Towing a political line with our health

Certainly we can expect partisanship in Washington. We can even expect parties to control information to present themselves in the best light and make rivals look like idiots.

But controlling medical information that does not align with preconceived political doctrine crosses the line. A Surgeon General is not the chief medical official of the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. He is the chief medical offical for all Americans, and we expect medical information flowing from our Surgeon General’s office to be grounded in science, not political policy.

Nor surprisingly, White House officials have denied all wrongdoing and distanced themselves from Richard Carmona, a former Special Forces doctor and recipient of two Purple Hearts, who testified before Congress about coming under political pressure during his 2002-2006 term as Surgeon General.

I agree with Dr. Carmona and a growing constituency of former Surgeons General. Funding from the Surgeon General’s office needs to come directly from congressional appropriation, not through the Executive Branch. Changing the funding source will alleviate the political pressure and allow the Surgeon General to release scientific reports that contain accurate medical information, without worrying about ruffling feathers at the White House.

When it comes to health, the last thing we need to worry about is towing any political line.