Tom Daschle Was Indispensable Only To A Hasty Health Care Fix

IBD Editorials ^ | February 7, 2009

[Kaslin]

Health Care Politics: The Obama White House had high hopes that Tom Daschle could push (or sneak) its reform scheme into law. Sounds a little like the Hillarycare syndrome to us.

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Looking back on the scope of Daschle's tax transgressions, you might wonder why the president stuck with him as long as he did. Here's a guess: Obama needed a legislative technician, and Daschle fit the bill.

As one insider, John Podesta, told the Washington Post, Daschle "was the right guy for the job of leading the department (of Health and Human Services) and finally getting health care reform across the finish line."

Now the future, as the Associated Press sees it, looks less cheery. AP says Daschle's decision to withdraw his nomination as HHS secretary "clouds hopes that President Barack Obama will make significant progress on health reform in his first 100 days in the White House." Sen. Chris Dodd concurs: "It's a real blow to the effort because Tom was really knowledgeable."

Reading comments like these, we have to hand it to Daschle. The former Senate majority leader has learned a thing or two about self-promotion since the voters of his state dumped him in 2004. Not known as a legislative lion on health care, he reinvented himself as an expert on reform. He co-wrote a book notable mainly for its advocacy of a single-payer health system. It didn't hurt that he endorsed Obama way back in February 2007.

But none of Daschle's salesmanship made him into an expert. Thousands of people understand the nation's health care system better than he does.