Tom Daschle, the former Senate majority leader who has been nominated to be secretary of Health and Human Services, says in a letter sent Sunday to the Senate Finance Committee that he is “deeply embarrassed and disappointed by the errors that required me to amend my tax returns.”

Daschle is the second Obama nominee confronted with tax problems.

It’s quite embarassing when Democrats are accused of not paying taxes; after all, they are the ones who say ‘the rich’ should pay more taxes and that those who disagree are ‘unpatriotic’ and even ‘un-American’ (one wonders what the founding fathers have to say about that, considering they revolted after the King of England demanded them to pay new taxes).

Republicans made fun of Daschle during a retreat earlier this week, but they should stop viewing Daschle’s nomination as a joke. The man broke the law by ducking tax laws. Hypocritical as he is, he wants to join an administration that plans to raise taxes on ‘the rich,’ meaning everyone earning more than $200,000, $150,000, $100,000. Those who refuse to pay taxes themselves, shouldn’t demand others to pay more.

Bipartisanship doesn’t mean that every single nominee has to be appointed. Republicans have to stand up for themselves and the law, and do everything in their power to prevent Daschle from being confirmed. This man should be a social outcast, at least in political circles.

Meanwhile, Republicans have to use the Daschle controversy to point out that Democrats are highly hypocritical and selfish; they have no problem with paying taxes because they don’t pay them. So much for ‘caring for and helping the poor.’