Not Howard Dean

Former Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Howard Dean has proven many critics wrong over the years.

He emerged from nowhere to become a leading presidential candidate in 2004, eventually falling short to Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) in the Democratic primary. After his infamous scream in Iowa, most political observers wrote him off.

Yet he rebounded and stunned many in Washington by winning the race to become DNC chairman.

{mosads}Dean clashed with then-Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) in 2006 over how to allocate DNC resources, as well as over the former Vermont governor’s “50-state strategy.”

Dean’s record as DNC chairman is impressive. Some may note that he was helped by the immensely popular Barack Obama and the GOP’s implosion, but in politics, it comes down to wins and losses. Dean won, and won big.

That does not mean, however, he should be rewarded with the job of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary.

A Dean appointment is not likely. Based on their history of working against one another, Emanuel, now White House chief of staff, must be recommending other candidates to President Obama. Moreover, Dean does not have a lot of close friends among Democratic leaders in Congress. But some on Capitol Hill, including Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), are publicly calling on Obama to tap Dean. Stranger things have happened in politics, and it appears Dean, a physician, would take the job if it were offered.

The HHS job requires working with both political parties, especially with healthcare reform expected to move in the 111th Congress. Dean has been firing salvos at the GOP for the last six years. Because of that, very few Republicans in Congress would want him at the negotiating table on a massive revamping of the healthcare system.

The stimulus package shows that despite Obama’s commitment to bipartisanship, GOP votes are tough to come by in the Senate. Healthcare reform will be no exception.

Obama’s HHS secretary needs to be able to reach across the aisle. There are many candidates who have been mentioned for the HHS slot (a full listing of them and other Obama administration posts can be found on The Hill’s website at http://digital-staging.thehill.com/obama-Cabinet-amp-beyond.html).

Among the names floating are Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen (D), Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.).

Dean has a bright future ahead of him in the Democratic Party. But he is not the type of policymaker who would help Democrats achieve healthcare reform. In fact, he would be a distraction and is not the right person for the job.