Results 1 to 5 of 5
Like Tree5Likes

Thread: White House Backs Off Fight With NRA Over Surgeon General Nominee — For Now

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

  1. #1
    Senior Member HAPPY2BME's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    17,895

    White House Backs Off Fight With NRA Over Surgeon General Nominee — For Now

    Talking Points Memo
    NEDRA PICKLER
    March 15, 2014,

    "This administration has adopted the highest ethical standards in history, and the caliber of our nominees and their preparedness to serve reflect that high bar," said White House spokesman Eric Schultz."
    White House Backs Off Fight With NRA Over Surgeon General Nominee — For Now





    WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is backing off its push for quick confirmation of President Barack Obama's pick to be surgeon general in the face of opposition from the National Rifle Association and concerns among Democrats up for re-election who don't want to take another tough vote on a controversial nominee.

    Dr. Vivek Hallegere Murthy, a Harvard Medical School physician and Obama political organizer, is the latest nominee to be targeted for defeat by an outside group in the midst of the midterm election campaign. Murthy's support of gun control drew the ire of the NRA, which was a driving force 11 months ago in the defeat of Obama-endorsed stronger background checks for firearms purchases.

    The White House has decided that, at least for now, it won't put its vulnerable incumbents in the position of taking a vote that could hurt them in the November elections. It's an embarrassing setback for Obama, a week after the Senate blocked his pick of Debo Adegbile as the government's chief civil rights attorney.

    The National Fraternal Order of Police mounted a campaign against Adegbile for his advocacy on behalf of Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of killing a Philadelphia police officer. The White House pressed ahead for a vote but was angered that seven Democrats joined all 44 Republicans in blocking Adegbile.

    A White House official said the president's staff is "recalibrating the strategy" around Murthy after what happened with Adegbile. The official, speaking on a condition of anonymity without authorization to discuss the personnel matter on the record, said the White House hopes Murthy ultimately will be confirmed. That leaves open the possibility that the White House could ask for a vote after the election, although the official would not comment on what the new strategy might be other than to say that presidential aides are consulting with individual senators and Democratic leadership.

    Democratic officials said the Senate leadership was trying to figure out how to proceed with Murthy's nomination and assessing whether he would have enough votes for confirmation. He was approved by committee vote last month with the support of all Democrats and one Republican.

    Murthy, 36, would be the first Indian-American surgeon general and is backed by a long list of medical groups. But the NRA said that Murthy's support of gun control, including a letter he sent to Congress last year in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, raised questions about whether he is motivated by science or politics. Murthy sent the letter as president of Doctors for America, a group he co-founded that supported Obama's plans for health care reform.

    Democratic Sen. Mark Begich, up for re-election this year in Alaska, cited his lifetime NRA membership in a letter to constituents who have contacted him on the Murthy nomination.

    "While the Senate has not yet scheduled a vote on Dr. Murthy, I have already told the White House I will very likely vote no on his nomination if it comes to the floor," Begich said in the letter, according to his office. He said that besides concerns about Murthy's position on gun control, he also is concerned about Murthy's political advocacy and lack of experience as a practicing physician.

    Sen. John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican who practiced medicine for 25 years, has been pushing against Murthy on the same grounds and said the White House isn't doing a very good job of preventing confirmation battles.

    "The White House was terribly embarrassed that their nominee for the Justice Department failed," Barrasso said in a telephone interview Friday from Ukraine, where he was with several lawmakers amid turmoil in the country. "I don't think they saw it coming. They had (Vice President) Joe Biden in the chair to break a tie and it wasn't even close."

    The White House argues that its nominees have been approved at the same rate as his predecessors — 76.6 percent for Obama compared to 77.9 percent for Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

    "This administration has adopted the highest ethical standards in history, and the caliber of our nominees and their preparedness to serve reflect that high bar," said White House spokesman Eric Schultz. "Similar to previous administrations, all appointments are thoroughly vetted. But current congressional Republicans have made no secret of the extraordinary lengths they will go to obstruct the confirmation process."

    http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/wh...+%28TPMNews%29

    Join our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & to secure US borders by joining our E-mail Alerts at http://eepurl.com/cktGTn

  2. #2
    Senior Member oldguy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    3,208
    Radicals appoint radicals it is simply that easy to understand, the Democrat party of today is full of such radicals the Blue Dogs are long gone. You never hear the left called extreme by media yet they continue to do so with conservatives.
    I'm old with many opinions few solutions.

