Why Daschle and not Dean for HHS?

[dansolo]

I don't understand this at all. Is this a reward for his work during the campaign? Howard Dean seemed to be the perfect fit to be Secretary of HHS, and don't believe that he didn't want the job. Does anyone know the inside scoop on this particular decision? Tom Daschle was an inept leader in the Senate, and I have no idea what specific experience he brings that makes him the right person at HHS?

[saltpoint]

1. My guess is that it may have to do with legislative experience.

Daschle might be felt to be able to work the floor of Congress after serving in it so long.

[cali]

2. I can think of one likely reason

Daschle is better equipped to shepherd healthcare reform legislation through the Congress. And that's a big piece of successfully accomplishing that task.

It's a myth that Daschle was ineffective in the Senate. He certainly was not inept. He did not constantly roll over for bushco. Not saying he didn't make errors, but Daschle was widely respected and feared during his tenure.

Yes, Howard would have made a good Sec of HHS, but that in no way means that Daschle won't make a good one.

[TwilightZone]

6. Re: "he was widely respected and feared"

Yep. That's why the Republicans spent countless millions in SD to get rid of him.

[HelenWheels]

3. DLC

The DLC was always against Dean probably because he knew how to raise money and win elections. The DLC only wants to have power and doesn't give a damn about us peons. Also Rahm Emanuel didn't like Howard for the same reasons. Daschle is an old timer who kisses butt and Howard has balls and is not a butt kisser.

[davidinalameda]

10. so you're saying anyone who isn't DLC doesn't care about power?

interesting

[Gman]

4. Dean is not qualified for the position as the job description is written

Daschle is. It's very clear.

[meow2u3]

5. Dean would be better qualified as Surgeon General

You have to be an M.D. to be SG.

[appal_jack]

9. This I like: Dean as Surgeon General.

This I like: Dean as Surgeon General.

Hoping it comes to pass. The good Doctor is too good to be put out to pasture!

-app

[mattclearing]

48. Does that require one to be a surgeon? n/t

[cali]

13. nope. there's a ton of ignorance about this. Dean is qualified to be Sec

of HHS. He is not at all qualified to be SG. It's a public health policy position. Dean has NO experience or training in that field It's just absurd that people think that all you have to have is an M.D after your name to qualify for that position.

[Gman]

25. There's a ton of ignorance about what Obama is requiring for the HHS job

Daschle has it, Dean does not.

[cali]

28. bwahahaha. You claimed Dean wasn't qualifyied. Nice job weaseling.

You claimed he didn't meet the job requirements as written. Pulled that right out of your.... hat.

I agree that what Obama requires/wants is what Daschle has- the presumed ability to get legislation through. That's hardly what you were claiming.

You aren't exactly being honest here.

[Gman]

33. Presumed?

Talk about pulling crap out of your ass....

And, it's not my job to educate you on the facts. You need to do that yourself before posting.

wow! This is unreal! Here I am defending Obama now! Whodathunkit?

[cali]

37. grab a clue: You made a claim. I challenged you.

You couldn't demonstrate why Howard Dean was unqualified per the job description. You weaseled. You fail.

And I am in no way attacking Obama. I have no problem at all with the Daschle appointment.

I have a problem with your bogus claim that Dean isn't qualified to be HHS Secretary.

[JaneQPublic]

49. C. Everett Coop had no experience or training in public health policy, either.

In fact, officials from the American Public Health Association testified to oppose his confirmation. (http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/QQ/B/C/F/Z/_/qqbcfz.pdf)

Yet Dr. Coop was confirmed, and by most accounts, he did a pretty good job.

So, while Dean may not have a background specifically in public health administration, he would not be the first SG lacking those credentials.

At the same time, it could be argued that Dean possesses many "transferrable skills" that would be of great value to someone in the position of SG.

[demwing]

8. It may not be as clear as you think

Please explain WHY you think this to be clear, rather than just stating your opinion.

[Gman]

26. Obama is requiring legislative experience for the job, as is his right

he's requiring the legislative experience because of the expected fight over his health care plan. Dean is good in a lot of other ways. But for the coming health care reform fight in Congress, Dean would likely be qualified. Dean was never in Congress, much less in a leadership position in COngress. Dashcle was. Daschle's experience will be key and vital.

[cali]

12. nope. wrong they're both qualified.

What part of the job description exactly is Dean not qualified for? Please be specific. Dean has executive experience managing large organizations- a state and the DNC. Daschle does not. Daschle has experience with Congress Dean has minimal experience in that. Dean has actually developed and put in place innovative health care reform. Daschle has not. Dean is a medical doctor. Dascle is not.

