Yesterday, Kathleen Sebelius emerged as the Obama administration's top choice to lead the department of Health and Human Services. I was disappointed, partially because I thought Rosa DeLauro would be a more effective, more progressive choice. However, Sebelius had a good run as insurance commissioner in Kansas, and is also a Governor, both of which give her solid experience for this role. And besides, at least the industry-supporting, health care-cutting Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen didn't get the nod. So, Sebelius is both experienced, and way, way better than Bredesen.
Mainly, I was disappointed because Sebelius at HHS takes away what was by far our best chance to win Sam Brownback's open Senate seat in 2010. While we needed Sebelius to win that Senate seat, HHS didn't need Sebelius specifically, there are plenty of non-horrible Democrats who could have handled the job. This move reminds me of former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano becoming director of Homeland Security. Not only was she our only chance to defeat John McCain for Senate in 2010, but because she has left the Arizona Governor became a Republican. So, our electoral prospects dimmed in multiple ways.
All of this makes me wonder about the thought process Napolitano and Sebelius had in accepting their new cabinet posts. Is heading up a large federal department really better than being a Governor, a Senator, or even both? It seems hard to believe, but, as I explain in the extended entry, in all likelihood it actually is.
Here are four five good reasons why it is better to be a Cabinet Secretary than a Governor, a Senator, or both:
Don't have to run for office: One clear advantage being a cabinet Secretary has over statewide office is that you don't have to run a full blown electoral campaign. Given the amount of time that takes these days, being a cabinet Secretary allows you to actually govern, rather than perpetually campaign.
No real chance you will lose: As long as you are an elected official who, because of her past campaigns, has already been thoroughly vetted, there is no real chance you will lose the spot. Given that there is always a decent chance you will lose a statewide campaign as a Democrat in a red state, this is a big step up.
No slowly climbing the seniority ladder: Even if Sebelius or Napolitano were willing to run a year long Senate campaign, and even if they were fortunate enough to win, upon entering the Senate they would start behind at least 55 other Democrats on the seniority ladder. When you are already around 60 years old, I don't blame you if you want to start at the top of an organization, rather than at the bottom.
Power centralizing in federal government: As Daniel de Groot showed back on New Year's Eve, governmental expenditures are now highly centralized at the federal level. As such, running a federal department, espeically large departments like HHS and Homeland Security, actually gives you more power than being the Governor of a mid-sized state.
You get to work with the President: While Senators and Representatives seem to drool over meetings with the President, a cabinet Secretary will work with the President on a regular basis. In fact, the President asked you to come work with him on a major department of the federal government. It is probably hard to over-estimate the appeal of that prospect.
In short, while I am still disappointed Sebelius and Napolitano are going to be Cabinet Secretaries rather than sitting Governors running for U.S. Senate, I can't say I blame them for the decisions they made. All told, being a cabinet secretary does seem like a better deal.
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