Mais um vexame da Administração Bush

Nos Estad0s Unidos, o cargo de Surgeon General é uma referência técnica e moral na assistência médica. Não é o Ministro da Saúde, mas é mais respeitado que o Secretário de Saúde. Agora, ex Surgeon General denuncia que foi "editado" pela equipe Bush. Former Surgeon General Says White House Edited Speeches By LAURA MECKLERJuly 10, 2007 8:22 p.m. WASHINGTON -- The most recent U.S. surgeon general told Congress the Bush administration routinely blocked him from speaking out on controversial issues, including stem-cell research, emergency contraception and sexual abstinence, and pressured him to support an "ideological, theological" agenda. Dr. Richard Carmona, surgeon general from 2002 until 2006, said that his speeches were edited to remove material about controversial issues and that he was encouraged to attend internal "political pep rallies." He said he was prevented from releasing a report on global health because he wouldn't make it a "political document" touting actions by the U.S. The report has yet to be released. "The reality is that the 'nation's doctor' has been marginalized and relegated to a position with no independent budget and with supervisors who are political appointees with partisan agendas," he told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee yesterday. "Anything that doesn't fit into the political appointees' ideological, theological or political agenda is often ignored, marginalized or simply buried." The Bush administration denied that it tried to muzzle the former surgeon general. "This administration gave Dr. Carmona ample opportunity to communicate his views to the American people, and he routinely did so," the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement. The surgeon general's post has little formal power but can be a megaphone on public-health issues. Dr. C. Everett Koop used the post most notably to detail the dangers of smoking and to talk about AIDS. Dr. David Satcher, Dr. Carmona's immediate predecessor, issued a landmark report on mental health. Both men joined Dr. Carmona at the hearing yesterday and recounted their own challenges melding public health with politics of their administrations. But Dr. Carmona said the pressures he faced were more intense. A trauma surgeon and onetime high-school dropout, Dr. Carmona got a lot of attention for his colorful past -- he once rappelled from a helicopter to rescue a victim. But he kept a low profile after taking office. He left in August when his term expired. A Senate committee plans to hold a hearing tomorrow on James Holsinger Jr., a Kentucky cardiologist who has been nominated to be the next surgeon general. He is likely to be questioned about what critics say are antigay views. Dr. Carmona told the committee that, as surgeon general, he hadn't been permitted to talk about the importance of comprehensive sex education or emergency contraception. He said he wasn't permitted to discuss the science of embryonic-stem-cell research. Under the Bush administration, there are strict limits on federal funding for such research. "I was blocked at every turn," he said. "I was told the decision had already been made -- stand down, don't talk about it," he said. He also said he was prevented from attending a Special Olympics event to talk about health and disabilities. "I was told I would be helping a politically prominent family, [and] why would I want to help those people?" Dr. Carmona said. The Special Olympics were founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D., Mass.). He said his speeches were regularly vetted to ensure they weren't controversial. Speeches were edited to add references to Mr. Bush -- he was told there should be at least three per page. "The vetting was done by political appointees who were specifically there to spin my words to ideologically preconceived notions," he said.