Who might serve as HHS secretary?
By: Politico
A Barack Obama administration
Tom Daschle
Pro: A veteran of the failed 1993 Clinton health care plan, the former Senate Democratic leader from South Dakota understands the game. A longtime advocate of health care reform, he laid out his own ideas in a new book, “Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis.”
Con: Daschle is also mentioned for other key posts in an Obama administration, including White House chief of staff. And his long stint as the Senate Democratic leader with a reputation as a political animal could make it difficult for him to broker the kind of bipartisan deal needed to reform health care.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius
Pro: As Kansas insurance commissioner, Sebelius cracked down on insurance companies that were violating federal law and championed prompt payment for claims. And as governor, she’s consolidated the state’s health programs to increase its purchasing power.
Con: She’s been mentioned for other posts, as well, in an Obama administration. But she’s in the middle of her last term and may be eyeing a run for the Senate.
Howard Dean
Pro: As governor of Vermont, Dean, a doctor, oversaw the expansion of universal health care for children and pregnant women. Now chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Dean would bring considerable political and executive experience to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Con: As a very partisan, high-profile Democrat, Dean is one of the chief Democratic bomb-throwers and is not particularly well-positioned to work with Republicans in a bipartisan fashion to reform health care.
A John McCain administration
Mike Huckabee
Pro: The former Arkansas governor and unsuccessful candidate for the Republican presidential nomination is well-known as a health care reformer with a strong personal story. After being diagnosed with diabetes in 2003, Huckabee lost 110 pounds and ran four marathons. As a governor and presidential candidate, Huckabee championed children’s health care.
Con: He’s very affable, but his staunch conservatism could make confirmation difficult in a Democrat-controlled Senate.
Mark McClellan
Pro: With a medical degree and a Ph.D. in economics, McClellan is a double doc, known around town as one of the nation’s top health care experts. A respected administrator, McClellan has run the Food and Drug Administration and the Medicare and Medicaid programs in the current Bush administration. He also worked at the Treasury Department during the Clinton administration.
Con: His implementation of Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit, amid considerable confusion and controversy, drew mixed reviews from many Democrats.
Gail Wilensky
Pro: As a former head of the Medicare and Medicaid programs under President George H.W. Bush, Wilensky is familiar with the challenges facing two of the nation’s largest entitlement programs.
Con: As a McCain campaign adviser, Wilensky helped craft the Arizona senator’s health care reform proposal. And her support for the plan could mean tough sledding in a Senate controlled by Democrats looking to move the country in the opposite direction on health care.