Obama Must Not Appoint Phil Bredesen as Daschle's Replacement

[BlueJessamine]

Obama Must Not Appoint Phil Bredesen as Daschle's Replacement

The American Prospect
Ezra Klein

PHIL BREDESEN AS DASCHLE'S REPLACEMENT?

He's not the only candidate. But an array of sources say he's a serious candidate. And he'd be a very risky choice.

Phil Bredesen is the governor of Tennessee. Before he was the governor of Tennessee, he made his money in the managed care revolution, founding HealthAmerica, which acquired and ran HMOs. In the late-80s, he sold HealthAmerica to MaxiCare Health Plans, pocketing $47 million in the deal. A few years later, he teamed up with HealthAmerica's former CFO to form Coventry Corporation, a similarly oriented company, which later merged with Principal Health Care to become Coventry Health Care, which was, until 2007, a Fortune 500 managed care provider (Bredesen was no longer involved).

All of which is to say, if you're concerned about Daschle's apparent ties to the health care industry, recruiting someone from the health care industry is an odd direction to take. As governor of Tennessee, Bredesen is famous -- or infamous -- for gutting TennCare, the state's low income health care provider. To be sure, this was not entirely Bredesen's fault. Poor finances combined with a truculent legislature did not leave him a vast range of options. But there were many in his state who felt he didn't come near to exhausting the possible alternatives and, in any case, the fact remains that under Bredesen, more than 320,000 of Tennessee's needy were thrown off the health care rolls. (Among the most heartbreaking portions of Jon Cohn's excellent book Sick is his chapter following one of the affected families.) It's not exactly a record of success, and it's one that's left Tennessee's liberals -- and health care advocates more generally -- profoundly skeptical of Bredesen.

And nor is Bredesen free from the nexus of money and influence that helped damn Daschle. The National Institute on Money in State Politics gives us this breakdown of his 2006 campaign contributors by industry. Insurers and the medical sector rank fairly high:


Total Raised to Date: $5,668,882.00

Finance, Insurance, & Real Estate: $448,260.00

Lawyers and Lobbyist: $337,683.00



Follow the Money / Bredesen:

http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=86714


http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/ezraklein_archive?month=02&year=2009&base_name=phil_bredesen_as_daschles_repl#112674



Bredesen's advantages are that he understands health care on a deep level and has administrative experience both in government and in health. So you can see the appeal of his appointment. But if the Obama campaign is looking for a clean nominee with an impressive health care record, it's hard to see how they settle on Bredesen. Sebelius, Rendell, and even Kitzhaber would be safer options.

Update: Jon Cohn has much more.

Bredesen for Health Reform? No Thanks.

http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_treatment/archive/2009/02/04/bredesen-for-health-reform-yikes.aspx

Group: Bredesen Bunker 'Too Extravagant'

Tidbit: Phil Bredesen and wife Andrea Conte have never spent one night in Tennessee's Governor's mansion in the upscale Oak Hill neighborhood of Nashville.

Since 2003, First Lady Andrea Conte has made the Governor's Mansion her pet project: remodeling it from top to bottom and adding a 'Bunker'.


A taxpayer group, Tennesseans for Accountability in Government called on the state to provide cost details on renovations and the addition of a 13,000-square-foot underground banquet hall at the mansion.



http://www.wsmv.com/news/14820549/detail.html



Pet project- Inappropriate use of taxpayer money


It began as a $9.5 million enterprise in 2003, and that was supposed to have been almost entirely funded by private donations. Now, the project, complete with the $5 million banquet hall, carries a $19 million price tag, and $11 million is coming from public funds.

All the hubbub inspired an article in The New York Times, which suggested a quid pro quo exists between the governor’s office and at least one donor to the mansion remodeling—Nissan North America, which has received state benefits.

Can you say - pay to play?

Bredesen for Department of Health and Human Services or the White House Office of Health Reform - be afraid

Howard Dean for HHS

[BlueJessamine]

1. Health Care Activist: No to Bredesen at HHS

Tony Garr, executive director of the Tennessee Health Care Campaign, apparently takes seriously the talk about of Gov. Phil Bredesen becoming U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. He's urging folks to call or email the White House to block such a "scary" appointment.

