Obama Administration Takes Shape

The NYT has published a story that "Daschle to Be Nominee for Health Post in Obama Cabinet." This was really the post that I was hoping Hillary would get. There's no doubt that she was in part to blame for the health care debacle in '93, but the real blame goes to the rethugs who were not, not, I tell you, not going to allow the Clinton White House anything that might make the American people happier with the prexy. And further blame goes to the insurance companies and HMO's that saw their cash cow being led to the slaughterhouse: Big Gummint's gonna take away your power of CHOICE! Never mind that for a growing number of people (then and still growing) the amount of choice was exactly zero. The estimate is that 22,000 people die every year because they have no available health care. According to a recent study, 54% of patients with chronic health problems skip medication and treatement because of cost concerns. For those with health insurance that number falls to 47%. Some Choice. As the Times said in an Editorial yesterday, the US is "The wrong place to be chronically ill," and "The care they received in this country — or more often did not receive — ought to be a cause for shame."

The point is that HRC had the better health plan during the campaign, and her plan during '93, while cumbersome and complicated-looking, was better still. I think she has learned an awful lot about how to make things happen over the last 15 years, and that Health and Human Services is really more of her "thing" than foreign affairs. Furthermore, I think either Richardson or Kerry (not as strong on the latter) would be better in State.

On the other hand, as one blogger or commenter remarked elsewhere (I'd like to give an attribution, but I'm not sure I could find it- so I'm paraphrasing), the Clintons are very good at drawing Repiglican fury and obstruction- and succeeding despite that. So having Hillary in a high-profile cabinet position could serve much the same purpose as having a high-profile lightning rod.