Yet another disgruntled ex-employee of the Bush Administration

The Coffee Shop
1

Dr. Richard Carmona, ex-Surgeon General. What were they thinking, appointing this guy to the obvious lapdog position?

Dr. Carmona, 57, served as surgeon general for one four-year term, from 2002 to 2006, but was not asked to serve a second. Before being nominated, he was in the Army Special Forces, earned two purple hearts in the Vietnam War and was a trauma surgeon and leader of the Pima County, Ariz., SWAT team. He received a bachelor’s degree, in biology and chemistry, in 1976 and his M.D. in 1979, both from the University of California, San Francisco. He is now vice chairman of Canyon Ranch, a resort and residential development company.

Referring to previous Surgeons General to whom he turned for advice,

They told me that although most Americans believe that their Surgeon General has the ability to impact the course of public health as “the nation’s doctor,” the reality is that the nation’s doctor has been marginalized and relegated to a position with no independent budget, and with supervisors who are political appointees with partisan agendas. Anything that doesn’t fit into the political appointees’ ideological, theological, or political agenda is ignored, marginalized, or simply buried.
and
But each agreed that never had they seen Washington, D.C. so partisan or a new Surgeon General so politically challenged and marginalized as during my tenure.

Among other things "Dr. Carmona said he was ordered to mention President Bush three times on every page of his speeches. He also said he was asked to make speeches to support Republican political candidates and to attend political briefings.

And administration officials even discouraged him from attending the Special Olympics because, he said, of that charitable organization’s longtime ties to a “prominent family” that he refused to name." (that would be “Kennedy”).

I would be remiss to not include the Administration’s strong response:

Bill Hall, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said that the administration disagreed with Dr. Carmona’s statements. “It has always been this administration’s position that public health policy should be rooted in sound science,” Mr. Hall said.

Emily Lawrimore, a White House spokeswoman, said the surgeon general “is the leading voice for the health of all Americans.”
“It’s disappointing to us,” Ms. Lawrimore said, “if he failed to use this position to the fullest extent in advocating for policies he thought were in the best interests of the nation.”

Yup, it’s his fault.

(all from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/11/washington/11surgeon.html)

2

All these ex-Bushies seem to be remarkably consistent in their complaints about how the Admin acts in complete disregard of the facts/science, with politics being not only Number One, but the only one.

So what’s the explanation?

  1. That the Bush White House has systematically destroyed any respect for facts, analysis, planning, and policy through single-minded adherence to politics and wedge issues, versus actual governance, or

  2. All of these ex-employees are all disgruntled, all trying to sell books, all lying, and probably all brainwashed by the liberal media, despite their credentials and evident credibility.

I’m sure somebody will dig up something on this guy, like how he undertipped a waitress or perhaps told somebody that he was sick instead of going to a party, and he’ll then be described as “known liar” Richard Carmona.

And beat goes on…

3

We still have a Surgeon General?!?!? Who knew.

4

Amazing how he stayed at the job for four years under those awful conditions.

I think more likely no one ever cared about the guy while he held office, and no one will care now that he is gone.

He can write a book if he likes. His mother will read it, so that is one.

Edited to add: I just did a search on the CNN web site and their last previous mention of him was in 2005.

5

Amazing how he stayed at the job for four years under those awful conditions.

I think more likely no one ever cared about the guy while he held office, and no one will care now that he is gone.

He can write a book if he likes. His mother will read it, so that is one.

Edited to add: I just did a search on the CNN web site and their last previous mention of him was in 2005.

Aside from the personal attack, any comment on the substance of his allegations?

6

Sounds like sour grapes since he didn’t get famous like C. Everett Koop.

7

I didn’t see much I would categorize as allegations. If you don’t want to carry the Administration’s message, you shouldn’t work for the Administration in a message carrying position. No personal attack intended.

Four years and no complaints. How bad could it have been?

I suppose he could have said on his job interview “I really want the important job of Surgeon General, but I want to make it clear that I set my own priorities and will formulate my own message which may be different than the priorities and message the President wants to convey.”

I am guessing he didn’t do that, mostly based upon the fact that he got the job.

If you want a guy being shafted for going off the reservation, look at the Hurricane Director that just got canned here for going public with news of anticipated satellite failure and its impact upon forecasting. His bosses didn’t appreciate that, so he is gone.

In the real world, you either do what your boss tells you or expect to be fired.

8

I am referring to his allegations that political appointees in the administration routinely scrubbed his speeches for politically sensitive content and blocked him from speaking out on public health matters such as stem cell research, abstinence-only sex education and the emergency contraceptive Plan B.

