Realistically, what are the odds of Obama actually picking Howard Dean for HHS now?

[camera obscura]

I hate to get my hopes up because it seems too good to be true. And it does seem that he would pick someone who was already involved in his transition.

But then... I thought Franken winning the Senate race was too good to be true as well, and look what happened there.

From a realistic perspective, will he pick Dean? And if not, who will he pick?

[WeDidIt]

1. Slim to none

He has to move to the right for a nominee now.

Basically, this kills all home for universal healthcare.

[Uzybone]

2. bullshit

[WeDidIt]

9. Sorry, but he'll never get somebody foursquare in favor of universal healthcare through

now.

It's dead. There will be no universal healthcare in teh next four years.

[Occam Bandage]

Single-payer wasn't going to happen any time soon.

I don't see how this appointment changes anything, nor do I understand the implicit declaration that the next HHS secretary will be less willing to enact the President's policies.

[avaistheone1]

25. The president is supposed to be enacting the people's policies.

The people do not want a plan which is essentially health care plan to take care OF and FOR the insurance industry. The research shows that people reject the employer sponsored program Obama favors, and instead people want single-payer universal health care coverage.

Obama said he is there to do the work of the people, and that when he is wrong he will change. Well he is wrong. Wrong like he was on Daschle and Obama needs to change his plan. His health care plan only offers crumbs if anything to most Americans.

Now is a unique and ideal time to institute single-payer universal coverage. It will happen.
YES, we can!

[Occam Bandage]

26. There's no such thing as "the people's policies."

I agree that single-payer is a good idea, but borrowed Marxist rhetoric doesn't make our ideas any better than borrowed fascist rhetoric justified Bush's.

[Uzybone]

16. if HHS sets the policy then neither Dean nor Daschle would do

both never supported universal healthcare.

As we all know HHS does not set policy, President Obama does.

[avaistheone1]

18. Total bullshit.

Now is the best time to institute single-payer universal coverage. The need grows more desapate on a daily basis, and it would create well over 2 million new jobs.

Single-payer is not dead by any means. YES, WE CAN!

[Occam Bandage]

5. Why would he have to move to the right?

I'd agree if Republicans had shot this one down, but the Republicans were quite happy with Daschle. Taxes, and not policy, is what killed him.

[WeDidIt]

6. Look at every nominaiton for every cabinet post withdrawn

over the past 25 years.

The next nominee is always further into the direction of the opposition than the original nominee.

[Occam Bandage]

12. That's because most nominees are withdrawn because of something uncovered by the opposition,

or because they were a political overreach. There's no need to placate the Republicans over Daschle, since they didn't have any problems with Daschle at all.

[WeDidIt]

17. Watch

The next nominee will be to the right of Daschle and will not be a proponent of Universal Healthcare.

[Occam Bandage]

19. Sure. I'll bet you that the next nominee, like Daschle, is in favor of Obama's health-care plan.

The President sets the policy. No President would nominate someone who intended to block the major policy proposals the President has tasked him with.

[WeDidIt]

22. No president sets policy

that cannot be implemented.

He expeneded too much political capital on Daschle. Politically, he now must move to the right on healthcare.

[Occam Bandage]

24. And, again, I might agree if any of Daschle's problems had to do with policy,

or if there was significant Senate opposition to Daschle, or even if the general public equated Daschle with universal healthcare in the same way they equate Al Gore with climate change.

As it stands, claiming that the President will significantly change his policies because an nominee was late in paying some taxes is just laughable. I can't wait to see what kind of asspull logic you'll bring out next.

If Obama ends up not proposing a universal healthcare plan in the next four years, it will be because of the economy, not because of Daschle.

[avaistheone1]

11. What crap.

Daschle was never for universal health care. He and his wife were in bed with health care insurance companies, particularly United Health, as well as big pharma.

[rockymountaindem]

13. As if there was any hope for it with Daschle

The chances for universal health care will only get better now that he's out of the picture. Didn't you read those posts from a few weeks ago about how the "listening sessions" on health care were carefully manicured to exclude any discussion of single-payer?

[ellacott]

15. The secy doesn't set the policy

Even if Dean is the secy. it means nothing if it's not on the Pres. agenda.

[Pirate Smile]

21. Baloney. He just needs a perfectly clean nominee. Dean's main problem will be whether Dean

as an outsider of DC can help get Healthcare through Congress. Would he help or hurt the process?

I love Howard and would be happy for him to get it.

I don't see any need for Obama to move to the right for a new nominee.

[truebrit71]

3. Zero.

eom

[MNDemNY]

4. He has already named a replacement...Bill McGuire.

[tekisui]

8. link?

[MNDemNY]

10. No, joke.

Google the bastard.

[Occam Bandage]

7. Pretty low. I'd guess he'd probably pick someone who was already serving as an adviser. nt

[PBS Poll-435]

14. 0%

nt

[Edgewater_Joe]

20. Agitate For It Anyway

Obama needs to do something to reassure his own backers, and there's no better way to do that than Howard Dean.

If Obama's smart -- Hell, if Rahm's smart -- they'll realize an Obama/Dean combo will make progressives run through walls to get a decent bill through.

Get to WhiteHouse.gov ... get MoveOn on it ... jump on the talk show lines ... post like Hell everywhere you can ... DEMAND IT!

As Howard said, WE have the power. USE IT.

[AtomicKitten]

23. Magic 8 ball says: Reply hazy, ask again.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

27. 5%?