TV Guy for Surgeon General
The Talent Show — I’m not so sure I like the idea of a corporate healthcare apologist and CNN hack being the Surgeon General. Could they not find one doctor who has the guts to tell the truth about the evils of our profit-over-patients healthcare system? UPDATE : More from Krugman : I don’t have a problem with Gupta’s qualifications. But I do remember his mugging of Michael Moore over Sicko. You don’t have to like Moore or his film; but Gupta specifically claimed that Moore “fudged his facts”, when the truth was that on every one of ...

Sanjay Gupta, Obama's Politically Incorrect Surgeon General
Weekly Standard Blog — ... Paul Krugman has taken to his NYT blog to swiftly condemn the Gupta pick, based on the doctor's performance in this incident, saying the pick reflects "lack of accountability that always seems to be the rule when you get things wrong in a socially acceptable way." ...

Sanjay Gupta?
This Modern World — Krugman : I don’t have a problem with Gupta’s qualifications. But I do remember his mugging of Michael Moore over Sicko. You don’t have to like Moore or his film; but Gupta specifically claimed that Moore “fudged his facts”, when the truth was that on every one of the allegedly fudged facts, Moore was actually right and CNN was wrong. What bothered me about the incident was that it was what Digby would call Village behavior: Moore is an outsider, he’s uncouth, so he gets smeared as unreliable even though he actually got it right. It’s sort of a minor-league version of the way ...

Another revolting development
The Sideshow — I gotta agree with Krugman about the appointment of Sanjay Gupta as Surgeon General. Anyone who can utter that many conservative lies and talking points about single-payer/"socialized" medicine is, to put it generously, the wrong choice - and looks an awful lot like a signal from Obama that he doesn't give a damn about one of the most vital issues facing us. It's not bad enough that he said before that he doesn't support single-payer, but he clearly hasn't learned anything of value in his long period of running for president. Another "Up yours!" to the people who voted for him ...

Sanjay Gupta for surgeon general?
The Reaction — ... that Gupta "seems like a strong choice," given that he "would likely be the highest-profile official since Koop, and could conceivably play a valuable role in advancing a reform campaign." Well, maybe. And -- yet again, yet again -- I'm wondering if I should -- yet again, yet again -- give Obama the benefit of the doubt and trust that he knows what he's doing, that all will work out. Like Krugman, though, I just can't quite get past Gupta's "mugging" of Moore -- and that he got it wrong. ...

I feel fine
SteveAudio — ... on healthcare. Gupta alleged that the $251 per person cost reported by Moore was untrue. Yet on "Larry King Live" Gupta admitted the error was his, not Moore's. "Michael correctly said $251 in the movie." Gupta also made a correction statement on July 11. "To be clear, I got a number wrong in my original report, substituting the number 25, instead of 251." I hope he doesn't do neuro-surgery that way. But don't take my word for it. Take Paul Krugman's word: I don’t have a problem with Gupta’s qualifications. But I do ...

All the Right Enemies?
The Corner on National Review Online — [image] [image] NRO BLOG ROW | THE CORNER | ARCHIVES SEARCH E-MAIL PRINT RSS [image] Wednesday, January 07, 2009 [image] All the Right Enemies? [ Kathryn Jean Lopez ] Paul Krugman raises a Gupta objection and it surrounds Michael Moore and Sicko . This could be fun ... 01/07 05:25 AM [image] [image] [image] © National Review Online 2009. All Rights Reserved. Home | Search | NR / Digital | Donate | Media Kit | Contact Us ...

"The trouble with Sanjay Gupta," says Paul Krugman, is seen in the way he "mugged" Michael Moore.
Althouse — I know, you're thinking: If that's the trouble, bring it on. But let's read what Krugman has to say: So apparently Obama plans to appoint CNN’s Sanjay Gupta as Surgeon General. I don’t have a problem with Gupta’s qualifications. But I do remember his mugging of Michael Moore over Sicko. You don’t have to like Moore or his film; but Gupta specifically claimed that Moore “fudged his facts”, when the truth was that on every one of the allegedly fudged facts, Moore was actually right and CNN was wrong. What bothered me about the ...

Early Morning Swim
Firedoglake — ... Israel takes a timeout.  Hmmm...Richard Clarke turned down CIA post? Meet the new Surgeon General. The trouble with Gupta. Burris getting closer to the Senate? Cuomo out-maneuvering Kennedy? Truly, a man of the people. So much for the "center-right" nation. Nothing funnier than Republicans whining about partisanship. Who is John Galt?