[Ashy Larry]

7. Maybe Obama liked his book about the health care crisis

http://www.amazon.com/Critical-What-About-Health-Care-Crisis/dp/0312383010/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227372820&sr=8-1

Dean has been focused on politics and winning elections (rightly so) while Daschle has had lots of time to study the issues involved with fixing health care. He's spent the last couple of years working with the Center for American Progress.
http://www.americanprogress.org/aboutus/staff/DaschleSenatorTom.html

[John Q. Citizen]

32. Yes, as well as lobbying on immunity for the telecoms

[Honeycombe8]

11. I didn't know Daschle's background in this area, either. Other posters wisened me up.

Apparently Daschle has had a keen interest in healthcare reform for several years, and has been affiliated in some way with Mayo Clinic. He has written three books on the state of healthcare in our country (I think it's three).

So although Dr. Dean is a doctor, it doesn't really take a dr. to be knowledgeable about the healthcare system in general, and it takes a writer and someone with a background in writing and healthcare to actually write a healthcare plan. Dr. Dean, as far as I know, doesn't have this sort of background.

I wondered, too, though. (And now I wonder about conflicts of interest, since his wife's lobbying firm has represented some healthcare-related companies. But maybe that won't amount to anything.)

[rosesaylavee]

15. Yeah, me too. I had no idea that Daschle had written about Healthcare

until I read it here. I think both are good men - Dean will certainly not be looking for work long. I do hope that Obama has something for him that would keep him working in the political arena. His 50 state strategy saved us from another 4 to 8 years of hell.

[cali]

16. Evidently you know next to nothing about Dean's background in

health care. He has a very strong background indeed as governor of Vermont. He was widely acknowledged as being the most effective and forward thinking governor in the country when it came to implementing health care reform,much of it throught waivers in Federal programs. By his last year in office, almost all children in VT had coverage, and VT had one of lowest rates of uninsured adults in the nation. There's much more. You can easily find out about it yourself. Well before Tom Daschle ever said word one about healthcare reform, Howard Dean was engaged in doing it. Furthermore, Dean has experience running large organizations. Daschle has NONE.

[Honeycombe8]

19. Ah, well, evidently so. Looks like Dean is being tossed out of the national presence

of the Dem. Party, then.

I was afraid of that. I hate to see it.

[ananda]

14. Yup, Dean would've been SO much better!

Daschle is such a poor choice for that post.
So disappointing.

[saltpoint]

17. Dean would make a breath-takingly effective Surgeon General

and deserves consideration.

[cali]

22. OC, he's just not qualified for SG. It's a public health policy position

Dean has no background in that field. He'd be the first to tell you that, I believe. He would have made a great Sec of HHS. That's where his expertise lies. I'm hoping Daschle will turn out to be good in that spot.

[saltpoint]

40. Folks snickered and balked when Dean became the Party Chairman

as well, as he was regarded as a regional governor, having chaired only the Governor's Council, but he stepped into the boots and they were found to fit.

In fact I think it's fair to say he exceeded expectations.

He's a good soul with keen insights and I think he'd serve well in many positions.

[hlthe2b]

18. I personally prefer Dean, but can understand the congressional

angle.... Getting Health Care reform passed will require tremendous knowledge and experience with respect to both Senate and House. Daschle has this, Dean does not.... I still hope there will be a major role for Dean. We shall see.

[Orangepeel]

20. Dean would run the department well.Daschel better to get legislation through.

Obama wants legislation.

[PassingFair]

34. Daschle was an utter failure at passing legislation.

He was so ineffective, I could never
understand Limbaugh's ranting against
him.

[AllentownJake]

21. Legislative vs. Executive Experience plus Dean is more Polarizing than Daschle

Daschle understands the Senate and House alot better than Dean does having served as minority and majority leader of the Senate. He knows how to get legislation through congress.

In addition the Daschle-Obama-Kennedy healthcare plan sounds alot less threatning than the Dean-Obama-Kennedy Healthcare plan. Unfortunately Dean has two things going against him, his Presidential run in 2004 and the fact he chaired the DNC for the last 4 years. Also he's from Vermont which is second to San Francisco for liberal slurs. Remember Marketing is important.

Daschle has the personality and experience that is much better equipped to shepherd a bill through both houses of Congress. He also knows most of the players personally and has worked with them in the past on both sides of the aisle. Dean I love him and I think he would have won in 2004 had he been the nominee is really not the best face to get a bill through congress. Need evidence look at how they tried to crucify him in 2006 for the 50 state plan because "we didn't win enough"

[cali]

23. There were pros and cons to both.

And I'm sick and tired of the myth about Dean being polarizing being pushed here.

