White House On Daschle: "Nobody's Perfect"
Peppered with questions today about Daschle's acknowledgment that he failed to pay more than $120,000 in taxes between 2005 and 2007, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs argued that the problem does not come close to disqualifying the former Senator from serving as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
"Nobody's perfect," said Gibbs. He called Daschle's tax omission "a serious mistake," but said it's "one that he caught and remedied."
In a letter yesterday to the Senate Finance Committee, Daschle said his tax mistakes "were unintentional," but stopped short of saying "nobody's perfect."
"As you can well imagine, I am deeply embarrassed and disappointed by the errors that required me to amend my tax returns," he said. "I apologize for the errors and profoundly regret that you have had to devote time to them."
By using the phrase "nobody's perfect," Gibbs said he was not trying to dismiss the gravity of Daschle's tax mistakes. But he said it needs to be seen in the context of Daschle's three decades of public service.
"The President believes that Senator Daschle is the right person for the very important job of ensuring that we cut costs, reform our health care system, and finally give the American people in health care the outcomes that they deserve," said Gibbs.
When asked in the Oval Office this morning if he stands by his HHS nominee, President Obama was quick and unequivocal in his response: "absolutely!"
Daschle's tax problem came to light days after Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner was confirmed and sworn-in despite his tax problem: having failed to pay $34,023 in self-employment taxes when he worked for the International Monetary Fund.
It's difficult to argue with the assertion that nobody's perfect, but most Americans pay their taxes and those that don't usually don't end up in the president's Cabinet.
But make a note to yourself. Next time the IRS catches you in a mistake on your tax returns, try the "nobody's perfect" defense. Let us know how it works.
Mark Knoller Is A CBS News White House Correspondent.