In Defense of the Sanjay Gupta Appointment

I understand the critiques launched by Paul Krugman, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., and others against Dr. Sanjay Gupta -- he did accuse Michael Moore of "fudging the facts" in Sicko when Moore had done no such thing. But in the end he apologized and admitted he was wrong, which is a lot more than is frequently forthcoming in these situations.

I actually think Gupta is an inspired choice. This morning in Politico, they note that Tom Daschle may use Gupta in a grassroots campaign to sell the Obama health care plan to the public. Gupta is a known and trusted public personality, and this appointment gives him the official status to explain and defend the plan on the government's behalf. His familiar face will be a powerful antidote to any kind of well-funded "Harry and Louise" style campaign aimed at tanking it.

Sam Stein says, "Howard Dean, a doctor himself, noted that Gupta's responsibilities would be much the same as those in his current job: explaining medical issues of public concern in a manner that the public could understand."

I believe Gupta would perform that task really well and do a lot to redeem public health issues from the savaging they've received from the anti-science crowd for the past eight years. But if it does nothing more than help keep public opinion about the health care plan favorable long enough for it to pass, he'll be worth it.