Obama picks Obamacare advocate as surgeon general; O: “We are going to get this done”

By Michelle Malkin  •  July 13, 2009 11:04 AM

Reuters reports that President Obama will announce his surgeon general pick at around 11:30am-ish this morning.

Nope, it’s not Dr. Phil.

She’s Dr. Regina Benjamin, an Alabama rural physician.

Bio info:

Benjamin was the first black woman to head a state medical society, received the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights and last fall received a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant,” the AP says.

She also made headlines in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in rebuilding her rural health clinic that serves 4,400 patients.

Benjamin will be another administration voice for S-CHIP and Obamacare:

Through her personal practice and advocacy work, Benjamin sees no easy solution to the problem, but hopes for a nationwide movement to provide universal health access for everyone in the country.

“I think there certainly can be a minimum benefit that everyone could have and then you could buy more on top of that if you wanted it,” she says. “It can’t just be a government program. It has to be something that everybody is a part of–government, private industry, individuals.”

She cites the Children’s Health Insurance Program, a federal- and state-sponsored program that aims to provide insurance to all uninsured children in the country, as a step in the right direction.

“Now, we need to cover the parents of those children,” she says. “If we do that, we’ve come a long way toward providing universal coverage.”

***

At Rose Garden ceremony announcing Dr. Benjamin, Obama insists his health care takeover plan is not dead:

“We are going to get this done.”

~ For the latest breaking news, be sure to join Michelle's e-mail list ~
Posted in: Health care

See what others have said

Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.

Comments


  1. #101
    On July 14th, 2009 at 9:04 am, sonofdy said:

    “This is your Sec. Of State on drugs….”

    How do you tell the difference?

  2. #102
    On July 15th, 2009 at 5:46 am, jamesgreenidge said:

    Sigh.

    I dunno. See how how many and much (gullible, uninformed?) people, let alone media, are raving for “free” total healthcare, I often grimly wonder if the battle to stop socialization is inevitably a futile one. I guarantee you (by real people feedback) the next step beyond is free housing — not in terms of flats and apartments but _houses_ , citizen or not. It’s already happening. “No more projects.” No, not with The American Dream turned a manatory “right.” Sorry you worked your ass off for that mortgage to get yours.

    James Greenidge
    Queens, NT

  3. #103
    On July 15th, 2009 at 9:25 pm, michele hampton said:

    Oh that’s a shock…not!

You must be logged in to post a comment.


Obama Chief of Staff: No More Compromise on Contraceptive Mandate

February 12, 2012 04:26 PM by Doug Powers

114 Comments

An offer they can’t refuse

Choosing Life and Beating the Odds

February 11, 2012 11:50 AM by Doug Powers

32 Comments

‘To Stop the Multiplication of the Unfit’

February 10, 2012 09:06 AM by Michelle Malkin

199 Comments

Former Democrat Rep. Regrets Vote for Obamacare Due to Contraceptive Coverage

February 7, 2012 03:40 PM by Doug Powers

75 Comments

She wasn’t kidding

How to Make a Liberal Politician Stand Up Against Intrusive Government

February 6, 2012 04:28 PM by Doug Powers

95 Comments

Mixed messages

The SIGA scandal: Calls for investigation mount

January 27, 2012 02:13 PM by Michelle Malkin

58 Comments

Confirmed: Romneycare = Obamacare

January 26, 2012 10:32 AM by Michelle Malkin

156 Comments


Categories: Health care

Betsys Page

» Cruising the Web
Follow me on Twitter Follow me on Facebook