General Discussion

calimary

(81,632 posts)

19. I thought he turned down the job of Surgeon General when it was offered to him.

Reply to nashville_brook (Original post)

Sun Aug 11, 2013, 06:14 PM

Aug 2013

In the first few days of the first Obama term.

I remember being a bit pissed off about it - "you TURNED YOUR NOSE UP at Your new President when he asked you to serve? Who the fuck do you think you are, pal? Oh yeah - I forgot. It was far more important for you you to keep your mug on TV all the time than to serve your country, and the exposure the Surgeon General's job would offer doesn't match your ego stroking on CNN..."

Ol' Sanjay went way down in my estimation when that happened. When your president calls and asks for your help, by God you should stand up and answer. Or something like that. I used to like him. But that kinda killed it for me.

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Sanjay Gupta is lying. He wasn't misinformed. He toed the line for the Surgeon General's job [View all] nashville_brook Aug 2013 OP

Agree wholeheartedly burnodo Aug 2013 #1

He is definitely late to the party, but I guess late is better than never. He is ahead of the liberal_at_heart Aug 2013 #2

He is an important public face of establishment medicine. I'm glad he came around. Comrade Grumpy Aug 2013 #3

But think of the public influence he'd have had as SG leftstreet Aug 2013 #7

Well said! Isoldeblue Aug 2013 #8

The Ryan Seacrest of medicine? DirkGently Aug 2013 #9

Your explanation is as sound as any. truedelphi Aug 2013 #125

Interesting coincidence, for sure. DirkGently Aug 2013 #130

I'm sure someone paid him to change his mind. He's as greedy as all the others making their winterpark Aug 2013 #128

Forgot he was angling for SG. Makes more sense now. DirkGently Aug 2013 #4

You didn't forget, because it never happened. He turned the job down. KittyWampus Aug 2013 #27

No, that's completely wrong. He withdrew his name after public debate. DirkGently Aug 2013 #40

No, he withdrew his name after Tom Daschle got knocked out of the HHS gig. MADem Aug 2013 #77

Yet you are picking the fight. Because he embarrassed Obama? DirkGently Aug 2013 #89

You are the one characterizing a simple refutation of false assertions as "a fight." MADem Aug 2013 #105

So which part is false? Are you claiming Gupta didn't get nailed for lying DirkGently Aug 2013 #111

Your entire narrative is a perverse prevarication. Your agenda is bizarre. nt MADem Aug 2013 #112

You keep saying that, but without factual support. Why? DirkGently Aug 2013 #115

You're the one who hasn't provided any "factual support"--just your uninformed opinion. MADem Aug 2013 #117

Heck, no. I'd forgotten half of his controversies until DirkGently Aug 2013 #118

You have a nice day--I'm tired of reading the same inventions from you, over and over. MADem Aug 2013 #119

Take care. FYI, here's the same thing you call "inventions" from the LA Times. DirkGently Aug 2013 #120

Lather, rinse, repeat. Post 119. MADem Aug 2013 #121

Just another of several articles refuting your position entirely. DirkGently Aug 2013 #122

Thank you for that reminder. Gupta exposed himself as a tool. chimpymustgo Aug 2013 #98

I had forgotten half of his awfulness until DirkGently Aug 2013 #106

Gupta was one of the early visible cracks in the Obama facade. chimpymustgo Aug 2013 #141

You don't have a chance with know-it alls who have the answer for everything. lumpy Aug 2013 #134

He came around Aerows Aug 2013 #5

He sees the train leaving the station and he's gonna jump on it and pretend he's driving. n/t PoliticAverse Aug 2013 #6

Peak graduation year for high school MJ use was something like 1978 jberryhill Aug 2013 #10

I'm not gonna blast Gupta. napoleon_in_rags Aug 2013 #11

How many doctors still claim MJ belongs with heroin though? DirkGently Aug 2013 #12

He is a political opportunist. nm rhett o rick Aug 2013 #13

there are 20 states where medical marijuana is legal and more pending. liberal_at_heart Aug 2013 #14

Which is still the minority of states, last I checked. napoleon_in_rags Aug 2013 #25

This documentary is going to open the MMJ floodgates... tridim Aug 2013 #124

Ah, you're a mind reader? He probably didn't want the pay cut>>> KittyWampus Aug 2013 #15

