I'd like to support someone who speaks out againstmuzzling of science by political hacks. Which is just what Bush's last Surgeon General, Richard Carmona did today at a congressional hearing. But frankly, it's a bit late. Many of us were quite critical of the "invisible Surgeon General," the person who was supposed to be "the nation's doctor" but whom nobody heard or saw. We didn't know if it was because he agreed with the administration on the hot button issues upon which he was utterly silent (e.g., sex education, stem cells, second hand smoke) or whether he buckled to pressure. According to him it was the latter. But he was Surgeon General for four years in this administration and the time for courage was when speaking out would have done some good. At this point the rats are jumping from the foundering Ship of Bush, so it doesn't take tremendous courage. Anyway, he's doing it now:
The first U.S. surgeon general appointed by President George W. Bush accused the administration on Tuesday of political interference and muzzling him on key issues like embryonic stem cell research."Anything that doesn't fit into the political appointees' ideological, theological or political agenda is ignored, marginalized or simply buried," Dr. Richard Carmona, who served as the nation's top doctor from 2002 until 2006, told a House of Representatives committee.
"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. The job of surgeon general is to be the doctor of the nation, not the doctor of a political party," Carmona added.
Carmona said Bush administration political appointees censored his speeches and kept him from talking out publicly about certain issues, including the science on embryonic stem cell research, contraceptives and his misgivings about the administration's embrace of "abstinence-only" sex education. (Reuters via the New York Times)
Now there's a new nominee for Surgeon General, Dr. James Holsinger. This is one guy the Bush administration won't have to muzzle. He's their guy all the way (see a href="http://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasure/2007/05/surgeon_general_nominee_h…">here and here). Of course he may not get confirmed. The public is not interested in neutered Surgeon Generals anymore.
Until the next administration, however, the sign on the door of the Surgeon General's office will probably still read, "The Doctor is Out."
- Log in to post comments
Good comments Revere. Well said.
I was wondering where he's been as well. I remember Koop and Elders.
Perhaps he wasn't cut out for politics.
Perhaps like all the members of the Bush Administration Dr. Carmona wasn't cut out for public service. That would help to explain his appointment by a worthless political hack.
"Today, it seems that even 'integrity' is a free market commodity. When the demand for integrity is low, it can purchased at a much lower price than when the demand is high." - Snicklefritz
Real scientists have brought this upon themselves. To my mind professional scientists are simply cowards. You refuse to stop the run away proliferation of pseudoscience that under girds most of what non-scientists think is science. Out of fear you allowed women's studies departments, clinical psychology and counselling programs and horrid health care studies (a tomato a day, no broccoli, no vitamin E, --no that kills you-- cures cancer) to stand. Now as these falsehoods are ever shown bogus you wonder why people refuse to accept what so-called scientists say, particularly a politically appointed one! Global warming, who knows? If it is real it will never be stopped if you cowards refuse to step up and shovel some of the PC crap out of your labs and offices. Your own cowardice has tainted you. Cry wolf a bit more and we all will suffer.
It isn't the scientists, Mr. Carmine. It's the mindless whiners like yourself, who won't educate themselves enough to learn within an easy order of magnitude the difference between science and faith-based fantasies, who perpetuate and make profitable for hucksters the faith-based fantasies. Real scientists have to deal with reality, not pseudoscience. That is a full-time job, and already there are not enough hours in the day for it.
If you want to pay useless and unlimited taxes to support security to protect you from pseudoscience, I suggest converting the Department of Homeland Security to the Department of Pseudoscience Security. There they already have a great deal of experience both in doing nothing and in spending enormous sums of money to accomplish nothing.
Whether clinical psychology will ever benefit you is admittedly anybody's guess. We can only hope for the best.
IIRC, Carmona was appointed because he was a former Green Beret, and we all know how Bush loves a man in a tight-fitting BDU. His (fairly limited) professional qualifications for the position were being an emergency medicine MD with an MPH.
Actually, I would say Yes and No. There is the matter of how best to leverage your message to get the maximum effect.
He left in September 06. 10 months would be about how long it takes to put together that hearing from 3 Surgeon Generals, no less, time it with the Holsinger confirmation hearing, get enough support to introduce a Bill to make the office independent., and bring the APHA on board. There must have been some nail-biting moments for him waiting to see if the Democrats could gain control of Congress.
btw, for those of you who haven't, the video of the hearing is worthing watchin in full, cos there's a lot that is not in the prepared statements.
How do I know that? You wouldn't believe it, but yours truly here was actually there, quite accidentally of course. More on that and some revelations about the happenings on the HHS blog are written up on Flu Wiki here and here.
I'm still recovering from the marvel of attending my first 2 hearings in the august bodies of the US Congress: the Carmona testimony, and the Holsinger confirmation hearing, also available on video here
Serving in this Administration may well poison any future career of any qualified person. But a qualified person should be able to stand up to the President by ably representing the interests of the people and health professionals of the United States--he shouldn't have to "bring the APHA on board" if he is providing the leadership that is necessary to his office.
That is why the people and health professionals of the United States should be alert to preventing political hacks and incompetents from being appointed to the office in the first place--as we see in the case of the President and Vice President, it is hard to get rid of hacks and criminals once they are entrenched.