Daschle Withdraws HHS Nomination

Pledging that he “will not be a distraction,” former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle has withdrawn his nomination for secretary of health and human services, MSNBC reports.

Following Nancy Killefer’s withdrawal from her chief performance officer post, Daschle is now the second Obama nominee to pull out for tax issues this morning.

Daschle’s decision comes on the heels of a New York Times editorial today calling for his withdrawal. “We believe that Mr. Daschle ought to step aside and let the president choose a less-blemished successor,” the Times editorial board wrote.

It’s still unclear whether he’ll serve in his other expected role as so-called “health czar” in the White House. We’ll have more on this as the story develops.

UPDATE 1:03 PM: Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who led the opposition to Daschle’s nomination, just came on CNN and praised his decision to step aside, calling it “a very good thing that happened to the Obama administration.”