how is Bush picking these people?

This is the president's pick for surgeon general.

he's a homophobe, meaning he doesn't really belive in treating everyone equally

In his role on the nine-member Judicial Council, Holsinger has opposed a decision to allow a practicing lesbian to be an associate pastor, and he supported a pastor who would not permit an openly gay man to join the church. In both instances, Holsinger's supporters say, he was correctly interpreting and applying church policy. (The church's bishops voted later to allow the gay man to become a member.)
Holsinger's pastor, the Rev. David Calhoun of Hope Springs Community Church in

Lexington, is one of the doctor's friends and supporters who said
"Fears that he would not be fair or compassionate in distributing health care to gay and lesbian individuals is totally unfounded and ludicrous," Calhoun said. "Jim cares about people no matter who they are. He's not going to turn anybody down."

Reaction from the gay and lesbian community to Holsinger's nomination has been pointed.

"Dr. James Holsinger has demonstrated in the past that he harbors religious-based prejudice towards homosexuals," said Jamie McDaniel, coordinator of Soulforce Lexington, the local chapter of a national organization that opposes the use of religion to oppress lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. "As a gay American, I am deeply concerned over any surgeon general nominee not being healed of such personal prejudice."

his supervising record is shoddy at best...

The Government says six men who died at a large veterans' hospital in suburban Chicago were the victims of inadequate care.

The finding, issued Friday, arises from an investigation into medical practices at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in North Chicago, one of the largest veterans' hospitals in the country. Last month the agency reassigned the hospital's chief of staff to an advisory position at the 1,004-bed center. The agency also discontinued vascular and orthopedic surgery.

"Mistakes were made," said the Veterans Affairs Secretary, Edward J. Derwinski. "The medical care was clearly not what it should be."

The agency's announcement came a week after department investigators questioned poor supervision and delays between diagnosis and surgery, among other things.

After an extensive review of 15 deaths between June 1989 and March 1990, the agency acknowledged blame in six, said Dr. James Holsinger Jr., the agency's chief medical officer.

Dr. Holsinger and an agency spokeswoman, Donna St. John, said they would not discuss the six deaths that were linked to poor care until family members were notified.

The agency said it would invite the families to meet with its lawyers to discuss a financial settlement.

Dr. James Holsinger, Kentucky's top public health official, who oversees the Medicaid program, is resigning as Gov. Ernie Fletcher's secretary of health and family services.

Holsinger, 66, said yesterday that he is leaving effective Dec. 31 to spend more time with his family - his wife, four daughters, five grandchildren and his mother, 96.

And he said he will return to teaching medicine at the University of Kentucky.

"It's been a great job. I've really had a great time," Holsinger said. "At the same time, it's my sense that it's the right time and it's the right decision."

Holsinger was hired as secretary under a contract with UK at a salary of $247,200.

i keep thinking that bush just closes his eyes, spins around the room, and then stops and points out "yea...umm.. ye'll do"

He just thumbs through a phonebook. We should be lucky he didn't pick the janitor.

He obviously picked this guy because he agrees with Bush's own views. Bush is anti-gay, and this guy is anti-gay. Bush isn't doing this randomly.

He picks friends of his. Remember the woman we wanted to be a Supreme court judge? She didn't have any judge experiance in her life. But she was a strong supporter of Bush and gave money to his campaigns.

Its one of those "this is a thank you for your years of support!"

Yep. The spoils system all over again.

kings used to do this...what has happened to our democracy that so many americans had fought for all those years ago.

i swear...it's the fall of rome all over again.

It happens all over, just look at the "cash for honours" debacle thats happening over here in BritCit. People who have paid lots of money to the labour party convieniently getting MBEs (or whatever).
They had to question the PM over it, what a disgrace.

Hey, before we just all give up on America and pack it in, let's remember Harriet Miers got stopped by Congress laughing her out of the building. I'm assuming (hopefully) that Congress is the one that has to approve this appointment, and with a Democratic majority, I don't know how well this will go over.

... Though, what does being a homophobe have to do with being a good Surgeon General?

His beliefs on homosexuality appear to me to be irrational - and I would prefer a Surgeon General who was capable of rational thought. I wonder if he is a Creationist as well?

In the old days, Doctors had to be trained in the Sciences. But the world has changed.

subcultured
kings used to do this...what has happened to our democracy that so many americans had fought for all those years ago.

i swear...it's the fall of rome all over again.

Well, probably not exactly. Justices need to go through approval by the Senate and House of Representatives before they can be appointed. Presidents can nominate whoever they want but that doesn't mean they're necessarily going to be the next Justice.

Of course the checks and balances system doesn't work when each branch has a majority of the same party... I don't think that's the case right now though, the legislation is majority democrat now isn't it?

Hmm. Religious Based Prejudice. I'm guessing that is different from the Science Based Prejudice, or Educationally Based Prejudice? How about the Sexually Based Prejudices that some gay and lesbians seem to have toward religion?

Here's the deal. If you earnestly believe in a religion that says that homosexual practices are not holy, I don't see a problem with you having a stand against homosexual marriage or gay priests. It wouldn't necessarily mean that you despise gay people...hell, they're just people. The thing is, they happen to be practicing a lifestyle that your religion does not condone. It's kind of like having a problem letting a practicing wiccan be a catholic priest.

The problem is that what we see on the news is a group of under-educated protestors screaming "Gays is damned ta hell!" or something similar. Those folks probably do hate gays and use their religion as an excuse. They definitely get air time on TV.

The thing is, in America, we're all allowed to have our own personal beliefs as long as we can get along with each other. Usually, that includes being able to do our job. I have religious beliefs and work every day with folks who don't, or believe differently, and it never stops me from trying to do my best.

Anyway, I'm starting to ramble.

Actually, a review of Holsinger's qualifications leave me quite unimpressed with him, regardless of his beliefs about gay people. Surgeon General is a serious position, what is it about this man that makes him qualified for such a post?

I consider him under-qualified, and there are plenty of reasons to suspect that his management and leadership skills are poor.

There certainly must be no religious test for any office in the US. But then again, a flat-Earther, no matter how nice, would make a poor head of NASA.

What about Wolfawitz (?) as head of the world bank? Hmm? That appointment was bloody ridiculous! The man is a loon, a nutter, and predictably he did a poor job at the world bank. Getting his girlfriend a plum job and a gigantic pay rise was the last straw there, he's left in disgrace. And what about that moron John Bolton at the UN? if anything, he's worse than Wolfy! A fat faced moustachioed blustering fool. Sad, but true. No oversight was there to prevent these idiots from getting to where they could do the most harm.

These guys are the real demons in dangerous positions, much worse than your SG.

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Wasn't that cash for Honours thing from ages ago? Plus, I thought they'd sort of determined that "cash for Honours" happened under previous governments as well...?