Jack & Jill Politics

If we believe reports…ummm Sanjay Gupta. He is a doctor, communicator sure. But he is supposed to head up the Surgeon Generals office which is the public health arm of the governmental health structure of the US. Gupta is a neurosurgeon which is one of the most highly specialized and narrowly focused fields in medicine and Gupta has no public health experience that I know of. Call me unconvinced on how he is going to herald change and a focus on prioritizing prevention in our health policy. Not sure about the Daschle pick either for DHHS even though its being sold as getting someone on board who can ram through sweeping health reform.

Thats just one example and I would argue that lots of folks on this site could generate more picks that are problematic from the urban policy secretary, SoS and head of DOE. So Im not convinced by Ezra

Gupta is the public face trying to shill policy. That he’s already comfortable on tv is a plus.

I think the post linked below summarizes many of my concerns:

http://thegspot.typepad.com/blog/2008/07/why-im…

I also consider any lawyer like Mr. Sunstein who advocates the
line that violations of civil liberties and the law by members of
government should be overlooked, to be a hack..

Agree. Plus he will work with crafting policy. He is the face that will SELL Obama's Healthcare Plan, one who can break it down to layman speak, so everyone will understand it. This is nothing but a plus, here.

Election 2008 | Rep. Conyers Discouraging Colleagues From Supporting Potential Obama Surgeon General-Nominee Gupta
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/health2008dr.cfm?DR_ID=56361

[Jan 09, 2009]

House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers (D-Mich.) on Thursday began circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter among members of Congress asking them to join him in discouraging Obama from selecting CNN medical correspondent and neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta as surgeon general, the Detroit Free Press reports. In the letter, Conyers wrote that “there are highly experienced medical professionals who question whether Dr. Gupta has the necessary experience or even the medical background to be in charge of some 6,000 physicians or more who work in the United States Public Health Service” (Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 1/8). He added, “Clearly, it is not in the best interests of the nation to have someone like this who lacks the requisite experience needed to oversee the federal agency that provides crucial health care assistance to some of the poorest and most underserved communities in America.”

Conyers on his own campaign blog wrote that Gupta has given “little thought to the serious problems facing our health care system.” He added that the position requires someone of “serious stature” and “with deep roots in the public health community” (Bendery, Roll Call, 1/8). Conyers planned to call Obama directly on Thursday to express his concerns. He has also spoken with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). Obama’s choice for surgeon general must be confirmed by the Senate (Hooper, The Hill, 1/8). According to the Free Press, Conyers has been advocating for Herb Smitherman, a public health advocate and assistant dean for community and urban health at Wayne State University School of Medicine (Detroit Free Press, 1/8).

Other sources have expressed doubt over naming Gupta as the next surgeon general, The Politico reports. In a statement posted on its Web site, the Commissioned Officers Association of the USPHS wrote, “Continuing to bypass career PHS officers for the top leadership role in public health is unhealthy for the career aspirations of these dedicated and highly talented public servants.” However, the public health community in its entirety has not expressed “major opposition” to Gupta, The Politico reports. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said, “There are a lot of people who would like to see someone with a master’s in public health in this job,” but “[Gupta's] skills would not be disqualifying at this point” (Vogel, The Politico, 1/9).

Yep. Nothing but a great communicator…a Mr.Robinson with a public health
focus. Which is why I like Ian Smith for the positon as well.

Ian Smith would be perfect.
Ultimately, public health roles are most effective when the person in charge is a great communicator.

Ian does an awesome job. He possesses the skills to read and do the analysis essential to the job, just like Gupta.

I wonder who Conyers wants to see in the position.

Thanks for this link to Klein. He did an very good write up. The comments were very interesting.

Obama is going to give lots and lots of unsuspecting bureaucrats and partisans a run for their money. Obama likes wonky minutiae…he just has the oral skills to not sound wonky…but his slow manner of speaking is directly related to the enormous amount of data he sorts through before speaking.

Obama also is somewhat of an intellectual snob…he does not suffer fools gladly…this is easy to see whenever the press asks a particularly inane or non-substantive question when the focus is on a critical policy issue.

Obama hates that stupid bantering.

He is seeding government agencies with great intellectual minds and achievers. Any time Obama picks up the phone he will be able to speak with someone knowledgable and not some mediocre incompetent who does not have a grasp of the issues. Obama does not have time for that.

Yep. Nothing but a great communicator…a Mr.Robinson with a public health
focus. Which is why I like Ian Smith for the positon as well.