Bredesen spokeswoman Lydia Lenker, not surprisingly, downplays the possibility of an appointment.
"Of course, it's flattering to be on these short lists but the truth of the matter is we have gotten no phone calls," she said. "He (Bredesen) has said he loves being governor. He's very busy being governor right now."

Actually, there's probably very little chance - if any - that Bredesen is on an Obama short list for the position. In part, that's because of his TennCare-cutting past - the subject of Garr's anti-Bredesen commentary in an email sent to health care activists today.
"It would be horrible for this country," says Garr in the email.

Here's the text:


Scary - It appears that Governor Bredesen is on the short list for Secretary for Health and Human Services since Tom Daschle has dropped out. When I saw this I could not believe it. It would be horrible for this country. I believe that we can tell what a person will do by seeing what they have done in the past.


Since July 2005, the Governor cut, cut, and cut TennCare. More than 250,000 low-income working adults lost their health insurance. The safety-net that was there which helped some is now gone. And his Cover Tennessee program is now helping only about 20,000 low-income working adults. Tennesseans died because of these cuts. He acted like the CEO of the managed care company where he made his millions and protected his bottom line. Governor Bredesen is the wrong choice for this country. We need leadership to expand coverage. Governor Bredesen does not know how to do this.


You need to email the White House today and tell President Obama how you, your friend, or family members were treated when you lost your TennCare. You need to do this for your country. Governor Bredesen has caused serious harm to thousands of people. We don't want him doing this to the country. Go to http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=260225256&u=2774121



You can also call, write, or fax President Obama:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington%


http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/humphrey/2009/02/health-care-activist-no-to-bre.html

[MasonJar]

2. Send this info to Obama.

[Jakes Progress]

6. I'm worried that he has this information.

The problem with the Daschle debacle wasn't the tax issue (bad enough) but that he was so in bed with big med and big pharma. This is not an encouraging set of events for those who favor getting more health coverage for more people.

[BlueJessamine]

3. In His Bid for an Obama Post, Phil Bredesen Won't Get Help From Home

The Nashville Scene

Feb. 5, 2009


Governor Phil Bredesen isn't the ideal candidate to fill President Obama's open Health and Human Services post. Having a former HMO chief steward the nation's move to better health care is like having an atheist teach Sunday school classes. And given his track record as governor, he probably couldn't even pass the Bush administration's "compassionate conservative" test.

But some in the nation's political press continue to float Bredesen's name nonetheless. If he's legitimately being considered by Obama--which is doubtful--he won't get much help from the hometown fans.

The Tennessee Health Care Campaign has launched a phone drive against Bredesen's appointment. It's urging people to call Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker to let them know how much Bredesen would suck if given the nod. It appears the group isn't happy with the Guv's slashing of the TennCare rolls, which have caused 250,000 Tennesseans their coverage since Bredesen took office.

But it's likely all much ado about nothing. Were Bredesen nominated, chances are Obama would face an even bigger revolt from his own party.


http://blogs.nashvillescene.com/pitw/2009/02/in_hid_bid_for_an_obama_post_p.php


JUST SAY NO! Gov. Phil Bredesen should not be named as Secretary of HHS

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?sid=81ed3ede121e3005141b3d30d8710a53&gid=60754004879

[BlueJessamine]

4. More on Phil Bredesen:

The Tennessee Health Care Campaign is blistering Bredesen with a new action alert today. And they're even going after Andrea now. Is nothing sacred? After raking Bredesen for gutting TennCare, the usual stuff, the American Prospect's Erza Klein writes:

And nor has he been free of embarrassing industry ties. In 2005, Andrea Conte, Bredesen's wife, embarked on a renovation of the governor's mansion. The total project would cost $9.4 million, and Conte quickly set about raising the required funds. The largest donor? BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee .

[yurbud]

5. my note to Obama on this:

Why are you considering Phil Bredesen for HHS instead of Howard Dean? The problem with health care is not that it isn't run like a business, but that it is run as a business at the expense of average Americans lives and financial well being. If you do appoint this guy to HHS, at least make Howard Dean your point man on health care reform, so we know that you're putting average Americans ahead of corporate profits.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/