Editorial: Outrageous muzzling undermines Carmona

Southern Arizona’s loss was Washington’s gain when Dr. Richard Carmona accepted President Bush’s call to serve as surgeon general in 2002.

The trauma surgeon and elite member of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department SWAT team went to the capital with high hopes of setting the health agenda for the entire nation. He had the full support of his proud home state, which embraced his outspoken nature and willingness to tackle hot-button issues.

As it turns out, Carmona was muzzled by the Bush administration, kept on a tight leash by political operatives so he would not speak out on controversial topics such as stem-cell research, abstinence-only education and abortion. He was forbidden to express his opinion when his views on scientific matters did not agree with the president.

The 17th U.S. surgeon general testified on Capital Hill on Tuesday as lawmakers began confirmation hearings on Bush’s nominee to succeed Carmona, Kentucky cardiologist Dr. James Holsinger Jr. Carmona was told in 2006 his four-year term would not be renewed after he refused to change a report on global health challenges.

“I was told this would be a political document or you’re not going to release it,” Carmona said. “I said it can’t be a political document because the surgeon general never releases political documents. I release scientific documents that will help our elected officials and the citizens understand the complex world we live in and what their responsibilities are.”

Carmona’s widely praised report on second-hand smoke was threatened by delays and unscientific editing before the end of his term last year, he said.

“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,” Carmona said.

We agree with Carmona, who considered running for Arizona’s governor in 2006. The surgeon general has to show leadership on health issues, not be a political appointee looking out for the president’s interests.

Even sex education was problematic for the surgeon general at a time when AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases pose dire health risks. Carmona supported comprehensive sex education that would include abstinence, rather than solely focusing on abstinence.

“However, there was already a policy in place that didn’t want to hear the science, but wanted to quote, unquote preach abstinence, which I felt was scientifically incorrect,” Carmona said.

The White House has been embarrassed by the matter but claimed Carmona was the leading voice for health in America. If he failed to connect with the public, it was his fault, the spin doctors said this week.

“It’s disappointing to us if he failed to use his position to the fullest extent in advocating for policies he thought were in the best interests of the nation,” Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto said. “We believe Dr. Carmona received the support necessary to carry out his mission.”

If the White House thinks Carmona was supported, we feel sorry for Holsinger if he’s approved. Bush could learn much from former President Ronald Reagan’s work in government. Reagan and his operatives did not micromanage everything, a problem in the Iran-Contra scandal but effective in other venues.

When Carmona testified at a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, he was joined by Drs. C. Everett Koop, who served as surgeon general from 1981-1889, and David Satcher, who served from 1998-2001.

Koop, the most recognized former surgeon general, spoke highly of Reagan’s style. When Koop was in office, he led the effort to treat AIDS as a public health issue rather than a moral issue. The decision brought him many admirers and critics. He said Reagan was pressed by minions to fire him every day, but Reagan resisted.

Koop said that after he left office he had more access to the secretary of Health and Human Services than his successor, Satcher, and that embarrassed him. “Dr. Carmona was treated with even less respect than Dr. Satcher,” Koop said.

Carmona did not speak out publicly about his displeasure until the congressional testimony. He is a team player and not a disgruntled former bureaucrat crying out for attention or trying to salvage his career.

Washington should listen to leaders and men of honor like Carmona. He’s dedicated to the truth, not his personal agenda. We need more public servants like him.