"Former Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona told a Congressional panel Tuesday that top Bush administration officials repeatedly tried to weaken or suppress important public health reports because of political considerations."Dr. Carmona, who served as surgeon general from 2002 to 2006, said White House officials would not allow him to speak or issue reports about stem cells, emergency contraception, sex education, or prison, mental and global health issues because of political concerns. Top administration officials delayed for years and attempted to "water down" a landmark report on secondhand tobacco smoke, he said in sworn testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
So now James Holsinger is the person Bush thinks will be best to oversee the health interests of Americans? "What's next?," asks this blogger, "A creationist to lead the National Science Foundation? Member of the Flat-Earth Society appointed head of NASA?"
Again from the NY Times...
"His [Carmona's] testimony comes two days before the Senate confirmation hearings of his designated successor, Dr. James W. Holsinger Jr. Two members of the Senate health committee have already declared their opposition to Dr. Holsinger's nomination because of a 1991 report he wrote that concluded that homosexual sex was unnatural and unhealthy. Dr. Carmona's testimony may further complicate Dr. Holsinger's nomination."
Ya' think?!?
This appointment needs approval from the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. I know Obama is one already declaring his opposition... don't know about Hillary yet. For info on how to contact them and more on the campaign to stop Bush's nominee, go to www.stopholsinger.org and check out their video from yesterday.
Democrats
Chairman Edward Kennedy (MA)
Christopher Dodd (CT)
Tom Harkin (IA)
Barbara A. Mikulski (MD)
Jeff Bingaman (NM)
Patty Murray (WA)
Jack Reed (RI)
Hillary Rodham Clinton(NY)
Barack Obama (IL)
Bernard Sanders (I) (VT)
Sherrod Brown (OH)
Republicans
Michael B. Enzi (WY)
Judd Gregg (NH)
Lamar Alexander (TN)
Richard Burr (NC)
Johnny Isakson (GA)
Lisa Murkowski (AK)
Orrin G. Hatch (UT)
Pat Roberts (KS)
Wayne Allard (CO)
Tom Coburn (OK)
From the Human Rights Campaign:
"James Holsinger's record seems to demonstrate that he is uninterested in the best scientific information available; instead, he allows his anti-gay bias to inform his medical judgments. What will he do if he's given the title of Surgeon General?The Surgeon General is charged with protecting America's health. That doesn't mean some Americans, or not those Americans. It means all Americans."