Krugman on the day Sanjay Gupta mugged Michael Moore
AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth — Krugman points out that CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the man Obama is considering for Surgeon General, conducted an on-the-air mugging of Michael Moore that turned out to be absolutely false. From Krugman: I don’t have a problem with Gupta’s qualifications. But I do remember his mugging of Michael Moore over Sicko. You don’t have to like Moore or his film; but Gupta specifically claimed that Moore “fudged his facts”, when the truth was that on every one of the allegedly fudged facts, Moore was actually ...

ThinkFast: January 7, 2009
Think Progress — ... as a communicator.” But Paul Krugman expresses concern about Gupta’s allegations that filmmaker Michael Moore “fudged the facts” in his movie SiCKO. (Watch the ...

Krugman: Sicko & the Trouble With Sanjay Gupta
Tennessee Guerilla Women — ... Paul Krugman reminds us of Sanjay Gupta's shameless efforts to trash Michael Moore's truthful claims about the miserable state of U.S. health care: ...

Progressive Breakfast: Econ Recovery First, Deficit Reduction Later
LiberalOasis : The Blog — ... Krugman boos: “I do remember his mugging of Michael Moore over Sicko. You don’t have to like Moore or his film; but Gupta specifically claimed that Moore ‘fudged his facts’, when the truth was that on every one of the allegedly fudged facts, Moore was actually right and CNN was wrong.” (OurFuture.org FLASHBACK: ...

How Do Some People Come Up With The Energy To Care?
Comments from Left Field — ... Oh, right, he argued with Michael Moore, badly.  My bad, I totally forgot that this not only disqualified Gupta from being Surgeon General, but also from any office in the Federal Government, including mine (which he wouldn’t take anyway because the pay cut alone would leave him catatonic, but that’s neither here nor there). ...

Krugman on Gupta
Matthew Yglesias — Paul Krugman reminds us of Sanjay Gupta’s unfair and inaccurate attacks on Michael Moore and Sicko. It’s a fair point, but if this is the worst thing you can say about Gupta it’s honestly not so bad. The plus side is that it means you’ll have as Surgeon General a guy who’s genuinely excellent at going on television and talking about medical issues. That’s potentially a very useful asset in a debate over health care reform, and even leaving that aside just means a guy who can do the Surgeon General’s basic ...

Doctor My Eyes
David E's Fablog — ... aide of Indian descent and the panache of one of People’s “Sexiest Men Alive.” (Don’t laugh. Women, I am learning, just drool over this guy, with entire sites devoted to gushing over his hunkiness.)” Well in that case, why not Chris Evans? evans“Is this another case of media people defecting to Obamaland, as with Time’s Jay Carney and ABC’s Linda Douglass? I don’t think it’s in the same category. Gupta is mainly being hired as a physician who happens to have phenomenal TV skills” Thankfully Paul Krugman remembers just what those skills are. “I don’t have a problem with ...

More on Gupta
Shakesville — Krugman: I don't have a problem with Gupta's qualifications. But I do remember his mugging of Michael Moore over Sicko. You don't have to like Moore or his film; but Gupta specifically claimed that Moore "fudged his facts", when the truth was that on every one of the allegedly fudged facts, Moore was actually right and CNN was wrong. What bothered me about the incident was that it was what Digby would call Village behavior: Moore is an outsider, he's uncouth, so he gets smeared as unreliable even though he actually got it right. ...

Krugman & Newsbusters Don't Approve of Gupta Pick
Political Punch — ... Krugman & Newsbusters Don't Approve of Gupta Pick January 07, 2009 12:40 PM Nobel Prize-winning liberal New York Times columnist Paul Krugman doesn't seem a fan of Dr. Sanjay Gupta -- President-elect Barack Obama's pick to be Surgeon General -- because of an interview Gupta did with Michael Moore about Moore's film about the health care industry in the U.S., "Sicko." "Gupta specifically claimed that Moore 'fudged his facts'," Krugman writes, "when the truth was that on every one of the allegedly fudged facts, Moore was actually right and CNN was wrong." ...

Paul Krugman raises the issue of accountability against Sanjay Gupta: when being socially acceptable matters more than being right
DownWithTyranny! — ... leader of the nation's public health service," said Gerard M. Farrell, executive director of the service's Commissioned Officers Association. "This would be akin to appointing the Army chief of staff from the city council of Hoboken," N.J. But you know those workers -- never satisfied, always griping. Be honest now. Does anyone know what the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service does? Does anyone care? Paul Krugman raised a different objection in his blog yesterday: The trouble with Sanjay Gupta ...

