Daschle, convictions, and cynicism

Well said Charley... (0.00 / 0)

Listening to Charlie Baker talk about fiscal responsibility is like getting lectured on abstinence from Paris Hilton - Tim Murray

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by: johnk @ Wed Feb 04, 2009 at 20:05:41 PM CST

If health care reform depended on Daschle, it was DoA (0.00 / 0)

In fact, I agree with you that that wasn't the case. Health care reform has millions of supporters, and many more than just one key proponent.

The real pity about Daschle that I can see is that Obama didn't pull his nomination immediately -- something he seems implicitly to have admitted with his "I screwed up" mea culpa TV appearances -- and that he doesn't have a better vetting team.

No one is irreplaceable: don't feel so bad ;-)

It does seem rather unfair -- problematic? -- that Geitner got confirmed even though he had a similar ethics problem.

BMG: Reality-based commentary.

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by: Bob Neer @ Wed Feb 04, 2009 at 20:06:08 PM CST

so who do you like? (0.00 / 0)

For HHS/health care reform czar?

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Blue Mass. Group
So what politics do you deserve?

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by: Charley on the MTA @ Wed Feb 04, 2009 at 20:17:35 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Howard Dean has been boosted by some (0.00 / 0)

He certainly knows a lot about health care.

I don't really know. I think the quality of the person is important, but not determinative. Far more important is the ability of the President and his entire team to rally the country and a variety of circumstances outside of anyone's control, like how intense the current economic crisis is etc.

Just look at our own experience in Massachusetts. Was there any one individual without whom reforms would definitely not have advanced? No: there were many people without whom reform would not have advanced. Everyone played a part, and the circumstances were favorable.

They'll find someone. There are a lot of good people.

BMG: Reality-based commentary.

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by: Bob Neer @ Wed Feb 04, 2009 at 23:20:49 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Howard Dean has been boosted by some (0.00 / 0)

He certainly knows a lot about health care.

I don't really know. I think the quality of the person is important, but not determinative. Far more important is the ability of the President and his entire team to rally the country and a variety of circumstances outside of anyone's control, like how intense the current economic crisis is etc.

Just look at our own experience in Massachusetts. Was there any one individual without whom reforms would definitely not have advanced? No: there were many people without whom reform would not have advanced. Everyone played a part, and the circumstances were favorable.

They'll find someone. There are a lot of good people.

BMG: Reality-based commentary.

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by: Bob Neer @ Wed Feb 04, 2009 at 23:20:49 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Leadership (4.00 / 1)

In fact, I agree with you that that wasn't the case. Health care reform has millions of supporters, and many more than just one key proponent.

I'm not as sanguine about this as you, Bob. While it's true that health care reform has millions of supporters, reform has to get through the 535 Members of Congress. The myriad failures of previous universal health care efforts (despite popular support) starting with Truman reminds us of this. Daschle was the perfect person to spearhead this effort, and unfortunately I'm not sure who can replace him.

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by: Hoyapaul @ Wed Feb 04, 2009 at 21:21:41 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Daschle (4.50 / 2)

Yes, well said. The truly unfortunate thing about this is that in many ways Daschle was just a victim of timing. I would bet that if he was the only (or first) nominee with tax issues, he would have been approved.

The other unfortunate thing is that Daschle was the only one offering anything close to the skill set he possesses. There's a reason the Obama Administration is "at a loss" (at the Times said today, I believe) about who will now be HHS chief. Daschle was perfect. Nobody else will be able to bring his knowledge and political connections to the fore like him. (By the way, I generally like Howard Dean, who has been floated in liberal circles as HHS replacement -- but the idea that he could effectively shepherd health care reform through the legislature, which was to be Daschle's role, is a joke).

This was important enough that I hoped that Obama use some of his political capital to suck it up and stand behind Daschle. With his withdrawal, comprehensive universal health care became much less likely.

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by: Hoyapaul @ Wed Feb 04, 2009 at 21:15:32 PM CST

It's about the movement (0.00 / 0)

If Daschle's political connections were that good, he would have been confirmed.  There's got to be other people that understand health insurance and know their way around Congress.

