WASHINGTON – With Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), President Barack Obama's first pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services, no longer an option, the White House has been mum on who might replace him, though many experts and news outlets claim they have inside knowledge.
 
Those mentioned for the post have included former HHS Secretary Donna Shalala, former Vermont governor and Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean, Govs. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee, Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania and Jennifer Granholm of Michigan and former Gov. John Kitzhaber of Oregon.

One of the earliest names mentioned now seems to be sticking as a leading candidate in the rumor mill: Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas.
 
Sebelius is a Democrat in a very red state, giving her a proven capability to work across party lines. An early supporter of Obama, she served as the Kansas state insurance commissioner for eight years before she became governor.

Daschle enjoyed bipartisan appeal before he stepped down from consideration over $130,000 owed in back taxes. Though he repaid the money and was considered a shoe-in for Senate approval, he said in his withdrawal letter to the president that he had broken his opportunity to operate "with the full faith of Congress and the American people."

The Daschle debacle, along with the problems faced by two other cabinet nominees with tax violations, has prompted criticism of the Obama administration and calls for a more stringent vetting process by the White House - putting an even greater delay in filling this important position. Daschle had been designated to serve as healthcare czar in the White House, a position created for him by President Obama. A White House spokesman said the HHS secretary and White House health job will now likely be filled by two individuals.

The Obama administration came in strong with plans for healthcare reform, designed before the election, and Obama had planned to hit the track running. Many see the loss of Daschle as a missed opportunity for the HHS secretary to be part of the healthcare reform infrastructure laid out in the stimulus plan.

Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.), in a Feb. 4 letter to Obama, affirmed their "continuing commitment to enacting comprehensive healthcare reform this year," despite the loss of Daschle.

Obama's healthcare plan would build on existing employer-based healthcare to create universal coverage. The plan would only mandate coverage when it comes to children.
His healthcare reform plan calls for a new national health plan for all Americans, including the self-employed and small businesses, to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to members of Congress.

Some lawmakers feel Obama has a chance to achieve healthcare reform and universal coverage, particularly if he acts within the first six months of his administration.

More than $100 billion has already been allotted to healthcare in the stimulus package, signed into law Feb. 17. The package includes $87 billion for Medicaid, $39 billion for COBRA, and $1.1 billion for federal research on comparative healthcare effectiveness.