President Obama's selection of Democratic Party insider Ron Klain as the new "Ebola Czar" is bringing a fairly partisan response, with Democrats giving it high marks and Republicans seeing it mainly as a political move by the White House.
Klain is well known in political circles here, having been Chief of Staff both for Vice President Al Gore and most recently for Vice President Joe Biden.
Klain also held high profile jobs on Capitol Hill, as the White House lauded his "extensive federal government experience" in a background memo for reporters.
"He is an excellent choice," said Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) in a statement. "He is smart, aggressive, and levelheaded."
On the flip side, Republicans see the new Ebola Czar as a political choice, not a medical one, since Klain has no experience in any medical field.
Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) labeled Klain a "political activist" who is "not even a doctor."
Asked about the criticism, White House spokesman Josh Earnest mocked the GOP response.
"Absolutely shocking," Earnest said sarcastically. "He is the right person for the job," Earnest said of Klain.
The White House quickly pushed back with its own effort on social media as well, churning out favorable statements about Klain from Democratic party insiders and others like former AOL chief Steve Case.
The White House told reporters that Klain's role will be to "enhance the government's Ebola response" by coordinating it better; Klain currently runs a technology-oriented venture capital firm in Washington.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest also made clear to reporters that Klain was not a czar, but rather was the "Ebola Response Coordinator."
About the Author
