DISQUS

JohnInTexas · 10 months ago

I'm still dumfounded Obama picked Sanja Gupta, half brain surgeon, half CNN commentator for surgeon general. The guy is a joke, an ambulance chaser, and opportunist...but he does have a glow-in-the-dark smile that makes him look much darker than he probably is, so he should fit in as some odd crossbred minority, which is becoming more and more what the new administration looks like....a pound full of mutts following their leader. I wonder what Cesar Milan's new post will be, official White House Dog Whisperer. sigh....

lynchie · 10 months ago

uncalled for racism/

dad · 10 months ago

i'm not fond of him either. however he is the most established medical voice. his attack on Moore and universal health may afford him a broader reach as his predisposition is contrary. he's a tool we can use.

lodestar · 10 months ago

This site is bringing out the most disgusting (possibly gay, too?) racists imagninable.

JohnInTexas · 10 months ago

I can see now where my choice of words might sound racist to some, it wasn't meant to be, but where do you get the possibly gay bullshit? Could you be possibly a homophobe? And to set the record straight, I AM gay, and not a racist. I don't give a shit what colors Obama's cabinet is, and don't particularly care if he appoints a gay person to be on it either. Apologies for my poor choice of words in my post.

lodestar · 10 months ago

I'm gay, too. There is a lot of racism in the gay community as evidenced by your previous post, apologies notwithstanding. The community needs to work on a lot of the "-isms" within it before crying "homophobe" at every turn.

JohnInTexas · 10 months ago

And we in the gay community should set a better example for our straight friends by not speculating on one's sexual orientation to begin with. I asked could you POSSIBLY BE a homphobe...you called me a racist and possible homo. I've been out for 30 years and the gay community now pales in comparison to what it was back then, so I don't need a lecture from you.

lodestar · 10 months ago

Fair enough. We in the gay community should also set a better example to our straight friends by engaging in policy debates and not making demeaning remarks about a person's skin color and ethnic ancestry.

lynchie · 10 months ago

I saw that mugging by Gupta. He did not have any facts to back up his accusations and I stopped paying any attention to him. His whole approach was that Health Care in the U.S. is in fine shape and it is a mess in every country that has Universal Health Care. He is part of the problem. Gupta, the health industry, doctors, hospital ceo's they do not want any changes to the system. They continue to shout we can't afford it and it will be more expensive. Yeah, i'm convinced every one of the deals to privatize anything have worked so well, and, funnily enough no other country with Universal Health care is in the financial toilet the U.S. is. Gupta is a pretty boy, Moore is overweight and because he is not handsome is easily dismissed as inconsequential. I think Gupta is a terrible choice and frankly brings nothing to the table except that we already know he is a shill for big Pharma, health insurance and surgeons who make way too much money.

Gary SF · 10 months ago

Gupta was wrong to say that Moore had 'fudged' the facts, and I think that saying his attack of Moore was motivated because Moore is an 'outsider' is naive. It was a strategic attack by the health-care profiteers and it was motivated by self-preservation.

Gupta is unfit to be our next Surgeon General and this is one small reason. The role of SG goes way beyond being a pretty PR guy. It is an intensely political position with lots of policy work.

Obama is shaping up to be the superficial, 'feel-good' president. Warren selected for the invocation because he is 'popular.' Gupta is selected because he is 'popular.' I still can't figure out the Panetta appointment. And we have another 'Latino' slot to fill.

pdxprobert · 10 months ago

Pretty PR types are put in place to sell something, often times something thats unpleasant... but a pretty face makes it more acceptable... Ive heard Panetta has some rather good foreign policy expertise as well as energy services type connections... isn't the CIA about discovering rogue foreign policy objectives before they harm us?...

KarenMrsLloydRichards · 10 months ago

Rick Warren is branded "America's Pastor."

Sanjay Gupta is branded "America's Doctor."

Barack Obama is branded "America's President."

It's all about marketing.

Fireblazes(CheetohsandCatfood) · 10 months ago

Apparently there is no one that is clean enough to fill any post in the Obama government. Talk about digging up non-sequitars to dirty people up. There are no saints, expecting everyone to be flawless iss ridiculous. So he fulfilled his role as a commentator on CNN. So he disagreed with Moore. SO WHAT!
Another netroots "Tempest in a Teapot".

Gary SF · 10 months ago

The Surgeon General is not a 'made for TV' role. It is intensely policy and politics. Gupta has shown that is supports big pharma. He is not fit for this role.

