Wonkette
Now that teevee actor Sanjay Gupta has officially turned down the unwanted Commerce Department job of “surgeon general,” some people at the White House are saying, “Hey, what’s that other guy who was a doctor and had something or other to do with the Democrats? Why not him?”
But the guy in question, Doctor Howard Dean, maybe doesn’t want it, even though he might have wanted it before — before getting passed over twice for the Cabinet job he really maybe wanted, which was Health and Human Services, so he could install the socialist medical system he has long dreamed about, in Vermont. And, well, that’s your Obama Administration intrigue of the day, sorry it’s not better. [Sam Stein]
“A tablespoon of maple syrup should cure what ails you.”
“And we’re gonna take this country’s medical system and socialize the hell out of it! Hyaahhhh!!“
Yawrh!
It’s good to be a cabinet member: you get a limo ride to work every day, have a private kitchen in your office, and many, many people to do your actual “work.” The Surgeon-General post is more appropriate for near-loonies like C Everett Koop and David Kestler. The “I-have-a-scream” speech notwithstanding, Dean’s a little short in the goofiness department.
BillyClubb: Getting “the hell” out of our current system is the most logical idea since Carter, therefore it will never happen.
Cant we just give him a cameo on Grey’s Anatomy instead, or make him the Maple Syrup Czar.
I think he should become a rapper. “Dr. Dean” sounds like a hip-hop moniker to me.
Dr. Dean, Rappin’ Machine. Give a holla, give a screech.
Didn’t Rahm Emanuel want to get rid of Dean as DNC chair after 2006? Maybe this is his way of burying him and putting in his own guy. Which, if that’s the case, then Dean should stay, since that wacky 50-state strategy seems to — um — work.
SayItWithWookies: Ol’ Deano already stepped down as DNC chair.
Dean can stick to opening Democratic Party Offices in Rushville Nebraska. Cosby has always been the top Doc in Americans hearts and minds. Plus, the Huxtables were the 80’s version of Barry and Michelle. Claire was a trailblazer in the truest sense. She paved the way for strong black women every where to wear sleavless dresses and show their finely toned guns.
Claire Huxtable ….. David Brooks salutes you !
Ben-n-Jerry’s for all.
My money’s still on Dr. Dre
Wasn’t the politician from Vermont the bad guy in “Thank You for Smoking?”
I don’t know the full backstory on this, but from my perspective Dean is the central guy who set the table for the Dems in 06 & 08 after Kerry evaporated. I.e. grassroots organization, contention in all 50 states, internet savvy, etc. By appearances during the primaries he was Mr. Even Keel as Hopeman & Hilz played it out: he was pragmatic and took a lot of heat for not nudging it along enough. If you recall the Dems started going down in the polls then. Evidently Barry & the Chicago folk have considered him some kind of threat.
SG is a figurehead position, particularly now. It doesn’t take advantage of his political skills.
Why hasn’t the WH brought the Deaniacs into the fold as they did with Team Clintbot?
Whadup WH?
Any chance we could get Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman?
Dean should take the job then strongly support masturbation education.
Godot: Geeze — brain’s in left field today. Now I’m gonna have to get that dead fish out of the mailbox.
SayItWithWookies: People are too hard on Rahm. Actually he mailed a live fish, but the poor bastard didn’t make it through the sorter.
What about Dr. Steve Brule!?
I knew Dr. Gupta. Governor you are no Sanja Gupta!
Dean Scream would be good for Surgeon General. Barry needs more angry screams in the cabinet. Maybe Howard and Rahmboner can organize a White House Fight Club after work?
“Why not him?”
Because most of the American public see him as a stark, raving lunatic?
If Barry was really committed to a hot cabinet, he would choose George Clooney or Noah Wiley. They also seem to know about the medical things on my teevee.
Apparently it isn’t just Rahm who dislikes the Doc, word is that Axelrod and Plouffe ain’t too fond either.
snarkattack: If we’re going back to the 90s for our TeeVee docs, my vote is for Dr. Beverly Crusher. That’s a lady with her shit together. Dr. Quinn would want to bleed you or put leeches on your face or something.
I’m holding out for Dr. Tobias Funke.
How about Dr. John?
He’s definitely the kind of sage, solemn, father-figure type you’d want for SG. Haha. Uh..really!
Come here a minute: You forgot the umlaut: Fünke
Dean is such a sore loser. Take the SG job! You’ll eventually realize how much more sensible it was to pluck a soon-to-be-term-limited governor from Kansas right before an open 2010 Senate race she could have won in a walk and put in her in HHS.
Seriousness, pragmatism, &c.
“Didn’t Rahm Emanuel want to get rid of Dean as DNC chair after 2006?”
All this “Rahm hates Dean” bullshit always sounded like a phony media-originated catfight. Was there ever anything but speculation?
So long as Dean doesn’t advocate for single-payer health care, therefore simultaneously destroying both the mega health care corporations and Tennessee’s economy, he’ll be fine. Wouldn’t want anyone to get in the way of Obama’s big campaign donors retaining their status as health care middlemen sucking a huge, unnecessary hole in the economy when a more streamlined and efficient system would save everyone (else) billions/year. Obama’s health care “revolution” is simply making it so that the uninsured can have access to this obscene Frankenstein which allows the rest of the developed world to laugh at us while fuckholes like Bill Frist accrue obscene wealth.
The U.S. Surgeon General is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, not Commerce!!
shortsshortsshorts: Whoa, when did you become all bitter, shorts? Oh right. Birth.
I would love to see a McCain-Dean HENGH-HYAAH mash-up. Screamalicious!
V572625694, as someone who knows Dr. Dean, I can tell you: he’s VERY goofy. Extremely extremely goofy. His favorite jokes are knock-knock jokes, no kidding. Straight up goofball. And that’s part of what I like about him.
Anyway, it would be a loss not to use this guy in some way. He really is the driving force behind our wins in 2006 and 2008. That crazy hey-let’s-try-campaigning-and-grassrootin’-in-ALL-fifty-states thingie sort of panned out, ya know?
He’s got it going on in the brains department.
badmuthagoose: Can we call him Dr. Goofy Brains, then?
To his face?
badmuthagoose: That makes sense. It’s a style difference. All those Hahvahd boys & girls would think he might faht in meetings & laugh.
How about Dr.Quinn, Medicine Woman?
DoctorCulturae: Rahm Emanuel HATES Gov. Dean because Dean got (well-deserved) credit for the success of the 50-State Strategy in 2006. Rahm was heading up the Dem’s Congressional Election Committee and he thought HE should have received all the attention for increasing the party’s House membership in ‘06. It’s behavior unbecoming the White House, but Obama should have known he would have that problem when he appointed a Chief of Staff who has more enemies than friends and holds grudges longer than Rush Limbaugh does. And I will shut up now for fear of an IRS audit, or at least an obscene phone call to my mother.