And his statement that “Anything that doesn’t fit into the political appointees’ ideological, theological or political agenda is often ignored, marginalized or simply buried,” he said. “The problem with this approach is that in public health, as in a democracy, there is nothing worse than ignoring science or marginalizing the voice of science for reasons driven by changing political winds.”

or

“Much of the discussion was being driven by theology, ideology, preconceived beliefs that were scientifically incorrect,” said Carmona, one of three former surgeons general who testified at yesterday’s hearing. “I thought, ‘This is a perfect example of the surgeon general being able to step forward, educate the American public.’ . . . I was blocked at every turn. I was told the decision had already been made – ‘Stand down. Don’t talk about it.’ That information was removed from my speeches.”

9

I didn’t see much I would categorize as allegations. If you don’t want to carry the Administration’s message, you shouldn’t work for the Administration in a message carrying position. No personal attack intended.

Mission of the Surgeon General

The Surgeon General serves as America’s chief health educator by providing Americans the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury. The Surgeon General is appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the United States Senate for a 4-year term of office. In carrying out all responsibilities, the Surgeon General reports to the Assistant Secretary for Health, who is the principal advisor to the Secretary on public health and scientific issues.

Which part of the highlighted text indicates that this is a “message carrying position”, rather than one of education? Now, if you had been referring to Tony Snow, I might agree with you.

For future reference, is there any part of Government that is intended to look out for us, the citizens, rather than being an arm of the propaganda machine of the Administration?

10

If you ignore all the snarky characterizations and just look at the facts, what is the problem? You take a job from someone you do as they tell you. You don’t like it, you leave.

Apparently he liked it so he stayed for four years. Now he leaves, says how much he hates Bush, so he gets favorable press. Where is the news here?

If he projected a message at variance with Administration priorities, you would say the Administration is incompetent because it can’t get a clear message out.

My heart is not exactly breaking because he had to follow the instructions of his bosses, the “political appointees.” What do you think he was?

11

**What do you think he was? **

So is that another way of saying that you support politicizing science and health matters?

12

The entire highlighted part says it is a message carrying position.

Is it your contention that he did not do that as described?

If you get appointed by the President, you do as he says, or you should resign. The President gave him a podium with instructions on how to use it. If you don’t want the instructions, you should take a pass on the podium.

13

No. Did this guy do that?

Did he distribute false information? Did he not protect the public health? Did he lie? What awful things did the poor man do against his will.

14

**Did he distribute false information? Did he not protect the public health? Did he lie? What awful things did the poor man do against his will. **

It’s not what he did or said that’s at issue, it’s what he was prevented from saying. Here, I’ll repost some of it below.

“Much of the discussion was being driven by theology, ideology, preconceived beliefs that were scientifically incorrect,” said Carmona, one of three former surgeons general who testified at yesterday’s hearing. “I thought, ‘This is a perfect example of the surgeon general being able to step forward, educate the American public.’ . . . I was blocked at every turn. I was told the decision had already been made – ‘Stand down. Don’t talk about it.’ That information was removed from my speeches.”

15

The entire highlighted part says it is a message carrying position.

Is it your contention that he did not do that as described?

If you get appointed by the President, you do as he says, or you should resign. The President gave him a podium with instructions on how to use it. If you don’t want the instructions, you should take a pass on the podium.

Cut me a break. You are ridiculous. The mission of the SG is, as described, to get the best scientific information to the public. He stated that he was blocked from doing so at every turn, and indeed was pushed aside when he pointed out that incorrect information was being presented.

The guy’s background screams “public servant”; I guess that Special Operations background failed to cure him of naivete.

16

He thought something, and his superiors had other priorities and disagreed.

Dog bites man. Yawn. If he didn’t like it, he should have quit.

17

“The entire highlighted part says it is a message carrying position.”

Well, that depends on which message one is talking about carrying. According to the highlighted part, the message is supposed to be “the best scientific information available on how to improve health and reduce the risk of illness and injury.” But you stated: “If you don’t want to carry the Administration’s message, you shouldn’t work for the Administration in a message carrying position.” If the Administration’s message is at odds with the best scientific information, your argument amounts to saying that the SG should ignore his official mission.

19

I am sure that Jocelyn Elders thought she was getting the best scientific information on public health out by saying that masturbation should be taught in school too. Her boss disagreed. Clinton fired her.

The guy wanted to go off the reservation on Administration policy on stem cell research and the like. The Administration said no. He said, OK. What is the problem?

20

He thought something, and his superiors had other priorities and disagreed.

Dog bites man. Yawn. If he didn’t like it, he should have quit.

Art, I hope you have one of those nice White House Christmas photos with you, Mrs. Franke, GB and LB holding hands by the fire place. If not, you deserve one.

21

I’ll never forget when that lady said she went to an Eric “Klapner” concert.