Outback Question of the Week

The Outback Question of the Week has to do with the person who had been nominated to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This person cratered early in the week--mid-day on Tuesday, 3 February.

Who is this person?

For bonus points, why did he eventually give up and ask to have his name withdrawn by the President?

As a side note, this Blogger believes this is a sad event. While the Blogger represents a different side of the political discourse and disagreed with the nominee on specifics, that does not mean that the nominee was not seen as a man of integrity. Now that integrity is called into question and so is the integrity of his former colleagues--a sort of guilt by association. While that isn't fair, it is reality.

Why is this an "interesting" question? It is because while President Obama is trying to ratchet up the idea of integrity in Washington, he has had a number of political appointees stumble over issues that speak to integrity. We can do better. See my post on the Captain of the USAir aircraft that went down in the Hudson River. It is my humble opinion that we should want a society were we believe that everyone we meet has a high level of integrity and we can accept what they tell us at face value. That is the kind of society I want to live in. Doesn't mean we all agree, but it does mean we all trust the other person to be truthful with us. It makes interaction so much easier.

Regards  --  Cliff