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Thu Jul 12 21:26:02 BST 2007

I disagree with your disagreement. Dr Carmona has no more "scientific expertise" in fields in which he wasn't trained than I do. His opinions are therefor, just those, opinions. If you want scientific opinion, ask a scientist. Bush picked him because his SWAT teamy, trauma surgeon, WMD stuff fit in with the administrations push after 9-11.

Seriously, do you think if Joe Kennedy was against the SGs tobacco report he wouldn't have had him fired? Or killed.

My point isn't that Carmona is wrong or right, my point is that as an appointee your loyalty is to the one who appointed you. If you can't toe the line, you should walk. Frankly I'd have more respect for him if he quit because he disagreed with the president instead of complaining about it after he was not renewed.

William J. Bromberg, MD, FACS
Chair, EAST Practice Management Guidelines Committee
Savannah Surgical Group
912 350-7412

>>> Jeffery Hammond <hammond at umdnj.edu> 07/12/07 2:34 PM >>>
I disagree. Yes, the SG is a political appointee. But one would at least
hope that he/she is there to offer advise and counsel and not just be a
puppet. Otherwise, there is no need for the SG to be a physician. 

The fact that Carmona's expertise was not in stem cells doesn't hold weight
either.  He is a physician and presumably knows how to read and understands
the scientific method. He too, I would assume, has advisors. 

Finally, there was a time when the SG could take a bully pulpit and make
change. The greatest example in my recollection was Luther Terry, the SG
from 1961-4 who introduced tobacco as a major public health issue. That was,
I am sure, not a popular or politically correct position.

Jeffrey Hammond MD, MPH
New Brunswick, NJ

-----Original Message-----
From: trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org [mailto:trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org] 
On Behalf Of William Bromberg
Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2007 1:06 PM
To: Trauma &amp; Critical Care mailing list
Subject: RE: Dr. Richard Carmona

OK I can't take it anymore. The position of the Surgeon General is to be the
administration's spokesperson on medical policy. Looking at his CV he has no
special expertise on stem cell research or STDs. His background is in
trauma, bioterrorism, and etc. No, he was not hired for his scientific
opinion. It's a political job. It's always been a political job. If you
can't parrot the administration's lines (which I find misguided), you should
resign or not have taken the job in the first place. When you hold a
political position, you only get to disagree in private.  How long do you
think Tony Snow would last if he started disagreeing with the administration
during press conferences?

Furthermore, I frankly don't believe the moral outrage. It's not like the
position hasn't been political in the past -- anybody remember the Jocelyn
Elders fiasco? Remember who fired her for talking about masturbation (rhymes
with "linton")?  From an article on this topic from the Washington Post:
[Former Surgeon General David] Satcher, Carmona's predecessor, who served
from 1998 to 2002, said that under President Bill Clinton he could not
release a report on sexuality and public health, in part because of
sensitivities triggered by the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

How long do you think Hilary's Surgeon General would last if they started
talking about how Roe v. Wade should be overturned? When a democrat appoints
a SG that is pro-life, anti-stem cell, etc. etc. I'll buy the surprise and
disappointment I've seen on this topic. Till then, nope.

Bill Bromberg 

>>> "Eaves.Wanda" <Eaves.Wanda at mccg.org> 7/12/2007 12:09 PM >>>
A disturbing point was made in this quote from the NPR article; which
further shows what Dr. Carmona must have faced. 

Virginia Congressman Tom Davis, the committee's senior Republican, said he
was sympathetic to Carmona's complaints, but only to a point.

"I'm not sure what the boundaries are for appointed political officials who
sometimes have opinions different from the elected administration,"
Davis said. "It's tough trying to define where you be a team player and
where you speak out, and you try to balance that every day. But we have
politicians who run the government, and not scientists."

I thought he was appointed to give scientific opinion??

we

-----Original Message-----
From: Charlene M Morris [mailto:cvmmorris at gmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 12:28 PM
To: Trauma &amp, Critical Care mailing list
Subject: Re: Dr. Richard Carmona

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11854247* *
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11854247><http://w 
ww.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11854247>

easier yet.
CMM

On 7/11/07, Gabriel Castillo <castill at eng.usf.edu> wrote:
>
> If you go to
> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/11/washington/11surgeon.html?hp on the
left
> hand side there will be a link to the .pdf of the transcript right
above
> his photo.
>
> > Does anyone have the URL or copy of hisd recent remarks to Congress?
> >
> > Jeff Hammond
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org 
> > [mailto:trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org] 
> > On Behalf Of Bob Waddell II
> > Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 10:06 PM
> > To: 'Trauma &amp; Critical Care mailing list'
> > Subject: RE: Dr. Richard Carmona
> >
> > Being sent off line
> >
> > Take care,
> >
> > Bob
> >
> > Robert K. Waddell II
> > Vice President -
> > Emergency Preparedness and Response
> > "The Sacco Triage Methodology"
> > ThinkSharp, Inc
> >
> > Wyoming Office:
> > 1302 East 5th Avenue
> > Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001
> > (307) 920 - 2020 cell
> >
> > bwaddell at sharpthinkers.com 
> > or bobwaddell at bresnan.net 
> > www.sharpthinkers.com 
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org 
> > [mailto:trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org] 
> > On Behalf Of KMATTOX at aol.com 
> > Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 7:11 PM
> > To: trauma-list at trauma.org 
> > Subject: Dr. RIchard Carmona
> >
> > I have been searching my data bases for an e-mail address of trauma 
> > surgeon
> >
> > Dr. Richard Carmona, the former US Surgeon General.   Please, if
anyone
> > has
> >
> > the e-mail, send it to me off line.
> >
> > Kenneth L Mattox, MD
> >
> > _kmattox at aol.com_ (mailto:kmattox at aol.com)
> >
> >
> >

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Dr. Richard Carmona