Tom Daschle has been yanked from the ash heap of history and appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services, pending a guaranteed Congressional approval:
Daschle accepted the offer, according to two Democratic sources close to Daschle and with intimate knowledge of the decision. Daschle had been a longtime adviser on Obama’s campaign and served as a frequent surrogate on the campaign trail and in media interviews.
The appointment has not been announced, but these officials said the job is Daschle’s, barring an unforeseen problem as Obama’s team reviews the background of the South Dakota Democrat.
Appointing Daschle, a serious pro-choice Democrat, brings another Clinton retread to the front lines of the Obama campaign, though not in any official capacity. Daschle’s wife, “Linda Hall Daschle was “acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration” for the Clinton Administration.
She is also one of Washington’s top lobbyists, whose client list includes “American Airlines, Lockheed Martin and Boeing.”
And Daschle himself works for a lobbying firm, Alston & Bird. What cause do they lobby for?
Health care interests, including CVS Caremark, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, Abbott Laboratories and HealthSouth, are among the firm’s lobbying clients.
Perfect.
Remember Obama pledged not to have any lobbyists in a position that they had been lobbying for within the last two years.
Well, first he said, “They won’t work in my White House!”
Then he said, “They are not going to dominate my White House.”
Finally, he settled for letting them work in his administration, “just not for two years in an area related to their work as lobbyists, according to the candidate’s proposal released earlier this year.”
Technically, this fits, but it’s still shady and suspect.
Photo by nmfbihop.
Related posts:
- Daschle: To Pass Health Care Reform, Reconciliation “could be the only way”
- Biden Names Asbestos Lobbyist As His Chief of Staff
- Obama Doesn’t Take Money from Lobbyists, Right? Not So Much…
- Obama: 1.5% Annually for 10 Years – American Hospital Assoc: Yeah, Not So Much
- Expect This with Universal Health Care
