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KS-Gov, KS-Sen: Sebelius to Take HHS

by: Crisitunity

Sat Feb 28, 2009 at 6:12 PM EST

Kathleen Sebelius is on her way to Washington.

President Barack Obama on Saturday asked Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to be his nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, according to two White House officials. The officials told CNN that Obama is expected to make the announcement Monday afternoon.

This will give current Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson at least two years as Kansas governor (which may give him a leg up toward another term, if he wants, although he said he wouldn't run for governor earlier). In terms of larger national implications, this takes Sebelius off the table for the open Kansas senate race in 2010, which she had a good shot to win according to Research 2000.

UPDATE (David): With this move, KS-Sen unfortunately comes off of our Races to Watch list.

Crisitunity :: KS-Gov, KS-Sen: Sebelius to Take HHS

Tags: Mark Parkinson, Kathleen Sebelius, KS-Sen, KS-Gov, SSP 2010 Senate Race Ratings, (All Tags)

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KS-Gov, KS-Sen: Sebelius to Take HHS | 21 comments

Was there any indication at all

that Sebelius was actaully interested in running for the Senate?

by: homerun @ Sat Feb 28, 2009 at 17:18:41 PM CST

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I Think The Only Indication

Had been coming from every source or outlet except the most important one: from her.

by: Don't Tase Me, Bro! @ Sat Feb 28, 2009 at 17:32:04 PM CST

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She never said she wasn't interested, either.

So who knows what she would have done. I tend to think that she could have been persuaded to give it a go.

by: James L. @ Sat Feb 28, 2009 at 18:12:33 PM CST

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I have a difficult time

Believing that there wasn't some communication between the White House, the DSCC and Sebelius' people.

by: safi @ Sat Feb 28, 2009 at 20:21:20 PM CST

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And I have a difficult time

Believing that Obama makes his Cabinet choices based on the concerns of the party committees. If he did, I don't think he would have tapped as many incumbent Senators.

by: James L. @ Sat Feb 28, 2009 at 21:37:47 PM CST

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I think the fact

That were nearly 4 months removed from the election and she decides to take this job is a pretty good indicator of what direction she was going to go in regards to a senate race. Politicians are the least impulsive people in the world and we've known for years that the 2010 KS-SEN race would be an open seat situation. IMO Sebelius probably made the decision in regards to a senate race months ago.

by: safi @ Sun Mar 01, 2009 at 01:11:47 AM CST

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Well,

when she initially begged off a Cabinet appointment even though she could have picked any one, that was an indication. But never anything solid.

by: Sean Fitzpatrick @ Sat Feb 28, 2009 at 17:52:16 PM CST

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This could be a plus for the Governorship

I really think Parkinson could be a very successful Governor. And Brownback is seriously overrates. If Parkinson has a successful year and a half as Governor I can see him changing his mind and running for re-election against Brownback.

by: ChadInFL @ Sat Feb 28, 2009 at 22:45:37 PM CST

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Parkinson enters the Guv's mansion...

... at war with his legislature, and in the midst of the worst recession in decades. And he has to manufacture credibility within a very short time period. I'm not terribly optimistic. Granted, he'd have a better shot than without incumbency, but that probably isn't going to amount to much.

by: omarka @ Sat Feb 28, 2009 at 23:05:13 PM CST

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True

But Brownback is no outsider. Everyone knows he's been in the Senate for a long time and did nothing to prevent the economic mess.

by: ChadInFL @ Sun Mar 01, 2009 at 01:58:47 AM CST

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What was wrong with Howard Dean?

At the very least it kept her running for the Senate as an option and the Secretary of HHS would actually be an MD. Shocking concept, I know.

by: TheGame08 @ Sun Mar 01, 2009 at 19:32:44 PM CST

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Sad thing is . . .

It's because Dean lacks credibility with the Senators. He's an outsider, always has been. HHS needs to be able to persuade the Senate to do what the administration wants. I don't think Sen. Baucus would give a flying hoot to whatever Secretary Dean would have to say.

I still would have liked Dean to have been nominated, but there's your reason.

Actually, no, I want Daschle to be renominated, he was the best choice, period.

by: trowaman @ Sun Mar 01, 2009 at 20:06:43 PM CST

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I'm Not Sure

Sebelius has that much credible either. She's just as much as an outsider as Dean, and she has no experience on dealing with Congress (which Daschle did have).

The current turmoil as described by omarka earlier in the legislature is an example of that inability to deal with the legislative branch. If Sebelius couldn't deal with the yahoos in her own state, how could she deal with the yahoos (Republicans) from the country?

by: Don't Tase Me, Bro! @ Tue Mar 03, 2009 at 12:03:09 PM CST

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The other reason is he is judged as a hyper-partisan

Rightly or wrongly. Sebelius meanwhile, having been elected and re-elected in deep red Kansas, is seen as more able to work with Republicans. Not that is gonna help if they set their stall out to block anything just as Bill Kristol outlined in his infamous pre-1994 health care memo.

by: conspiracy @ Tue Mar 03, 2009 at 12:07:45 PM CST

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Actually, it seems like abortion is gonna be the main story with Sebelius.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITI...

Check out the 2010 California races (http://2010californiaracetracker.wetpaint.com) and help us take back Red California! (http://www.takebackredcalifornia.org)

by: californianintexas @ Tue Mar 03, 2009 at 13:40:20 PM CST

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OH GAWD.

Not the fucking abortion issue again.

Bill Posey is not half-alligator...and is outclassed by Davy Crockett anyway: http://www.washingtonmonthly.c...

by: Glenn Magus Harvey @ Tue Mar 03, 2009 at 22:16:07 PM CST

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Silly

This seems so silly to me. They're going to object because Obama appoints a pro-choice person to HHS?! What did they expect? Of course, they objected to Solis because she supports labor. In the end, I think this is just an opportunity for some very red state memebers to grandstand and score points with their base. The fact that Brownback and Roberts have both already come out in support of Sebelius tells me that she'll have no trouble being confirmed assuming no skeletons appear.

by: sicembears @ Wed Mar 04, 2009 at 11:15:17 AM CST

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Didn't yet another recent appointee get saddled with tax problems again?

I remember hearing something like that.

Bill Posey is not half-alligator...and is outclassed by Davy Crockett anyway: http://www.washingtonmonthly.c...

by: Glenn Magus Harvey @ Wed Mar 04, 2009 at 13:22:50 PM CST

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It was more than one

Daschle and Geithner both.

by: ChadInFL @ Wed Mar 04, 2009 at 13:30:48 PM CST

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