Tough call. Her resume makes her perfect for HHS, but if she runs for the Senate in 2010, when she is term limited out of the Governorship, she beats either of the republicans who have declared (Tiahrt and Moran) standing up, and the senate math matters at this point.

Howard Dean would be just as good - and it would be the right thing to do, as his absence in the cabinet is a pimple on the Obama face of "team of rivals".

Plus, given what Obama may be asking his progressive base to eat in the name of "bipartisan economic stimulus" (600,000 jobs according to Krugman), it would serve as a signal that he isn't taking the left for granted.

And, frankly, Obama kind of NEEDS a bad-cop partisan lightning rod to deflect Rush and company, and Dean has proven time and again that he's more than capable of being such a foil.

I'm telling you, there's a building anger on the left that Obama is not tending to his electoral base - an anger that may erupt if the Senate version of the stimulus package passes. To counteract that and make sure he doesn't get it from all sides, a Howard Dean appointment would help keep folks like me on his side.

Steve,
I'd much prefer that she runs for the Senate in 2010 when she is term-limited out of the Governorship. She'd be an almost definite senate seat pick-up and after seeing the Repug obstructionism during the current American Recovery and Reinvestment Package debate, we need about 62 senate seats so Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman/Max Baucus (so called centrists) can be discounted.
I do agree that she'd be very qualified as HHS secretary although I'm still pulling for Howard Dean. Also she might just take it so she and the President won't be on a collision course should he decide to send some of the Guantanamo prisoners to Fort Leavenworth.
Thanks,
gkf

No Newt? We are so doomed! With his demonstrated bedside manner, I'm surprised his fellow repubs aren't clamoring to give him a lifelong appointment.

How does being an insurance industry shill make someone perfect for this job? Apparently, Obama is taking over the Bush role of putting foxes in the hen house. It's pathetic the way 'party' changes the way some people view this kind of thing.

newt'd be good as a natural vaccine for swine flu, a la charlton heston in "omega man" -- but that's about all he could do with regard to health care.
perhaps something to do with machines... something bright and shiny.
it is a good juxtaposition, tho, to compare the typical republican of corrupt and incompetent ways along side that of a typical democrat (daschle) . coupla tin soldiers of the hubris brigade.

Steve -
As one of the few-and-far between liberal democrats in KS, i can tell you that you belief in Sebelius as Sec of HHS, while well intended, is very, very misguided.
She really has zero experience and exposure to the workings of the Hill and federal policy -- esp policy as extensive as HHS policy -- in general; dont forget, Kansas' legislature is only in session for 90 days. 90 days versus a 24/7/365 as head of HHS. Her inexperience would be an enormous detriment to ANY health care overhaul.

As others have indicated above, Sebelius would serve her party, her state and her country much much better as a democratic Senator from KS, which she would have little problem in securing next year.

Having her as HHS secretary would be and become the first major hubris of an Obama admin.

The important issue for establishing national health is to keep the insurance companies out!

This comment section is a good reason why I get frustrated here sometimes. (Admittedly I am a fan of Sebelius' and she was my choice for VP, but that isn't my point.)

Too often a commenter here makes a comment that 'sounds good' even though it is simply dead wrong. Other people follow along, assuming that the first person knew what he was talking about, and *bang* we're stuck behind a piece of Limbaugh-sized idiocy.

"soullite" called her an 'insurance company shill.' Now this happens to be total nonsense. She was the first Democratic Insurance Commissioner in Kansas history, and also the first Insurance Comissioner who fought the Insurance companies and won! It was that which got her elected Governor.

But that doesn't stop 'capalistpig" from adding a comment playing off soullite's absurdity. And i could easily see thge comment growing so that it becomes CDW (Common Democratic Wisdom) that "Obama wants to put an insurance company shill into the HHS job." (after all, I might have believed it myself, to my discredit, if I hadn't researched her when she was in the running for VP.)

I've seen at least one other example of this type of meme -- no, I won't fight dead and forgotten battles by mentioning it -- that still hasn't been corrected.

Try and check your opinions against facts sometimes, guys, or you'll sound like Republicans.

(Understand, this comment does not imply I'd rather see her appointed than to run for Senator, nor does it apply to david's criticisms of her appointment, which are worth considering -- though her family history implies she might not be the 'lamb in the wilderness' he implies. I am not sure which post would be better for her, but she's no 'shill for the insurance companies.)

you like her, but you make no mention of her stance on some VERY important issues. Like is she FOR SINGLE PAYER health care? That is the overriding issue here. Anything that lets the insurance companies in is by definition going to be two tier: good insurance for wealthy and none or poor insurance for the not wealthy.
Also, I hope you'll start asking WHY Obama is not even mentioning Howard Dean, who is clearly as good a choice as those you've mentioned; possibly he's even better. So just WHAT is it that Obama (or Emmanuel) has against Dean? This needs to be expained by the administration, given that so many progressives (his base) want Dean.

Here's what people need realize. Single payer health care was NEVER what Obama promised. People can clamor for it, but it doesn't matter, Obama's sticking to the plan he built for the campaign. Dean's not getting picked for HHS for his partisanship not because of his ties to Rahm. He's a great campaigner, but I can't see him selling the plan to republican voters, which is critical. If the stimulus plan hasn't taught us anything, its that we need those votes.

I think the ideal goal would be to have Sebelius as HHS and Podesta as OHR. Split it into two groups.

Newt Gingrich isn't interested? Tsk tsk. Let me make this plain once and for all: I am not available for the post of Health Secretary. Nor is my cat.

Does Craig Crawford understand anything? Is he familiar with America's political system? I'm glad that Newt isn't willing and all, but Crawford's idea is breathtakingly idiotic. It's a good thing he doesn't work somewhere that he's expected to grasp these things.

Also, what Prup said.