Fireblazes(CheetohsandCatfood) · 10 months ago

So WHO does not support big pharma at this level of expertise? Proof that
he is in their pocket would be nice. He does one interview and people hate
him, the level of cynicism on Ablog is over the top. There are no
"perfect" people. You should look up pragmatism in the dictionary.
Actually having watched Koop, I would disagree about the "made for tv"
comment. Koop's greatest strength was his ability to put his views on the
news.

Gary SF · 10 months ago

There are several qualified physicians that are not whores for big pharma. And I disliked Gupta for this long before Sicko was made. Keep making excuses for Obama and you will begin to sound just like Rush. Drink the Koolaid.

Fireblazes(CheetohsandCatfood) · 10 months ago

I dislike nasty little cynics like you. Full of trite slogans and ready to
take a counter position on any issue. Keep being a jerk and you will be
Limbaugh. "Drink the koolaid" was so last year.

Fireblazes(CheetohsandCatfood) · 10 months ago

So what are their names? You know these other qualified doctors?

AdrianBrowne · 10 months ago

A couple of years ago Gupta agreed to go on a blog (Firedoglake?) and answer questions about why so much of the precious time he has on tv is spent promoting drugs for large drug companies. He was smarmy and seemed to think this was beneath him. First he didn't know what people were talking about when they accused him of being a shill and then he said that pharmaceuticals can be helpful to people. This was all prompted by some product placement piece on network news he did for a new drug that "might" help with "minor" bloating.

MrsTarquinBiscuitbarrel · 10 months ago

Thanks for bringing this up. This, and his "mugging" of Michael Moore with no apology, were the mind-crumbs that made me suspect Dr. Gupta.

pdxprobert · 10 months ago

It makes me wonder what role Gupta will be assigned if chosen.. what message will he be given to sell to the American public?... in corporate America, which is now corporate trans-America.. it's all about role playing and doing your part by performing your scripted assigned role.. usually the wording is your own, but the goal and message is pre-set by the top level decision makers... So, back to my original thought, what message will Gupta or whoever is chosen be assinged? That will tell you the direction healthcare will take in America... It's my understanding that all social type services will eventually be remanded to the states... the fed is getting out of providing for the common good except for the military and its function.... so will the next surgeon general's role be to buy time while those infrastructures are put in place? One thing that the current sociological make up of country has shown us is, that everybody has a price and the term prostitution has many ways of expressing itself... we have more whores in this country now than at any time in the past and they are usually attractive, well spoken and do there job without ever disrobing or showing anymore skin that what we see on their face and hands...

Older_Wiser · 10 months ago

Krugman is right about the mugging. But he neglects to point out that TV media types MUST be goodlooking, although I'm sure Gupta is pretty damned intelligent, too. But honest? Not so fast, since he is a media creature and we know that corporate shilling always comes before the truth.

Frankly, I'd much rather listen to Michael because the truth, not corporate hype, will set you free. I gotta admit, though, Gupta is eye candy for millions, and coupled with the fact that he's a neurosurgeon--brain surgeon!--it's a winnable combination for CNN. And Obama, too, evidently.

JohnInTexas · 10 months ago

I'd be curious to find out how many actual surgeries he has performed in the last year or two since his CNN gig seems to be a pretty busy one...for that matter, why he got into broadcasting if he was successful at it before CNN came along. Brain surgery isn't a part time job...or I wouldn't want a part time brain surgeon working on me anyway.

Older_Wiser · 10 months ago

Look him up on Wikipedia...this guy went places FAST.

JohnInTexas · 10 months ago

I meant why he got into broadcasting if he was successful as a neurosurgeon. Appaerntly he was a part time neurosurgeon at 28, which is barely time for him to be finished with residency. Hell, how many surgeries has he performed in his whole career then...and I don't mean "watched", I mean actually was the primary surgeon. I could care less what his broadcasting history entails. LOL

KarenMrsLloydRichards · 10 months ago

B-b-but! Dr. Gupta, "America's Doctor," performed brain surgery on blown-up Iraqi kids! On TV!!

He's so heroic! And, like America, so benevolent and humane!

Steve_in_CNJ · 10 months ago

he could be afraid of blood (hemophobic). a doctor friend of mine went into medical research because he couldn't get over that.

ChrisSF · 10 months ago

Amen. I have seen nothing to indicate that Gupta has spent any significant time as a full-time practicing physician.

Steve_in_CNJ · 10 months ago

either Larry King is not a "TV media type" or there are glaring exceptions to your rule.

