Daschle at HHS

[Anonymous]

What do you think? Is he really a better choice for HHS than Howard Dean? Is his wife going to stop working as a lobbyist?

[Anonymous]

Aren't there any qualified NEW people? All the names I am hearing floated are Clinton retreads.

[Anonymous]

I don't think of him as a Clinton person.

[Anonymous]

Not PP, but I agree: Clinton-era retreads (and some from even earlier).

[Anonymous]

OP here. Daschle isn't a Clinton Administration retread. He was Senate Majority Leader (and minority leader) and lost his seat in 2004. He didn't play any role in Clinton's administrations, but I guess one would consider him part of the Clinton era. There was no way Obama wouldn't give him a major administration job, though. He was an essential early supporter of Obama's. He will do a fine job at HHS, but I imagine his wife's lobbying job will require some retooling.

Obama will put many new people in key posts, but he would be foolish not to make use of much of the talent from Clinton's terms. The lack of a recent and successful prior Democratic administration was actually a huge problem for Clinton. He had few proven choices for his first term because Democrats had been out of the White House for so long. The Carter veterans like Warren Christopher weren't really inspiring. Choosing Emmanuel for his chief of staff shows how fully Obama understands the importance of a COS who understands how the White House and Congress really work. Clinton, in contrast, tapped Mack McLarty, who was (at that time) just out of his league in DC.

I think Obama's actually doing a great job with the transition. I was just a bit surprised by Daschle, since this weekend Howard Dean was telling people he was still in the running for HHS. For all I know, Daschle will be better than Dean. Just wondered what others think.

[Anonymous]

He's not a retread. But on the retread topic:

Presidents all know they need to build cabinets out of experienced individuals. For Democrats, the people with direct White House experience are mostly Clinton-era, with maybe a few Carter-era. So get used to it! Obama is no fool. He is not going to bring a bunch of people from Chicago to DC and expect to get things done.

[Anonymous]

plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.

[Anonymous]

What do you think? Is he really a better choice for HHS than Howard Dean?

I think Daschle is a great pick. In my view, he is a better choice than Dean in that he has a much broader background related to the actual mandate of HHS, including his book published in February about health care in the US. I also think that given his experience as majority/minority leader in the Senate, he will be able to get things done (fingers crossed).

[Anonymous]

As an HHS employee, I'm glad we got Daschle and not Dean

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.

touché!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

What do you think? Is he really a better choice for HHS than Howard Dean?

I think Daschle is a great pick. In my view, he is a better choice than Dean in that he has a much broader background related to the actual mandate of HHS, including his book published in February about health care in the US. I also think that given his experience as majority/minority leader in the Senate, he will be able to get things done (fingers crossed).

Provided there is any money to get anything done!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

What do you think? Is he really a better choice for HHS than Howard Dean?

I think Daschle is a great pick. In my view, he is a better choice than Dean in that he has a much broader background related to the actual mandate of HHS, including his book published in February about health care in the US. I also think that given his experience as majority/minority leader in the Senate, he will be able to get things done (fingers crossed).

Given the contention over health care in the early years of the Clinton era, it might be better to have someone like Daschle than Dean. I love Howard Dean but, at least from my distant perspective (average citizen, not political insider), Daschle seems better equipped to build consensus for major change while Dean seems more like an outsider who could antagonize important players. But I defer to those of you who know the players better than I.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

What do you think? Is he really a better choice for HHS than Howard Dean?

I think Daschle is a great pick. In my view, he is a better choice than Dean in that he has a much broader background related to the actual mandate of HHS, including his book published in February about health care in the US. I also think that given his experience as majority/minority leader in the Senate, he will be able to get things done (fingers crossed).

OP again. PP, I guess I'm just curious about his relative lack of substantive background in this area. What about the fact that he has only recently emerged as any kind of expert on healthcare (as per WaPo)? He didn't really lead on HHS-related issues in the Senate. Aren't there other key Democrats who know more about the actual mandate of HHS? I agree that he'll be able to get things done, if, as a PP said, there's any money to do them. Apparently he's going to have a White House title too, to give him more power and access than a typical HHS secretary.

[Anonymous]

Anyone have any ideas who Dasche will select as head of the CDC?

[Anonymous]

Daschle won't be appointing anybody to CDC. Obama will, when he gets around to it. Daschle may offer his opinion and Obama might listen, but it's Obama's appointment.