APPOINTMENTS,OPINION

Health Care Experts Split On Reform Prospects

Tuesday, February 17, 2009 | 1:15 PM

Last week on National Journal's Health Care Expert Blog, contributors weighed in on how both Tom Daschle's withdrawal and the economic stimulus package -- slated to be signed today by President Obama in Denver -- have affected plans to reform health care in 2009.

While rumors have been floating around about whom Obama will appoint as HHS secretary, the White House has acknowledged that "we are vetting," but would not elaborate further, according to the Washington Post. Some names that have surfaced include Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D), Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) and former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean.

The outlook for health care reform in 2009 is not bright from the perspective of James P Gelfand, senior manager of health policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who noted Daschle's "unique" qualifications for the HHS post and argued that "his loss will definitely delay and cost the process." Ultimately, Gelfand said, lawmakers should not hastily push health care through this year.

Others, however, are not discouraged by either the delayed HHS appointment or the ailing economy. Ron Pollack, executive director for FamiliesUSA, said Daschle's withdrawal "will not significantly slow down the health care reform effort." He stressed that "reform rests with the President and the key committee chairs that have jurisdiction over health care" -- such as Sens. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Reps. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Charles Rangel, D-N.Y. These lawmakers have all expressed a commitment to achieving reform this year, Pollack said.

This assertion was confirmed by Sen. Baucus himself, who wrote on the blog that reform is "not only possible in 2009, it is imperative." Baucus, who chairs the Finance Committee, said that once the stimulus package was out of the way he would refocus the panel's attention onto health care.

Meanwhile, the new secretary of HHS, whoever it is, will be "confronted with two interrelated challenges," according to USC professor Leonard D. Schaeffer. He or she must 1) be knowledgeable about the politics of health care and 2) assess internally the management issues facing the department. For successful reform, Schaeffer writes, HHS "needs to change."

Permalink | Comments (1) |

OPINION

Afghanistan 'Surge' Gets Support From Congressional Insiders, Some Bloggers

Friday, February 13, 2009 | 11:30 AM

Domestic issues have been front and center for the Obama administration thus far, but problems overseas are hardly fading into the background. Special envoy Richard Holbrooke arrived in Afghanistan late Thursday and met with key government officials in Kabul today. The meeting came days after a deadly Taliban attack on government buildings in the capital that underscored the security challenges the U.S. faces in the region.

National Journal this week asked Congressional Insiders and top political bloggers if they supported President Obama's plan to send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. Among both groups, support was higher on the right. Some 91 percent of the congressional Republicans surveyed supported the move, compared to 57 percent of congressional Democrats. About 65 percent of right-leaning bloggers in the poll favored an Afghanistan "surge," while the percentage was essentially reversed among left-leaners.

Republican Insiders tended to base their support on the judgment and track record of the military: "Gen. [David] Petraeus set the U.S. on a direction to achieve our goals in Iraq. And given the manpower, time, and resources, he should be able to accomplish the same in Afghanistan," one said. Democrats were generally supportive, but most quoted by National Journal had an eye on the big picture. One undecided voter said, "It depends. If they are merely a military 'force,' then no, nothing will change. If they are used to allow for a true shift in approach toward a more pro-Afghan effort, then yes."

The need for more than just a military response was also a common refrain among bloggers. "It's about keeping Afghanistan from becoming a failed state as Pakistan becomes more unstable," wrote left-leaning blogger Taylor Marsh, who voted yes. "Troops alone are not the answer, as everyone knows." But Jon Henke of The Next Right, who voted no, said, "It's hard to see how we could prevent terrorists from operating there except by (a) permanently occupying the country, or (b) building massive, countrywide infrastructure, convincing the Afghanistan people to relocate across the country and moving the Afghans away from their historically tribal approach to society. Both approaches seem impractical."

Insiders and bloggers were also asked if recent events in Washington had changed their minds about the prospect of bipartisanship under Obama. "More encouraged" scored in the single digits among all four groups. "Less encouraged" got majorities from all but left-leaning bloggers, who opted for "no change" by 53 percent.

Permalink | Leave a comment |

OPINION

Pundits On Gregg's Withdrawal

Friday, February 13, 2009 | 10:40 AM

The withdrawal of Judd Gregg's nomination for Commerce secretary has commentators and editorial boards reeling. Here's a roundup from some of the major newspapers and Web sites.

The Washington Post predicts that "there will be plenty of questions about both sides of this collapsed merger."

