Smart move in Daschle appointment

By the Journal Editorial Board | Monday, December 01, 2008

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Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle will be playing a new role in Washington.

Wednesday it was announced that Daschle had been selected as President-elect Barack Obama’s pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services.

The announcement was immediately heralded by South Dakota leaders as the right choice.

We agree. Daschle’s appointment to Secretary of Health and Human Services will bode well for the nation and for South Dakota. Daschle represents this state’s interests well; he’s aware of the unique needs of Native American population, veterans and elderly, and that will serve him well as he shapes national policy as a member of the president’s cabinet.

Daschle will oversee the Department of Health and Human Services, with a $700 billion budget and nearly 65,000 employees it’s a major undertaking. But since losing his Senate seat to Sen. John Thune in 2004, Daschle has been active in Washington policy and politics.

Most recently, he has been working as a public policy adviser and member of the legislative and public policy group at a law and lobbying firm. There, one of his responsibilities is advising clients on several issues, one of which is healthcare.

Daschle doesn’t come to the secretary post without a serious background in the health care issues facing the country. His 26 years in Congress have prepared him for the unique challenge he’ll face solving a crisis in health care too many Americans face.

In his recently-released book, “Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis,” Daschle outlines the problems facing health care in the U.S. and offers a blueprint towards a solution.

President-elect Obama made a wise choice picking Daschle for this important position and we’re glad to see Daschle’s talents and time again working for the country and for South Dakota.

We do know the appointment won’t mean South Dakotans get any sort of windfall, however. Former South Dakota Gov. Bill Janklow probably said it best: “What’s in it for South Dakota? Good government,” Janklow said in a Journal story after the announcement. “What’s good for America is good for South Dakota.”

In this important position, Daschle will have the president’s ear and advise him on shaping national policy – we wish him the best. After all, health care costs and services have run amuck in the United States and Obama campaigned on affordable and accessible health care to all Americans and a variety of protections for the consumer seeking health insurance and care.

That’s a tall order. We feel confident Daschle is prepared to work towards these goals as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.