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Thursday, October 06, 2005

Here's why Bush wants to use the military in the event of a flu pandemic
Posted by Jill | 9:39 AM

Well, aside from the fact that he's been longing to turn this country into a military dictatorship (with himself as dictator) since he took office in 2000.

But we may need such draconian quarantine measures, because "Brownie" and "Harriet" aren't the only Federal officials whose only qualification are undying, blind loyalty to the Republican Party.

The Assistant Scretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness is Tommy Thompson protegé and Bush campaign contributor Stewart Simonsen.

Transparent Grid has more:

Simonson graduated from the University of Wisconsin law school in 1994 and served as legal counsel to Tommy Thompson while he was governor of Wisconsin from 1995 to 1999. Simonson then followed Thompson to Washington when the governor was appointed as head of HHS. Simonson’s bio at HHS states that “from 2001-2003, he was the HHS Deputy General Counsel and provided legal advice and counsel to the Secretary on public health preparedness matters. Prior to joining HHS, Simonson served as corporate secretary and counsel for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK).”

Congressman Henry Waxman has recently pointed to Simonson as an example where Bush has “repeatedly appointed inexperienced individuals with political connections to important government posts, including positions with key responsibilities for public health and safety.”

In addition to being very close to Thompson, Simonson has given generously to the Bush political machine. The website, Political Money Line’s contribution database shows that he contributed $3,000 to various Bush-Cheney committees in the 2004 election cycle and gave $250 to the RNC. (Which for a $134,000 a year job is more than chump change.)

The Washington Drug Letter published an article in its December 2004 issue in which Hauer was harshly critical of Simonson:

Speaking as part of a biodefense panel in Washington, D.C. Dec. 15, Jerome Hauer, formerly the Assistant Secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness (ASPHEP) at HHS, said the $877 million contract awarded to VaxGen to produce a new anthrax vaccine was insufficient. He also insinuated poor policymaking has left the country vulnerable to terrorist attacks using weapons of mass destruction.

Hauer faulted the current management at the ASPHEP Office, including acting secretary Stewart Simonson, for not being better prepared to handle its duties. He called for the creation of a new federal office to coordinate U.S. biodefense activities.
. . .
“The decisions being made do not appear to have a sound basis,” said Hauer, currently senior vice president of government relations for consulting firm Fleishman-Hillard.



Now, don't you feel better now that you know that your health and that of your children may depend on yet another Republican political operative with no qualifications for his job?
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