According to the Wall Street Journal, Gregg's departure "indicates that President Obama's life with the left-wing of his party may become a sea of troubles."

"Obama is lucky to be rid of Gregg," declares The Nation's John Nichols. "This nomination was always a case of taking the 'team of rivals' fantasy to extremes."

George Stephanopoulos views Gregg's withdrawal as an "embarrassment to both men."

The London Daily Telegraph's Toby Harnden gives 10 reasons why this is a "major blow" to Obama.

Edward Luce sees this as evidence that Obama's "once widely praised vetting machine is in danger of seizing up" and as "a setback for Mr. Obama's bipartisan aspirations."

Recounting the other three major departures from Obama's Cabinet, the New York Post editorial board writes that "it's refreshing to hear that Gregg's departure is occasioned not by scandal, but by something rarely seen in Washington -- principle."

Kansas City Star columnist Barb Shelly believes "things are looking good for Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius being offered the Health and Human Services position. With Obama's people now back at Square One on the commerce job, they'll probably want to get the HHS post filled quickly. Or maybe she'll get a look for commerce secretary."

Karl Rove, Linda Chavez and other political insiders offer their thoughts in the Washington Post.

Hotline On Call has a roundup of Thursday night's TV commentary.

Permalink | Leave a comment |

OPINION

Will Obama Take A Hit On Nominees?

Friday, February 6, 2009 | 6:45 PM

President Obama offered the nation a mea culpa this week after two highly placed nominees bowed out over tax trouble, but that didn't end the talk about how his campaign rhetoric promising a cleaner Washington has held up during his presidency. National Journal this week asked Political Insiders and top political bloggers how much damage has been done to Obama's image by the controversies surrounding Tom Daschle, Timothy Geithner and William Lynn.

A plurality of Democratic Insiders and a majority of left-leaning bloggers said Obama's image has sustained "only a little" damage, with "some" damage a strong second. "Obama, having made rookie mistakes, has owned up to them, which is the best way to make them go away quickly," said David Kravitz of Blue Mass. Group, who voted for "only a little" damage. However, one Democratic Insider who voted the same way cautioned, "If the policies he is identified with work, these are footnotes. If the policies don't work, these become part of a new narrative."

Pluralities of Republican Insiders and right-leaning bloggers agreed Obama has seen "some" damage. Second place among the Insiders was "only a little," but second for the bloggers was "a great deal." One Republican Insider said, "Outside the Beltway, it is chipping away at the perception that President Obama is above the fray. Inside the Beltway, it undermines the sense that his team does not make careless mistakes." David Kopel of The Volokh Conspiracy, writing about Daschle, argued that "it helps Obama in the long run that he will not be in the Cabinet, since he would have been a visible link between the administration and the Rangel/Dodd/Frank congressional culture of corruption."

Permalink | Leave a comment |

APPOINTMENTS,OPINION

Pundits Sound Off On Daschle's Withdrawal

Tuesday, February 3, 2009 | 4:45 PM

The pundit class is already buzzing with reaction to former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle's withdrawal as Health and Human Services Secretary-designate today. Here are a few initial takes:

"This just in," quips the Dallas Morning News' Todd J. Gillman. "If you want a cabinet post, and you haven't paid your taxes, try to get confirmed before all the other nominees who haven't paid all their taxes."

"Why did Barack Obama stick by him so defiantly for so long?" wonders Philip Sherwell of the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph. "And in the current horrendous economic climate, how did he think this was playing outside the Beltway? And what happened to that much-vaunted vetting process?"

"Odds are that Daschle could have gutted out the hearings and won confirmation, but he and/or the Obama administration weren't willing to deal with the distraction and were concerned about his lobbyist-like activities," CBSNews.com editor in chief Daniel Farber asserts.

The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder questions whether Daschle withdrew too soon: "The fact remains that until late last night, not a single senator, Republican or Democrat, came out against Daschle's confirmation. This morning, there was only one -- Sen. Jim DeMint."

And in case anyone doubts the influence of the editorial boards, NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports that Daschle made his decision to withdraw after reading this morning's New York Times editorial calling upon him to do so.

For its part, however, the Times speculates -- in an update to that same editorial -- that Daschle may have been "propelled" to withdraw after Nancy Killefer, the former White House chief performance czar, withdrew her nomination to be White House chief performance officer today because of her own tax woes.

Reuters has a list of possible second choices for HHS, including former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

But The American Prospect's Ezra Klein doesn't think Dean or former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber will be nominated.