Dean does indeed have legislative experience, though I agree Daschle is far better qualified on that front. On the other hand, Dean is much, much more familiar with actually getting innovative health care reform to the people.

[AllentownJake]

27. I think he would have won in 2004 because he was polarizing

and he would have taken the gloves off better on Bush/Cheney than Kerry did. He certainly would have been a better VP pick than Edwards because he would have had no problem smacking Cheney or Bush around in public.

That being said, we need to first get the bill through Congress...than we can worry about how its implemention. No bill through congress no need to implement it.

Dean is Polarizing. I like him, I really like him, however he's a boogieman to the right because of his gaffe in 2004 where he looked crazy and his past 4 years as party chair. It would be alot easier for the Repukes to turn this into a Dean vs. them battle than an Obama vs. them battle if he is the one pushing the legislation.

I think this is a strategical decision not a personal one. Both would do a fine job. One just would do a better job in the first phase.

[MadBadger]

24. Do we know if Dean even wanted it?

I feel like thats kind of important.

[cali]

29. That was certainly the buzz in political circles in Vermont.

[dansolo]

35. I saw an interview, and he had a gleam in his eye when the possibility was mentioned

He didn't come out and say it, but I sure got the impression he wanted it. If Obama wanted HHS to be a more administrative position, then I believe Dean would have been a better choice. But if Obama is looking for HHS to spearhead sweeping reforms in conjunction with passing compatible legislation, then I can see the value of selecting Daschle. I wasn't aware of that aspect of what Obama might be looking for, and being a less partisan person may make it easier to shepherd reforms through Congress.

[quiller4]

30. Relationship with Congress for one thing

Simply put, Daschle will be better able to get things done for the Obama Administration.

[lamp_shade]

31. Obama chose Daschle. I'm sure he had a good reason.

[madfloridian]

36. Democrats...knowing more than doctors do since 1997

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/05/14/abortion/

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/3096

[JI7]

41. i'm not against Daschle, but i would have liked a Doctor to be

HHS Sec.

[Radical Activist]

38. Daschle has actually gotten bills through Congress.

Something Dean has never done. He also has better and closer relationships to people in Congress than Dean. HHS is a policy position. I don't know that having been a doctor is important to the position. Daschle is a great choice. It shows that Obama is serious about passing real healthcare reform.

[depakid]

39. He and his lobbyist wife have also taken TONS of money from the healthcare industry

This quite aside from the fact that the man was an ineffectual "leader" with little expertise in public health or medicine.

It's pretty clear that his appointment was political patronage and NOT based on merit or qualifications for the position.

[Radical Activist]

43. I guess you didn't bother to read the rest of the thread

about Daschle's background in healthcare policy that runs deeper than saying "I'm a doctor, yeeeaaah!"

Daschle did some good things as leader and while he could have been better, he still knows a hell of lot more about getting things done in Washington than Dean. Daschle is the better pick. No, its not just patronage.

[depakid]

45. I've never supported Dean for the position- but the milquetoast Daschle is a poor choice

- and considering his ties to Obama- does indeed smack of political patronage.

There are plenty of better choices than Daschle who have both the experience getting healthcare proposals though legislatures- and who have extensive healthcare backgrounds.

Former Oregon governor John Kitzhaber, emergency room physicain and author and prime mover of the Oregon Health Plan being one example.

Nominees like Daschle (and a couple of others) are beginning to suggest that what we're going to be seeing aren't always going to be the best and the brightest or the most capapble.

That said, it's a damn sight better than the last 8 years... though that's not much of a standard to surpass.

[Radical Activist]

44. I guess you didn't bother to read the rest of the thread

about Daschle's background in healthcare policy that runs deeper than saying "I'm a doctor, yeeeaaah!"

Daschle did some good things as leader and while he could have been better, he still knows a hell of lot more about getting things done in Washington than Dean. Daschle is the better pick. No, its not just patronage.

[undeterred]

42. Why do you think Dean would even want the job?

[natrat]

46. whatever-the guy is a repulsive wesil with questionable ties

[bklyncowgirl]

47. He probably thought Daschle would be better at getting legislation through.

Obama's serious about change. To do that he needs to get legislation through Congress.

Howard Dean is much loved in the grassroots of the Democratic Party but with the exception of Democrats he helped elect, none to popular on either side of the aisle in Congress. Needless to say the Republicans in Congress can't stand him. Not only his take no prisoners attacks on their party but the fact that he beath them not once but twice.

Daschle's well liked on both sides of the aisle and in Obama's opinion would be better at shepherding health care legislation and in the end that was more important.

That being said, I hope he finds a position for Howard Dean.

[elleng]

50. Lots of reasons,

AND he's been a big part of encouraging O to do what he's done.