I think Harkin may be good as a replacement on Ted Kennedy's committee

[fadedrose]

I like Harkin. He was one of the first senators to come out for Howard Dean in 2004, so I'm drawing a conclusion from that that he's going to be for a public option...

Max Baucus looked like a blithering idiot at his last appearance on the news...

[DU9598]

1. Tom is great

I thought he has already committed to a public option. That is the perception here in Iowa. He wrote an amazing op ed two weeks ago that destroyed the counter op ed from Grassley.

Never doubt that Tom will speak his mind and do so forcefully. He would be a terrific party leader, IMO, but I am biased as he has been a political hero for decades.

[fadedrose]

2. He has passion . . .sorely needed right now . . .nt

[Mass]

10. He has. There is no question. Harkin will be good because he is good.

Given he is on the HELP Committee, he has already voted for it.

[slipslidingaway]

3. One of the few to vote against the "data exclusivity amendment"

in the proposed HELP bill.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6164248&mesg_id=6165037

"Consideration of the Enzi/Hatch/Hagan amendment on establishing a data exclusivity period of 12 years for biotech innovation

Sen. Orin Hatch: I don’t know a biotech company that isn’t for this bill, for this 12 year data exclusivity.

...Sen. Tom Harkin: Keep in mind what we’re talking about here. We’re not talking about patents. Everybody gets a 20 year patent… What we’re talking about here is data, data exclusivity… How do you get that data? You get it through FDA supervised trials… Where do they do those clinical trials? Academic health centers. Who supports academic health centers? Our taxpayers… When should that data be released so that another company out there, some other entrepreneurs, can look at the data and say… I’ll bet if we changed this and did this, we might come up with a new formulation that might actually help something else. They’re still going to have to go through their clinical trials… At least they’ll be able to look at the data. If you don’t do that that means that the company can sit on that data for 12 years. Then they let the data out. Clinical trials will take another 7 years or more, so you’re going to have at least a whole 20 year run in there… before anyone can ever surface with anything even comparable to what that drug or that biologic is..."

[Inuca]

4. Just saw it in the news

and was very happy to see it.

[TheKentuckian]

5. Big ups to Tom! (nt)

[TygrBright]

6. Tom will do very well indeed.

He is a tower of strength and he has been there a LONG time. He knows where all the levers and strings are, and he is on our side.

happily,
Bright

[horseshoecrab]

7. Harkin is good...

Heard him speak at a community service organization dinner once. He's very much a progressive.

Really whipped up the crowd. Good guy.

horseshoecrab

[question everything]

8. He will. Has been around for many years

and was active on various health related topics.

Go get them, Tom!

[Mass]

9. He is a good choice as he spent his life fighting for the ones who have little

(poor people and disabled people in particular).

[senseandsensibility]

11. Harkin's from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party

and that's a good thing.

[camera obscura]

12. He also endorsed Howard Dean for HHS after Daschle stepped down