‘Daschle Debacle’ Has Obama Team Scrambling
The “Daschle debacle” has the Obama administration scrambling for a replacement pick for secretary of health and human Services. Reforming the U.S. health insurance system is a top priority for the Obama team, and they need someone to lead the charge that not only has the experience and credibility to craft a workable plan but the political acumen to sell it in a bipartisan fashion as well. Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle seemed to fit the bill, until his failure to pay his taxes torpedoed his nomination. Thus, in the midst of a brutal and bitter battle over his stimulus/spending plan, President Obama must quickly find a strong second choice.
Two Democrat governors have apparently emerged at the top of his list of prospects: Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. Both governors have high approval ratings in Republican states. Both have substantial experience in the health care arena. Sebelius was Kansas’ insurance commissioner for eight years before becoming governor. Bredesen became a self-made millionaire in the health care industry before becoming mayor of Nashville and governor of Tennessee. Both supported Barack Obama on the campaign trail, although Obama ultimately carried neither Kansas nor Tennessee.
At this point, Sebelius probably has the edge over Bredesen. But is she really the smart choice for Obama to make? Sebelius is extremely popular in Kansas but is term-limited from seeking re-election in 2010. Republican Senator Sam Brownback is going to seek the governor’s office being vacated by Sebelius rather than run for re-election in 2010, and Sebelius has a great chance at turning that R seat in the Senate into a D seat. In fact, recent polling indicates that she has a double-digit lead over leading Republican candidates for that seat.
In fact, Sebelius is probably the only Democrat who can move that Kansas Senate seat into the Democrats column. That is why she won’t be selected to head HHS, unless President Obama doesn’t really want a filibuster proof U.S. Senate.
This is what is so fun about the Obama administration! They are hiliariously inept and incompetent. In less than four weeks he has lost multiple posts, and should be losing more. Welcome to Chicago America! The only real question is how long the press can insulate him from criticism? In this regard, Obama should prove to be Clinton 2.0 (http://rebelsk8.blogspot.com/2009/02/clinton-2doh.html) – the latest, updated version of the Teflon Man.
The Obama administration …. three weeks in … have already lost credibility with most Americans. He did exactly what Clinton did when he first became President, he allowed the Democrats that have been in office since the foundation of the capital was poured to walk all over him and hijack his agenda. In Obama’s case, he turned over his signature policy proposal … the so-called stimulus bill … to two of the worst liberal political hacks in America, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. Now Obama finds himself in the awkward position of trying to defend an indefensible proposal to the American people … and they aren’t buying. Perhaps the next election the American people will understand there is a difference between campaigning and actual governing?
Contrasting Obama’s campaign words to his post-election deeds is certainly something the Democrats would much rather we not do.
‘Hope and Change’ has turned into hysterical fear mongering. On transparency, legislative review periods, ethical governnment, lobbysists, cuttting waste from government, …. Obama is proving himself to be a flat-out liar.
Its has occurred to me that Obama is selecting mostly politicians for cabinet posts. Very few civil servants or private sector selections. I guess competence is not a discriminating factor.
It is very interesting to analyze the possible scenarios. It is funny when good choices will not be made… because they make too much sense.
We made a grave error electing this poser to be President.
Obama is selecting mostly centrists/moderates for the positions he doesn’t care about: e.g., defense and foreign policy. For those areas of domestic policy that are near and dear to him, he’s choosing leftists who are on the same wavelength as he is. So unless Sebelius and Bredesen believe in nationalized healthcare that is to be implemented gradually (so that Americans embrace it), I doubt they would be serious contenders. Socializing healthcare is a high priority for Obama and Daschle was right there in lockstep with him. It’s going to be difficult to find another like-minded person with Dashle’s political insider experience.
Oh, and all this talk of wanting to do things in a bipartisan fashion is hooey. Smoke and mirrors I say. We’ll only see “bipartisan” to the extent that it’s needed for Obama to provide cover for himself while he rams disagreeable policies down our throats. Either that or when he doesn’t care enough about something such that he can afford to be “bipartisan.”
With this line-up of tax cheats and felons, they’re going to have to pass new legislation to protect themselves.
Am laughing my a** off as how IMCOMPETENT this Nobana is!
I say: the PEOPLE of this country DESERVE HIM.
They elected him.
Now, get ready to pay more taxes, so they can spend on COMMUNIST ideas as this idiot Obama learned and admired; The head of the Communist party was his mentor among others.
Yes, it’s real and not made up.
Bottom line: in one of the Robert Redford (left promoting) movie, ‘The Candidate’ reflect exactly what Obama did.
At the end of the campaign of BS, he (Redford) sit in the car and says: “now what”
Yup, that’s exactly how this is being played out now.
Neither have a clue as what to do.
In the end, where we get it..who would have ever thunk it..
If they go running to look at the Australian example (heaven forbid) maybe No Bananas will ask Paul Keating to take on the role ROFL
Hey Zero! Leave our Governor alone. He may be a demonRat, but he is out demonRat. He is doing a good job for our state and we don’t need some second rate demo hack taking his place.
Queen Kathleen will not be a US Senator. Not from Kanzas, anyway. Right now she’s trying to hide the $380 million hole in the budget her Lawrence Liberal Lawyer buddies created by having the courts turn over tons of money to the public school system. That was fine until Obama et al started complaining about private jets and darn near put Cessna/Learjet/Hawker-Beechcraft outta business. Now, the revenues ain’t there so’s the Wichita USD 259′s 8000 employees can’t whitewash Wichita West’s 40% graduation rate and folks from Elkhart to White Cloud are gonna be hot to trot. Queen Kathleen knows when to get outta Dodge. And, right now, the getting out is good.
Ya’ll have a nice day.
All I hear out of the democrats is doom and gloom, if we don’t go along with them on this spending spree. If we do go along with them it means bankruptcy for the USA. Welcome to the United Socialist States of America.