Sen. Kennedy comments
on President Bush’s surgeon general nominee James Holsinger, who has repeatedly espoused medically-inaccurate homophobic positions: “I am disappointed that the Administration looked past the many talented physicians who have a record of bringing people together and instead chose an individual whose record appears to guarantee a polarizing and divisive nomination process.” Kennedy chairs the committee that will confirm Holsinger’s appointment.
Read his full statement:
America faces major public health challenges — TB, health disparities, the growing crisis of obesity, and many more. The nation needs a Surgeon General who can bring people together to meet these critical challenges. I am disappointed that the Administration looked past the many talented physicians who have a record of bringing people together and instead chose an individual whose record appears to guarantee a polarizing and divisive nomination process. Our Committee has the responsibility to assess whether Dr. Holsinger can serve effectively as Surgeon General for all Americans, and we will hold a hearing in the coming weeks to determine whether to recommend that the Senate approve or reject his nomination.
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It could be worse, Ya know. Brush could have chosen Theodoric of York…
June 9th, 2007 at 11:08 amI’d bet Daryll would ‘like’ this Holsinger guy,in more ways than one.
June 9th, 2007 at 11:14 am(not that there’s anything wrong with that)
“Kennedy chairs the committee that will confirm Holsinger’s appointment.”
Will confirm? A little premature, no?
June 9th, 2007 at 11:14 amOr fatalistic?
Dr. Mengele Redux…
Here trolls (because I know you don’t know who he is): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josef_Mengele
Josef Mengele (March 16, 1911 – February 7, 1979), was a German SS officer and a physician in the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. He gained notoriety chiefly for being one of the SS physicians who supervised the selection of arriving transports of prisoners, determining who was to be killed and who was to become a forced labourer, and for performing human experiments on camp inmates, amongst whom Mengele was known as the Angel of Death
June 9th, 2007 at 11:15 amJust once, I’d like to hear a Senator say something like this:
Dream on, right? It would be sweet… :)
June 9th, 2007 at 11:16 amWill confirm? A little premature, no?
Or fatalistic?
Comment by Wilco — June 9, 2007 @ 11:14 am
Good catch… You are omniscent :D
June 9th, 2007 at 11:16 amWhen did this appear?:
Be patient, your comment may take up to a minute to appear.
June 9th, 2007 at 11:17 am“I am disappointed that the Administration looked past the many talented physicians …”
disappointed, not at all su-prised… none of us…
June 9th, 2007 at 11:19 amWhen did this appear?:
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Comment by Zooey — June 9, 2007 @ 11:17 am
i first notice that this a.m. … ’bout time they put something up…
June 9th, 2007 at 11:20 amWhy do we talk about these issues, but don’t talk about real issues?
Bush’s demonstrated disdain for the Constitution.
Martial Law:
Take the administrations approval of warrantless NSA domestic spying. U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor ruled that it “undisputedly” violates the Fourth Amendment, “undisputedly” violates the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, violates the First Amendment, and violates the separation of powers. Not mincing any words, she added: “The Constitution itself has been violated.”
In an editorial on February 19 of this year, aptly entitled “Making Martial Law Easier,” The New York Times wrote: “Beyond cases of actual insurrection, the President may now use military troops as a domestic police force in response to a natural disaster, a disease outbreak, terrorist attack, or to any ‘other condition.’ Changes of this magnitude should be made only after a thorough public airing. But these new Presidential powers were slipped into the law without hearings or public debate.”
Or take his policy of denying U.S. citizens due process. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, writing for the Supreme Court in the Hamdi case, said the President does not have a blank check in times of war. “We necessarily reject the Government’s assertion that separation of powers principles mandate a heavily circumscribed role for the courts,” O’Connor wrote. And she explicitly warned about an Executive Branch approach that “serves only to condense power into a single branch of government.”
Condensing power into a single branch is precisely what concerns me about Bush’s new directive.
The directive also uses fudge words that President Bush was fond of while he was trying to find ways to justify torture. The continuity of government directive says it will be implemented in a manner “consistent with” the Constitution and “consistent with applicable law.”
Compare that with Bush’s February 7, 2002, order governing the treatment of detainees: “The war against terrorism ushers in a new paradigm. . . . Our nation recognizes that this new paradigm — ushered in not by us, but by terrorists — requires new thinking in the law of war, but thinking that should nevertheless be consistent with the principles of Geneva.”
In that context, Bush used the phrase “consistent with” to justify actions that were antithetical to the Geneva Conventions.
You have to wonder whether he’s using that phrase in a similar way when it comes to the Constitution in times of an emergency.
What’s more, there are the comments by former high-ranking officials in the Bush Administration who have said that martial law is coming if we’re attacked again.
Then there is the revision to the Posse Comitatus Act, which Bush whisked through last October.
Interestingly, some in the Bush Justice Department didn’t believe this Congressional change was even necessary. On October 23, 2001, then-Deputy Assistant Attorney General John C. Yoo and Robert J. Delahunty, then-special counsel in the Office of Legal Counsel, wrote a memo to Alberto Gonzales, then-White House Counsel, and William Haynes II, then-general counsel for the Pentagon: “We recently opined that the Posse Comitatus Act, 18 USCs.1385 (1994), which generally prohibits the use of Armed Forces for law enforcement purposes absent constitutional or statutory authority to do so, does not forbid the use of military force for the military purpose of preventing and deterring terrorism within the United States.”
