Ezra Klein: "Gupta is a great pick"

[jefferson_dem]

CAN SANJAY GUPTA FIX AMERICAN HEALTH CARE?

Quick: Name America's most famous doctor!
Probably House, right? Or maybe Doogie Hauser? But no, those are pretend doctors. Name a real doctor.

Odds are high that for most people, Dr. Sanjay Gupta would be the eventual reply. Gupta is CNN's friendly neighborhood neurosurgeon and a columnist for Time magazine. He's the smiling face of America's medical establishment. And Barack Obama is days away from naming him surgeon general.

Gupta is a great pick. To illustrate why, here's another question: Who's the current surgeon general? Odd that you just blurted out Steven K. Galson are low. That's not necessarily a problem. The surgeon general isn't just the guy who writes warnings for cigarette labels. He commands the 6,000 health professionals in the Public Health Commissioned Corps. He gives out awards. There's no evidence Galson is failing in those duties.

But Gupta is not leaving CNN and Time to give out medals. The surgeon general has an informal role as the country's leading medical and lifestyle educator, and it's that role the Gupta is uniquely positioned to fill. There's not a doctor in this country with half his media training and experience, nor one with a rolodex of editors and reporters a tenth as large.

Expect Gupta to be doing more than health education, though. According to Howard Kurtz, Gupta has negotiated "an expanded role in providing health policy advice." And if he's advising the project, he'll almost certainly be advocating for it, too. Which means Sanjay Gupta, arguably the nation's most trusted health care authority, will back on TV screens arguing for Obama's universal health care plan, lending it his credibility as a doctor, a trusted media presence, and the nation's surgeon general. It's a far cry from the days when Ira Magaziner and Hillary Clinton were reform's best known advocates.

http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/ezraklein_archive?month=01&year=2009&base_name=can_sanjay_gupta_fix_american#comments

[Skittles]

1. LOL, what drivel

"friendly and smiling" - while shilling as a corporate piece of shit

[jefferson_dem]

18. I sure as fuck hope Gupta is a shill...

as he pimps like a madman...for some progressive healthcare reform.

That's on Ezra's mind too - http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_lessons_of_94

[Windy]

2. A lot of people on DU are whining about this, but I think its a SMART move

He is well known across the country even to the american idol set. He can relate policy and there are a lot of people in this country who will believe it if it comes from Sanjay's mouth....

He is not only a doctor, but media savvy. He is a great choice when trying to push health care reform. With the push back the right wing is going to give to any health care reform effort, the more visible and well known advocate we can have on our side the better.

[SharonRB]

5. I agree with you

for what it's worth amongst all the bitching about it.

[Windy]

8. thanks Sharon!!! It must be 'cause we're both from Michigan.. :o) n/t

[firedupdem]

25. An ex michiganian here agrees with you guys! n/t

[SharonRB]

29. You're probably at least partially right

Go Blue!

[Bluebear]

7. What makes you think he WANTS to push health care reform? He's owned.

[Windy]

12. He works for CNN... what makes you think he is owned? Because he believes in vaccines?

What? He is a very well respected neurosurgeon and a great communicator.

[Bluebear]

21. I said nothing about vaccines. He's a shill.

[Joe the Revelator]

35. Its funny how the same people get pissed over every move Obama makes

Hows that outrage working out for you Bluebear?

[Webster Green]

26. He's a fucking right-wing dip-shit!

He works for BIG PHARMA!

He's a bought and sold fucking asshole! I've seen enough of his stupid shit to know what he's about :thumbsdown:

[Thrill]

17. Because if he didn't Obama wouldn't have selected him

[Bluebear]

22. Oh, of course. Sorry.

[lumberjack_jeff]

43. Where did you get the idea that Obama want's meaningful reform? Here? nt

[jberryhill]

33. Probably the fact that he'll have to push what he's told to push

So, let me get this straight.