Doctor, Doctor
The Republic of T. — ... Paul Krugman reminded me of Gupta’s sparring with Michael Moore over the statistics in Sicko. ...

Krugman v. Gupta
Hit & Run — ... The New York Times columnist Paul Krugman is unhappy with the Obama administration for offering the job of surgeon general to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent and former Clinton White House policy wonk. ...

Michael Giltz: Obama's Latest Dumb Pick: TV Doc Sanjay Gupta
Politics on HuffingtonPost.com — ... Gupta also came out on the losing end in my opinion when trying to attack Michael Moore's documentary Sicko. His initial report on the film and subsequent debate with Moore led to CNN having to issue corrections fixing Gupta's errors. They never spotlighted a single factual error by Moore but simply took issue with how Moore cherrypicked the data he cited. Here is ...

Krugman's problem with Gupta
Michael Calderone's Blog — NY Times columnist Paul Krugman writes on his blog about "the trouble with Sanjay Gupta" -- Obama's pick for surgeon general. Krugman's displeasure with the TV doctor stems from his debate with Michael Moore over the film, "Sicko." So apparently Obama plans to appoint CNN’s Sanjay Gupta as Surgeon General. I don’t have a problem with Gupta’s qualifications. But I do remember his mugging of Michael Moore over Sicko. You don’t have to like Moore or his film; but Gupta specifically claimed that Moore ...

Krugman: 'The Trouble With Gupta'
The BRAD BLOG — From Paul Krugman (via MCM): So apparently Obama plans to appoint CNN’s Sanjay Gupta as Surgeon General. I don’t have a problem with Gupta’s qualifications. But I do remember his mugging of Michael Moore over Sicko. You don’t have ...

Obama To Tap CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta For Surgeon General … But Hold On A Sec - w/Video
Pat Dollard | Young Americans — ... Paul Krugman has taken to his NYT blog to swiftly condemn the Gupta pick, based on the doctor’s performance in this incident, saying the pick reflects “lack of accountability that always seems to be the rule when you get things wrong in a socially acceptable way.” (Me: The fact NYTimes’ Krugman has a problem with the Doc is a plus selling point to me.) ...

A disturbing pattern of Bush water-carriers in the new Administration
Brilliant at Breakfast — ... acceptance and embrace of the status quo about the state of health care in America. When the Obama transition team is actively soliciting health care horror stories on its web site, and then picking someone with the kind of video track record that Gupta has, it seems to be yet another case of giving lip service to change. Once again I think of the words of the grandmother of another commenter on another web site, "When the mouth and the feet are both moving, watch the feet." As Paul Krugman notes: ou don’t have to like Moore or his film; but Gupta ...

Conyers: Obama Should Not Nominate Sanjay Gupta
The Huffington Post | Full News Feed — ... Outside of government, however, some have begun questioning whether the CNN correspondent has the proper qualifications to be Surgeon General. Krugman, in his post noted that Gupta accused filmmaker Michael Moore of inaccuracies, "when the truth was that on every one of the allegedly fudged facts, Moore was actually right and CNN was wrong." Others have questioned whether he is the right conduit for Obama's health care agenda, ...

Conyers: Obama Should Not Nominate Sanjay Gupta
Politics on HuffingtonPost.com — ... Outside of government, however, some have begun questioning whether the CNN correspondent has the proper qualifications to be Surgeon General. Krugman, in his post noted that Gupta accused filmmaker Michael Moore of inaccuracies, "when the truth was that on every one of the allegedly fudged facts, Moore was actually right and CNN was wrong." Others have questioned whether he is the right conduit for Obama's health care agenda, ...

Conyers Vs. Gupta. Oh, It's On.
Political Punch — ... misspelled "Sanjay" and "Nobel" Prize.)"January 7, 2009"Dear Colleague,"Please join me in signing a letter to President-Elect Barack Obama that Dr. Sunjay (sic) Gupta not be nominated for the post of Surgeon General."I join in opposition with respected Noble (sic) Peace Prize award wining economist Paul Krugman, who has very serious concerns with having Dr. Gupta be the nation’s Surgeon General. (See January 6, 2009, New York Times Hosted Blog, 'Conscience of a Liberal.' Available at http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/the-trouble-with-sanjay-gupta .)"Also, there are ...

