Sebelius Wants HHS, But White House Fears Anti-Abortion Backlash from Phill Kline Groupies

[Are_grits_groceries]

Can this man keep Sebelius out of HHS?

According to a source familiar with discussions within the White House about filling the Health and Human Services slot, Kathleen Sebelius very much wants the position and Obama would very much like to have her -- he feels she is the most qualified person for the job and an excellent administrator. However, there are concerns that there will be a backlash by the anti-abortion community if she is nominated, and that's not a battle the White House wants to have right now.

Their concerns center around Sebelius's struggle with Kansas District Attorney Phill Kline. When her name was first floated as a potential VP pick last May, Robert Novak ran a column (picked up by Chris Cillizza, among others) that accused her of "what pro-life advocates term 'laundering' abortion industry money for distribution to Kansas Democrats." At the time, as Cillizza notes, Sebelius was "sitting in the top slot on the Fix's Veepstakes Line." The Novak article may have played a big part in moving her down the list.

Abortion rates went down 8 1/2% during Sebelius's term as governor, but that is small beer next to the pro-life media circus surrounding former Kansas Attorney General Kline, who many will recall abused his position to subpoena 90 patient medical records from abortion clinics (which he claimed were necessary to fight "child-rape"). They were subsequently leaked to Bill O'Reilly in time for Kline's appearance on the show. Kline had a vendetta against Dr. George Tiller, one of the few remaining doctors in Kansas would still perform abortions, and appointed a special prosecutor with ties to Operation Rescue to investigate him. The Sedgwick County District Attorney subsequently threw the charges out, but to pro-life zealots for who regard the story as their own Brangelina, this was the sign of a vast conspiracy and Kline became a hero.

Kline was challenged for the Attorney General spot in 2006 by Paul Morrison. Sebelius helped recruit Morrison from the GOP to run against Kline, and Morrison received financial support from Tiller's PAC, which according to Novak and the forced birthers is sign of a -- you guessed it, grand conspiracy. The fact that even the Kansas GOP wants little to do with Kline doesn't really enter into the narrative -- after his defeat by Morrison he went on to replace Morrison as district attorney in Johnson County, taking the Planned Parenthood patient records with him. But he was defeated by another Republican, Steve Howe, who got 60% of the vote in a primary in January 2008.

http://firedoglake.com/2009/02/19/sibelius-wants-hhs-but-white-house-fears-anti-abortion-backlash-from-phill-kline-groupies/

MEH! Why let him push anybody around?

[Captain Hilts]

1. Is this also why he hasn't overturned the ban on funding for abortions in federal health plans?

Clinton made it legal his FIRST day in office.
Bush made it ILLegal his FIRST day in office.

Nothing has happened under Obama yet.

[Demoiselle]

3. If Obama doesn't make it legal...

That's my deal breaker. I need to see some real courage in my President. And how much courage does it take, actually? Phil Kline's political career hasn't exactly been brilliant. They don't even much like him in Kansas, apparently.

[Are_grits_groceries]

4. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. Hadn't put that together. nt

[TheWraith]

7. There's been a few urgent things going on.

For that matter he hasn't even got a complete cabinet yet. The man is busy.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Pretty fair synopsis

But that primary when Kline lost was in August, not in January.

This is something that crossed my mind since Sebelius has become an apparent candidate for HHS. Phillll is evil and has quite a following. But he doesn't even live here anymore. He moved to Virginia a month ago and is on the faculty at Liberty University.

I also read Philll's blog and he hadn't mentioned Sebelius in ages last time I checked.

So I am inclined to say no, this is not true. Of course it also wouldn't surprise me if it was.

[WI_DEM]

5. The anti-pro-choice people would have a problem with any pro-choice person Obama put up

I say the president should just nominate who he wants.

[Control-Z]

6. Whomever, she/he needs to be pro-choice. n/t

[Neecy]

8. ridiculous

First off, Obama himself is pro-choice and the anti-abortion crowd already has crowned him a baby killer. His choice of HHS Sec'y isn't going to make it better or worse.

Next, Kline himself is so discredited in Kansas, so rejected even by GOP voters that he's hardly going to present an obstacle - and in fact, he's so obsessed and nutty about the abortion issue that I'd be glad to have him become the new face of the Operation Rescue gang because he'd scare the crap out of the American people. He certainly scared the crap out of Kansas - which in and of itself shows how extreme and whacked out the guy is.