Here's a bone Obama could throw progressives: Howard Dean

[yurbud]

He came up with the winning 50 state strategy, and might have been a better choice for health and human services than Daschle who played doormat to Bush until he was kicked off the porch.

If healthcare reform is going to happen, we need someone who isn't afraid to be a bull in the china shop of pharmaceutical and health insurance companies who will either try to minimize reform or lobby for it to be readjusted to line their pockets.

Is there any other cabinet level position Obama could give Howard for doing the heavy lifting while the stumblefuck DLCers were still running their old losing plays?

[Tempest]

1. Department of Labor

He'd be a fine choice for that.

[Ken Burch]

2. Dean could be Surgeon General!

The man is a doctor, after all.

If the Daschle thing doesn't work out for some reason, Dean would be a natural HHS Secretary.

[mvd]

5. That's a good idea

Dean is a not so much a lefty but is what I call a progressive - and he'd be great in either position.

[midnight]

9. I agree.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

26. Good idea!

[cali]

10. Dean doesn't have SG qualifications and I doubt very much he'd

be interested in that position.

[Ken Burch]

13. Couldn't anybody who's a doctor do the job?

He was a surgeon, wasn't he?

[cali]

14. nope it really requires a public health policy background

and Howard doesn't have that at all. He was an internist- family practioner. He absolutely had great qualifications for HHS.

[Ken Burch]

15. Didn't know that. Thanks for the info, cali.

Oh well.

[yurbud]

20. what are the qualifications?

[Sebastian Doyle]

3. At this point, I wish he would stay on as party chairman.

Despite the fact that the election was a clear mandate to move away from the policies of the last 28 years, we have a lot of "surgery" and "chemo" yet to do before this DLC cancer is eliminated from the party. And the best way to do that is to encourage real Democrats to run for office in every state, and take these spineless traitors down one by one.

[ecstatic]

4. unfortunately, "the left" is divided over him too

I remember the flame wars and the OPs saying Dean wasn't liberal enough.

[Radical Activist]

21. I also remember

Dean supporters claiming they knew he wasn't progressive all along and that he never claimed to be. I guess now we're back to calling him a progressive again. The whole thing was bizarre.

[HelenWheels]

6. I'm going to be very upset

if Howard doesn't get something. He should have gotten H&HS as he know the health care system and has the guts to take on anyone. Daschle is a wimp, a nice guy, but a wimp. If it weren't for Howard we'd all be crying and watching McCain enter the White House.

[yurbud]

23. yep

[rvablue]

7. I know I want to see him somewhere, doing something of importance....

I feel like Dr. Dean got a bit dissed in a way after turning this party around.

I certainly do not want to see him go back to Vermont and have no say in this new era of Democratic rule after he worked so hard to make it happen.

Who knows....maybe he's tired and wants a break.

But if that isn't the case, I will be the first in line demanding he is put to use somewhere!!!!!!

[The_Casual_Observer]

8. They'll get boned alright.

[EFerrari]

11. I wrote to change.gov about Howard. You all write, too.

[Lumpsum]

12. Why would he give Dean a spot?

Obama is giving all those spots to the stumblefuck DLCers.

[cali]

17. He's giving posts to highly competent people who will push HIS agenda

Dean is another highly competent person. I hope Obama finds a position for him.

[IndianaJones]

19. bwaaahahaha. nt.

[Radical Activist]

16. I'd prefer an actual progressive.

[anonymous171]

18. This thread proves why pleasing progressives is not only hard, but also impossible

[Marsala]

22. Not progressive enough. Try Kucinich.

Emphasis on "try" because Dennis may not be progressive enough, either. :eyes:

[yurbud]

25. therefore, don't worry about getting anyone progressive at all, and go with the usual suspects?

[pansypoo53219]

24. FEMA?

i bet he'd be good at that.

[realFedUp]

27. He deserves much more credit than anyone giving him...nt