Older_Wiser · 10 months ago

King is old school (think Walter Cronkite and those from earlier days), although he's not in that league and yes, is an anomoly). The new breed definitely need looks, because they're not real journalists. (And the only exception I can think of right now is Jabba the Crowley, although she's getting long in the tooth as well).

dula · 10 months ago

Now, Now, let's not malign the plump among us. Besides, Ms. Crowley is merely retaining...hotpockets.

JohnInTexas · 10 months ago

Ms. Croley's makeup trailer is a double-wide with the wheels on.

dula · 10 months ago

Are you suggesting Larry King is not a sexpot?

NMRon · 10 months ago

I remember the incident well. And I don't remember an apology or correction either, when Moore was shown to absolutely correct in his numbers and assertions. I haven't payed any attention to Gupta from that day. He may be smart, an excellent surgeon, who really knows. But one thing about him is certain, he's just another corporate whore.

Chimpeach · 10 months ago

corporate whore indeed. a few months ago he was making smug commentary on ear candles. He obviously had no personal experience with them because he just dismissed them as ineffective when in fact they are much more so than any of the OTC or prescription remedies. I suspect Gupta is an enemy of alternative medicine.

hrh · 10 months ago

He is a paid shill for big pharma. CNN makes millions from big pharma with advertising. Gotta protect those big bucks.

Older_Wiser · 10 months ago

And from Wikipedia, voila! the Clinton connection:

From 1997 to 1998, he served as one of fifteen White House Fellows, primarily as an advisor to Hillary Clinton.

Note: In 1997 he was 28 yrs old,

KLG · 10 months ago

I remember this, too. Which is the primary reason the selection leaves me underwhelmed. There are "public" physicians who are much better choices that this.

Hm. · 10 months ago

Gupta is an obedient dog so nothing to worry about there. He'll do his master's bidding and for a few years that master will be Barack Obama.

Bush Bites · 10 months ago

One thing you have to remember is that most doctors are wingnuts.

Not really based on ideology, but basically out of self interest.

In fact, the AMA ran commercials in the 60s trying to fight Medicare by calling it "Socialism."

Doctors are businessmen who want to be able to keep their prices high.

JohnInTexas · 10 months ago

Doctor's prices are high because it is expensive to have a practice. They don't just show up at the office. Equipment, staffing, malpractice insurance, equipment...they are not cheap.

hn^3 · 10 months ago

"One thing you have to remember is that most doctors are wingnuts."

heheh. Thanks for the laugh. Pretty much all the doctors in the department my wife is in are liberal and happily supported Obama (and healthcare reform). Your doctor may be a wingnut.

yawn · 10 months ago

Obama should bring back Jocelyn Elders

dula · 10 months ago

I love her but She's too busy masturbating.

Older_Wiser · 10 months ago

Surgeon General is a PR spot anyway; nothing to do with policy making. He will be taking orders and presenting Obama policy; perhaps a bit of "healthy living advice", you know, exercise, healthy foods, etc. (along with a steady dose of pharms?). And everyone remembers Koop's anti-smoking spots, right? Poor Jocelyn Elders got shitcanned for her pro-masturbation message (which makes a lot more sense than encouraging "abstinence education").

timncguy · 10 months ago

you need to look into this pick a bit deeper. Obama plans a larger than usual policy role for Gupta as Surgeon General. IT will not be just a PR role.

Chauncey Gardner · 10 months ago

Gupta is a very charming fascist.
Michael Moore is fat.
Big Pharma is our friend.
Move along.

lauren1959 · 10 months ago

Hard to call this exchange a "mugging". Moore got the better of the argument, Gupta agreed with him more than he disagreed with him, and Moore's speech at the end of the former (and hopefully future) greatness of this country was very effective. I'm getting tired of objections to everyone Obama wants working for him- he's picking smart people who have opinions. Not all of them are going to line up with all of ours...

dula · 10 months ago

Get used to it. If you thought your savior was just gonna do his thing in a vacuum like Bush, you're in for a "tired" 4 years.

lauren1959 · 10 months ago

Nice sarcasm- I'm an atheist, so never have looked for a savior but thanks for your input...

dula · 10 months ago

Funny, I would think an atheist would be a more questioning sort of person.

lauren1959 · 10 months ago

Maybe more pragmatic and logical-

dula · 10 months ago

Pragmatic and logical if you're for corporate control of the United States and unwilling to change the policies that have brought us to our knees.

timncguy · 10 months ago

no, not all of them are going to line up....

But it would certainly be nice if at least ONE OF THEM lined up

dula · 10 months ago

Given what happened between Gupta and Moore, is Gupta's possible nomination another message to "The Left" that they don't have a place in the Obama Administration?

nicho · 10 months ago

How many more messages do we need. Barry's apologists are still writing every incident off as "trivial," but we have a big pile of "trivial" incidents that are defining a pattern.

