no prosecution of C.I.A. interrogators, he advocates violating our treaty obligations. It is for this that he should be dismissed.