Not that I disagree..... physioex Aug 2013 #74

Agree 100%. He was willfully ignorant because he was looking for a career in guvmint. marble falls Aug 2013 #16

yawn. still hiding behind a limited hangout. KG Aug 2013 #17

I'll never forget Gupta's lies after Michael Moore's Sicko malaise Aug 2013 #18

I'm with you on that. He had no credibility to lose with me. n/t catzies Aug 2013 #29

I thought he turned down the job of Surgeon General when it was offered to him. calimary Aug 2013 #19

He did. However, making shit up is the new normal for DU. KittyWampus Aug 2013 #22

^ ^ What KittyWampus said. lamp_shade Aug 2013 #31

Oh, bullshit Kitty. He didn't reject the nomination. DirkGently Aug 2013 #44

The job was HIS if he wanted it. He didn't want it. His wife was getting ready to have their 3rd MADem Aug 2013 #53

Then why did he let Obama nominate him? DirkGently Aug 2013 #54

He wanted to work with Daschle, and as the Washington Post reported, he MADem Aug 2013 #67

This is just a question. I wasn't paying any attention to Gupta's nomination.... Little Star Aug 2013 #101

No shit. We have the benefit (?) of being inundated by mind readers who can analyse lumpy Aug 2013 #136

Yes, link: Gupta opts out of surgeon general consideration napoleon_in_rags Aug 2013 #32

Not quite, link: The Controversy about Gupta as Surgeon General DirkGently Aug 2013 #46

"NOBODY THINKS THAT. If you were born in the late 60s..." True dat. But I am glad jtuck004 Aug 2013 #20

he's come around as a face-saving measure. good on him nashville_brook Aug 2013 #41

And how is this any different adieu Aug 2013 #21

Zappa has a song about that 90-percent Aug 2013 #23

that reminds me of Bill Hicks... nashville_brook Aug 2013 #42

he didn't want the surgeon generals job. DesertFlower Aug 2013 #24

not the first Gupta forced to re-invent his position: Michael Moore's Sicko nashville_brook Aug 2013 #47

better late than never. Warren DeMontague Aug 2013 #26

I was born in the 1970s. Most of us thought of pot as an old people's drug Recursion Aug 2013 #28

I am happy to support his changed attitude about pot. We need to be celebrate totodeinhere Aug 2013 #30

let's see how long it lasts burnodo Aug 2013 #34

It's an evil plot to destroy pot smokers. lumpy Aug 2013 #137

Agreed Egnever Aug 2013 #38

the fact that he's come around proves that his support is no longer needed. or relevant. nashville_brook Aug 2013 #43

I agree. bravenak Aug 2013 #33

+1 nashville_brook Aug 2013 #39

mr natural agrees madrchsod Aug 2013 #81

Gupta lost all credibility when he joined the Private Health Ins. smear campaign against sabrina 1 Aug 2013 #35

Love the attempt in the thread to suggest it was the "pay cut" that made him run. DirkGently Aug 2013 #45

He's a paid whore like all the teevee talking heads. nt valerief Aug 2013 #36

please explain link to "surgeon general's job" SleeplessinSoCal Aug 2013 #37

He didn't decline the nomination. He fled a controversy. DirkGently Aug 2013 #48

If it follows recent trends on DU, some one is pissed he stopped towing the line. napoleon_in_rags Aug 2013 #50

I'm sorry, you're claiming the OP is critical of medical marijuana? DirkGently Aug 2013 #56

Well, its a funny way to show his support for it... napoleon_in_rags Aug 2013 #58

He's not respected. He's popular. Not the same. DirkGently Aug 2013 #62

Okay, so he's popular. Why are you critiquing him right after he comes out in support of medical MJ? napoleon_in_rags Aug 2013 #63

I agree with the OP he is lying claiming he was "misinformed." DirkGently Aug 2013 #66

Because for many DU'ers it's about somehow proving you are more liberal/intelligent/cynical KittyWampus Aug 2013 #68

Well, I'm not going to do that with Gupta. napoleon_in_rags Aug 2013 #79

Gupta's Haiti trip highlighted the danger of self-promotion in reporting this tragedy. nashville_brook Aug 2013 #65

Some people enjoy throwing barbs whether it is the truth or not. lumpy Aug 2013 #139

I care little that he may be lying and just glad he's getting on track... aikoaiko Aug 2013 #49

It's a little tacky to disparage him Nevernose Aug 2013 #51

actually, what's tacky is talking money from pharma to sell their products and nashville_brook Aug 2013 #57

I agree Nevernose Aug 2013 #97

It's more stupid to take a lying hack at face value. DirkGently Aug 2013 #61

He TURNED DOWN the Surgeon General's job. Jeez, what poor memories people have. MADem Aug 2013 #52

what's embarrassing is that you can't tell the difference between him wanting it and being unfit nashville_brook Aug 2013 #55

