Daschle’s Downfall Illustrates Perils Of Obama’s Reliance On D.C. Insiders
The news that Tom Daschle has pulled out of consideration for the key post of Health and Human Services secretary is President Obama’s first major defeat, his first real collision with the ways and wiles of Washington.
Daschle’s downfall also represents the first high-profile failure of a hallmark of Obama’s governing style, his insistence that he could place major reform goals in the hands of longtime Washington insiders and use their D.C experience to change the place that had created them.
Daschle was tapped precisely because of his knowledge of Washington power and how it works. And his downfall happened precisely because of all his time in Washington — it led him to blur the lines between the public and private sectors in classic Beltway fashion.
Many critics, including pro-Obama ones, warned that growing public awareness of this fact risked cutting too strongly against the narrative of Obama’s presidency. The Obama team, well aware of public anger over Daschle fueled by the economic crisis, apparently reached a similar conclusion.
Daschle was tapped in part because his knowledge of Congress, it was said, would help him shepherd health care reform through Congress — one of Obama’s biggest and most ambitious goals. Earlier today, however, Daschle told Andrea Mitchell of MSNBC that he realized that he’d become such a distraction from Obama’s message of change that he might no longer be up to such an enormous political task.
And so it is that Obama’s first effort to tap a classic D.C. insider for the task of major reform has crashed and burned.
Update: At the White House briefing, press sec Robert Gibbs has stressed again and again that the decision to withdraw was Daschle’s alone. Asked if the White House had sent a “signal” to Daschle that he should pull out, Gibbs answered with an unequivocal No.
Daschle’s downfall could be a good thing, if and (most likely) only if, Howard Dean replaces him. Washington needs more Dean’s not more insiders with heavy lobbyist ties. If it took Daschle for Obama to start to realize that outsiders are the key, not insiders, then so be it.
interesting. could be a turning point.
Great post Greg. I think at this point they will be careful about who they name. I disagree that is had to be Dean. I am pretty sure there are others beside him who can do the job, it does not have to be an insider but setting this up as only Dean can do it is not a good idea IMHO.
And I think this will be good in general with the Daschle withdrawal the tax distraction is off the table and we can start talking about what matters right now: get that Stim bill moving and do a better media job of hammering the obstructionsts.
thx much ifo. Dem media strategy is def wanting right now.
The Democrats have the worst f*ing media strategy. ever.
They can barely rally support for the damn stimulus bill when they were PUT IN CHARGE by the American people.
Pathetic.
Obama’s media strategy has been pathetic as well.
I think the problem is that the Dems are almost expecting Obama to do all the media heavy lifting. He can do some but not all and this is making his own media effort weaker because he is there alone doing it all. I hope this next week we see a different sort of take from the dems in the senate and house and more and better visibility and message. I keep thinking the Dems think they are still the opposition and they have not transitioned themselves to the new reality.
I can buy the argument that choosing DC insiders is a problem, if you look at it in a vacuum. However, considering the overwhelming policy challenges, the short time for transition, the acrimony between Exec and Legis branches, and the problems of the Clinton transition, Obama’s need to pick powerhouse nominations became a necessity. It would be a much bigger problem if he picked academics and got nothing done. But I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if two, four years down the road we start seeing a lot of replacements.
there’s a lot handwringing going on about how hard it will be for Obama to create an administration, implement policy, etc., without the use of Washington insiders. But, he made cleaner government a central promise in his campaign, and the Daschle nomination flew squarely in the face of that promise, making it clear just how “pragmatic” Obama is willing to be. The American people elected him to do amazing things. Amazing things were what he promised. The jury is still out as to whether or not the public will be proven naive, or maybe just desperate, or whether Obama will be proven optimistic, or maybe just ambitious.
The entire Obama narrative about cleaning up Washington was just an advertising storyboard to get elected. He has filled his administration with insiders and Clinton people because he has no clue and no real ability to govern. He’s a slick salesman who’ll be able to give inspiring speeches by reading a teleprompter. Geez, he must be sh___ting his pants now that Daschle is bye-bye – maybe Rahn can clean up this mess!
I have been real impressed with Obama, but not with his associations. Bush put many of the wrong people in the wrong places. And when they messed up Bush backed them up. If Obama’s people mess up, I hope he puts his foot down. And so far his foot should have stomp Daschle, Geithner, and Ricardson. You are who you associate with. Or, so I’ve been told.