Solis Is Cabinet's Lone Progressive

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama announced his final Cabinet choices today, making official what insiders have hinted at for a week, the Washington Post reports. Hilda Solis will be the nominee for labor secretary, Ron Kirk for trade representative, and Republican Ray LaHood for transportation. Solis appears to be the lightning rod, as union officials praised the appointment and foes said she would “toe the line for union bosses.” More»

Shifting president must be worried about independents

(NEWSER) - President Obama must be worried about independents and moderates, because he’s made a dramatic shift to the center in recent days. In an economics speech Tuesday, Obama lavished praise on small businesses, promising tax cuts as incentives to grow. “This is how Republicans, moderates and centrists think, and talk,” writes Peggy Noonan for the Wall Street Journal . “It was as if he were waving his arms and saying, ‘Hey taxpayer, I’m not your enemy!’” More»

Major issues in the wake of Daschle's withdrawal

(NEWSER) - Tom Daschle gave up his nomination for Health and Human Services Secretary, raising a host of questions, Matthew Cooper writes at Talking Points Memo. Did an issue besides tax problems arise? Was the decision really Daschle’s, or the administration’s? Some other big issues:

1. How many Obama nominees will be felled by tax issues? If Geithner’s $34,000 is OK but Daschle’s $140,000 isn’t, where is that line?
2. Beyond heading the HHS, Daschle was billed by Obama as the pointman for the overhaul of the health care system. Who will lead the charge now?

Tax flub claims another Obama nominee

(NEWSER) - Tom Daschle withdrew today from consideration for secretary of health and human services over controversial unpaid taxes, the Boston Globe reports. Daschle had retained the support of the Obama administration despite the flub, but quit seeking the post so as not to be a distraction, he said. President Obama regretfully accepted Daschle’s decision, the White House said. More»

Tapping NH's Gregg could give Democrats 60 seats in Senate

(NEWSER) - Democrats may get their 60-seat Senate majority after all. President Obama is considering New Hampshire Republican Judd Gregg for the Commerce Secretary post Bill Richardson declined, sources tell Politico. New Hampshire’s Democratic governor would then get to appoint Gregg’s successor. Asked if he’d been offered the job, Gregg replied, “I am not at liberty to discuss that.” More»