daschle picked for health and human services

Tom Daschle will head the Health and Human Services Department, President-Elect Obama announced today in a news conference.

Daschle’s pick was overshadowed by the high drama of Obama’s first news conference since the scandal surrounding his Illinois Senate seat broke, but both men pressed on.

Obama announced that Daschle, 61, also will head the White House Office of Health Reform, and that his deputy in that job will be Jeanne Lambrew, his co-author on a book on health care reform.

In addition to the HHS post, Daschle, a former U.S. senator for South Dakota as well as Majority Leader from 2001-2003, will craft Obama's universal health care plan.