...other than I really didn't care for him as Senate Majority Leader....or Minority Leader.

Is he well-versed in health care issues and our health care system?  Does he support innovative solutions?  Incentives?  Does he believe health care is a right, not a privelege?

"Critical: What We Can Do About the Health Care Crisis"

From Publishers Weekly
The U.S. is the only industrialized nation that does not guarantee necessary health care to all of its citizens, and as former senator Daschle observes, Skeptics say we can't afford to cover everyone; the truth is that we can't afford not to because U.S. economic competitiveness is being impeded by the large uninsured population and fast-rising health costs. Daschle's book delineates the weaknesses of previous attempts at national health coverage, outlines the complex economic factors and medical issues affecting coverage and sets forth plans for change. Daschle proposes creating a Federal Health Board, similar to the Federal Reserve System, whose structure, functions and enforcement capability would be largely insulated from the politics and passion of the moment, in addition to a merging of employers' plans, Medicaid and Medicare with an expanded FEHBP (Federal Employee Health Benefits Program) that would cover everyone. There is no more important issue facing our country, Daschle asserts, than reform of our health-care system, and the book's health-care horror stories bring this immediacy home. (Feb. 19)
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Review

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR CRITICAL
"I may not agree with some of the political statements but Senator Daschle is right on target on the need to start a serious dialogue on health care for Americans.  His thoughtful health-care proposals will move the process forward.  Senator Daschle and I agree on the need for nonpartisanship in coming to grips with this number one domestic problem." -Bob Dole, former Senate majority leader
"The American health-care system is in crisis, and workable solutions have been blocked for years by deeply entrenched ideological divisions. Sen. Daschle brings fresh thinking to this problem, and his Federal Reserve for Health concept holds great promise for bridging this intellectual chasm and, at long last, giving this nation the health care it deserves." -Senator Barack Obama (IL)

"It is a must-read." -Jerome H. Grossman M.D., senior fellow and director of the Health Care Delivery Project at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government

"Senator Daschle adds to his reputation as a clear thinker and leader. Critical shows us not only why we must solve our health care crisis but that-with political will-we can." -Judy Feder, professor and dean at Georgetown Public Policy Institute

His recent record suggests that he cares about the issue.  He's also a selection who probably won't scare off the private insurers, which is a bit of a mixed blessing (it makes passing more comprehensive care a stronger likelihood, but it's a deal that might not give taxpayers the best return on investment -- e.g. a single-payer system).

Wasn't he angling for the same post?  

He recently said he wasn't interested in it, which was probably based on President-elect Obama/Transition indications that he wasn't really under consideration.  If Daschle is the pick, then that would make sense.  If there is one overarching theme to almost every one of the picks thus far, it's that these people understand mechanically how government works.  

I absolutely agree with the strategy because in my view, you don't get BIG change without knowing how to work the system (a la Lyndon Johnson and the Great Society).  I think that many of these votes could come down to just a couple of members moving one way or another.  A guy like Tom Daschle still has friends on both sides of the aisle, is relatively well-respected and knows the Senate rules backwards and forwards.  Howard Dean, God love him, has spent the past 4 years bashing Republicans non-stop, which was a good thing.  That's what a party chair is supposed to do.  Make the attacks that our electeds and candidates can't make.  I supported him in '04 and think he's been terrific as party chair.  

But for health care, we need someone who can deliver a couple of votes at a crucial moment, and unfortunately, Howard Dean is not the guy.  

I didn't support Dean in 2004, but I still appreciate the work that he's done since the 2004 election.  He helped to lay the foundation for the gains in 2006 and 2008 -- so the man needs to get some kind of consideration.

I wasn't questioning the wisdom of the Daschle pick, which has promise.  The purpose of the question is more to see what happens to Dean post DNC chairmanship.

Yeah, I sort of went off on the trail of justifying it, but the main point was that Dean said he wasn't interested (according to TPM) and that I posited that it was because Obama/Transition told him they wanted to go in a different direction.

I'm not sure where his future lies.  He's definitely got talent and something to contribute, but he doesn't fit neatly into an executive branch slot (considering what the criteria appear to be) and I don't think he's a good match for the Senate, if Sen. Leahy decided to retire sometime soon.  So, who knows?  Democracy for America, the offshoot of the Dean campaign, is still around and kicking and his old NH Field Director is still running it if I'm not mistaken.  I suppose he could return to that, but that's not really a full-time job for him either I don't think.  It will definitely be curious to see what direction he heads in.