"One of the tactical arguments in favor of keeping Daschle was that it wasn't clear who had the combination of stature and health care knowledge to replace him." The New Republic's Noam Scheiber suggests Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

Continue reading Pundits Sound Off On Daschle's Withdrawal.

Permalink | Leave a comment |

OPINION

Sunday Snapshot: Talking Heads On The Stimulus Bill, Gitmo & William Lynn

Monday, January 26, 2009 | 9:57 AM

Conversation on this Sunday's political talk shows centered mainly on the proposed stimulus legislation and President Obama's executive order to close the Guantanamo Bay prison within a year.

Permalink | Leave a comment |

OPINION

Albright Backs Reversing 'Mexico City Policy,' Offers Clinton Advice

Friday, January 23, 2009 | 5:05 PM

By AMY HARDER

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright praised President Obama for the executive order he signed today that lifts restrictions on federal funding for groups that provide abortion services around the world.

The prohibition, known as the "Mexico City Policy," restricts the U.S.'s ability to engage constructively with other countries, Albright said. Reversing it, she added, is "a very big deal because the big issues internationally have to do with the health of women and on, generally, the right of people to choose what they want to do, having information."

Albright sees this executive order as a promising sign that the Obama administration will work to improve the country's global relations: "In many developing countries there is huge population pressure, so it is another signal that [the U.S. is] rejoining the international community."

The policy has teetered along party lines since its inception in 1984 under Ronald Reagan. Bill Clinton rescinded the rule in 1993, only to have George W. Bush reinstate it in 2001.

Secretary Clinton's Global Sway

Albright, who became the first female secretary of State during the Clinton administration, also offered a few words of wisdom for the woman now at the helm of that same department. "First of all, being secretary of State of the United States is one of the most all-time great jobs representing this country," Albright said. "She is in a position to be a partner in terms of reformulating American foreign policy. That is going to be very important."

Continue reading Albright Backs Reversing 'Mexico City Policy,' Offers Clinton Advice.

Permalink | Leave a comment |

INAUGURATION,OPINION

Pundits Roundup: Inaugural Edition

Tuesday, January 20, 2009 | 12:00 PM

Commentators in the major national newspapers have given the inauguration their undivided attention in today's columns.

"In the end, race is likely to be secondary in defining Obama's place in history," Eugene Robinson contends.

With the headline, "Wish you were here," Bob Herbert recalls civil rights figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and James Farmer, whom he wishes could witness today's inauguration.

Richard Cohen writes a narrative leading up to Obama's swearing-in, enumerating the challenges the incoming president will face.

Obama wasn't Jonah Goldberg's "first choice for president, but he is nonetheless my president. And if ever there were a wonderful consolation prize in politics, shattering the race barrier in the White House is surely it."

DeWayne Wickham recounts the last 18 months leading up to today.

In the Wall Street Journal, author John Steele Gordon notes that Obama will not only be the first black president, but also the first president "whose ethnic identity is not linked to the extreme northwest corner of Europe."

Anne Applebaum describes the US Airways Flight 1549 safe crash-landing in the Hudson River as the "anti-9/11" and puts it into context of today's historic inauguration.

In USA Today, former Archivist of the U.S. Allen Weinstein lays out what he believes it will take for Obama to deliver an inaugural address that effectively bridges "campaign poetry and governance prose."

In the Washington Post, blogger Heather Michon cautions that the "odds are long" that Obama will deliver a "speech for the ages, an oration worthy of being memorized by schoolchildren and carved into monuments."

In the Washington Times, Jay Ambrose, former Washington director of editorial policy for Scripps Howard News Service, suggests Americans take a "citizen's oath, similar in some ways to the oath promising that the new president will faithfully execute his office and defend and protect the Constitution."

Dana Milbank finds humor in Hollywood's descent on Washington.

Continue reading Pundits Roundup: Inaugural Edition.

Permalink | Leave a comment |

OPINION

Video: Pundits React To Panetta Pick

Wednesday, January 7, 2009 | 7:42 AM

President-elect Barack Obama's selection of Leon Panetta as CIA director garnered mixed reviews from talking heads.

Permalink | Leave a comment |

OPINION

Video: Pundits Weigh In On Schapiro

Friday, December 19, 2008 | 1:28 PM

Barack Obama's selection of Mary Schapiro to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission has garnered mixed reviews from pundits.

Permalink | Leave a comment |