Writing today on the choice of CNN health correspondent Sanjay Gupta as surgeon general for the Obama administration, the Washington Post reported that
if he is confirmed by the Senate, Gupta would provide the administration with a skilled television personality to help market what is planned to be a massive reorganization of the U.S. health system.
Yet judging from Gupta’s evidence-free attack on Michael Moore’s documentary Sicko last year (see FAIR’s Action Alert, 7/11/07), it would seem that surgeon general nominee’s most relevant experience in communicating about healthcare reform is arguing dishonestly against proposals for a single-payer healthcare system.
For more on Gupta’s TV personality skills, see CJR: “Paging Dr. Gupta” (10/27/08) by Trudy Lieberman, and Schwitzer Health News Blog: “CNN’s House Call Makes Some Bad Calls” (2/4/07) by Gary Schwitzer.
What is it about Americans like Gupta? The REST of the CIVILIZED WORLD has public health care, some better than others. We have a terrific system in Canada; there are problems with it because governments don’t want to spend the money required to add many more doctors, the number of which has been allowed as a matter of policy to decline in recent years, but NO CANADIAN WITH HALF A BRAIN WANTS ANYTHING LIKE THE U.S. NON SYSTEM.