Replacing Tom Daschle
Now that the former Senate Majority Leader has withdrawn his nomination to become Health and Human Services Secretary, speculation in Washington turns to who might take the job--two jobs, actually, if you count the newly created White House post for health care reform.
What we know of Barack Obama in situations such as these is that he is willing to make an unconventional choice. Who would have predicted him naming New Hampshire Republican Senator Judd Gregg to be Commerce Secretary, when his pick of Bill Richardson fell through? So I've got an out-of-the-box suggestion that he might consider. My suggested nominee is a proven problem-solver on the health care issue, who has shown that he is willing to invest whatever political capital it takes to get the job done. Someone who has shown that, on this issue, he can work pragmatically across party lines. Someone who has partnered with Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the chairman of the Senate health committee, on a plan. In fact, he's the only person in America who has ever put together and passed a universal health care program.
That man: Mitt Romney.
UPDATE: Marc Ambinder likes my idea. Jonathan Cohn steps even further out of the box.
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Richard Simmons. There is no other choice.
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Lord knows Romney won't need to be vetted on his taxes, at least.
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Please god no. I think a romney appointment is one of the few things that could sour my opinion of obama (at this point).
Also, Romney didn't put together massachusett's health plan; the mass state senate did.
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If depends on which Mitt we get: the one who was governor of MA or the candidate who just ran for the presidency.
But he does have very nice hair.
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What about Joe The Plumber? He's not likely to have domestic help issues.
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Romney wouldn't take the job anyway. He still harbors ideas of being President. The GOP base is leery enough of Romney as it is without him joining up with their arch enemies. Independents and liberals might be more accepting. But the hard core GOP base doesn't roll that way.
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Here's an idea:
SHUT DOWN THE AGENCY, and pass the savings (and burden) on to the states where it belongs.
Why, dearest Aunt Samanthites, do my kids have to pay for some fat slacker in Sausalito, or the elder opeditors in Trader Vic's for that matter?
We don't need universal anything, except for PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
If you class warfare clowns must have a program to pet, how about one that simply covers ages 0-12 at 100%, then everyone else IS on their own?
Obama actually proposed something along those lines, way back in Waukeegan or Wichita or Maui Wowee or someplace he spent Time for five seconds before day tripping on to the next meatheaded Meet Up.
My family annual insurance deductible (in the real world, not in the comfy confines of the Beltway) is $12k per year. Somebody pretty much has to croak before the benefits kick in -- and yet the rates keep going up, for lousier and lousier coverage. But it is better than living in Bangladesh or Baltimore I suppose.
If we're really going to make some headway on the health issue, we need to start early, not late stage.
Those of you in the AARP union that whine on cue for the slacker cause may not like it, but nobody said early retirement was fair, eh ex-Senators?
Move On indeed.
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btmorex: please read my story on that subject, linked above. kennedy's folks give romney enormous credit, as does bob blendon at harvard and jonathan gruber at mit, who worked on it and worked with the democratic presidential contenders, too.
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"He was incredibly impressive, with his intellect, his ability," says MIT economics professor Jonathan Gruber, a Democrat who advised Romney and who has since had a hand in the Massachusetts-style health-care plans put forward this year by Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards. "If there is anything that qualifies him to be President of the United States, it is his leadership on this issue." -
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No thank you Karen. Mitt Romney is not trustworthy. And I very much doubt he cares about universal healthcare. I say Elizabeth Edwards assuming she has her taxes and husband in order.
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How about the Cookie Monster....errr...Cauliflower Monster, because C is for comprehensive healthcare reform, and comprehensive healthcare reform is good enough for me.
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BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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(Laughing and pointing at K Tizzle)
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Oh that's rich
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Why not the Governator Karen? I mean he is "serious" about universal healthcare too right?
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BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO -
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KT:
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Could Mitt Romney be counted on not to sabotage his boss?
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If so, then I'd consider the idea. -
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"I say Elizabeth Edwards assuming she has her taxes and husband in order."
Why yes, why didn't I think of that.
They can go all tag team and close down the rest of the rural OB-GYNs that they haven't already sued into submission via the firm of Stella & Artwat.
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Did David Broder hack (ahem) Karen's account?
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My, KT, you do like to throw raw meat to the lions, don't you?
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SZ: That's the whole idea. If Obama fails at this, Romney does too. Just thinking out of the box, guys. Then again, Obama didn't go with my idea of Jack Reed for VP...
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"Could Mitt Romney be counted on not to sabotage his boss?"
__________________________________________________________Oh, I think Mitt likes Hillary enough.
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Howard Dean would be a better choice.
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LOL if Obama fails Romney fails? In what universe? If Obama fails, he gets packing, whichever Rethug wins keeps Romney on as HHS or elevates him to treasury or something. Hell if anything that would be a win win for Romney.
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I know what this is. This is KT tweaking the commenters. She was all, "Man, those guys have really been pissing me off lately. I know, I'll talk about Mitt Romney!"
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Sorry Karen, but I didn't vote for President Obama to have Republicans dominate his Cabinet. Why is it that Democrats were elected with nearly a supermajority yet we Democrats are urged by the Beltway crowd to accept all of these Republicans for Cabinet posts as well as dominate the Republican's views on the stimulus package. Again, if I wanted Republicans to run the Executive Branch, then I would have voted for John McCain. It is simply unacceptable for Obama to pick ANY Republican to run a Cabinet post as vital as HHS. UNACCEPTABLE!!
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