Wednesday, July 11, 2007
All politics, all the time
I guess this shouldn't be so surprising. After all, it's already clear that the Bush Admin. has politicized every aspect of government, from firing attorneys in the Justice Dept. who wouldn't go after bogus charges against Democrats (plots to stifle voting by minorities) to hiring loyalists (mostly grads. from the bogus Regents University--Pat Robertson's outfit) who wouldn't even hire interns who ever worked for someone with a "D" beside their name. That's not even mentioning the loyalists they put in key positions, like an ex-oilman as director of the EPA or a former timber lobbyist as head of Forestry.
Now comes news that the former Surgeon General--the nation's doctor--was told to suppress important public health reports because of politics.
"The administration, Dr. Carmona said, would not allow him to speak or issue reports about stem cells, emergency contraception, sex education, or prison, mental and global health issues. Top officials delayed for years and tried to “water down” a landmark report on secondhand smoke, he said. Released last year, the report concluded that even brief exposure to cigarette smoke could cause immediate harm.
Dr. Carmona said he was ordered to mention President Bush three times on every page of his speeches. He also said he was asked to make speeches to support Republican political candidates and to attend political briefings.
And administration officials even discouraged him from attending the Special Olympics because, he said, of that charitable organization’s longtime ties to a “prominent family” that he refused to name.
“I was specifically told by a senior person, ‘Why would you want to help those people?’ ” Dr. Carmona said.
The Special Olympics is one of the nation’s premier charitable organizations to benefit disabled people, and the Kennedys have long been deeply involved in it."
All politics. No policy.
Surgeon General Sees 4-Year Term as Compromised - New York Times
Now comes news that the former Surgeon General--the nation's doctor--was told to suppress important public health reports because of politics.
"The administration, Dr. Carmona said, would not allow him to speak or issue reports about stem cells, emergency contraception, sex education, or prison, mental and global health issues. Top officials delayed for years and tried to “water down” a landmark report on secondhand smoke, he said. Released last year, the report concluded that even brief exposure to cigarette smoke could cause immediate harm.
Dr. Carmona said he was ordered to mention President Bush three times on every page of his speeches. He also said he was asked to make speeches to support Republican political candidates and to attend political briefings.
And administration officials even discouraged him from attending the Special Olympics because, he said, of that charitable organization’s longtime ties to a “prominent family” that he refused to name.
“I was specifically told by a senior person, ‘Why would you want to help those people?’ ” Dr. Carmona said.
The Special Olympics is one of the nation’s premier charitable organizations to benefit disabled people, and the Kennedys have long been deeply involved in it."
All politics. No policy.
Surgeon General Sees 4-Year Term as Compromised - New York Times
