SOMEBODY BETTER FETCH HELEN PREJEAN:

Daschle is dispensable (Chicago Tribune, February 3, 2009)

Barack Obama came to the White House promising to meet a higher ethical standard than his predecessors—"a clean break from business as usual," as he put it shortly after taking office. In time, he may accomplish that goal. But so far, what's striking is not the higher standard he proclaims but the new administration's frequent unwillingness to meet it. [...]

To proclaim high standards and then suspend them exposes Obama to charges that he is either hypocritical or obtuse. If he really thinks Daschle is right for the job, that suggests ethics is an overrated concern. But if an ethical upgrade really is crucial to changing the operations of government and the public's perception of it, then the president should turn HHS over to someone capable of handling its responsibilities while fostering trust instead of cynicism.

Daschle is not that person, and contrary to what the president seems to think, the administration can succeed without his services. Obama might keep in mind the wisdom of Charles de Gaulle, who noted that the graveyards are full of indispensable men.