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1

I for one have given up on the thought of anyone repairing the damage done. Once a people give up their voice and their freedom never in history have they gained it back. That is without an armed revolt.

What has Clinton, Obama or Edwards said they would do to reverse the march of absolutism Bush has propelled? Nothing, absolutely nothing of substance beyond the typical placating to the masses. So support your Democrats but just remember, you will just have a totalitarian who you just do not disagree with as much as you would a Republican totalitarian.

Posted by Cato the Younger Younger | July 11, 2007 7:55 AM
2

I read this last night. The usual sick feeling at seeing another signpost on the continued downward spiral of our Republic.

I asked an 80-year-old friend of mine (who grew up during the Great Depression) if he'd seen in his lifetime anything so boldly corrupt as this administration. He said the high jinks of the McCarthy era were the only thing that for him even came close.

Posted by It's Mark Mitchell | July 11, 2007 8:01 AM
3

Jebus, how can you politicize the Special Olympics? I heard NPR interviewing Carmona yesterday. I just shook my head.

I well remember the days of Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, who famously stood up to Regan, pushing condoms and more funding for AIDS research at a time when it was very unpopular. I was more impressed because it went against Koop's personal & religious beliefs, yet he put those beliefs aside because good medical science trumped his personal misgivings. He went with science over his personal beliefs and the political dogma of the day (which was to basically ignore AIDS). And he went against a very popular sitting president. Koop had gigantic brass balls, and despite Regan's many faults, at least he left the autonomy of the Surgeon General alone.

Now this.

Every time I think that there isn't anything left Bush could do that would surprise me, no depth left to which he has not yet sunk, he manages to do it. Often several times a week. *sigh*

Posted by SDA in SEA | July 11, 2007 8:08 AM
4

Maybe I'm clueless, but I don't understand why people put in such a position don't make a public stink about it while they're in that position. What's the worst that can happen, they get fired? If they're not able to effectively do the job anyway, why stay quiet until well after being let go? Testifying now comes across a little bit as sour grapes over not being reappointed.

Posted by PA Native | July 11, 2007 8:09 AM
5

@4, you're clueless. Look around, and you'll plenty of people from the bottom of the food chain all the way to the top who feel trapped in their jobs, unable to face the consequences of leaving, even if it seems obvious from the outside that staying is even worse.

Posted by lostboy | July 11, 2007 8:30 AM
6

One illustration of what I'm talking about. Imagine that you're Dr. Carmona in 2003 or so. Now imagine trying to tell your wife that you've decided to commit job suicide by using your position to publicly contradict the Bush White House for the 15 minutes it will take them to fire you and install a more loyal yes-man.

Posted by lostboy | July 11, 2007 8:38 AM
7

Sounds like China circa the 1960s.

Posted by michelle | July 11, 2007 9:02 AM
8

Sounds like China circa the 1960s.

Posted by michelle | July 11, 2007 9:02 AM
9

Or more like Red Russia - the Red Bushies idea of what America should become like under their rule.

Posted by Will in Seattle | July 11, 2007 9:18 AM
10

I keep waiting for Bush and Cheney to don military uniforms and give themselves fake commisions... generalisimo George and Colonel Dick.

Posted by longball | July 11, 2007 10:09 AM
11

Unlike most of us desk jockeys, I'm sure Carmona had other job options. He didn't leave because, despite the ethics problems and politicization of everything, staying was more lucrative.

Posted by keshmeshi | July 11, 2007 10:09 AM
12

A-men Keshmeshi! This administration has benefitted from a LOT of cooperation and complacency from people who knew better. george tennet? Colin Powell? and on and on and on... all these people put themselves and their career before their sworn duty to their country and look where it got us.

Posted by longball | July 11, 2007 10:16 AM
13

everytime i read shit like this, i just want to beat the shit out of every person who voted for w. and twice! everytime i'm driving around and i see someone with a W '04 sticker on their car, i can't figure out if they are too lazy to scrape it off and horribly embarrassed, or even dumber than we thought 2.5 years ago.

