I don't really care that much about the Gupta appointment, BUT

[cali]

I find the comparisons of Gupta to Judge Judy or Oprah or Paris Hilton to be about as stupid as it gets. Talk about tearing a page out of the dishonest repuke play book.

Yeah, Gupta is a television personality, but that hardly negates his being a top neurosurgeon, on the faculty at Emory and experienced in policy.

The reasons to oppose Gupta, if one is so inclined, should be his relationship with big pharma or his dishonesty as demonstrated in his exchange with Michael Moore, not the idiotic and fallacious comparisons to Dr Phil or Paris Hilton.

[jobycom]

1. Judge Judy was a nationally respected top-ranking Manhattan judge.

She at least devoted her life to public service. Gupta has no public policy experience, and that would be his primary job as SG. Obama didn't pick him because of his medical pedigree, but because of his public persona. Sure, Gupta is a qualified surgeon and medical expert, but there are hundreds like him across the nation. The only reason he stands out is because people know him from CNN, and the only reason people know him from CNN is because he's based in Atlanta so he was close enough to their studios to be accessible when CNN needed a medical expert on the air.

Obama is creating the image that he is going for star power more than qualifications, from top to bottom in his cabinet. He has chosen many who are qualified, even some who may be the best qualified, but overall, he's creating the impression of putting together a fantasy football (government) team more than a cabinet of like-minded professionals and experts to advise him on government policy. That's not a good image in a job where image is very important.

I'll give him time and room. I still support him. Nothing is bad yet. But I'm not going to compliment his beautiful bow tie when he's not wearing one, as some seem to be doing.

[WeDidIt]

2. Gupta sure as SHIT has public policy experience

From 1997 to 1998, he served as one of fifteen White House Fellows, primarily as an advisor to Hillary Clinton.

[cali]

3. Why not educate yourself before confidently making a false claim?

Gupta did policy work for the Clinton administration.

[jobycom]

5. Oh, be real. He was a fellow for one year.

Our standards are getting very low if we consider that policy experience.

[LostinVA]

6. Yup, she has a very solid, long-lived Family Law career

[lamp_shade]

4. He's got my confidence.

[Naturyl]

7. He's a qualified doctor

But he's the last person I want anywhere near government, given his trashing of Moore's movie.

We need single-payer health care now - not proven opponents of that approach.

[JuniperLea]

8. I've decided not to oppose any of Obama's appointments...

Until I see how it all pans out with them working together. I'm not surprised at any of them; I fully expected Obama to reach across the aisle as he said he would. As I said in another thread, perhaps he is unwilling to battle wits with the unarmed, so he is making sure that those he does choose from "the other side" are well-qualified, highly intelligent, and very well educated. That way when he gets his own way after debating, and possibly swaying, those that DU might oppose, he can do it with clear conscience and strong convictions. This is my hope, anyway. I still have a lot of hope, and I don't see any reason to lose any of it until push meets shove and something should go awry.