Kathleen Sebelius has gotten attention over the last few years as a successful D-Governor in the very R state of Kansas. She is an iconic figure for a unity ticket. She brings some of the disappointed women voters back to the table and helps end a lot of the talk about Obama being sexist. BUT she will also perhaps, make a lot of Hillary supporters angry if he chooses a woman who is not Hillary. She is catholic which would help bring in a strong segment of that voting population.
This part really got me interested;
She was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1986. In 1994 she left the House to run for state insurance commissioner and stunned political forecasters by winning — the first time a Democrat had won in more than 100 years. She is credited with bringing the agency out from under the influence of the insurance industry. She refused to take campaign contributions from insurers and blocked the proposed merger of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, the state's largest health insurer, with an Indiana-based company. The decision by Sebelius marked the first time the corporation had been rebuffed in its acquisition attempts.-wikipedia
She has been endorsed by planned parenthood.
She is pro gun ownership but anti-concealed-carry law.
She is a strong environmental candidate.
Though she is not a supporter for gay-marriage laws she is an opponent of anti-gay marriage constitutional amendments and voted against one for Kansas. (though it passed with 70% support!)
As for my impressions; she did not do an amazing job on the rebuttal of the SOTU speech this year but she seems smart, principled, thoughtful. She must be a fighter to take on the insurance industry. She knows how to work with republicans but still push forward many items on a progressive agenda. I am left with a feeling that I want to know more and I will be interested to see and hear more about her.
What do you all think?
Reading up on Obama Sebelius '08;
http://www.wibw.com/localnews/headlines/19735104.html
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/06/12/meet-the-vp-candidate-kathleen-sebelius/
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