Matthew Rothschild - The Progressive
June 9th, 2007 at 11:23 amKennedy’s committee will not confirm. This nomination will not leave the committee. Destined for recess appt.
June 9th, 2007 at 11:27 amWhy do we talk about these issues, but don’t talk about real issues?
Comment by Fedex
We do talk bout the real issues when they come up, Fedex. This is the article that was posted last, so we talk about it.
It’s 8:30 am in Cal. I need strong coffee. See you later.
June 9th, 2007 at 11:28 ami first notice that this a.m. … ’bout time they put something up…
Comment by katy
Now maybe we won’t get 6 versions of the same commenter saying “Trolls are stupid” or “Libs are retarded.” :D
June 9th, 2007 at 11:29 amBull shit bush must be slipping more than I thought..Given his track record I’m suprised he didn’t pick the head of the tobacco industry or maybe the pilot of the Exon Valdese spill…Or as Lady Z alway’s say’s ” SSDD..Blessings
June 9th, 2007 at 11:29 amBull shit bush must be slipping more than I thought..Given his track record I’m suprised he didn’t pick the head of the tobacco industry or maybe the pilot of the Exon Valdese spill…Or as Lady Z alway’s say’s †SSDD..Blessings
Comment by Sharon
Those two are waiting in the wings. :-D
June 9th, 2007 at 11:31 amKennedy chairs the committee that will confirm Holsinger’s appointment. Or not.
June 9th, 2007 at 11:36 amLooks like the site is having technical difficulties, please stand by while they try to figure out their cache is screwed up.
Will Kennedy stop the nomination of Holsinger or just talk about it?
June 9th, 2007 at 11:37 amERROR
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June 9th, 2007 at 11:38 amAll configured parent caches are currently unreachable.
Your cache administrator is webmaster@techprogress.org.
Hi Sharon!
June 9th, 2007 at 11:39 amMissed Ya!
Hello webmaster, your site is currently on fire.
June 9th, 2007 at 11:39 amWHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CLUE TEDDY? What do you expect from bigotted administration?
June 9th, 2007 at 11:50 amBack at ya RUCerious, missed you as well…In fact missed everything for 9 day’s..The bus ride back and forth knocked out 2 day’s , the hospital watch was 4, no T.V for the entire time and little radio or new’s papers except for the last 2 day’s..New’s junkie that I am, thought I had droped off the earth and everything stoped…Good to be back…Now I must do some major cleaning and catching up..
I’m having problem’s with the site as well.May not stick around to much, every time this happen’s it affect’s my iMac for a week..Seem’s about once a month we go through this, slow to load, error messages, sometimes no loading of the site at all…Fix please TP…I sent a email to them early this morning, hope they fix it…Blessings all..Sorry off topic…
June 9th, 2007 at 11:50 amSuch self-righteous rhetoric, especially from a man who left a woman to die.
I’m amazed that the folks from Mass still re-elect the SOB! But hey the junior Senator is just as bad. And what about Dukakis …
June 9th, 2007 at 12:05 pmGreat, famous killer, peodophile, drug abuser, creator of a pover5ty class, and coconspirator in his brother president’s murder is now the moral compass for congress. Just turn on The Twilight Zone as you will find more reality there.
June 9th, 2007 at 12:07 pmThe halfwit trolls have arrived…..with nothing new to say.
June 9th, 2007 at 12:14 pmSo you don’t think Rove set this all up so that Kennedy, Pelosi, Obama and Biden will be shown endorsing “Butt effing, cock sucking, disease spreading queers” during the confirmation hearings? Will these hearings be on CNN? I think most people would be tolerant if the homo’s would just STFU and live their lives quietly but this will get all the crap out of the closet.
June 9th, 2007 at 12:15 pmbeefeater > if any of those things are talked about it will be because of Holsinger not from Gays.
June 9th, 2007 at 12:24 pmBeefstick, I will STFU when straight people don’t insult me with nominees to high office who have made it a career objective to make the life of gays miserable. We are in the unenviable position of being the whipping boy for every disgusting rethug in this country because we were docile and passive and hidden until the ’70s.
I will be quiet when I have the same rights to partner’s Social Security death benefits straight people are afforded, when I can marry my partner of 18 years, when the christianist bigots don’t control this country and its public policy. Frankly, I will be quiet when people like you STFU!
June 9th, 2007 at 12:48 pmI would add that I have argued that tactically it would be better to challenge this appointment on other grounds. Nonetheless, gays should not disappear into the woodwork and hope that some nice, strong straight guy is going to fight our battles for us.
June 9th, 2007 at 12:55 pmComment by candideinnc — June 9, 2007 @ 12:48 pm
Well said, candideinnc.
Being human, all people in this country must have equal rights and opportunities.