Conyers vs. Gupta
Ben Smith's Blog — The Judiciary Chairman cites Paul Krugman's objection to Sanjay Gupta in a letter to Obama, but his main concern seems to be on behalf of the group representing Gupta's possible employees: [T]here are highly experienced medical professionals who question whether Dr. Gupta has the necessary experience or even the medical background to be in charge of some 6,000 physicians or more who work in the United States Public Health Service. Gerard M. Farrel, Executive Director of the Commissioned Officers Association, stated in the January 7, 2008 Washington Post that Dr. ...

Conyers Opposes Dr. Sanjay Gupta; Is it the Penises?
Politics Daily — ... colleagues and referencing a Paul Krugman column, stems less from dongsnacking than from Gupta's fact-challenged attack on Michael Moore's Sicko. Conyers also cited Gupta's lack of qualifications. ...

Conyers calls out Gupta
Corrente — ... ." Available at http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01....) ...

In Defense Of the Sanjay Gupta Appointment
Firedoglake — I understand the critiques launched by Paul Krugman, John Conyers and others against Sanjay Gupta -- he did accuse Michael Moore of "fudging the facts" in Sicko when Moore had done no such thing.  But in the end he apologized and admitted he was wrong, which is a lot more than is frequently forthcoming in these situations. I actually think Gupta is an inspired choice.  This morning in Politico they note that Daschle may use Gupta in a grassroots campaign to sell the Obama health care plan to the public.  Gupta is a known and ...

Gupta Draws Fire:
The Volokh Conspiracy — Who would have thought that President-elect Obama's plan to nominate Dr. Sanjay Gupta as the next Surgeon General would be so controversial? Paul Krugman thinks Gupta wrongly criticized Michael Moore's film Sicko and Chris Mooney ...

Obama's Left Flank
The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan — Krugman is restless about the stimulus and Gupta (no Michael Moore critics are allowed in Obamaland). And John Conyers chimes in against "Sunjay" referring to Krugman's "Noble" Prize. ...

Conyers contra Gupta
The Reaction — ... I join in opposition with respected Noble Peace Prize award wining economist Paul Krugman, who has very serious concerns with having Dr. Gupta be the nation's Surgeon General. [...] ...

Conyers Contra Gupta
The Moderate Voice — ... I join in opposition with respected Noble Peace Prize award wining economist Paul Krugman, who has very serious concerns with having Dr. Gupta be the nation’s Surgeon General. […] ...

Obama's Surgeon General Pick Bad Medicine, Too?
Open Left - Front Page — ... competence for high-level public office, no matter how impressive those technical skills may be.  And, in fact, a closer look at the skill set reveals some real deficiencies there as well.  Paul Krugman raised the red flag on Gupta earlier this week, and now John Conyers has issued a " Dear Colleague" letter seeking support in opposition to Gupta's appointment. On his blog, "Conscience of a Liberal," Paul Krugman kicked things off when he wrote Jan 6 ("The trouble with Sanjay Gupta"): So apparently Obama plans to appoint ...

Let's be clear on how Sanjay Gupta smeared Michael Moore
Corrente — Krugman: Many commenters don’t seem to get the point. [Hmm... ] Gupta didn’t say “Michael Moore is an annoying blowhard”; he didn’t say “We question his interpretation of the evidence”; he said he “fudged the facts”. In other words, he accused Moore of lying. That’s a very strong accusation, which had better be backed by solid evidence. Instead, we had CNN misreading a number from Moore; CNN objecting to Moore using a projected health care spending number for 2007 instead of an actual number for 2005 (and ...

What is it in our culture that makes it so easy to forgive (at least some) people who were wrong, and so hard to forgive people who were right?
DownWithTyranny! — ... , I cited Paul Krugman's blog-post complaint about the pending appointment of CNN's Sanjay Gupta as surgeon general, recalling his factually erroneous on-air savaging of Michael Moore's Sicko. ...

Gupta will reportedly turn down Surgeon General post.
Think Progress — ... even as President Obama hosted a health care summit at the White House. Gupta did not attend.” He encountered criticism for “his mugging of Michael Moore over Sicko” and for having ...

Gupta and Blunt Lament the Insurance Industry Being Put Out of Business
Crooks and Liars — CNN's Rick Sanchez brings in Michael Moore basher Sanjay Gupta and Rep. Roy Blunt to lament the horrors of private insurance companies no longer being able to reap massive profits on the backs of United States citizens. If we did by some miracle actually ever get to universal health care in the U.S., it would not mean these companies are out of business completely. They would still be offering supplemental insurance to compliment the government plan. In the world of the Gupta's and Blunt's out there, that would be a tragedy. Blunt goes so far as to cite Medicare Part D as an ...