Obama's Future SG
Obama’s nominee for the position of Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin, doesn’t seem as partisan as his other choices so far. Her work so far ought to solicit praise and respect:
Benjamin gained fame through her public efforts to rebuild her rural health clinic after Hurricane Katrina devastated it. She founded the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic in 1990 and rebuilt it after the hurricane.
Benjamin has also served as the first black woman to head the State of Alabama Medical Association and was associate dean for rural health at the University of South Alabama’s College of Medicine.
Obama praised her thus:
When people couldn’t pay, she didn’t charge them … When the clinic wasn’t making money, she didn’t take a salary for herself…a relentless promoter of programs to fight preventable illness.
Well and good so far.
The SG doesn’t have much to with hot button issues, such as abortion, but plays an important role with the government’s medical and PR efforts relating to the annual flu outbreaks and other related preventable diseases. The SG also advises the DSHS secretary on scientific and health issues.
As such, there is always the possibility that a highly partisan SG will use the position for the White House’s benefit. Historically, it hasn’t happened.
But with Obama’s track record of extreme partisanship and constant power grabs, what is the likelihood that he would appoint a neutral to the OSG?
On a related note, the liberal media is still harping on one of its own, CNN’s Sanjay Gupta, who was supposedly Obama’s first choice…
[he] pulled out of the running several months ago, saying he wanted to be able to spend more time with his family
Who cares? Gupta is an incompetent doctor, whose advice and opinions should be re-directed straight to the trash can.
