Scott McPherson's Web Presence

A few weeks ago, I endured the fury of many in Flublogia when I called for the appointment of a pandemic Czar to lead the Federal flu planning effort.  My argument was, and is, that a politically-connected person with the right qualifications, working out of the White House, is the ideal choice.

Since then, we have seen the news stories that have come out regarding the politicization of the Office of the Surgeon General, supported by the sworn testimony of four past Surgeons General who served under Presidents Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton, and Bush 43.  Conspicuously missing was Clinton's outspoken SG Jocelyn Elder, who I am sure would have livened up the hearings!

But I digress.  Anyway, I still believe that a Pandemic Czar is the best way to coordinate the slobbering mess that is the Federal Government.  Clearly, however, every effort must be made to de-politicize the Office.  As former Bush 43 SG Carmona testified last week (photo above):  Having partisans censoring every bloody public health message is absurd, and reinforces the melange of mung that the political system has become (my words, not Carmona's, but I'll bet I am not too far off-base). 

Ordering Surgeons General to insert (name of president here) multiple times per page of a speech makes one wonder who won the Cold War.  And censoring medical debate because it might offend someone, somewhere, smacks of the abuses Galileo and Copernicus endured, let alone evoke the image of the Taliban, who are our enemies if I recall correctly. 

So I still call for a Pandemic Czar, but let's also immediately and permanently fix the problem of partisans trying to interfere with medical research and advise. Medicine and science are more important than "staying on message."