Posted on 10/21/2014 1:41:12 PM PDT by jazusamo
On Friday, addressing mounting concerns about a medical crisis in the U.S., President Obama named the noted epidemiologist Dr. Ronald Klain as the countrys Ebola czar. Dr. Klain .
Oh, sorry, that didnt happen.
The new Ebola czar is not an expert in infectious diseases, or in public health, or even a doctor. To Washington insiders, Ron Klain, a high-stakes Democratic Party operative, is most famous for his role in Florida legal challenges surrounding the 2000 presidential election. Those with longer memories remember Klains work as the Al Gore aide who labored to raise more than $100 million for the Democratic Party in the scandal-plagued 1996 presidential campaign. Klain served as chief of staff for two vice presidents, Gore and Joe Biden. In the latter role, he was instrumental in greasing the wheels for the troubled Solyndra Corp., which later collapsed at a cost to taxpayers of more than $500 million.
Dr. Klain has not exactly rushed to the medical front in the battle against Ebola. Appointed Friday, hell start today, or maybe tomorrow, and will skip Fridays Ebola hearing at the House Oversight Committee. Already news is leaking in the Beltway that the Klain appointment is merely to set the stage for bigger things at the White Housesenior counselor to the president, perhaps, or maybe a turn as chief of staff to the big man himself.
So its clear that the White House views the Ebola situation as a potential political crisis, not a public health one. Okay, fine, thats the presidents prerogative. But whats troubling is Czar Klains end run around the Constitution.
The Washington Post reports that Klain is tasked with coordinating domestic preparedness efforts and the U.S. military operation to help control the viruss spread in West Africa. Hell report to homeland security adviser Lisa Monaco and national security advisor Susan Rice, the Post says. But the Federal Emergency Management Agency is also a player. And the Defense Department has a major role. And because it is Africa, so does the State Department. And so does the Department of Homeland Security. Power in Washington is in direct relation to proximity to the president. So a czar operating from the White House exercises powerful influence over these departments, which have a measure of transparency and accountability under the law.
Not the czars. As Judicial Watch has reported, the Obama Administration has named dozens of them across the Executive Branch. Many, like Czar Klain, are unconfirmed by the Senate, largely unaccountable to Congress, and often outside the reach of the Freedom of Information Act. Thats a troubling consolidation of power, and no way to run a Republic.
Absolutely...Baghdad Frieden of the CDC and Fauci of the NIH are so inept that 0bama is calling on a political hack to try and save his neck on this fiasco.
Many, like Czar Klain, are unconfirmed by the Senate, largely unaccountable to Congress,
Only because Congress Allows it, they could stop it tomorrow, they are ALL complicit.
Very sorry to say that’s correct.
The Czar says over population is the #1 problem. I wonder how many they believe obola will take out. And do they know they can stop it once they reach the magic number?
Obama should have cut out the middleman and just appointed Kevin Spacey directly ...
What I expect from Klain is secrecy. He will attempt to hide the epidemic & the poor response by the CDC. Already, info on the condition of Nina Pham’s boyfriend is being withheld. Does he have Ebola, or not?
The higher up one goes in an organization, the more of a generalist one has to be. There’s plenty of room for medical expertise one rung down the ladder. Even if person at the top were an MD, he or she wouldn’t be spending a lot of time practicing medicine.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.