What Gupta is going to do is to formulate his own policy in opposition to what the Obama administration develops, and he's going to promote that other policy instead?

What, exactly, is he going to do to oppose the administration which is employing him?

[FrenchieCat]

41. He'll now be owned by the Government.....

and you know what is even funnier....because he used to work at CNN, CNN won't be able to pan what he says. Now see, that's funny! :rofl:

[Avalux]

10. I agree too. n/t

[Thrill]

15. Some people on DU are drama queens. They love the fake outrage

[Bluebear]

23. Yes, everyone's "outrage" is fake other than yours.

[EFerrari]

30. What a convenient cover for never having to inform yourself about anything ever.

[Barack_America]

19. Fine. He'll be a good spokesmodel.

But I refuse to fall for this bullshit that he's going to be instrumental in crafting health policy. To that, I have only one reply, "in what respect, Charlie?"

[jefferson_dem]

24. Agreed.

I love the pick. Like it or not...policy reform only happens after the public "buy in". Gupta can make the case as good as any.

[Phx_Dem]

28. Me too. I like him.

[The Doctor.]

31. That's a tough one. In the bigger picture...

he's proven himself to be an abject, unrepentant shill for the corporations.

That is ultimately at odds with our national health.

[lumberjack_jeff]

42. Dr Fraizer Crane would have no problem recognizing the projection in this post.

Obama didn't campaign on meaningful health care reform and now he's appointed as Surgeon General someone who sends the message to the HMO's, Pharma and other mega corps that Obama simply intends to put a friendlier face on the status quo.

[berni_mccoy]

3. YAY! It's a POPULARITY FUCKING CONTEST!

[Windy]

6. No, its called getting the job done in the climate and culture that exists in this country

dumbed down masses for the most part...

[berni_mccoy]

9. How about an honest doctor instead of a liar and a shill?

[The Doctor.]

32. That would be nice.

This asshole has credentials as a neurosurgeon, but not as a Doctor.

There's a difference.

[leftstreet]

13. Wow! Nice hating on Americans!!

"dumbed down masses for the most part"

:wow:

[Windy]

16. They are...that's why we had bush for 8 years! Thats wny many people in this county still think O is

a Muslim... That Sadaam was in bed with Bin Laden...

[leftstreet]

4. You left out an 'R' n/t

[sandnsea]

11. According to Howard Kurtz

Oh now I feel better. :eyes:

[Barack_America]

14. So Gupta will be a better SG because of his "as seen on TV" status?

Unfortunately, despite Gupta's impressive "media training", his resume lacks one minor detail...public health experience. FYI, despite Galson's lack of "American Idol" status, he does hold a Masters in Public Health.

Gupta might be effective in selling us Enzyte or a sham-wow, but I fail to see how he has the experience to provide useful health policy advice. But I'm sure that he'll be an effective spokesmodel for the health policy the actual experts put together. :eyes:

[DRoseDARs]

20. I kept waiting for KO to bring up with EK Gupta's run-in with Michael Moore.

MM's fact-check of CNN/Gupta's fact-check of MM's SiCKO:
http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/news/article.php?id=10017

[Webster Green]

27. Yeah, me too!

I'm fucking pissed at this dumb-ass appointment.

[w4rma]

38. Interesting. The Gupta quotes aren't that bad. It's almost like he was hesitant to really do this

story.

[Olney Blue]

34. Isn't he the guy that writes the warnings on cigarette packs?

[Solon]

36. Uhm, Obama has a Universal Health Care plan? When did this happen?

Also, on the Gupta pick, frankly all I know is that it is comedy gold. :rofl:

[Hutzpa]

37. Dang! you beat me to it

after listening to Ezzra Klien explained the reasoning behind Obama
picking Gupta, I must admit that he is a great pick.

Turns out that Dr Koop (SG) has been there doing nothing but selling some
kind of elderly device....:D

[soothsayer]

39. prolly meant a great prick

[Bluebear]

40. ---

:spray: