Does America Really Need a Surgeon General?

By John W. Lillpop

Say what you will about George W. Bush and the Katrina debacle, at least W. had "Brownie" in place at FEMA to deal with the details.

This Obama fellow, on the other hand, has failed even to nominate a person for the important position of Surgeon General. This failure is particularly bothersome as America confronts the new deadly Mexican swine flu, which has the potential to become a global pandemic.

Although the Obama administration has declared a "Public Health Emergency," administration sources contend that having a Surgeon General in place during such a monumental crisis is not all that essential.

Or to be more precise, not having a Surgeon General does not mean that President Obama is derelict in filling important positions.

As reported, in part, at Politico.com:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21719.html

"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.

"White House press secretary Robert Gibbs insisted the vacancies won’t hinder Obama’s response.

“I want to be very clear here: There is a team in place. Part of it is standing behind me, and part of it working as we speak to identify exactly what [Besser] and others have talked about,” Gibbs said.

“This notion that somehow that if there is not currently a secretary, that there is not the function that needs to take place to prepare for either this or any other situation is just simply not the case.” “I think it’s all hands on deck, and we’re doing fine,” Gibbs said."Gibbs neglected to point out that, given Obama's wretched personnel decisions to date, the nation is probably better off with the positions left unfilled.

A burning question as of yet unanswered: Just why has Obama failed to fill this position 100 days into his presidency?

Perhaps the president has been unable to find a leftist doctor who has paid his or her taxes?

Then there is always the possibility that the new president has been busy, far too busy in fact, to worry about the nation's health.

Obama has no doubt been driven to complete other high priority items like bad-mouthing America on foreign soil to anyone that will listen; shutting down Guantánamo; risking American homeland security by releasing highly sensitive CIA memos; ridiculing the disabled on national television; bowing to foreign kings; acting as HR manager for General Motors; hobnobbing with Latin America dictators, and bankrupting future generations of Americans with outrageous spending on unneeded and unwanted liberal nonsense.

With all of that on his plate, it is easy to understand why picking a Surgeon General is not on this president's short list of To Do items.