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First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



Obama names surgeon gen. pick

Posted: Monday, July 13, 2009 10:18 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:

From NBC's Chuck Todd and Mark Murray
On the very day we're all focused on the Sotomayor hearing, President Obama is going to nominate Dr. Regina Benjamin as the new surgeon general.

Obama will name her from the Rose Garden at 11:40 am ET.

Some quick bio nuggets on Benjamin:
-- Alabama family physician; first African American to head the Alabama state medical society; has a good story to tell regarding the rebuilding of a health clinic, post-Katrina
-- Just received a major MacArthur Foundation "genius grant"
-- Received the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights

Some biographical links:
-- Reader's Digest on what she did post-Katrina
-- US News profile
-- Her Bayou Clinic bio
-- Her Kaiser Family Foundation Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured bio
-- Her National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health bio
-- News of her receipt of the Genius Award

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Comments

Great! Now Obama is down to having to create 599,999 jobs this summer.

Nice work Barack!
Wait for it...the ONE thing the GOP will come up with will have to do with birth control or abortion. Because THOSE are the ONLY health issues in this country (or the world). 10, 9, 8...
WHAT?  Another Woman?  Well, I say - Here goes another few months of PoutRage and immature posturing.

PS.  Did anyone see the article about companies who have women executives are MORE profitable than those run by the 'good ole boys'.  Hmmm?  I will find a link if anyone's interested.
Remember the Bush appointees? Not a "genius" among them. THIS is why I caucused for Obama: I knew he would bring in a slew of well qualified people.
Dr. Benjamin looks like a good choice. I would need to know more about her but for now she seems to be well suited for Surgeon General.
And here are your rightie talking points.

She's a racist
She's an activist
She's an extremist
She pals around with terrorists
She belonged to <pick a group and trash it>
She's a (socialist, communist, marxist, etc.)

(The above talking points have been approved by FOX News and Rush Limpballs)

http://jawillie.blog.com
Obie, you've made real bad choices for your cabinet.
They include tax cheats and unethical people, and many of Clinton's cronies. Ugh!

You've ecxused them saying they made "mistakes" and even excused Sotomayor, saying she "mis-spoke" about the Latino/white guy fiasco, even though she repeated it in many of her speeches.

So, considering your track record, I'm asking you NOT to pick any of Michael Jackson's doctors for the office of Surgeon General. That would be the last nail.
The facts speak for themselves.Too much for wall street and nothing for main street. The 2005 bush anti middle class bankruptcy reform law( after which unbelievably, there are even still middle class republicans)is not only responsible for the record of cc and loan defaults, now we find out that it led directly to the record number of foreclosures. of course, bush and the congress(biden included) were devious about it, you do not know that it made middle class banruptcies inpossible, only ch.13 debt consolidations, unless you actually check with an attorney.obama should executive order this away as of yesterday.

28,000 stimulus checks and national healthcare need to go to rank and file middle class folk. Families that have piled up huge piles of debt through tripled gas prices and medical bills cannot spend this nation back to health. wealthy journalists now worry more about the stock market than the grocery market. where is the voice for the middle class????????

BTW, even most of the conservatives in Canada enjoy the national healthcare and are NOT working to repeal it.
FR--Some quick bio nuggets on Benjamin:
-- Alabama family physician; first African American to head the Alabama state medical society; has a good story to tell regarding the rebuilding of a health clinic, post-Katrina
-- Just received a major MacArthur Foundation "genius grant"
-- Received the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Excellent choice, excellent physician.
Sounds like she has a lot of empathy.
Keep the Repukes busy!  

They have been on vacation for 8 years, rubber-stamping everything for the Bush Crime Family, and increasing their own wealth by stealing from the American People.....

Now, they can start another racist rant!  Ya' got nothing Repukes!
This guy should be ok. He is not for the public option. Will not rush to pass health care reform too soon. Very detail oriented.
This is a position and department that could be cut out of the federal budget. Let the FDA and DEA handle the duty of this department.
Oh great. The big payoff to minorities continue. Obie better stop it or there will be a whhite backlash to all of this favoritism.
Did she have the sense to leave NO during Katrina or did she wait for our wonderful patriotic army to come rescue her too?
Sanja Kupta did not want it.  Too busy being a TV Star.  Glad the President picked someone who is NOT a star this time.
Remember the Bush appointees? Not a "genius" among them. THIS is why I caucused for Obama: I knew he would bring in a slew of well qualified people.
Amy B Portland, ME


Wonderful. So where are the jobs?


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