Who Runs Gov

Many thought Tom Daschle would be indispensable for moving Obama’s health care reform agenda through Congress, but even with Daschle out, a number of his deputies remain deeply embedded within the Obama administration. And that’s very good news indeed for reform advocates.

Here’s a quick list of Daschle acolytes now working for Obama, drawn up by our reporter, Ian Herbert.

There’s Jeanne Lambrew, who co-authored a book with Daschle about the health care crisis; and Mark Childress, a lawyer who worked in Daschle’s Senate office from 2000 to 2004. Both were set to be top Daschle deputies at the new White House Office of Health Reform, and they’ll still be key in this area.

There’s also Pete Rouse, who was Daschle’s chief of staff for nearly two decades and is now senior White House adviser; and Phil Schiliro, who was Daschle’s policy director and is now a top assistant to the President. Both will be key players on the legislative front — the terrain where the health care battles will be fought out.

As Johnathan Cohn notes, the two key questions now for those who care about health care are: Who will replace Daschle? And will Daschle’s absence mean health care is less of a priority for Obama?

On the latter, it seems likely that Daschle’s deputies will do their darndest to make sure that it remains front and center, so on health care, at least, Daschle’s spirit and aims may well remain.