Posted by and | July 11, 2007 10:30 AM
14

Keshimeshi and a few others are dogging on this Carmona cat, but I'm really liking him right this minute. He has the most compelling narrative ever given about how cartoonishly evil his bosses are. And I believe him when he says he was too politically naive to be sure of what he was seeing. He was almost certainly hired because he was a political conservative, war hero type guy. But even the average naive military patriot has far more profound ethics than the Bushies, and he came around. I think it's cool.
But go ahead and disabuse me of any notion I have that anyone can do something right for the right reasons. I need more cynicism for breakfast, or I just might have a nice day... *shudder*
-

Posted by christopher | July 11, 2007 10:55 AM
15

Keshmeshi, you think staying was more lucrative? You really think the Surgeon General couldn't make more money in the private sector? You need to get out more; these guys make their money when they leave office. By speaking out, he's going to make himself a fortune, and that would have been true in 2003. Anyone who leaves an administration and outs them makes money. Here's a thought: maybe he actually WAS accomplishing something and decided to stick it out despite the problems. Maybe he felt he could overcome some of the nonsense. Who knows? Giving censored speeches isn't all the SG does.

I wish that he'd come out earlier, too, but all we have to deal with right now is that he has come out with this info (and watch what the White House is about to do to him...), and now we have it. Really, I'm glad he stayed as long as he did. If everyone with a conscience got out of this administration, that's just that many more replacements who don't have a conscience. Heck, maybe that's what kept him there. The thought that his replacement might actually agree with them.

Posted by switzerblog | July 11, 2007 11:14 AM
16

We need a deck of cards with all the faces of the Bushists on them so we can have total de-Bushification in 2009.

Posted by Original Andrew | July 11, 2007 11:35 AM
17

In 2003, who would care about this stuff? the Republican majority? I doubt it. Maybe it would've helped in 2005 when Bush's popularity was suffering, and definitely would've been nice in 2006 to help more Dems get elected. But 2007 is pretty much as good, and now there are Democrats in Congress with a position to maybe DO something about all of it. ie: not appoint Bush's choice for the next surgeon general, who is also an asshole.

Posted by Cook | July 11, 2007 11:42 AM
18

"Is There Anything the Bush Administration Hasn’t Completely Politicized?"

No, there isn't.

Posted by east coaster | July 11, 2007 12:31 PM
19

Should we not also be looking at the Dr. himself? I mean come on....He took an oath when he recieved his M.D. as well. Shouldn't his first job be to serve the people in the U.S. and give them sound medical advice and not be the lapdog to Bush?!

Posted by 530CapitalHill | July 11, 2007 2:17 PM
20

It's going to take decades to recover from Bush - if it's even possible.

I'm so ashamed sometimes to be an American - and I owe it all to W.

Posted by richbh | July 11, 2007 3:55 PM
21

The REALLY pathetic thing is that even WITH all this politicizing, Bush's ratings are STILL in the toilet!

Posted by Andy | July 11, 2007 4:33 PM
22

The really true thing is that (partly) because of all this politicizing, Bush's ratings are in the toilet.

Aggressively politicizing everything in sight is one of those moves that only seems to be helping until it inevitably catches up with you.

Posted by lostboy | July 11, 2007 5:10 PM
23

Maybe I'm clueless, but I don't understand why people put in such a position don't make a public stink about it while they're in that position. What's the worst that can happen, they get fired? If they're not able to effectively do the job anyway, why stay quiet until well after being let go? Testifying now comes across a little bit as sour grapes over not being reappointed.
Posted by PA Native | July 11, 2007 8:09 AM


There's an easy explanation for it: This guy is putting a giant act.

HE'S A PROP FOR THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION!

What he is doing is go around playing the victim, and making the Bush administration look "tough". They know that in the end it's going to play well for them, and with the senate hearings starting for the new appointee in a couple of days, there's guaranteed publicity and coverage of his anti-gay past. - which is gonna play well for them.

Republicans are a sick bunch. And their tactics for winning stop at nothing.

Posted by just another plot | July 11, 2007 5:16 PM
24

@11 Most of us desk jockeys have plenty of other job options. Not necessarily as well paying, or in quite the same field, yadda yadda, but those are self-imposed restrictions. It's often just the (understandable) fear of the risk and unknowns of leaving that blinds us to our options and keeps us clinging to the bird in hand.

Thanks for helping to demonstrate my point. ~.^

Posted by lostboy | July 11, 2007 5:20 PM
25

Only 18 more months to get this asshole impeached. That's how I'm forcing myself to look at it.

Dan, you're on vacation. Stop slogging!

Posted by itmfa | July 11, 2007 5:22 PM
26

That is AWESOME! Well awesome like a combination boat/plane/train wreck

Posted by Matt | July 12, 2007 12:48 PM

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