In a front-page story, the New York Times (2/19, A1, Baker, Pear) reports that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) is "emerging as the president's top choice" for HHS Secretary." According to the Times, Gov. Sebelius "would bring eight years of experience as her state's insurance commissioner as well as six years as a governor running a state Medicaid program." Still, she "is unlikely to" be named White House health czar because "officials said that was a special arrangement for" former HHS nominee Tom Daschle, "adding that they were still considering what to do about that job." According to the Times, "Health advocates welcomed her candidacy."
The Kansas City Star (2/19, Kraske) notes her bipartisan credentials, adding that Sebelius "also pushed several times for significant expansion of healthcare coverage in Kansas, using an increase in the cigarette tax as the funding mechanism. The Republican-controlled Legislature, however, rejected those moves." But, the Star notes, "Observers point to one major drawback: She's not a Capitol Hill veteran and hasn't worked closely with some key members of Congress." Kansas State University political scientist Joe Aistrup said, "She's got no DC experience. ... That's a big one, especially for HHS, which has a number of major issues, including the possibility of national health insurance." And pro-life advocates "have said they would be concerned about the nomination of Sebelius, who last year vetoed a bill that would have strengthened enforcement of late-term abortion laws." CNN (2/19), the Topeka Capitol Journal (2/19, Carpenter), and The Politico (2/19, Budoff Brown) also cover the story.
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