Subject: health, etc.
From: "Christopher Edley" <[email-masked]>
To: "John Podesta" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 2 Nov 2008 20:10:40 -0800

Dear John,

Regarding health care, I fear that I've created a conundrum for you.  (That
is: been a pain in the ass.)  I write in hopes of helping you work through
it.

I was not valorous enough to simply withdraw from playing a substantial role
on Health because I think I'm pretty good at this, feel that in some sense I
owe it to my friend to try my best to push the quality up, and figure that's
why he asked me to be involved. Not for diversity. Not because I'm his old
professor. But because he thinks I have something to contribute in the
policy domain.  So, I just want to give it my best shot.

I won't rehash my concerns with the health memo as drafted by Jeanne.  My
comments began by stating, in essence, that I wouldn't object to you
forwarding it to Barack.  On the other hand, I wouldn't if I were in your
position because I don't think it's good enough.  It was okay, but not up to
(what I take to be) his standards.  If you want me to rewrite it, just say
so.  That's what I would prefer to do, taking my board role seriously.

My request is that you either support me as the board member overseeing
health, or remove me from that role.  If you choose the former, tell Jeanne.
If you do the latter, tell Barack.  I will salute either way.

Let me just repeat what I said to you over a month ago: I am concerned just
a bit that Tom Daschle and Jeanne are approaching this too intently from a
Hill rather than White House perspective.  Pre-transition, they were
committed to an independent effort to forge a bi-partisan proposal.  Now
they are in the awkward position of continuing that effort while
simultarneously trying to figure out how to advance the specifics to which
Barack has spoken as a candidate.  To some extent, you put them in an
inherently conflicted role.

Some resolution of this would be helpful.  I don't especially relish the
idea of disrupting my life to spend substantial time in DC just to keep tabs
on Education and Immigration policy – I know most of the members of those
teams, have a lot of confidence in them, and can provide some coaching
without being in DC.

You didn't reply to my note about being involved on the personnel side.  I
am interested partly to be in a position to press diversity and quality, but
also because if you take Health away from me, it might provide the added
justification for spending time in DC.  But, if there are too many chefs in
the kitchen, so be it.

Of course, if Rahm is going to be chief of staff, this is moot.  You can
just assume that I will have no role going forward. I'm being realistic, not
petulant. Sure would simplify things!

THANKS

-- 
(personal email)
Christopher Edley, Jr.
Professor and Dean
UC Berkeley Law School