Surgeon General Nominee Regina Benjamin Confirmed

Considering we're in the middle of a pandemic, this was probably a good idea.

The Senate, by voice vote, confirmed Dr. Regina Benjamin as the nation’s surgeon general amid a national emergency over the swine flu outbreak. Earlier in the day, the majority leader, Senator Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada, had taken to the floor to complain that Republicans were holding up her nomination over an unrelated dispute. Dr. Benjamin is well known for founding the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic in Bayou La Batre, Ala., and for keeping that clinic running during two hurricanes.

Video- - Rachel Maddow: Republicans Stall Surgeon General as Revenge for Humana Investigation

Via Heather.

Typical: Republicans block surgeon general nominee during flu pandemic

By GottaLaff

The Party of No strikes again. Honestly, the Rushpublics would block mental health facilities for suicidal Katrina victims if they could.

Oh wait.

Speaking of viruses, here's the latest on the GOP:

A GOP block on all Health and Human Services nominees has left the department without a surgeon general during a period of a global flu pandemic, prompting the HHS secretary to call for Senate action.

Regina Benjamin, the surgeon general nominee, “is ready to be voted on in the Senate, and we would just strongly urge the United States Senate” to act, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said during an MSNBC interview Friday in which she discused the department's response to the spread of the H1N1 virus. [...]

Benjamin was unanimously approved by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Oct. 7, but Senate Republicans are holding up all HHS nominees over a so-called gag order on insurance companies that have been critical of Democratic efforts to reform health care.

Way to reassure America, GOP.

VIDEO-- Fat head at Fox News: Surgeon General too fat

By GottaLaff



"She shouldn't even be considered Surgeon General." And Faux Noise shouldn't be considered a news channel, but that doesn't stop them:

In support of this argument, they had on as a guest some guy wearing a "No Chubbies" T-shirt. [...]

It's not just Fox. ABC has a straight news story about Benjamin's weight. I don't remember C. Everett Koop being svelte. But then he wasn't black or a woman. [...]

The Fox guest is quite a character. His name is Michael Karolchyk, and he runs an outfit in Denver called the Anti-Gym (NSFW), a fitness club with an emphasis on getting clients in shape for sex: "With live DJs, cage dancers, and our elite co-ed Ravish Room, Anti-Gym boasts the hottest facilities and clientele in Denver."

More about that, and the "Ravish Room" here. Stellar guest on a stellar channel.

Fox needs a "Rubbish Room".

Video- President Obama Nominates Dr. Benjamin for Surgeon General

President Obama chooses Alabama doctor as Surgeon General

I'm not up on these things, but would she be the first AA Surgeon General? Obviously I haven't seen a SG in twenty years other than that bearded guy. Interesting article about her clinic in the aftermath of Katrina here.

WASHINGTON -- The Associated Press has learned that President Barack Obama has chosen a well-known Alabama family physician, Dr. Regina Benjamin, to be the next surgeon general.

An administration official said Obama will announce the nomination later Monday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to upstage the official announcement.

Benjamin was the first black woman to head a state medical society, received the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights and just last fall received a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant." But she made headlines in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, with her determination to rebuild her rural health clinic Bayou La Batre, Ala., which serves 4,400 patients who would be hard-pressed to find care elsewhere.

Dr, Sanjay Gupta says he's the "nation's surgeon general"

By GottaLaff

What kind of doctor does a fellow doctor go to for a swelled head?

Q: Many of the top public-health official jobs in this administration aren't filled yet, including the job you might have taken as surgeon general. It seems as though you basically are acting as our nation's surgeon general.

A: I think in some ways you're right. And I used to think about that in some ways before the possibility of my being surgeon general even came up. The media has a very unique role, I think, in situations like this. We have to report the news, obviously, but there is a public health role as well, especially for someone like me who is a doctor on the ground here. So that is a lot of what the surgeon general does in situations like this, and with media, we reach a lot of people very quickly, so there is a lot of overlap.

And with that, he smiled broadly into the corporate Tee Vee camera, sent a quick thank-you text message to his Big Pharma sponsors, said, "Take that, Michael Moore," and sped home in his vintage Porsche 911 [Laffy Note: for the record, I have no idea what he drives].

