GOP Congressman clueless about Surgeon General

[ponderingturtle]

Why is this the purview of the SG? Is there a vaccine or something that can cure street gang violence?

Why isn't epidemiology a reasonable way to study such things? Of course gathering any information on shootings at all is politically untenable. Why do you think there is no way of knowing how many people the police kill, let alone what percentage of them is unarmed.

Data is the enemy.

 

[RandFan]

Why not nominate a SG who avoids pursuing political issues under the guise of health care?

Sounds reasonable. Is the nominee doing that or is he just a man with an opinion?

He's just a man with an opinion, and the pro-gun Senate contingent wants to keep it that way.

Perhaps Obama should just nominate people without opinions that are contrary to the GOP.

 

[Ziggurat]

Perhaps Obama should just nominate people without opinions that are contrary to the GOP.

Obama can nominate a candidate with universal GOP opposition and get that person confirmed... provided he has universal Democratic support.

But he doesn't in this case.

So perhaps Obama should just nominate people without opinions that are contrary to any Democrats.

 

[RandFan]

Why is this the purview of the SG? Is there a vaccine or something that can cure street gang violence?

As far as I know there is no vaccine or "something" that can cure lung cancer or lead poisoning either.

Tobacco

January 11, 2014 marked the 50th anniversary of the first Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health. The 1964 landmark report, released by Surgeon General Dr. Luther Terry, was the first federal government report linking smoking and ill health, including lung cancer and heart disease. This scientifically rigorous report laid the foundation for tobacco control efforts in the United States. In the last 50 years, we have increased our understanding of the devastating health and financial burdens caused by tobacco use. We now know that smoking causes a host of cancers and other illnesses and is still the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, killing 480,000 people each year.

http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/initiatives/tobacco/ Guess that Surgeon Generals overstep their purview from time to time.

Lead Poisoning: A Historical Perspective

In May 1925, the Surgeon General temporarily suspended the production and sale of leaded gasoline. He appointed a panel of experts to investigate the recent fatalities that had "occurred in the manufacture and mixing of the concentrated tetraethyl lead." The panel was also asked to weigh "the possible danger" that might arise "from...wide distribution of a lead compound" through its sale as a gasoline additive.

Then again, perhaps the safety and health of American citizens is part of the Surgeon General's purview.

 

[RandFan]

Update: Chelation can be used to mitigate the side effects of lead poisoning. However, prevention is a far better response to the problem. I don't think the SG ever recommended chelation to address the problems of anthropomorphic lead in the environment.

 

[fishbob]

How many people belong to Bloomberg's groups or the Brady Campaign?

How many loonies head up Bloomberg's groups or the Brady Campaign?
How many cabinet positions have they lobbied to hold up?

 

[fishbob]

Or George Soros either?

At least the NRA has millions of voters behind it.

See Post 66.

 

[fishbob]

At least a hundred million. They are the de facto voice of all gun owners after all.

Not this one.

ETA: What tyr_13 said.

 

[Mudcat]

Am I the only one confused here? What is the link between Ebola and private gun ownership?

Have the NRA been taken over by conspiritards fearful of FEMA death camps or something?

I see, you want government by the people, for the people, and of the people, but not people who are members of the NRA or support gun rights.

Are you seriously throwing in your support behind the NRA?

 

[marplots]

I'm not a member, but I'll say the NRA has at least one positive attribute - they get things done.

 

[ponderingturtle]

Not this one.

ETA: What tyr_13 said.

You have no political voice then.

 

[ponderingturtle]

Am I the only one confused here? What is the link between Ebola and private gun ownership?

Have the NRA been taken over by conspiritards fearful of FEMA death camps or something?



Are you seriously throwing in your support behind the NRA?

They can get the support of most gun owners when ever they need it. That is why they are so effective.

 

[3point14]

So the NRA can prevent a democratically elected house from doing stuff by threatening.... What? Withdrawal of funds? What's the whip that the NRA are using?


This isn't even pretending to be democracy anymore, is it?

 

[marplots]

So the NRA can prevent a democratically elected house from doing stuff by threatening.... What? Withdrawal of funds? What's the whip that the NRA are using?


This isn't even pretending to be democracy anymore, is it?

Representative democracy. A lobby group representing their membership.

 

[3point14]

Why not nominate a SG who avoids pursuing political issues under the guise of health care?

How do you separate the two?

 

[3point14]

Representative democracy. A lobby group representing their membership.

How does that square with 'one man one vote'

What's the mechanism by which these lobbyists influence polititians? Why do you think that those that shout loudest (and spend most money) should be more listened to by the legislature than those who don't shout as loud because they can't afford a megaphone? Why do democratically elected polititians need to be lobbied by people paid by those with a vested interest that may run counter to the will of the people.

In short, why do you think policy should be purchasable?

 

[marplots]

How does that square with 'one man one vote'

What's the mechanism by which these lobbyists influence polititians? Why do you think that those that shout loudest (and spend most money) should be more listened to by the legislature than those who don't shout as loud because they can't afford a megaphone? Why do democratically elected polititians need to be lobbied by people paid by those with a vested interest that may run counter to the will of the people.

In short, why do you think policy should be purchasable?

Because I don't want politicians to be independent of those they serve. The politician immune from political influence is one too close to being a king. You want some way to push them from outside their own sense of what ought to be done, some way to leverage the "they work for me" as more than a nice catchphrase. Independent thought and action is a recipe for inside the beltway insanity.

I very much want them to worry about money and getting reelected. In my view, this makes them responsive.

 

[ponderingturtle]

So the NRA can prevent a democratically elected house from doing stuff by threatening.... What? Withdrawal of funds? What's the whip that the NRA are using?


This isn't even pretending to be democracy anymore, is it?

They run adds against their opponents, calling them antigun. This leads many gun owners not to vote for them.

 

[Puppycow]

So, essentially, Obama is too stubborn to appoint someone acceptable? Are there no other doctors cum administrators out there to fill the bill?

Maybe the country doesn't actually need a surgeon general. I think it's mostly a symbolic position anyway. About as mission-critical as the national poet-laureate.

 

[ponderingturtle]

Maybe the country doesn't actually need a surgeon general. I think it's mostly a symbolic position anyway. About as mission-critical as the national poet-laureate.

Or a head of the ATF.