He writes that he will keep the list updated...Just to keep track, I've compiled a list of Obama's personnel missteps below. Feel free to let me know if I've missed anything and I'll update the list:
—Governor Bill Richardson bows out of the running for Commerce secretary amid questions over a pay-to-play scandal.
—Hillary Clinton is appointed Secretary of State despite concerns there's still no real transparency about her husband's foundation accepting large donations from international donors and foreign governments.
—Timoth Geithner, appointed Treasury secretary, hit with major tax evasion problems.
—Nancy Killefer, who was to be appointed Obama's "performance czar," withdraws after it's revealed she didn't pay taxes on domestic help for over a year.
—Tom Daschle, HHS nominee, withdraws over serious tax evasion problems and not before several questions about his role as a high-paid influence peddler have been raised.
—Geithner appoints as chief of staff Mark Patterson, a former Goldman Sachs lobbyist, who will be overseeing the Treasury's $700 billion TARP program. Goldman has already received $10 billion of that money.
—Obama appoints an acting Secretary of Labor, because his nominee Hilda Solis used to be the treasurer of American Rights at Work, which is strongly in favor of card check legislation, angering Republicans. Further, ARW is a labor lobbying group and Solis' position as treasurer there calls into question — again — Obama's commitment to reducing the influence of lobbyists.
—The administration waived its lobbying rules for William Lynn, who lobbied for a defense contractor as recently as last year, to serve as deputy Defense secretary. When asked about this during a visit to the White House press room, Obama "flashes irritation," according to Politico.
—Politico eventually publishes an extensive list of lobbyists who have made their way into the Obama administration.
—Initially, it was announced that Mark Dybul, Bush's much praised Global AIDS coordinator, would be staying on. Then during Obama's first week, Dybul was dumped without warning and told to leave by the end of the day, earning opprobrium across the spectrum from conservative columnists to the editorial board of the San Francisco Chronicle.
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