  3. #3
    Senior Member AirborneSapper7's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    South West Florida (Behind friendly lines but still in Occupied Territory)
    Posts
    117,696
    Democrats Moving Against Anti-Gun Nominee!





    ALERT: Democrats lining up against Obama's anti-gun pick for Surgeon General.

    Fax the Senate - Tell them to OPPOSE the confirmation of Vivek Murthy!


    American Conservative,

    Vivek Hallegere Murthy -- Obama's radical pick for Surgeon General -- has found new opposition in the U.S. Senate.

    The latest report shows that several Senate Democrats are standing against his confirmation.

    Politico is calling it another "rebellion" --
    The White House is facing its second Democratic rebellion in less than two weeks over a nomination that's drawn quick opposition from rural Democratic senators. Obama has enough trouble with the GOP, which is nearly united in opposing Vivek Murthy's nomination to become surgeon general, but it's his own party that is again in position to derail another presidential pick.

    Democratic Senate aides estimated on Monday that from eight to 10 Democrats may oppose Murthy's nomination if the vote were to be held soon, mostly because of his left-leaning views on gun policy... An aide closely following the nomination described a vote for Murthy as carrying "very little political or policy gain but plenty of downside."
    This stands to show that our faxes, petitions, and phone calls are working -- it also shows that common sense can prevail despite Harry Reid's elimination of the filibuster on executive appointments!

    But we can't stay silent on this. The vote hasn't happened yet and the anti-gunners in the Senate are working hard to get their colleagues to support Vivek "Docs-vs.-Glocks" Murthy as Surgeon General.

    Let's make it our priority to flood Senate offices with faxes, petitions, and phone calls until Murthy's confirmation is defeated!

    Take Action! Blast faxes to U.S. Senators demanding that they OPPOSE the confirmation of Dr. Vivek Murthy as Surgeon General.

    Also, add your name to our petition against Vivek Murthy as Surgeon General -- sign here.

    "Docs vs. Glocks"

    Confirmed by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee 13-9 onFebruary 27, thirty-six year old Vivek Murthy has distinguished himself not as an outstanding health professional, but as an anti-gun radical.

    In 2008, Murthy created the advocacy group Doctors for Obama (changed to Doctors for America a year later) as a vehicle to champion big government and his liberal agenda.

    In the summer of 2011, Murthy's DFA organized a campaign called "Docs vs. Glocks" to oppose a Florida law that prohibits physicians from asking patients about guns.

    And, in the wake of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, DFA President Murthy penned an open letter to Obama arguing for the increase of unconstitutional federal controls on guns and their owners. The letter reads in part:
    "It's time for common sense gun rules like background checks and banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, as well as a comprehensive plan to address gun violence including ensuring funding for research and data-collection on gun violence and ensuring that health care providers can ask patients about gun ownership in order to counsel them appropriately about safety measures."
    If Murthy is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, we can bet that he will use the position of Surgeon General to further this kind of anti-gun radicalism. Just imagine what kind of junk science and propaganda he could produce with access to federal "health" research funds!

    It's important that we contact every United States Senator and tell them to stand against the confirmation of Vivek Murthy and demand someone be nominated for America's Number One Doctor.

    Take Action! Blast faxes to U.S. Senators demanding that they OPPOSE the confirmation of Dr. Vivek Murthy as Surgeon General.

    Also, add your name to our petition against Vivek Murthy as Surgeon General -- sign here.

    The Second Amendment states:
    "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
    Yet Obama and the anti-gunners are doing all they can to hollow-out and weaken this part of the Supreme Law of the Land in order for them to carry-out their disarmament agenda.

    This is why we're asking you rally lawmakers now and tell them to vote against the confirmation of Vivek Murthy when his name is brought before the full Senate!

    Take Action! Blast faxes to U.S. Senators demanding that they OPPOSE the confirmation of Dr. Vivek Murthy as Surgeon General.

    For America,

    Conservative Action Alerts
    www.ConservativeActionAlerts.com

    P.S. Make sure you contact your U.S. Representative and Senators on this issue by signing our no-cost petition here.

    P.P.S. Facebook is a powerful tool to carry this message. If you're on facebook,click here and share our "America Doesn't Need A Gun-Grabber For Surgeon General" meme on your wall and with your friends!

    Take Action! Blast faxes to U.S. Senators demanding that they OPPOSE the confirmation of Dr. Vivek Murthy as Surgeon General.




    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  4. #4
    Senior Member AirborneSapper7's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    South West Florida (Behind friendly lines but still in Occupied Territory)
    Posts
    117,696
    Vivek Murthy has no experience running a department in a hospital, no experience running a hospital, no experience running a county board of health. He's been in private practice for only 8 years and part time at that. His one big accomplishment was that he started a political organization of far left leaning doctors that supported Obama. He is a political activist that spends more time being an activist than a doctor. He has no experience or qualifications that would lead me to believe that he would be a good surgeon general. His activism is why he was nominated.
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  5. #5
    Senior Member AirborneSapper7's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    South West Florida (Behind friendly lines but still in Occupied Territory)
    Posts
    117,696
    Joe the Plumber

    That is the problem with Government agencies... People can be appointed to a position, then use that position politically and the American people have no say... EPA, Dept. of Education, Dept. of Energy, USDA and so on... We have no oversight!

    Obama’s Surgeon General Has A Gun Problem

    Posted by Joe For America on Mar 21, 2014 in 2nd Amendment, Congress, Regulation


    Dr. Vivek Murthy was nominated by President Obama to be the next surgeon general of the United States. The nomination is stalled, because of Murthy’s long record of activism against the Second Amendment. Evidently, Dr. Murthy believes that the Bill of Rights is a heath problem.
    Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has changed the rules of the Senate to remove the 60 votes necessary to cut off a filibuster of President Obama’s nominees. The goal was to make it easier to force through nominations that have no bipartisan support and to knee cap Republicans in the Senate who have used the filibuster to slow and stop Obama’s out of the mainstream nominees. Reid thought the elimination of the filibuster would make it easy to confirm even the most extreme nominations, but he was wrong.
    The Murthy nomination has become a referendum on gun control. The left believes that they have made progress in pushing legislation to curtail Second Amendment rights, yet they can’t get the Murthy nomination passed. Too many Senate Democrats value winning re-election to the Senate more than confirming a controversial nominee to surgeon general.
    The National Rifle Association wrote a letter to the Senate on February 26, 2014 where they explained the reasons for strongly opposing the nomination.
    In his capacity as president of Doctors for America, Dr. Murthy has offered his support for a wide array of gun control policies that have been repeatedly rejected by the American people and their elected representatives.
    One of the pieces of evidence cited by the NRA was a letter to Congress dated January 14, 2013. Murthy wrote an open letter to Congress advocating five specific changes to law, including strengthening regulations limiting individual’s constitutional right to keep and bear arms. One recommendation advocated for more research and data-tracking of guns.
    In caring for our patients, we rely on unbiased data and research in public health to guide our counseling, recommendations, or treatment. Just as we monitor vaccinations and different approaches to tobacco cessation and fund approaches to preventing cancer, os should we ensure that we have the data-tracking and research capabilities to fully address gun violence.
    This is exactly what opponents of the nominee fear; installing a new surgeon general who will use his position to fight gun control, much like the federal government is using resources to fight obesity and tobacco use. Opponents argue that an anti-gun activist in that position will allow Murthy to use the surgeon general office to propagandize the American people that gun ownership is a national health crisis. Murthy believes this to be true, so why would senators vote to install an anti-Second Amendment activist into the position of the highest ranking public relations health care official?

    Continue reading…


    http://joeforamerica.com/2014/03/oba...l-gun-problem/
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •