Where Is The Surgeon General Amid The Ebola Crisis?

Something struck me rather odd this evening as I read about the the new Ebola czar. I haven't heard the Surgeon General mentioned in all of this confusion about the who, what, when, how and wheres of dealing with this pending so called crisis. So, where is he or she?

Something else I find rather sad is the fact that I can't name the current Surgeon General. I'm not even sure if we have one any more, although I'm pretty sure we do.

I remember C. Everett Coop and Joycelyn Elders because they were at least somewhat visible. They made PSA's for television and sometimes appeared on the MSM talking heads news shows. But they were visible. We felt like a certified health expert was in charge of our national healthcare system.

So... who is our current Surgeon General? A little research provided the answer. But the point I'm making is why did I need to do that? I consider myself fairly well informed and up to speed on current events for the most part. Yet this comforting bit of information had somehow slipped through the cracks. In fact, I don't think I've heard the term "Surgeon General" mentioned by the present administration over the last 6 years.

Hold that thought for a moment.

I do, however, know that second, not a first, but a second czar has been named to lead the nation through this labyrinth that is the Ebola crisis. And who is this Ron Klain and how is he qualified to lead the charge? What exactly are his qualifications?

In 2011, Klain stepped down as chief of staff for Vice President Joe Biden. Before that, Klain was a well-connected Washington lobbyist. According to Senate lobbying disclosure records, Klain’s clients included Fannie Mae, U.S. Airways, Time Warner, CIGNA, and Imclone.

Additionally he worked on the staffs of Al Gore and Janet Reno. He also spent a good amount participating as a consultant of some kind on several Senate committees. And we wouldn't want to forget that he worked on both Obama and Bill Clinton's debate prep team.

But no where on his resume is there a hint of experience in public health, epidemiology, or cross-agency administration.

The White House said this of the qualifications for its newest Ebola czar, “What we were looking for was not an Ebola expert.” The White House didn’t want somebody who knew anything about Ebola to head up its anti-Ebola effort. It wanted an “implementation expert.”

Do tell... Well, Mr. Klain has no experience in that arena either. Something sounds amiss in all of this. The leading health official in the nation is bypassed and the whole episode is placed in the hands of a strong Democrat-operative and Beltway insider?

Maybe, just maybe, the Obama Administration isn't looking for a real medical solution to the Ebola issue, because they know it can't be successfully addressed quickly. Maybe, just maybe, the Administration is looking for a temporary political solution that suppresses the flames until after the November 4th general election.

Maybe it's just me and my suspicious nature, but then again, maybe it's not.

(Author's Note: I'm not sure if we have a serious Ebola issue in this country yet or if we ever will. I'm just curious as to why a blatant political response to a medical problem is being pursued.)