Bull. He would have been confirmed. MADem Aug 2013 #59

No, the bull is yours. Why did he agree to the nomination? DirkGently Aug 2013 #64

Your attention is invited--AGAIN--to post sixty seven. MADem Aug 2013 #69

Dems in Congress opposed him as well. And "AGAIN" DirkGently Aug 2013 #71

The answer to your question is in Post sixty seven, which, plainly you did not read. MADem Aug 2013 #72

Oh, so now it's not "family concerns" after all? DirkGently Aug 2013 #75

Hello? Can't you read? Conyers does NOT HAVE "advise and consent" authority. MADem Aug 2013 #76

I'm not infuriated. Just pointing out Gupta fled a controversy. DirkGently Aug 2013 #82

Obama didn't dump the guy, either. Not sure why you have this need to tell stories. MADem Aug 2013 #87

Just trying to help. If you need it to be an Obama failure ... okay? DirkGently Aug 2013 #92

Again, you'll have to ask Obama and Daschle what their plans were. MADem Aug 2013 #104

Where is your proof that Obama withdrew the nomination ? And why do you believe the poster lumpy Aug 2013 #140

That is just flat-out untrue. You don't have a right to your own made-up "factoids." MADem Aug 2013 #70

No, that's just the interpretation you prefer. Why DirkGently Aug 2013 #107

The one who is "angry" is you. I just can't understand why you have a need to invent history, all MADem Aug 2013 #113

yep, he's a big fat liar. & if he's saying now pot is ok, it's only because the political winds are HiPointDem Aug 2013 #60

Gupta SamKnause Aug 2013 #73

I agree Life Long Dem Aug 2013 #78

Wrong. Gupta was offered the Surgeon General job and famously turned it down. Zen Democrat Aug 2013 #80

Famously ran away from the embarrassing controversy, you mean? DirkGently Aug 2013 #85

actually pot did go away in the 80`s madrchsod Aug 2013 #83

The mags were there in the '70s too, Go Vols Aug 2013 #91

during the 60`s and 70`s i had to drive 100 miles to buy a book or magazine madrchsod Aug 2013 #94

I appreciate anyone who says Go Vols Aug 2013 #84

I guess I'm obtuse...why exactly do you care how he got there? Dreamer Tatum Aug 2013 #86

His assertions aren't true either. MADem Aug 2013 #88

this makes no sense at all, i remember when news came out about him being in consideration for the JI7 Aug 2013 #90

He apparently ran away (or was dumped) due to criticism. DirkGently Aug 2013 #93

No matter how many bullshit blog posts you pull up- you are still wrong and facts prove you wrong. KittyWampus Aug 2013 #110

So, ABC News, Michael Moore, Paul Krugman & John Conyers, = "bullshit?" DirkGently Aug 2013 #116

I Think You're Undoubtedly Correct On the Road Aug 2013 #95

I actually Sgent Aug 2013 #96

You may be right MannyGoldstein Aug 2013 #99

I'm going to go out on a limb and make a prediction Fumesucker Aug 2013 #100

I'm going to quote you here, because it's good stuff DirkGently Aug 2013 #108

I remember it well MannyGoldstein Aug 2013 #109

40 Years On... KharmaTrain Aug 2013 #102

It doesn't matter where he came from, the packaging is simply this: Ed Suspicious Aug 2013 #103

Precisely. PACKAGING (bullshit). Perhaps helpful bullshit. DirkGently Aug 2013 #114

Even if we accept what you say as true, and I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt... stevenleser Aug 2013 #123

uh, he TURNED DOWN the sg job. spanone Aug 2013 #126

He (uh) gave the traditional spin when the controversy killed him. DirkGently Aug 2013 #131

as your um post stated....he withdrew spanone Aug 2013 #132

Once he (um) became an embarrassment, he had to. DirkGently Aug 2013 #133

Thought that having a mind of his own would impede that career move. Now he just gives props lunasun Aug 2013 #127

I thought weed calmed people down? ecstatic Aug 2013 #129

And nobody ever went to the ER from alcohol abuse, eh? dreamnightwind Aug 2013 #135

I am for legalization of all drugs ecstatic Aug 2013 #138

It's a very harmless plant dreamnightwind Aug 2013 #143

One of the things brought up in the special got me thinking. If our reward center in our brain liberal_at_heart Aug 2013 #142