White House adviser David Axelrod just briefed reporters outside the Senate chamber on the withdrawal of Tom Daschle’s nomination as health secretary. Axelrod attributed the decision to pull out to Daschle — not anyone within the administration — and suggested that the news came as a surprise to the president, especially coming one day after Democratic senators stood behind their former leader.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=146373