First came righteous outrage over Geithner, then sweet schadenfreude over Killefer and Daschle, then wearisome exasperation with Hilda Solis, and now … this. Much like The One’s spending, the sheer volume of this nonsense has left me numb to it.
Despite the error, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued a statement calling Kirk “the right person for this job,” and said he would attempt to have the nomination moved through the panel quickly.
Kirk routinely gave any speaking fees he earned to Austin College, the committee said, and did not list them on his tax returns.
Instead, the committee said he should have listed the fees as income, then claimed them as charitable donations. The estimated effect was to reduce Kirk’s tax bill by an estimated $5,800, according to the report.
Kirk also deducted more than $17,000 as entertainment expenses for the cost of Mavericks’ tickets. The committee said he substantiated about $9,900 of that amount, and will owe about $2,600 in taxes on the balance.
Geithner and Solis squeaked through, Killefer and Daschle disintegrated. Place your bets on whether Kirk drops out or not; I’m guessing that the Burris effect will ensure he’s confirmed. Exit question: How about a unified party effort to leverage these scandals into a push to simplify the tax code? It’d give the GOP a solid policy cause that the public would support, and The One is politically vulnerable enough on the point that he’d think twice before resisting.
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