Howard Dean says Gupta is a great choice for Surgeon General on Hardball

[zulchzulu]

Dean was asked by Chris Matthews about what he thought about Sanjay Gupta being the possible Surgeon General and he says he is a great choice. In the video at about the 4:00 mark, he talks about the issue. He says he "thinks it was a terrific appointment".

Video link:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/28546844#28546844

[scheming daemons]

1. Howard is right. The poutrages on DU, and Michael Moore (on this issue) are wrong

[LoZoccolo]

4. "Poutrage", I love that word, ha ha ha ha!

:thumbsup:

[eridani]

42. Right. Private insurance killing 18,000 people a year is a really silly thing to be upset about

It's just exactly like whining about not getting a new iPod like you wanted.

[Occam Bandage]

2. Funny, I could have sworn that this was a calculated slap in the face to Dean and Progressives.

Oh well. I suppose the habitually offended will go back to complaining about, oh, I don't know, Rick Warren again.

[LoZoccolo]

5. Who will they side with now?

I think they'll just dump Dean. It's always safe to dump someone.

I wonder if Chavez said Gupta was cool, I wonder what would happen then?

:nuke:

[grantcart]

10. Dean is just trying to confuse us because he is still upset about not getting

an invitation to something or somewhere and the fact that Obama is out to destroy him (I am sure that is true because it has numerous threads on it).

[berni_mccoy]

3. Dean also said Blagojevich deserves a lot of credit and shouldn't be underestimated.

[Occam Bandage]

7. I agree with the latter half of that.

Anyone who's risen to the top of the IL political scene--and who's done so despite a complete lack of ability to govern--clearly has political chops.

[JI7]

8. Blago deserves credit for what ?

and i think he is right when he says we should not underestimate Blago.

[berni_mccoy]

12. For outsmarting the Democratic Senate leaders (not the way Dean spoke it, but that's the gist)

[JI7]

16. i don't think most people would disagree with that

and that is an example of how people should not underestimate Blago.

[zulchzulu]

15. Dean thought, as a politico, that Blago made a brilliant political move

If you watch his whole statement, he also points out that Blago will possibly go down, but his political move with Burris was "brilliant"... much like perhaps how Madoff was "brilliant" bilking billions...

[AtomicKitten]

6. Wonderful news! Apparently Dean wasn't interested in the job. n/t

[berni_mccoy]

9. You don't know that for certain. Dean is so outstanding you would never know if he wanted the job

or not.

[AtomicKitten]

13. Well, here's the link. You are welcome to believe it, or not.

:shrug:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0109/Surgeon_General_Gupta.html

January 06, 2009
Categories: Transition
Surgeon General Gupta

Howard Kurtz has the day's most entertaining scoop: CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta is on the road to being named Surgeon General.

Great politics, and a smart pick for a role that's largely about communications.

And perhaps another snub for the other physician who'd been mentioned for the job, Dr. Howard Dean.

UPDATE: A source close to Dean says he was never interested in the job.

[zulchzulu]

18. AK, must you be so cruel as to show evidence?

:rofl:

[AtomicKitten]

23. Stand by. Someone will be by directly to impugn the source and accuse me of something.

:hi:

[Occam Bandage]

22. The sources must be lying, to cover up Dean's lie.

It's a cover-up to rival Watergate!

[AtomicKitten]

25. Liar!

:D

[eridani]

43. And what does Gupta want to "communicate" to us about?

How great private insurance is. How sick poor people can just fuck off and die if they aren't profitable.

[AtomicKitten]

51. Gupta is a red herring. He's a game show host showcasing Obama's healthcare plan.

[eridani]

53. Obama's health care plan retains private insurance

It's one thing to accept that as a necessary compromise, but quite another to shill for private insurance openly and praise McSame's health care plan as well.

[AtomicKitten]

54. That's why I always preferred Dennis Kucinich's plan. ;)

[eridani]

55. Fight for it, then

Conyers is. Harass your congresscritters and everybody else you know.

[grantcart]

14. true but then again there isn't any evidence that he wanted it

and more to the point it is inconceivable to me that Obama wouldn't want Dean if there was a position that Dean wasn't really interested in.

Obama want's the best and brightest. Plouffe has also not been offered a job. By the logic of DU that would mean that Obama and Plouffe have had a fight.

[berni_mccoy]

24. I never said there was. I'm just saying nobody knows but Dean.

And Dean would never let on that he wanted it.

[Occam Bandage]

26. Dennis Kucinich was Obama's first choice for the spot,

but the DLC made him pick someone more "mainstream friendly."

Well, no I have no evidence for this claim. Of course Obama won't say anything about that, he doesn't want to make a stir and embarrass the party. Look, I'm just saying nobody knows but Obama.

