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WILL DEMS DITCH A SENATE SEAT IN KANSAS TO PUT SEBELIUS AT HHS?
February 8, 2009 -
February 15, 2009
The “Daschle debacle” has the Obama Administration scrambling for a replacement pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services. Reforming the U.S. health insurance system is a top priority for the Obama team and they need someone to lead the charge that not only has the experience and credibility to craft a workable plan but the political acumen to sell it in a bi-partisan fashion as well. Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle seemed to fit the bill, until his failure to pay his taxes torpedoed his nomination. Thus, in the midst of a brutal and bitter battle over his stimulus/spending plan, President Obama must quickly find a strong second choice.
Two Democrat Governors have apparently emerged at the top of his list of prospects: Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. Both Governors have high approval ratings in Republican states. Both have substantial experience in the health care arena. Sebelius was Kansas’ Insurance Commissioner for eight years before becoming Governor. Bredesen became a self-made millionaire in the healthcare industry before becoming Mayor of Nashville and Governor of Tennessee. Both supported Barack Obama on the campaign trail, although Obama ultimately carried neither Kansas nor Tennessee.
At this point, Sebelius probably has the edge over Bredesen. But is she really the smart choice for Obama to make? Sebelius is extremely popular in Kansas but is term-limited from seeking reelection in 2010. Republican Senator Sam Brownback is going to seek the governor's office being vacated by Sebelius rather than run for reelection in 2010 and Sebelius has a great chance at turning that R seat in the Senate into a D seat. In fact, recent polling indicates that she has a double digit lead over leading Republican candidates for that seat.
In fact, Sebelius is probably the ONLY Democrat who can move that Kansas Senate seat into the Democrat's column. That is why she won't be selected to head HHS, unless President Obama doesn't really want a filibuster proof U.S. Senate.
Bredesen is available. He can probably work in a bipartisan fashion to promote Obama’s health reform plans better than most any of the other contenders from the ranks of the House and Senate who are extremely partisan. He would give Obama his first southern cabinet official. And he is not in position to run for the U.S. Senate in Tennessee until 2012 at the earliest, against Senator Bob Corker. Obama could probably enlist the support of both of the Republican Senators from Tennessee, Corker and Lamar Alexander, in pushing the Bredesen nomination through the Republican side of the Senate with minimal controversy. (The fact that Bredesen’s selection would elevate Republican Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey into the top spot makes backing Bredesen an easy option for the Tennessee Senators.) Obama doesn't need another tough cabinet fight or another embarrassing loss of a cabinet pick. Bredesen would almost certainly breeze through the confirmation process.
Bredesen should be his choice. But he probably won't get the nod because it just makes too much sense to pick him. Some liberal groups are opposing him because he made tough cuts in taxpayer-paid health care programs in Tennessee in order to avoid the budget disasters that now plague states that did not make those same difficult decisions. As a result, Tennessee is not now faced with making the draconian cuts that loom in places like California, New York and Michigan.
Bredesen is not particularly close to the inner-circle in the Obama Administration. He may lack the top level advocates necessary to emerge as the pick. But President Obama should consider the fact that his inner-circle has produced the selections that have proven so damaging in his first few weeks in office – Geithner, Daschle, Killefer, Richardson and Solis, to name a few.
At the end of the day, political partisanship and cronyism may win the day for selection as Secretary of Health and Human Services. But if President Obama has been paying attention over the past few weeks, those criteria are not working out so well for him so far.
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DOES PRESIDENT OBAMA HATE WHITE PEOPLE? -
February 1, 2009 -
February 8, 2009
Last week a massive ice storm struck the heartland of America, leaving at least 42 dead and millions without power or water. Days later there are still over a million people in Kentucky who have no power, no water and no communications. They could have to survive this way for weeks! The conditions are dire…and getting worse, with some storm survivors carrying pails of water from creeks and thousands more are living in shelters with no timetable for returning home. FEMA is nowhere to be found. <... |
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PARADE OF FOOLS DESCENDS ON WASHINGTON, D.C. -
January 11, 2009 -
January 18, 2009
Next week the liberal loonies will troop to Washington en masse to celebrate the Inauguration of President Barack Hussein Obama. Not satisfied with having won the election and expanded their power in the House and Senate, the leftist extremists are committed to putting their peculiar brand of nitwittery on parade throughout the inaugural festivities.
It all started with a left-wing hissy fit over Pastor Rick Warren being invited to give a prayer at the Inauguration. Now we have the athe... |
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WILL HARRY REID PULL A "GEORGE WALLACE" ON ROLAND BURRIS? -
January 5, 2009 -
January 12, 2009
When scandal-ridden Governor Rod Blagojevich defiantly chose to appoint former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate he did not play the race card … he played the whole deck.
In the process, he put the Democrats in the Senate between the proverbial racial rock and a hard place. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has made it clear that he will not allow Burris to be sworn in on Tuesday when the Senate assembles: but will he physically block Burris from the floor of t... |
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OBAMA FLUNKS HIS FIRST CONSTITUTIONAL TEST BY APPOINTING HILLARY AS SECRETARY OF STATE. -
December 1, 2008 -
December 8, 2008
The selection of Hillary Clinton as his choice for Secretary of State reveals that President-elect Barack Obama does not limit his lack of appreciation for the Constitution to just the First and Second Amendments. While there has been plenty of analysis focused on whether or not this is a good political decision or not, the choice may actually reveal more about Obama’s respect or disrespect for the Constitution than about his political judgment.
The Emoluments Clause in Article I, secti... |
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WHY AL-ZAWAHIRI WOULD BE A LOUSY TALK RADIO HOST. -
November 21, 2008 -
November 28, 2008
The number two guy in Al Queda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has just released a new video/audio attack on President-elect Barack Obama and America. The 11-minute 23-second video features the audio message by al-Zawahri, who appears only in a still image, along with other images, including one of Obama wearing a Jewish skullcap. Ayman may be a heck of a terrorist, but in terms of vitriol, creativity, insult and nuance he would be a lousy talk host.
First of all, a demo tape that runs nearly twelv... |
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