Bredesen is being vetted for the Health and Human Services Secretary position

[BlueJessamine]

The Atlantic

Mark Ambinder

Feb. 6, 2009

Ambinder: Bredesen is being vetted for the job of HHS

The Bredesen Experience

The White House and Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee are in serious discussions about the Health and Human Services Secretary position; Bredesen is being vetted for the job. Some activists and health care experts are very anxious because they know that Bredesen, in the lingo of the field, is a cost-cutter, rather than an all-access guy. But his courting by the White House might not be as surprising as it first seems: Obama's health care plan was always predicated on cost control and a little less than universal. And Bredesen is, above all else, a start-up guy with an enterpreneur's enthusiasm--and waning focus. This speech to the National Press Club four years ago sums up the PNB approach pretty well:


The bottom line is this: If we want to fix the problem that the states are facing today, and even more importantly if we want to start planning for tomorrow how we in fairness offer a hand to every citizen who needs it; if we want to do these things we have to start by getting the economic fundamentals straightened out; by making the money we have go farther.

Phil Bredesen on health care is here:

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/02/the_bredesen_experience.php

Obama Must Not Appoint Phil Bredesen as Daschle's Replacement

As governor of Tennessee, Bredesen is famous -- or infamous -- for gutting TennCare, the state's low income health care provider. To be sure, this was not entirely Bredesen's fault. Poor finances combined with a truculent legislature did not leave him a vast range of options. But there were many in his state who felt he didn't come near to exhausting the possible alternatives and, in any case, the fact remains that under Bredesen, more than 320,000 of Tennessee's needy were thrown off the health care rolls. (Among the most heartbreaking portions of Jon Cohn's excellent book Sick is his chapter following one of the affected families.) It's not exactly a record of success, and it's one that's left Tennessee's liberals -- and health care advocates more generally -- profoundly skeptical of Bredesen.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x422544

[Lost4words]

1. I am afraid Obama wants to be a uniter more than an agent for change.

I am getting that feeling again.....

[asjr]

2. Has Howard Dean just been cast aside?

I would have thought he would be the first one even thought of for that position. He did an excellent job helping Democrats to win election.

[Lost4words]

3. Obamas staff does not want to upset the repukes or MSM. nt

[yurbud]

5. You can't get universal access at a reasonable price without upsetting them.

[Lost4words]

4. same here, All I can say is Bazarro World! Up is down nt

[Demeter]

7. He's Never Even Been Considered By Obama, It Appears

The fact that the nation and the Party would appoint him by acclamation apparently has no significance to the decision makers.

[quidam56]

6. Health care needs a cure - Bredesen isn't it.

See what is deemed, defended and supported as THE ACCEPTABLE STANDARDS OF HEALTH CARE in East Tennessee. http://www.wisecountyissues.com Profit Care comes before Patient Care and NO ONE gives a shit...

[Jakes Progress]

8. Why go through the motions?

Just go ahead and turn the department over to the HMO's, the AMA, and the Pharma giants.

[depakid]

9. Wow- that would mean that Harry Reid wouldn't be the only one to make me pine for Daschle

After the deal with Judd though, very little this administration does from here on out will surprise me.