RPT-Obama names Daschle to lead US health reform effort

(Correcting day in lead, Daschle in 2nd paragraph)

CHICAGO, Dec 11 (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama nominated former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle on Thursday as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in his Cabinet and asked him to lead the White House health reform effort.

Obama's choice of Daschle to lead the administration's health reform drive puts an experienced and well-liked congressional operator in charge of a political issue the president-elected has identified as one of his top legislative priorities.