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| Obama suffers blow over nominees | |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Former Senator Tom Daschle has withdrawn his nomination to be US heath and human services secretary after a controversy involving unpaid taxes. | Former Senator Tom Daschle has withdrawn his nomination to be US heath and human services secretary after a controversy involving unpaid taxes. |
| US President Barack Obama said he had accepted his nominee's withdrawal "with sadness and regret". | US President Barack Obama said he had accepted his nominee's withdrawal "with sadness and regret". |
| It was revealed last week that Mr Daschle, an early backer of Mr Obama, had failed to pay $120,000 in taxes. | It was revealed last week that Mr Daschle, an early backer of Mr Obama, had failed to pay $120,000 in taxes. |
| He is the latest in a series of Obama nominees to run into difficulties over unpaid taxes or business dealings. | He is the latest in a series of Obama nominees to run into difficulties over unpaid taxes or business dealings. |
| Only hours before Mr Daschle pulled out of the process, Nancy Killefer, nominated by Mr Obama to be the government's budget watchdog also withdrew over tax issues. | |
| In January, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson announced he was withdrawing from consideration as commerce secretary after an investigation was launched into a state contract that had been given to his campaign donors. | |
| Republican Senator Judd Gregg was on Tuesday appointed instead, the second from his party to join Mr Obama's cabinet. | |
| US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was confirmed last week only after long arguments over his failure to pay $34,000 (£24,500) in taxes he owed until shortly before he was nominated. | |
| Announcing his withdrawal, Mr Daschle, the former Senate Democratic leader, said he would have not been able to operate "with the full faith of Congress and the American people". | |
| He said he would "not be a distraction" to Mr Obama's agenda. | |
| The BBC's James Coomarasamy in Washington says the withdrawal of two nominees in a day appears to reveal the extent to which Mr Obama's public calls for a new era of responsibility are being undermined by the growing number of his nominees facing tax problems. |