Reaction from Obama and Kerry on Daschle

[ProSense]

Statement From President Obama

Statement from President Obama:

"This morning, Tom Daschle asked me to withdraw his nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services. I accept his decision with sadness and regret.

"Tom Daschle has devoted his life to public service and health care reform, so that every American has access to health care they can afford. I had hoped that he could bring this passion and expertise to bear to finally achieve that goal, which is so essential to the progress of our economy and the well-being of businesses and families across our nation.

"Tom made a mistake, which he has openly acknowledged. He has not excused it, nor do I.

"But that mistake, and this decision, cannot diminish the many contributions Tom has made to this country, from his years in the military to his decades of public service.

"Now we must move forward, with our plan to lift this economy and put people back to work."

02/03/2009

Statement of Senator John Kerry on HHS Nominee Tom Daschle's Decision to Withdraw

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) released the following statement today after former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle withdrew as President Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services:

“I wish Tom Daschle had not decided to withdraw his nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services. While Tom’s decision is a reminder of his loyalty to President Obama and his determination not to be a distraction, this was no ordinary appointment and today is not a good day for the cause of health care reform. Tom brought a unique level of legislative skill and experience to this position in addition to his passion to achieve affordable health care for every American. Tom made it very clear he’d made a mistake and he took responsibility for it. I believe that when the smoke clears and the frenzy has ended, no one will believe that this unwitting mistake should have erased thirty years of selfless public service and remarkable legislative skill and expertise on health care. I know Tom Daschle well. I know his integrity and I respect his heart for this cause, and I know Tom will find other ways to contribute to this central mission.”

Senator John Kerry, D-Mass., said he did not believe Daschle's withdrawal reflected poorly on Obama's administration: "We're getting silly here," he said when asked what the withdrawal meant for Obama. "I think people ought to step back and just measure these things against the larger picture. ... He's made his decision and I respect his decision and we go on from there."

link

[FLyellowdog]

1. Classy.

[bdamomma]

2. yea, let's move on with Dr. Howard Dean.

[MADem]

4. Obama doesn't like Doctor Dean. I'd be surprised if he gets the job. NT

[Captain Hilts]

6. True.

And Dean's not a real 'single payer' guy anyway.

[bdamomma]

10. so who would be good for this job. geez, if Hillary wasn't SOS

she would have been great for this position.

[Captain Hilts]

13. NIH, Bethesda Naval and Walter Reed are full of folks who can do it. nt

[Kalyke]

16. OK - move her to HHS and put Wes Clark in as SoS!

[Bake]

23. Neither is Obama, right?

Obama didn't campaign on single-payer.

Bake

[blm]

7. No...Rahm Emauel doesn't like Chairman Dean. I don't think Obama really knows Dean well enough

to feel any ill will towards him.

[MADem]

15. Obama is the President. NOT Rahm Emmanuel.

The infantalizing of Obama has really got to stop. Rahm isn't putting ideas in poor dumb, ole Obama's head.

If Obama wanted Dean, Obama would have Dean. When it comes to his cabinet, Obama gets what Obama wants--he's the President, after all.

Dean talks too much and doesn't stay on message, in Obama's view--that's my take on it. Dean tends to draw controversy to himself, and that's incompatible with the Obama administration's goals.

[blm]

19. Doesn't change the likelihood Obama is relying on those around him who DO claim to know Dean

better. It has nothing to do with protecting Obama, and everything to do with believing that Obama IS just as susceptible to bad advisements from dirty players like Rahm as anyone else.

After all, it was media who pushed the idea that Rahm was responsible for Dems 2006 wins. I do believe Obama CAN be led by political appearances - just as he let media back him into letting the Clintons in further than necessary with their constant drumbeat 'Clinton's 18 million voters'.

[MADem]

20. You are infantalizing him, making him helpless and stupid.

He knows how to read the paper. He knows how to turn on the TV. He knows how to weigh what's going on and make judgments.

"Susceptible to bad advisements?" Please. If he's that stupid, and that easily led, then we picked the wrong person to be President.

Rahm Emmanuel, and Steny Hoyer, played a large role in the House elections. They didn't do it alone, but they did a lot of the heavy lifting. They vetted likely candidates, approached them, persuaded them to run, cleaned them up, taught them how to give a stump speech, helped them fundraise...all sorts of stuff. They helped raise a load of money for those candidates, too.

All politics is local. They got local, and they helped to bring home a majority.

Obama and Clinton are on the same page, like it or not. This isn't new to Obama--he's always been there.

Have a look at his cabinet--Bill Clinton could have picked it.

[blm]

29. No - I am not. I have always recognized that he isn't a solid a lefty as many thought, but,

that said, I also don't believe he's as tuned in to the last 40 years, either, as those who say he's 'brilliant' and 'completely aware' seem to believe.

He DOESN'T know everything. And THAT is why I think he makes the mistake that TOO MANY Dems have made over the last 15 years - trusting Clintons, their fabled grasp of governance, and the people around them.

[MADem]

31. I don't think he "knows everything" either. I simply think he has strong opinions.

And those opinions include his deciding who he wants in his cabinet. I don't think he delegates these front-line decisions. I'm sure he takes advice, but I'm also pretty confident that HE, not someone else, is making the decisions.

I don't know if he's "trusting Clintons" (they aren't the Boogiemen either, FWIW) or not, but he is ideologically on the same page as Bill Clinton, and slightly to the right of Bill Clinton's wife. That's pretty obvious by his picks thus far.

