Bill Richardson, Timothy Geithner (almost), Nancy Killefer and Tom Daschle. Candidates for administration posts who (save Geithner) went down the tubes because of various ethics questions.

And now, Hilda Solis?

The California congresswoman, a fifth-term Democrat from Los Angeles, is President Obama's choice to be the next secretary of labor. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee postponed a scheduled vote on her nomination today. Republicans have raised questions about her role as treasurer of American Rights at Work, a pro-labor group that is advocating a bill that would make it easier for workers to form unions. For her part, Solis said nothing what she did for the group involved lobbying.

Committee Chairman Edward Kennedy and ranking Republican Mike Enzi released the following statement:

Today's executive session was postponed to allow members additional time to review the documentation submitted in support of Representative Solis' nomination to serve in the important position of Labor Secretary. There are no holds on her nomination and Members on both sides of the aisle remain committed to giving her nomination the fair and thorough consideration that she deserves. We will continue to work together to move this nomination forward as soon as possible.

But Matt Kelley of USA Today reports this afternoon that Solis' husband "paid about $6,400 Wednesday to settle tax liens that had been outstanding for as long as 16 years against his business." The disclosure came shortly before the above-mentioned Senate committee was about to vote on her nomination, and it ultimately may prove to be a bigger problem for Solis. According to Kelley:

Los Angeles County records showed 15 outstanding state and county tax liens against Sam Sayyad and his auto repair business, totaling $7,630. Two other liens worth $981 were released in 1999 after Sayyad repaid the taxes owed, according to county records.


Solis' financial disclosures list Sayyad's business, Sam's Foreign and Domestic Auto Center, as one of the couple's main assets, worth between $50,000 and $100,000. The disclosure form Solis filed after her nomination also lists bank accounts containing between $250,000 and $500,000.

Solis and Sayyad were unaware of the liens until USA TODAY asked about them Tuesday, White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said. He said Sayyad paid about $6,400 to Los Angeles County on Wednesday to settle the liens, but he plans to appeal.

Is it time to start singing?

Meanwhile, Judd Gregg (Commerce) and Leon Panetta (CIA director) still need to be confirmed in committee and by the full Senate. And Obama still needs to name a secretary for health and human services in the wake of Daschle's withdrawal.

CONTEST: Name the next HHS secretary. First correct prediction wins a genuine Nixon for President button from 1968! Send your predictions, along with your address, to politicaljunkie@npr.org.


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1:49 - February 5, 2009

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