What's going to be key in passing universal health insurance is grassroots support and pressure.  That's where the Obama campaign organization as well as more standard interest groups can make a big difference.  

Speaking here for myself only

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by: jhg @ Wed Feb 04, 2009 at 21:27:09 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Daschle WOULD have been perfect (0.00 / 0)

had he not been a shill for the healthcare industry and had bothered to pay the portion of his tax bill that is far greater than the median US household income.  

I don't believe waiting for a (hopefully better) head of HHS makes or breaks healthcare reform, there are other more qualified people out there, Howard Dean for one, who have demonstrated they are real public servants, care deeply about real healthcare reform and have a bunch of democrats who owe him big (especially the conservative dems who wouldn't have won without the DNC and are going to be a problem on even Obama's tepid healthcare plan).  

 

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by: dhammer @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 09:36:27 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Dean (0.00 / 0)

Well, it's great you're all about Dean, but here's the problem...I can guarantee you "conservative Dems" don't allocate their victories to Howard Dean. In fact, most elected Dems don't care two figs about Dean.

Daschle, on the other hand, was well respected throughout the Congress, and could have effectively pushed for health care reform, probably better than anyone. So his loss means a big loss for health care reform.

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by: Hoyapaul @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 23:46:04 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I disagree wholeheartedly that Daschle's exit is "deeply unfortunate". (6.00 / 2)

The biggest obstacle to TRUE reform in our health care delivery system is the power (a/k/a money given to politicians) wielded by health care industry interests which are, quite naturally, focused on preserving the status quo.  

I don't think Tom Daschle is a bad man.  And I'm sure he is an effective legislator.  But his willingness to operate as an undeclared lobbyist and dodge taxes convinces me that he is NOT the best person to spearhead the type of dramatic health care reform this country desperately needs. I'm not talking about band-aids, I'm talking about revolution.

I think the American public is finally coming to the conclusion that, when it comes to health care, we are (as they used to say in my neighborhood) getting porked.  We need leaders who are willing to "fight the power".  

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by: johnmurphylaw @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 00:20:44 AM CST

I must be getting cynical (0.00 / 0)

When I saw the word "convictions" in the diary title, my mind went to the kind that you get from a guilty verdict!

As for HHS, I wouldn't mind bringing back Donna Shalela, who was pro-single payer if I remember correctly.  I'd prefer NOT to have someone who has lobbied for the health delivery industry in its current form.

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by: Christopher @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 10:34:25 AM CST

Uh, no, not Shalala, either (5.00 / 1)

I recall reading on Ezra Klein or a similar health policy-oriented blog in the past few days about pile of a Shalala-UnitedHealth doo-doo so I did a quick Google search on "shalala unitedhealth" to get it and the first item was this

http://www.secinfo.com/dMajp.u...
Shalala Donna E · 4 · Unitedhealth Group Inc · For 1/3/07
Filed On 1/4/07 9:05pm ET   ·   SEC File 1-10864   ·   Accession Number 731766-7-9
$52.57
Amount or Number of Shares
5,000
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and then there was this:
http://www.freerepublic.com/fo...
UnitedHealth, SEC Settle With McGuire On Options Backdating
Wall Street Journal | December 7, 2007 | VANESSA FUHRMANS and JAMES BANDLER
(Is Donna Shalala in on the action?)
Not reported by any newspaper, so far, is another responsibility Shalala now has. In her spare time, Shalala is a director of UnitedHealth Group, the parent company for the UnitedHealth managed care organization...

The benefits received by directors are as follows, per United's 2005 proxy statement,
Directors who are not Company employees receive an annual retainer of $30,000, a $1,500 fee for attending each Board meeting in person ($750 for attending by telephone), and a $1,000 fee for attending each committee meeting in person ($500 for attending by telephone).
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and this:
Donna Shalala: Executive Profile & Biography - BusinessWeek
Dr. Shalala served as Director of Unitedhealth Group Inc. since 2001  

I guess we'd better brace ourselves for whatever other disgusting and depressing things are gonna surface during the search for a person of integrity to head up Obama's health care reform and Sec of HHS. This stuff is depressing as hell--and infuriating too--but important to know.

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by: AnnEM @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 19:57:39 PM CST

[ Parent ]