Sebelius, Bredesen up for HHS spot

[BlueJessamine]

Source: POLITICO

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is the leading contender to replace Tom Daschle as President Obama's choice for secretary of Health and Human Services, with Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen also remaining under consideration, administration officials told Politico.

The officials said others might be in the mix and that a decision was likely soon.

Sebelius, 60, is seen as a leading contender because of her close relationship Obama—she backed his candidacy over Hillary Rodham Clinton and was a top surrogate to women's groups during the campaign.

She has been on the short list for several Cabinet posts, yet said in December that she was staying in Kansas to deal with budget problems.

On the other hand, the possible choice of Bredesen has sparked an outcry from some advocates. His past job as a managed-care executive and continued ties to the health insurance industry haven't won him many admirers within the progressive health reform community, a key group that Obama would need to pass universal health care.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/18562.html

---

The Nashville Scene:

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


In Washington to give a couple of speeches, Sebelius met with Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. A White House spokesman says Obama "is moving quickly in filling this critical role."

Let's face it. Sebelius has got it all over Bredesen for this job. She was an early supporter of Obama for president. Bredesen didn't get behind Obama until it became obvious he would win the nomination. Along the way, our governor cleverly bad-mouthed Obama, repeatedly telling one of the best campaigners in American political history that he was screwing things up with the Wal-Mart crowd.


That aside, Bredesen is anathema to liberal health care advocates. They just can't manage to overlook all that blood splattering his Italian loafers from the TennCare massacre. And they've been raising a stink about his possible nomination, even going after the first lady.

~snip~

Bredesen aide Will Pinkston has been gamely defending the governor, who really wants this job: "The fact that someone worked in the managed care business 20 years ago shouldn't preclude the contributions and the ideas they have in the national health care reform debate." But it doesn't matter what Pinkston says. Bredesen's enemies aren't going away. To them, he's a heartless, penny-pinching bureaucrat.

[SharonAnn]

1. Bredesen's a successful Health Insurance (HMO) CEO. Not so sure about his health care

record.

But he's good at being sure that his HMO makes money.

Not sure that's the objective we should be trying to meet since it seems that the corporations involved in health care are making plenty of money.

[KamaAina]

4. Bredesen? The Bredesen who was the target of protests from disability rights groups?

http://www.adapt.org/freeourpeople/aar/nash06/report03.htm

(Nashville) ADAPT again demonstrated in front of the Tennessee State Capitol and blocked Charlotte Avenue demanding that Governor Bredesen end the immoral and inhuman policies that split families and segregate people with disabilities. The governor ringed the Tennessee Capitol with state troopers and barricaded the entrances to keep the single sheet of paper with the ADAPT demands from reaching his office. Retreating into his sanctuary from the citizens, the governor again refused to support the Community Choices Act or meet with ADAPT....

Accessible paddy wagons arrived just ten minutes after a group of about 60 returned from an attempt to enter the Capitol Building. The state troopers were obstructing all of the entrances to the public building with vehicles and a line of troopers at the front steps. The ADAPT group, unable to enter the building, headed out to the street and blocked traffic along Charlotte Avenue in front of the capitol....

"The Nashville Chief of Police noted that locking people with disabilities away is costly to the taxpayers," said Dawn Russell of ADAPT. "Why are nursing homes any different than jails? The sad fact implied by the Chief is that docile incarceration in a nursing home is acceptable. For people with disabilities to be angry at their jailors, however, is shameful and a waste of tax money."...

"Bredesen does not like the light being shown on what living in a nursing home is really like," said Bob Kafka over the public address system outside the Capitol. "Tennessee spends $160 on nursing homes for every dollar the state spends on home and community based services. If Bredesen thinks that nursing homes are one-hundred-and-sixty times better than your own home, we challenge him to leave his home on Chickering Road and stay in the nursing home of his choice for a few days."

Accessible paddy wagons?! Such, I suppose, is progress... :eyes:

HHS candidates in order:

1) Howard Dean, M.D.
2) Kathleen Sebelius
3) Any other Dem BUT Bredesen

[BlueJessamine]

7. thanks for posting this!

:fistbump:

:yourock:

[TwilightGardener]

2. I remember Bredesen saying those things. Why Obama would reward him is beyond me.

Hope it's Sebelius.

[BlueJessamine]

3. If it's not going to be Dr. Howard Dean-

then I too hope it's Sebelius.


DeanForHHS.com!

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=67355881180&h=QwlD4&u=o6qhe


Grassroots support for Dean for HHS is growing! Now, let's take our campaign directly to President Obama and Members of Congress. It'll take only a few minutes of your time but will mean the world to this campaign. When you call, be sure to let them know why you support Gov. Howard Dean MD for HHS and ask them to join you. Remember to be passionate, firm, and polite.

1) Call the Capitol Switchboard and ask for your Representative: [phone]

2) Call the White House Comment Line and ask President Obama to appoint Gov. Howard Dean MD as Secretary of HHS: [phone]

3) Send a Message to President Obama supporting Gov. Dean's for HHS.


http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=67355881180&h=QwlD4&u=o6qhe

[ColbertWatcher]

6. I do not understand why only the Democrats ...

... who are currently holding office, working successfully in their offices and who must be removed from that office are the only ones being considered for HHS, when a perfectly competent person--Howard Dean--could fill the post?

[FLAprogressive]

5. Say it with me folks, D-L-C!

[Kansas Wyatt]

8. I'll give up Sebelius, just to keep the HMO guy out.

Hopefully Obama can talk Sebelius into taking the job.