Daschle the choice for Health and Human Services
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/11/19/art.daschle.jpg caption="Sources tell CNN Tom Daschle is Obama's choice for Secretary of Health and Human Services."]
CHICAGO (CNN) - Three sources close to the transition and in a position to know tell CNN that former Sen. Tom Daschle is President-elect Barack Obama's choice to be Secretary of Health and Human Services and the former Senate Majority Leader has indicated he wants the job.
Most significantly, Daschle negotiated that he will also serve as the White House health "czar" - or point person - so that he will report directly to the incoming President. The significance is this guarantees that by wearing two hats Daschle, and not White House staffers, will be writing the health care plan that Obama submits to Congress next year.
The sources said the precise timing of the announcement has not been worked out, but Daschle is likely to officially join the Obama transition team as the lead adviser on health issues in the next few weeks. An Obama transition official had no comment.
Daschle is billed as a "special public policy advisor" in the Washington office of the lobbying firm Alston Bird, though he is technically not a federally registered lobbyist. But his wife, Linda Daschle, is a registered lobbyist at the powerful firm Baker Donelson, which does have some health clients.
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GOOD pic; this is yet another winner for President Obama. What good guy.
Good pick!
It does however limit what Hillary can be nominated to.
Shady is as shady does. Nothing but shadiness for the next four shady years.
Very disappointed. More of the same. Appoint a maverick physician free of ties to the lobbyist who has a big vision of how we want our health care to be structured in the future and start laying the ground work. Clinics like executive physicals where every thing is done in one morning. Do you think Dascheile has a clue or an original idea?
Y'all need to be patient. Just stuffing repubs in is not necessarily going to bring change. To get experienced dems, where can he go but the Clinton years. No one is going to be young enough from the Carter years.
Look for Hagel next (there is your repub).
Personally, people will kvetch no matter who he puts where, so I say he should do what he feels he needs to do to get the change we want (health and energy reforms for sure).
Jeez people, CHILL.
bin laden has been dead obviosly these odd vidfeos that suprosingly popp up from nowhere are politically created 4 political purposes..so why is it in every video that bin laden hasnt seemd to aged at all–makes u wonder who the real creator of such movies are
All you people griping about Obama picking former Clinton staffers and/or others who have prior service in Washington-- would you rather he picked someone who has NO experience whatsoever??
Think about it, if you were interviewing 5 people for a job (any job), would you hire someone "with experience" or someone who doesn't have a clue what the job is even about???
There HAS to be some continuity in the transition folks.
Oh, and to 'txmeme2many' complaining that "55 million of us are going to have to live with your votes for the next four years"– uh, hello, we had to live with Bush & his con-men buddies for the last 8 years!!!!!!! Paybacks are tough, huh?
I like Tom Daschle! Maybe Dr. Dean for Surgeon General??
This is kind of "iffy" to me...not that I question Dashle's credentials, but his choice of words. I'm not too happy about he and his wife's connections to a lobbyist firm, either.
Although I trust Obama to pick good people, is this really the best he can do for such a sensitive job?