[berni_mccoy]

27. Which furthers my point that no one but Dean can conclude that Dean wasn't interested.

And you can't ever expect Dean to be forthcoming with the truth because it would undermine Obama.

[Occam Bandage]

28. Whoosh. nt

[berni_mccoy]

29. right back at ya.

[sallyseven]

39. He said so you dummy.

He said it months ago.

[brentspeak]

11. In other words, Dean is being civil and upstanding about it

And doesn't want to cause any controversy.

[Danger Mouse]

17. You don't know that. You just want to believe that.

[elleng]

21. Or he's NOT being civil,

and he DOES want to cause controversy! What's the chance of THAT?

Dr. Dean has known about O's relations with rahm, and has had his own; he's NOT a babe in the woods.

[Malikshah]

38. So tell me, when did Howie pee in your wheaties? Dean is being a statesman

Accept it and move on. He is.

[Occam Bandage]

20. It's easier to assume that he's lying

than it is to readjust one's conspiracy theories.

[berni_mccoy]

30. Your just like a freeper Occam. Calling people conspiracy theorists. Nice.

No thought. All bully. Yep. Freeper.

[Moochy]

36. Accurate Statement

[Occam Bandage]

47. You are theorizing a conspiracy of silence involving Howard Dean, Barack Obama,

an unnamed Howard Dean aide, and anyone else that is aware of Dean's actual intentions. That makes you a conspiracy theorist. If sticking to the facts (and knowing the difference between "you're" and "your") makes one a Freeper, then call me a Freeper.

[eridani]

44. What about being wrong?

The problem with way too many public office holders is that they are privileged, and there is a price to opposing private insurance that they don't want to pay. Dean is no exception here.

[firedupdem]

19. He didn't seem to be abused. He looked and sounded like he

was just fine.

[EraOfResponsibility]

32. When he publishes his tell-all book years from now

we'll know the truth then. Apparently.

[Sebastian Doyle]

31. First time Dr. Dean's been wrong since 2003

I guess it had to happen eventually. If Ron Paul and Pat Buchanan can be right once in a while, then the opposite also must be true.

[zulchzulu]

33. Howard Dean is only a doctor, so how would he know anything about being a doctor

C'mon. Give it up.

Hysterics who are protesting Gupta as Surgeon General have no idea what the role of a Surgeon General is. Not a cabinet position... not a policy-making position... it's a PR position for someone to explain simple health advice...

I'll trust Howard Dean's judgment on this over people who seem to want to just bitch and moan.

[eridani]

46. Why would doctors necessarily know anything about public health policy than anyone else?

Some do, and some don't. Some writers are also good public speakers, but it isn't something you should expect.

[cali]

37. Howard Dean will not attack Obama on his appointments

he'll be gracious as can be as he's whisked out the door.

[marimour]

40. or maybe he actually believes they are good appointments

you have absolutely no idea but seem to want to assume otherwise b/c it fits with your viewpoint. Please stop projecting them onto Dean.

[Cha]

48. And, I think Dean(from his history)

will land nicely on his feet. I was so down when my choice for Prez in 2004 didn't make it but then lo and behold a few months later he was the DNC Chair.

Something good will pop for Dean..in the mean time we could start a campaign to ask that Dean be recognized for all the successful work he's done for our country.

http://change.gov/page/content/openforquestions20081229/

[bvar22]

49. I agree with you here, cali.

Has the good doctor EVER spoken ill about The Party?

Unlike me, Dr. Dean is a good soldier for the Democratic Party.
My mother would have loved him...."If you don't have something good to say....".

[avaistheone1]

56. I think Howard Dean's role has been not to attack publicly Obama's picks or policies or for that

matter attack any of the leading Democrats policies, picks or positions - given it is Howard Dean's role as head of the DNC to support the Democratic heads of the party.

His support of Obama's pick of Gupta is more of the same. However, I personally believe Gupta is a very poor pick, and I sincerely hope it does not happen.

[phleshdef]

34. Dean is of course wrong, as usual. Just like he was wrong about the 50 state strategy... oh wait...

[Odin2005]

35. LOL, I see exploding heads on DU!

:rofl:

[eridani]

41. And Dean has his head up is ass here

Like Obama, he's wrong about single payer health care.

[BeyondGeography]

45. He's obviously sincere about it, too

"The job is to translate health issues into language that everyone understands and that's what Sanjay Gupta has been doing for years."

[zulchzulu]

50. Did you hear Howard was going to Pago Pago...

Samoa baby!

OK, this was a pathetic kick to keep Dean in the news...

[Cha]

52. You mean this awful place..