Absolutely EVERYTHING from a Political Perspective
In E-Mails, Political Pressure on Ex-Surgeon General
Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, August 31, 2007; Page A04
White House officials viewed former surgeon general Richard H. Carmona as a public relations tool, pushing him to make political appearances and promote the Bush administration's agenda while he was in office, according to a series of executive branch e-mails released yesterday by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).
The e-mails show that, early in his tenure, political appointees considered him uncooperative. In an April 14, 2003, message, for instance, William Turenne, a former Eli Lilly executive who was serving as a high-level consultant at HHS, told then-White House liaison Regina Schofield that she had "a mess" on her hands in Carmona.
"He needs to be the SG [Surgeon General] with specific speeches, on specific topics addressing the Secretary's and the president's agenda -- which will become more political as the re-elect gets underway," Turenne wrote.
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