June 9th, 2007 at 12:57 pmI believe that Bush intentionally appointed the most controversial candidate he could find. And why would he do that? To tie up Congress in a fight over his nomination and thus taking the pressure off of him on other more serious issues. Besides, it plays well to his rabid Christian base.
On the other hand, it doesn’t play well to moderate Republics. I know quite a few Republics who are so appalled at what Bush has done to the Republic party, they will be voting Democratic in 2008 even if they don’t particularly like the candidate. They see that as the only way to regain control of their party.
June 9th, 2007 at 1:13 pm“I think most people would be tolerant if the homo’s would just STFU and live their lives quietly but this will get all the crap out of the closet.”
Sorry beef, you are a little late. A majority of Americans support rights for homosexuals. A majority of Americans have left homophobia behind like they have left prejudice against Blacks behind. They have all grown up and now have an adult attitude towards people who “aren’t like me”.
June 9th, 2007 at 1:20 pmDamn, TP is one big propaganda machine!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just cause you help people who are inflected with a horrible mental disease (e.g. the gays) doesn’t mean that you are afraid of them.
In fact, if this noble physician really had a phobia towards fags, he wouldn’t go near them, duh!!!!!
June 9th, 2007 at 2:09 pm“I think most people would be tolerant if the homo’s would just STFU and live their lives quietly but this will get all the crap out of the closet.â€
Sorry beef, you are a little late. A majority of Americans support rights for homosexuals. A majority of Americans have left homophobia behind like they have left prejudice against Blacks behind. They have all grown up and now have an adult attitude towards people who “aren’t like meâ€.
Comment by Kate Henry — June 9, 2007 @ 1:20 pm
Actually, this is wrong!!!!
Who cares if someone *says* they are not prejudice!!!
June 9th, 2007 at 2:11 pmYou know most people still are… even you Kate Henry, are prejudice and you don’t even have to know it.
This is just S.O.P. for BushCo, appoint someone who; 1 - has donated money to them, 2 - will toe the company line, no matter what, 3 - will implement regressive policies that have an anti-human, pro-BushCo slant, 4 - anti Gay? Bonus! You’re hired.
June 9th, 2007 at 2:28 pmGreat, famous killer, peodophile, drug abuser, creator of a pover5ty class, and coconspirator in his brother president’s murder is now the moral compass for congress. Just turn on The Twilight Zone as you will find more reality there.
Comment by bob
Uh, a little validation, Bobo? Or do we assume you’re just a pathological liar, like so many other shrill righties?
Pedophile? oh, you were referring to Mark Foley… maybe?
June 9th, 2007 at 2:30 pmButt effing, cock sucking, disease spreading queers†during the confirmation hearings
At last, your one ture area of expertise revealed, “beefeater”.
I think most people would be tolerant if the homo’s would just STFU and live their lives quietly but this will get all the crap out of the closet.
Comment by beefeater
I know I’d be tolerant if YOU would just STFU. Hell, I’d be downright grateful, Li’l Buddy.
June 9th, 2007 at 2:34 pmIn fact, if this noble physician really had a phobia towards fags, he wouldn’t go near them, duh!!!!!
Comment by Mr. President
Riiiiight again, Mr. P… that’s why the Good Doctor suports aversion therapy that verges on torture for gays and lesbians.
June 9th, 2007 at 2:35 pmIn fact, if this noble physician really had a phobia towards fags, he wouldn’t go near them, duh!!!!!
Comment by Mr. President
Riiiiight again, Mr. P… that’s why the Good Doctor suports aversion therapy that verges on torture for gays and lesbians.
Comment by the republic of stupidity — June 9, 2007 @ 2:35 pm
Exactly!!!! If he were afraid, he wouldn’t go near some fag’s gentiles with alligator clips and a car battery.
June 9th, 2007 at 2:52 pmExactly!!!! If he were afraid, he wouldn’t go near some fag’s gentiles with alligator clips and a car battery.
Comment by Mr. President
Hmmm… that’s a pretty… uh, specific, and exacting description, Mr P…
June 9th, 2007 at 3:10 pmit’s as though you were describing some event in your own past… hmmm… you happen to know the Good Doctor personally? Are you an ex-colleague, or perhaps one of his “patients”?
Exactly!!!! If he were afraid, he wouldn’t go near some fag’s gentiles with alligator clips and a car battery.
Comment by Mr. President
Hmmm… that’s a pretty… uh, specific, and exacting description, Mr P…
it’s as though you were describing some event in your own past… hmmm… you happen to know the Good Doctor personally? Are you an ex-colleague, or perhaps one of his “patients�
Comment by the republic of stupidity — June 9, 2007 @ 3:10 pm
Mommy told me it was the only way to get daddy’s demons out of me.
June 9th, 2007 at 3:26 pmAnother chance for Teddy to lay it straight. I bet he will and I can not wait.
June 9th, 2007 at 9:57 pmBetter just shove it down their throat one more time for goood measure, Senator.
I wish the Good Senator would comment on that 19 year old Campaign Worker that he let drown in the backseat of his car when he drove off that bridge while DRUNK
June 10th, 2007 at 12:05 amLooks like Bush might use another one of those recess appointments.
June 11th, 2007 at 12:16 pm