The Obama administration's cheering over Attorney General nominee Eric Holder's confirmation was short-lived, as Nancy Killefer ended her bid to be the first "Chief Performance Officer" (apparently over a tax issue with household help) and now former Senator majority leader Tom Daschle is no longer a contender to be Secretary of Health and Human Services. Daschle, who owed over $128,000 in back taxes, issued a statement, "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.” President Obama also said he accepted and regretted Daschle's decision, "Tom made a mistake, which he has openly acknowledged. He has not excused it, nor do I. But that mistake, and this decision, cannot diminish the many contributions Tom has made to this country from his years in the military to his decades of public service.” more ›