I unpopularly tried to nomiate Tom Harkin to be considered for HHS Secretary the other day - much to the dismay of many DailyKos regulars and Iowans.
Seems like Tom Harkin himself is now throwing his support behind none other than DailyKos-Favorite Howard Dean, according to reports on
Huffington Post.
Apparently Harkin said:
"I think that would be a very good move," Harkin told the Huffington Post. "He brings all the background and experience. He's very strong on prevention and wellness, which I'm very strong on. I think he'd make an outstanding secretary of HHS."
In response to a follow up question, he did say he wouldn't comment on whether the White House was down with the idea or if he's discussed it with Rahm or the other powers.
Harkin is an important ally for an HHS Secretary to have. He serves as Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Chairman) AND he's on the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. He has been deeply and heavily involved in health and human services policy AND has as deep an understanding of the budget and processes of the agency as almost anyone else on earth. He co-wrote and was chief sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act - which was lead to a major cultural and legal shift in this country, is a huge supporter of stem cell research, and is well known for putting the "P" in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and PREVENTION.
Maybe his opinion will yeild some clout with the man in the Oval. Maybe this will help convince Rahm and others to let bygones be bygones...