Comments on: Sebelius as Top Choice for HHS

By: lynnette

lynnette — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 23:07:29 +0000

Lake Lady, I like Jennifer Granholm, too. I think she is pretty dynamic. However, Sibelius is a Democratic governor of a Republican state and she might be good at navigating the waters in D.C. I like that she refused donations from the insurance industry. She also seems to be in sync with Obama. I still think a single payer system is the way to go – it would do more for job creation than anything else – both in the medical field and outside of the medical field. Just compare the auto industries in Canada and the U.S.

By: Betsy

Betsy — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 23:04:58 +0000

I personally think she’ll do just fine. If you remember that speech she gave after the President spoke she really didn’t have that much time to write a speech. I could be wrong though.

By: Betsy

Betsy — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:38:34 +0000

I don’t think she’s a horrible speaker, and she’s not another Hillary or Obama. With that said, I read the Wonk Room about her record on health care and I think it’s very good.

By: Lake Lady

Lake Lady — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:44:24 +0000

I have to disagree with you Bets about needing a great speaker or persuader. You know the Repubs are going to demagogue the healthcare issue to a fair thee well. The have already started warning about “rationing” because Obama appointed a commission to study the effacacy of various mediacal practices.

I have heard that 90% of a persond lifetime medical expenses takes place during the last year of life. I don’t know if that is a true stat but I do know going to extraordinary lengths to keep an old person living, especially when they are in pain or misery seems unaffordable when you think of all the children who are not getting a decent start in life.

By: Betsy

Betsy — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:23:01 +0000

My feeling is that he’s looking at someone who has experience with the insurance business. Just a gut feeling. I like her. I know she’s not a great speaker, but she doesn’t really have to be to be the HHS Secretary.

By: Lake Lady

Lake Lady — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:04:38 +0000

I don’t really see Daschle as a loss. He was way too cozy with insurance companies.The fact that he negleted to tell Obama about his little tax problem,putting the President in an embarrassing position does not say much for his character, no matter how many DC people gushed over him when he left. I wonder how it works in Kansas? Are the insurance commissioners cozy with the companies like our federal regulators have been?

I don’t have a great impression of Sabelius,her follow up speech for the Dems after Bush’s last SOTU was weak and forgettable she seems wishy washy to me…maybe I’m wrong.I would rather see Granholm from MI if he likes the idea of a Gov. she can really communicate well. I always like it when she is a guest on cable.The PA Gov would be great too.