Wednesday 4 February 2009

Daschle's departure could doom Obama's health reforms

What is it about the American tax system that seems to trap so many nominees for high office? Admittedly, Tom Daschle's mistakes were in a bigger league than most. But his decision to step down as Barack Obama's health secretary is a huge setback to the cause of healthcare reform in the United States.

Daschle had developed a plan and real expertise on the issue, in a way that was missing from Hillary Clinton's earlier efforts in the 1990s. If anyone was going to be able to get past the vested interests of the country's vastly inefficient health industry, it was he. Jonathan Cohn at The New Republic has his own list of likely replacements, but few could match Daschle on the issue. It just goes to show that even the best laid plans....

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