Rab · 10 months ago

Exactly!

dad · 10 months ago

Tom Daschle/Barack Obama will set the policy.

Gupta will communicate what he is told to communicate. Just as he is now.

dula · 10 months ago

I assume the policy will be a corporate handout...which is why he would chose a corporatist like Gupta to deliver it.

dad · 10 months ago

perhaps.

Rab · 10 months ago

This is looking shitty. I won't watch the inauguration because of fat boy Warren and now he considers a CNN shill for Surgeon General? WTF Are we witnessing another administration of repug-lite? WTF.

Rab · 10 months ago

Krugman has it right, my Senator (if Harry Reid had balls) Al Franken had him on his show alot and he was spot on in alot of the discussions. Stay on CNN with Wolfie and Jabba the Crowley Dr. Guppie.

dad · 10 months ago

it is what i think of first when i think of gupey.
however, the pick may be good.

on another note, Rachel answers your question of yesterday AM
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/vp/2853045...

Monrob · 10 months ago

He did absolutely mugged Moore on Larry King, I believe. I've hated Gupta since. Now I hate Moore too.

katiec · 10 months ago

It all boils down to where you get your "facts" from. Believe both
men have creditbility and are sincere in what they believe.
In addidtion, anyone expecting unbiased reporting from CNN has
their head in the sand. They have and probably always will support
the pubs. Do not watch them anymore.

kladinvt · 10 months ago

Why in the world would Obama choose one of the "TV Doctors" for the Surgeon General? It's like picking Judge Judy for the Supreme Court!

AdmNaismith · 10 months ago

If Obama is calling back old Clinton appointees to fill out his Cabinet, he should have appointed Jocelyn Elders for Surgeon General. There's someone who knows what's what.

Gupta's a shill as far as I'm concerned. Does Obama have any good ideas he can shill?

cowboyneok · 10 months ago

Good point, John. Michael Moore is the perenial favorite for society elites to make fun of. No truth Michael Moore utters goes unchallenged and poked fun at but when what Moore says is proven ABSOLUTELY TRUE every single time there are crickets from those same elites. Those who have a memory realize Michael Moore has been quite prophetic on MANY subjects, and taken a load of shit for it, by the social elites, every single time! I guess with Moore, he just isn't "pretty enough" to tell the truth and be taken seriously?

ChrisSF · 10 months ago

Holy cow! Gupta sounds like a McCain flak in this! THIS is who we want for surgeon general in an administration that is going to implement health care reform? I don't think so.

EvilPrincess · 10 months ago

Howard Dean would be a better choice.

SCLiberal · 10 months ago

I agree completely. Obama wouldn't even be headed for the White House without Dean's innovative 50-state strategy. He thinks outside of the box and is not afraid to stir things up. American health care would be much better off with Dean in the post.

JohnInTexas · 10 months ago

But Dean is Caucasian...isn't the Caucasian quota already over limit? (I'm such a racist) snark

lark83 · 10 months ago

I'm not a big fan of Moore. His documentary about the Iraq invasion stupidly started off with scenes of little Iraqi children happily playing in a heavenly place called Iraq. It was a stupid way to start a movie, and turned off everyone on the other side who might have been won over.

I also saw Moore advance some 911 conspiracy theory by saying he didn't believe hijackers could fly planes into buildings without some real intense training. He just didn't believe anyone and everyone who knows something about this (like me) who told him otherwise.

I just don't have patience for ineffective liberals.

Gef · 10 months ago

Moore is a pig. Go Gupta!

ChesterPA · 10 months ago

Obama is proving to be a shallow vessel.

chrisnyc · 10 months ago

I love Paul, but he should stick to economics. I like a lot of Moore's stuff, but he does open himself up to criticism because he does stretch things. Not saying he's wrong, but presentation of the facts does count for something.

basically, i'm waiting for a large segment of the progressive movement to start the first true IMPEACH OBAMA movement, since you all seem more unhinged than the republicans do about him.

I used to be a proud progressive, but the way many are wanting to call in their chits reminds me too much of the religious right.

shell · 10 months ago

Look at what you wrote! How many times did you write: "XXX, BUT YYY" Example: the first sentence, the second sentence, on and on.

When you write this, get a clue! You were never a "proud progressive." And if that reminds you of the religious right, you are totally clueless. Are you 20 years old? The religious right has been screaming to drop Roe vs Wade for over a generation, screaming for NO gun laws for many generations ... on and on. Demanding ACTION for your vote is practically the opposite of the religious right.

