April 27, 2009
Pig Flu: No one to lead as the crisis unfolds.
At first glance, I thought I was reading about the Treasury Department:
The Obama administration declared a “public health emergency” Sunday to confront the swine flu — but is heading into its first medical outbreak without a secretary of Health and Human Services or appointees in any of the department’s 19 key posts.
President Barack Obama has not yet chosen a surgeon general or the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His choice to run the Food and Drug Administration awaits confirmation.
In an unusual Sunday briefing at the White House, acting CDC Director Richard Besser appeared on camera with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Obama homeland security adviser John Brennan to announce the emergency declaration in response to the swine flu outbreak.
I realize Obama is busy preparing for prime time speeches, apologizing to the world, running up America’s debt, and walking his new dog, but perhaps our president should find the time to do his job when it comes to appointing people to run these agencies. Perhaps he doesn’t want to appoint anyone so that all decisions have to be made directly by him, like any good dictator would want. Who knows?
If we can get through an economic crisis with no one working at the Treasury, and Obama’s team doesn’t seem to think we’ll have any trouble getting through a health crisis with no one at the CDC and Health and Human Services, wouldn’t that suggest we don’t need these agencies? It’s just a thought.
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So–you want less government intervention but, strangely, simultaneously, greater, more aggressive activity from the intervening bodies currently standing?
Of course we need a CDC. Your president happens to be doing more in the immediacy of his tenure than his predecessor did in eight years–excepting of course the mass of illegal assumption of ever-broadening powers (or is this your kind of intervention?)
Problem is, it seems to me, that folk like you really have no theoretical platform upon which to set up your politics–and so your polity is reduced to complaining and interminable, unmerited effrontery. Get off it. Get over it. If you’re not contributing to an actual discussion, shut up already.
I only happened upon your web site because I wanted to read about swine flu. What a worthless waste of time it was to bother reading this. I’ll be on my way now.
Comment by Edgar Garcia — April 27, 2009 @ 8:07 pm
I wonder if Edgar Garcia possesses the genital integrity to say something like that in mixed company.
Because the sanctimony isn’t insufferable. Or anything.
And just who HAS filled Julie Gerberding’s shoes at the CDC there, smart guy?
Right.
Comment by Christopher Calandro — April 27, 2009 @ 9:19 pm
MOVEON.ORG 2005 “Replace Simonson, Prepare for a Flu Pandemic”
http://pol.moveon.org/flupandemic/
The Bush administration official in charge of making sure America is ready for a flu pandemic is a crony with no experience related to his job. Stewart Simonson is Assistant Secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—the Bush administration’s point man for a flu pandemic. But, Simonson has no public health management experience. He got his job because he is a close associate of former HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson. Will you urge that Simonson be replaced with a more obviously qualified person by signing our petition to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt?
“Replace Stewart Simonson as your department’s point person on a flu pandemic with a qualified individual who can prepare the nation for this public health emergency.”
Stewart Simonson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stewart_Simonson
Stewart Simonson served as Special Counsel to the Secretary and acted as the Secretary’s liaison to the Homeland Security Council and the Department of Homeland Security. He also supervised policy development for countermeasure research and development programs, including Project Bioshield, a program to speed the manufacture of vaccines and antidotes. Since its enactment in July 2004, Project BioShield has launched nine acquisition programs including medical countermeasure acquisition programs for all four threat agents (anthrax, smallpox, botulinum toxins, and radiological/nuclear threats) determined by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to pose material threats to the national security of the US. Of the $3.4 billion available to the program between FY04 and FY08, over $1.7 billion has already been obligated and the Strategic National Stockpile has substantially increased its holding of anthrax vaccines and medical countermeasures for radiological/nuclear threats.”
Simonson was awarded the Surgeon General’s Medallion in May 2006 for “Significant Collaboration with and Contributions to the USPHS Commissioned Corps Response Mission.” In June 2006, Simonson received the Public Health Achievement Award from the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research
“For Tireless and exceptional dedication in better preparing our nation and world against the threats of bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases, including pandemic influenza.”
On May 10, 2006 the Director-General of WHO Dr. J.W. Lee wrote: “I want to add my personal congratulations for the contributions you have made to international public health since your appointment as Assistant Secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness. I will be sorry to see you leave. Your personal interest in pandemic influenza has added much to our joint global preparedness and response and response activities. And without your input and actions, the new and critical International Health Regulations likely would be less robust and action – oriented. Action rather than mere words has been the hallmark of your tenure in the Department of Health and Human Services.”
Simonson coordinated the HHS response to Hurricane Katrina and received high marks. Dr. Louis Cataldie, the Louisiana State Medical Examiner, wrote in his recently released book, Coroners Journal: “I respect Stewart Simonson, Assistant Secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness at the Department of Health and Human Services, who met me face-to-face and stayed true to his word. Imagine someone from D.C. being a straight guy. He has delivered every time – not so with some of these other cover-your-ass feds.” (Cataldie, Louis, Coroner’s Journal, G Putnam’s Sons, New York, NY (2006) Page 7.)
Some of the nation’s leading scientists have been quick to defend Simonson. Dr. Michael T. Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota said: “Of all the people I’ve worked with over my career, no one is more competent,”
“Here’s the guy who really done a terrific job under very complicated, adverse circumstances. To have him be the target the way he has, has got to be one of the really unfair events in Washington, which is a pretty unfair place to begin with,” says Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, an HHS unit (Wall Street Journal, December 12, 2005).
Donald Henderson, a public health expert who is credited with leading the effort to wipe out smallpox in the late ‘60s and ‘70s: “The general feeling was this is someone who may be here because of political reasons, but this is a dedicated person who has the interests of the country at heart.” Dr. Henderson, who joined HHS after Sept.11, 2001, and left in 2002, says Mr. Simonson was instrumental in helping him do everything from finding office space to working on an early HHS purchase of smallpox vaccine (Wall Street Journal, December 12, 2005)
Stewart Simonson was the ASSISTANT Secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—the Bush administration’s point man for a flu pandemic.
As of today, April 27, 2009, the Obama administration has no one heading HHS, nor a surgeon general or in any support roles to address the current outbreak of SwineFlu.
Mind-boggling. Liberals are just embarrassing themselves more and more every day.
Comment by pb — April 27, 2009 @ 9:43 pm
Hey Edgar,
If Obama’s picks for CDC and HHS are anywhere near the “quality” of, oh say, Eric Holder, Timmy Geithner, and Janet Napolitano, then I’d say it’s a GOOD thing Lord Zero hasn’t got anybody in those positions yet–they’d do a hell of a lot more harm than good.
Oh, and why you’re at it, can you please tell The Smartest Man in the World to stop buzzing his planes over Manhattan? The locals are getting the creeps.
Entiende, amigo?
Comment by MarkJ — April 27, 2009 @ 9:52 pm
Barry is still looking for a good anti-gun person to head up the CDC.
Comment by GEORGE — April 27, 2009 @ 10:30 pm
blah blah bush is bad.. blah
Obama is hip and sassy..
blah blah..
one republican senator is causing an plague. blah blah..
Comment by Dave C — April 27, 2009 @ 11:48 pm