When I saw that Dr. Sanjay Gupta had dropped out of the running to be Surgeon General, the first name that came to mind was my man Howard Dean. Dr. Dean was passed over at HHS and had subsequently stated he was coming back to DFA among other things. However, with Gupta gone it was Dean's time to shine. I wrote yesterday about those feelings and apparently the White House has similar inclinations.
From Reuters:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Howard Dean, a practicing physician before entering politics, was under consideration by the Obama administration for the post of U.S. surgeon general, CNN reported Friday.
Dean, who recently wrapped up a four-year term as Democratic Party chairman, has been a supporter of health reform, and has privately made clear that he is interested in the job, according to the cable network.
CNN said two White House officials noted that, while it is too early to compile a list of candidates for surgeon general, they did not rule out Dean getting the job.
His name isn't set in stone for the position yet, but simply having been mentioned is a big deal. With no other names in contention, having Howard spotlighted is a good way to securing the prestigious position within the Obama Administration. I would love to have Howard working full time for us who are associated with Democracy for America, but my preference is that he is working for the entire country instead.
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