Bloodless Coup

I agree, let's make sure we ignore Bob Dole's statements defending Daschle, bury on page 29 of the news!!

Then let's make sure we intimidate President Obama into appointing even more Republicans to cabinet posts!! Because the fact that any Democrats served in the previous administration is a mute point, even when considering those nasty liberals that were fired from the Attorney Generals office.

And then if we are really lucky, and commit to enough pressure, maybe just maybe we can bring President Bush back for another eight years!!! Oh ya baby those will be the days!!

Well he's almost certain to be confirmed so I am guessing that'll make you happy. But I still think not paying $128,000 is an egregious violation if this White House is going to be all holier-than-thou on the money front.

Personally, I wish they'd never have bothered with that crap. Clinton vowed to be cleaner than Bush, Bush vowed to cleaner than Clinton - it's an old refrain has much less to do with getting the best people in place than it does trying to score political points with the press corps and the Democratic activists who think money in politics is evil. But if he's going to bellow about how proper and upright his administration is, and then stand aside while this guy does this, or make a gigantic exception to his no-lobbyists in government rule (and Deputy Secretary Lynn is surely not the only exception he'll make) - well, find hypocrisy tiresome, especially from someone who's talking about upstanding his appointees are on matters such as these.

I think Daschle is one of the best men in government and he seems well-suited to this position so on the merits I have no problem with him getting confirmed. But if the White House is going to create these silly hurdles, they ought to hold to them. And if they don't, they should be called out on it.

And I will never, ever, look to Bob Dole to tell me what's proper or who's a good person.

And while it's a different topic, I think the Gregg appointment, if it happens, is great. There is no Republican or Democratic perspective on Commerce. It makes no difference at all who heads it. However, if a senator can be replaced by a less right-wing senator I am all in favor of that. As a Bush opponent I'd have thought other Bush opponents would be in favor of getting Bush apologists and cheerleaders out of the Senate.

Tough one. Daschle is probably the best person for the job who is both available and confirmable. On the other hand, wow, stupid. I'm leaning toward "screw it, don't dump him, but PLEASE vet more carefully next time" at the moment, but I could go the other way pretty easily.

Well jacflash a big part of me is with you. People outside the Beltway generally don't know just how highly thought of Daschle is. I trust him to do a fine job in high office more than I trust the great majority of politicians. But if this kind of thing is going to be a reason to bar people from office ... Now maybe it shouldn't be something that bars one from office. I think that a strong argument can be made for that position. But if you are going to argue these kinds of things matter ...

I should say that I'm not highly invested in this position. But given the rules of the game that the Obama team and the press and the Congress generally apply ... In any event I think he'll still get the job - and I wish him the best in it.

And Daschle is out.

It's really unfortunate - but it fits with a set of formal and informal DC rules that Team Obama has not only abetted, but reinforced.

I wonder who Plan B is. Howard Dean?

Interesting idea, Dean. I haven't heard much either way as to who might be considered, but he probably makes as much sense as anyone.

Well is this going to get divided - a White House job (going to Jeanne Lambrew?) and a pol to HHS? For the latter Governors Dean and Kitzhaber would seem the top people to me, though the Obama White House doesn't appear to like Dean, and Kitzhaber has an independent streak. If a pol with a Congress connection, how about Diana DeGette? She's been active on health issues and is on the key House committee/subcommittee, though she'd be controversial given her activism on stem cell issues. But hey, that'd offer the opportunity to remind voters that many Republicans are on the unpopular side of that issue.

Just remembered that DeGette (I think) backed Dingell over Waxman, so that could be a problem. If not her maybe Anna Eshoo? She's another long-time member of the Health subcommittee, and close to Pelosi.

Or maybe a veteran of the Health Committee on the other side - John Kerry? I mean if you were going with a former majority leader, why not a former presidential nominee?

I like the idea of Kerry on the policy aspect of the job, but I question whether he could ever effectively build consensus. That's the same reason I think Rendell would be a horrible choice.