Gupta got greedy

By GottaLaff

Sounds to me like the Tee Vee Doctor wanted more power, more prominence, and more money:

So why did CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta turn down the Surgeon General job? Howard Kurtz and Michael Shear have a diagnosis.

"One source close to him said Gupta was very disheartened by [Tom] Daschle's fate and fearful he was not going to get a prominent role in the health-care reform process... Gupta has built a lucrative media empire that includes appearances on CBS as well as CNN and book deals. Soon after his interest in the job became public, he had expressed concern to friends about the financial impact on his wife and children."

Interestingly, on an interview with Anderson Cooper, he said money had absolutely nothing to do with it. I heard it with my own little ears.

Democrats pushing Dean for Surgeon General

By GottaLaff

I'm more than good with Howard Dean as S.G. Besides, I get to post the photo again, wink wink:

With Dr. Sanjay Gupta taking himself out of the mix as President Obama's choice for Surgeon General, CNN has learned that the name of former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean has now emerged as a possible pick for the high-profile post.

Senior Democratic officials say that Dean, a medical doctor and former Vermont governor who championed health reform, has privately made clear that he is interested in the post. Dean had publicly expressed interest in serving as secretary of Health and Human Services but lost out, and many Democrats believe he was blocked because of a feud he had with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel back in the 2006 election cycle.

But two White House officials told CNN that while it's too early to compile an official list of candidates for Surgeon General, they believe that it's possible for Dean to get the job. "I would not dismiss it," one of the White House officials said of the possibility that Dean will be selected.

One Democratic strategist close to Dean made clear the former DNC chair would take the position if it is offered. [...] "It would certainly shut up a lot of Dean supporters."

It wouldn't shut any of us up, but then again, what does?

People close to Dean and Emanuel, however, insist the two men have since patched up their differences and recently had lunch together. Those sources also noted that in recent months Emanuel reached out and offered Dean a lower-level health-related job in the administration that was turned down.

Howard Dean for surgeon general?

By GottaLaff

I changed the blog title and post, since Paddy already posted the news about Gupta.

Good:

The Obama administration confirmed that Gupta, a neurosurgeon, had taken himself out of the running because he wants to focus on his medical career and spend more time with his family.

Of course he does. Here's a little more from Think Progress:

He encountered criticism for “his mugging of Michael Moore over Sicko” and for having a cozy relationship with drug companies. On the Wonk Room, Igor Volsky floats Howard Dean as a possible replacement.

I'd love to see Howard Dean grab this one.

Dr Gupta doesn't go to Washington

This smells a little funny, especially the part about him discussing it on Larry King Live. Paging Dr Dean?

Cancel that page: The White House is not calling Dr. Sanjay Gupta to be the nation's surgeon general.

CNN is reporting this afternoon that its well-known medical correspondent has withdrawn from consideration, and will talk more about it tonight on "Larry King Live."

Gupta would have been one of the most visible personalities in that job, but critics questioned whether he could have been an independent voice on public health matters.

h/t Dr President.

Headline-O'-The-Day: Guy who's probably seen Wolf Blitzer's sack to be next Surgeon General

By GottaLaff

We're already aware that Sanjay Gupta is likely to become the next Surgeon General, but this was the most unique announcement to date:

Guy who's probably seen Wolf Blitzer's sack to be next Surgeon General

Paints quite a picture, doesn't it?

H/t: Ellen

Obama Wants Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Journalist for Surgeon General

Wha? Wow. Makes sense though.

President-elect Barack Obama has offered the job of surgeon general to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the neurosurgeon and correspondent for CNN and CBS, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.

Gupta has told administration officials that he wants the job, and the final vetting process is under way. He has asked for a few days to figure out the financial and logistical details of moving his family from Atlanta to Washington but is expected to accept the offer.

When reached for comment today, Gupta did not deny the account but declined to comment.

The offer followed a two-hour Chicago meeting in November with Obama, who said that Gupta could be the highest-profile surgeon general in history and would have an expanded role in providing health policy advice, the sources said. Gupta later spoke with Tom Daschle, Obama's White House health czar and nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, and other advisers to the president-elect.

The Michigan-born son of Indian and Pakistani parents, Gupta has always been drawn to health policy. He was a White House fellow in the late 1990s, writing speeches and crafting policy for Hillary Clinton. His appointment would give the administration a prominent official of Southwest Asian descent and a skilled television spokesman.