[blm]

34. Disagree - Hillary would be protective of secrecy and privilege just like Bill was/is.

Because Bill's 'legacy' would be at stake - and, yes, they have been terribly and tragically protective of BushInc all these years. That makes them completely unacceptable to me and I wish Obama would have had a CLEAN BREAK from all the Bush protectors - I can handle a Dem to the right of me, but, I can't stand center right Clinton Dems who side with Bushes on the crucial matters.

Obama was and still is better for open government and accountability concerns than Clintons.

[MADem]

36. If you think Obama is going to sacrifice Executive Privilege completely, I've a bridge for sale!

I think the longer he holds the job, the more he will appreciate the possibilities, notwithstanding his Executive Order on document release. He'll find valid reasons to prevent release of things he wants kept under wraps.

I also think that he and Bill Clinton are in accord on most issues. You aren't going to have that "clean break" you are hoping for. Look at Obama's cabinet. It's all Clinton people (not just his wife), not counting the Republicans he's hired. Look at his staff--it's all Clinton people. It looks like Bill Clinton chose them, not Barack Obama, actually. His cabinet is slightly to the right of the Clintons.

Barack Obama IS Bill Clinton--younger, slimmer, hipper, tanner, and without fidelity issues (that we know of).


Don't put Obama on too high a pedestal, now--he could get hurt.

[blm]

37. YOU are exaggerating what I'm saying - I don't EXPECT Obama to 'completely' sacrifice executive

privilege. But....would he completely PROTECT BushInc and deliberately deep-six matters that were already in the process of being investigated and exposed the way Clinton did? I highly doubt it.

Maybe you need to rethink YOUR style of argument and reply to what is actually SAID instead of exaggerating an argument into existence.

[MADem]

38. I think he'll take it slow, myself. I think he has some concerns about

unintended consequences. His "sunlight" EO doesn't toss all the paperwork to the grasping crowd. There's a review process that gives the President with the secrets the opportunity to sue to prevent release. All that's needed is a sympathetic judge.

Lawsuits can take years.....

It's very similar to the Reagan EO, actually.

I'm not "exaggerating" what you're saying. You're getting excessively wrapped around the axle, perhaps.

[ClarkUSA]

24. Links, proof? I have never ever seen any evidence of this. Obama isn't like that.

Barack doesn't operate on "dislike" mode.

Case in point: Hillary Clinton is now SoS.

[MADem]

33. My opinion is my opinion. You can disregard it if you'd like.

I never thought he "disliked" Hillary Clinton. She was a primary rival and he was determined to win. They went at it hammer and tongs, as competitors do.

He's certainly molded his Presidency thus far after her husband's, so I'd say if he did have any dislike of Things Clinton, he's getting over it as a massively rapid pace.

His cabinet looks like President Clinton picked it. I wouldn't be surprised if he took advice from the 42nd President as to who would fit well.

[ClarkUSA]

25. dupe

[ClarkUSA]

26. Links, proof? I have never ever seen any evidence of this. Obama isn't like that.

Barack doesn't operate on "dislike" mode.

Case in point: Hillary Clinton is now SoS.

[Eurobabe]

9. why not

:fistbump:

[Jennicut]

35. It does not have to be Dean. it has to be someone who is qualified and clean.

[Radical Activist]

3. This is a sad setback for universal health care.

I don't know who else Obama could nominate that has the same relationships and knowledge of Congress to get universal health care passed into law.

Dean doesn't have as many fanboys in Congress as he does at DU. He could never be as effective as Daschle would have been. I hope Obama is able to tap an existing or former member of Congress to head HHS.

[question everything]

5. Why? Daschle was an "advisor" to major insurance companies

that made money, a lot of it, while screwing patients and health care providers.

Frankly, this is why he should have been denied the appointment. Not because the taxes, but because of the bizarre associations that he would bring to the job.

[quidam56]

11. Bingo !

We didn't need another fox guarding the hen house. http://www.wisecountyissues.com In East Tennessee, Profit Care comes ahead of Patient Care.

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. Amen!

[Connie_Corleone]

8. Absolutely agree.

His relationships with Congress was the main reason I supported him for HHS.

I haven't spoken out about Dean because I don't know if he'll be as effective.

I'll just take a long break from DU when Obama doesn't pick Dean. There will be heads exploding all over the place.

My main requirement is, I just want someone who will be effective in pushing through healthcare reform.

[tekisui]

18. Universal Healthcare, or Universal Insurance?

I am not convinced Daschle's number one objective would be to get Universal Healthcare passed.

[EFerrari]

32. Thank you. n/t

[karynnj]

21. I was trying to think of someone with similar skills and experience and Bradley was the first I

thought of. He did lead an effort on a bipartisan healthcare bill in the Senate in 1990s - that the Senate suggested to the Clintons after theirs failed.

He - like many Obama cabinet members - is said to play basketball. He also endorsed Obama before NH.

[ProSense]

22. Interesting. n/t

[ginnyinWI]

14. Kerry is right.

I agree with every word he said. It is really a sad day. I, too, wish he hadn't decided to withdraw.

[nsd]

30. ..

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

17. Obama is a class act.

[Danger Mouse]

27. I think Daschle did the right thing.

I don't think his indiscretion was all that big a deal...but he was doing the respectful thing.

[Life Long Dem]

28. The good news is the left hasn't abandoned Obama again.

:bounce:

[acmavm]

39. Uh, that's just too damn bad. The stupidity involved here is just mind-numbing.

Dashle was a case of conflict of interest from beginning to end. And they decide to hang it on the 'tax' thing.

That's just too cute to be believed.