early and awkward

Kathleen Sebelius Reportedly Thinking About Following Up White House Departure With Senate Bid

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 30: Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the troubled launch of the Healthcare.gov website October 30, 2013 in Washington, DC. The federal healthcare insurance exchange site has been plagued by problems since its launch on October 1. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Outgoing Human Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, whose name will probably always be followed by some version of “oversaw the less-than-stellar Healthcare.gov rollout,” is thinking about running for Senate in Kansas, the New York Times reports. The idea sort of makes sense, in that Sebelius was popular during her two terms as governor of the state, and incumbent Republican senator Pat Roberts, who has been in Congress forever, is considered “vulnerable.” (His Tea Party primary challenger, the doctor who posted gory patient X-rays to Facebook, also might not be the strongest candidate.)

On the other hand, Democrats have not held a Kansas Senate seat since 1939, and they already have a candidate preparing to run. Plus, as of February of this year, 55 percent of Kansans viewed Sebelius unfavorably. And, even the Times admits, “Friends and Democrats who know her said that they seriously doubted she would follow through and mount a campaign, considering how personally difficult the past six or seven months had been.” Of course, she could just be a glutton for punishment.

Sebelius Reportedly Thinking About Senate Bid