Tim · 10 months ago

GUPTA is a HACK. Moore was right. American Medicine is a crime!

Down with GUPTA , hack!

TrappedInARedState · 10 months ago

I'm not a huge fan of Moore but I do think that 'Sicko' was one of the most important movies of our time.

That a member of the medical profession would try and discredit anyone who is trying to reform our medical system should surprise no one. Dr. Gupta is simply trying to protect his profession and his earnings potential. I understand that... we should ALL understand that. Given the circumstances I think that most people would do the same thing.

That does not, however, make it right.

I've had a number of 'conversations' with medical people about this subject and they all devolve into highly educated people yelling at me about 'socialism'. They don't seem to consider that our libraries, fire departments, police departments and school systems are already 'socialism'. Of course those don't affect their personal bottom line.

Again... I don't want to take a pay cut and I understand their position in not wanting to take one either. But that doesn't make them right.

I'm disappointed that many here would make reference to Mr. Moore's weight and appearance. How shallow some of us have become.

Yes he is overweight. Yes he is not 'pretty'. But neither of these things keep Moore from being intelligent or from having crafted an honest film. The fact that he has not been able to slide by on looks may actually have made him more qualified to tell these stories since he's had to rely more on his intelligence to accomplish his goals. Funny how that works, isn't it?

Cathy · 10 months ago

You hit it right on the head. It has always been about the status quo protecting themselves when it comes to the socialism argument. Brilliant. Thank you.

csnet · 10 months ago

Some people are so used to hearing lies, that they say Moore stretches the truth whle giving Gupta a pass:

"Gupta also said Moore is wrong in asserting the US spends $7,000 per person on healthcare compared to Cuba spending $25 per person, putting the figure for the US at $6,096 per person and Cuba's spending at $229 per person. Moore links to a study from the Department of Health and Human Services that projected health spending for 2006 at $7,092 per capita and $7,498 for 2007.

"As for Cuba," Moore's site says, "Dr. Gupta and CNN need to watch 'SiCKO' first before commenting on it. 'SiCKO' says Cuba spends $251 per person on health care, not $25, as Gupta reports. And the BBC reports that Cuba's per capita health expenditure is... $251!""

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Obama_appoints_CN...

Gupta is just another disppointment as it becomes clear that the status quo of the elite will be maintained and that "Change you can believe in" was just a sick, cynical, advertisng slogan useful for winning votes.

ChrisSF · 10 months ago

From Wikipedia: Gupta was named one of the Sexiest Men of 2003 by People magazine. Love it! Wonder if he puts that on his TV resume?

ChrisSF · 10 months ago

OMG, it just hit me: he is going to look SO adorable in that uniform! OK, I withdraw all of my criticisms.

Brad · 10 months ago

Who could have a problem with his fudgyness when he flashes that smile?

http://guavalog.wordpress.com/2002/08/07/sanjay...

shell · 10 months ago

America needs to grow up. American "conventional wisdom" is that fat, loud people are always wrong, while thin, polite people are always correct. (Unless, of course, they happen to be librul.)

America, today, is like a 3rd grader. Americans are so selfish! The common thought, among too many "libruls" is: "I don't like Michael Moore, but Sicko was correct! Read: "I hate that guy, but I don't have health care, so he is probably correct on THAT thing -- but the other things, that don't concern me, personally, he is wrong."

Act like an adult, America!

stymie · 10 months ago

Its too bad Obama didn't pick someone on the outside of the profession to lead the way. You might think that is not right, but the medical establishment is the NUMBER 1 CAUSE OF DEATH in this country, (there are many studies) and to continue embracing its philosophy is not change. So we need a different paradigm for the application of health care. And it needs to put drugs and surgery in a secondary, tertiary or an even lesser role when treatment considerations are being undertaken. We need to do so much more than a national one payer system they talk about.

I'll dispell the argument of "Oh yeah but what about all the lives it saves by trauma care and the like." I am not referring to that special sector of health care, in fact it is CRISIS care, not health care.

Brad · 10 months ago

Oh, yes!
mercola.com has the facts laid out on iatrogenic death statistics.

MNUSA · 10 months ago

I hope Gupta continues his work on the issues of obesity and lack of physical activity and chronic illnesses like diabetes, if he takes and job and is approved. Dean would be a good choice too. I thought Moore's "Sicko" was excellent.

ShirleyGoodnessanMercy · 10 months ago

SICKO is one of the most brilliant films I have ever seen. The section that takes place in France should be required viewing for every American!!!