Surgeon general was 'gagged by White House'

World news

Richard Carmona said his reports on issues such as stem-cell research were blocked by George Bush's administration

Thursday, July 12, 2007

By Leonard Doyle

For generations of Americans, the surgeon general has been the " nation's doctor", the person they turned to for unbiased advice on everything from smoking to obesity and HIV/Aids. But not under President George Bush, it now emerges.

Damning testimony of Dr Richard Carmona, the surgeon general from 2002 until last year, has revealed that the Bush administration frequently censored him and tried to mould his public statements to fit political goals. He was even ordered to mention President Bush three times on every page of his speeches.

US presidents have generally defended the surgeon general's right to address public health issues. Even Ronald Reagan resisted efforts to sack the much-admired Everett Koop for speaking out on Aids. But under President Bush, the independence of the surgeon general has been placed below industry lobbying and the demands of the religious right.

The Bush White House banned Dr Carmona from speaking or issuing reports on stem cells, emergency contraception, sex education, prisons, mental health and international health issues, he has revealed. For years, the White House also tried to "water down" a key report on the dangers of second-hand smoke, he said. When it was published last year , the report stated that even brief exposure to cigarette smoke can cause immediate harm.

When Dr Carmona tried to address the subject of embryonic stem-cell research, deeply controversial among the religious right, he said he was "told to stand down and not speak about it". He explained: "Much of the discussion was being driven by theology, ideology, [and] preconceived beliefs that were scientifically incorrect... I thought, 'This is a perfect example of the surgeon general being able to step forward, educate the American public'... [but] I was blocked at every turn. I was told the decision had already been made - 'Stand down. Don't talk about it.' That information was removed from my speeches."

He was also told that global warming was a "liberal cause" and to decline invitations to attend scientific discussion meetings on the subject.

Dr Carmona is the latest in a long line of officials claiming that political considerations take precedence over scientific facts at the Bush White House.

His testimony to a congressional panel comes as the administration tries to appoint Dr James Holsinger as the new surgeon general. He stirred controversy with a report that concluded that homosexual sex was both unnatural and unhealthy.

Even the Special Olympics were deemed politically suspect, because they receive considerable support from the Kennedy family. "I was specifically told by a senior person, 'Why would you want to help those people?'" Dr Carmona testified.

Before becoming surgeon general, Dr Carmona, 57, was a highly decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, where he was in the Army special forces. He trained in medicine and was both a trauma surgeon and the leader of an Arizona Swat team. He was selected for the surgeon general's job because of his experience in preparing local authorities for terrorist attacks.

During a nine-month trial of the US tobacco industry, Dr Carmona was heavily leant upon not to testify. The same went for sex education: "However, there was already a policy in place that did not want to hear the science but wanted to preach abstinence only, but I felt that was scientifically incorrect," he said.

"Anything that doesn't fit into the political appointees' ideological, theological or political agenda is often ignored, marginalised or simply buried," Dr Carmona said. "There is nothing worse than ignoring science or marginalising the voice of science for reasons driven by changing political winds."

A White House spokesman denied the claims.