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WASHINGTON (AP) – Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination on Tuesday to be President Barack Obama‘s Health and Human Services secretary, dealing potential blows to both speedy health care reform and Obama’s hopes for a smoother start as president.”Now we must move forward,” Obama said in a written statement accepting “with sadness and regret” Daschle’s surprise request to be removed from consideration. A day earlier, Obama had said he “absolutely” stood by Daschle in the face of problems over back taxes and potential conflicts of interest.

Daschle, the former Senate Democratic leader and a strong backer of Obama’s presidential bid, said he would have been unable to operate “with the full faith of Congress and the American people.”  read more

Related News About the Daschle Withdrawl

• With Daschle out, what’s next for Obama’s health agenda? (cnn.com)
• After Daschle, what happens to health plan (cnn.com)
• Tax Issue Ends Daschle Cabinet Post Bid (time.com)
• NYT analysis: Setback for health care reform (msnbc.msn.com)
• Obama: ‘I Think I Screwed Up’ (news.sky.com)
• Did Daschle Bow Out Too Soon, or Was It Inevitable? (time.com)
• News Analysis: As Nominee Trips, Health Care Drive Suffers a Setback (nytimes.com)
• Tom Daschle: Bowing to the Inevitable, or Pushed Too Fast? (time.com)
• Barack Obama fights to maintain a grip on the US political agenda (telegraph.co.uk)