One less hack to worry about

March 15, 2006

By any reasonable measure, Stewart Simonson was probably the wrong choice to be the Health and Human Services Department’s point man “on matters related to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies.” With the avian flu raising concerns in the public health community, Simonson’s total lack of experience in the field was more than a little disconcerting.

Matthew Yglesias recently asked, “I wonder if anyone inside the White House ever gave a moment’s thought to the idea that public-health jobs should go to people with public-health expertise.” The answer, apparently, was, “No.”

It’s good news, therefore, that Simonson is stepping aside.

One of the Bush administration’s principal advisers on bioterrorism and other public health emergencies has resigned.

Stewart Simonson, assistant secretary for public health emergency preparedness, told the president in a resignation letter Monday that he had accomplished what he had set out to do, and it was time to move on.

Some Democrats, and a key Republican, Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, had been critical of Simonson’s work, saying it would be better to have a medical expert serve in his position rather than a lawyer.

What a concept.

Simonson had become something of an embarrassment for the administration. After The New Republic featured him as one of the Bush gang’s biggest hacks, Simonson’s credentials (or lack thereof) were also spotlighted in CNN and 60 Minutes. And in light of the public’s anxiety about challenges such as the avian flu, it makes sense to replace Simonson with an actual public health expert. That is, assuming the administration can find one who meets Karl Rove’s partisan and ideological qualifications.

What’s next for Simonson? TNR’s Michael Crowley, noting Simonson’s departure, asks, “Who wants to wager on whether he goes on to be a lobbyist?” Count on it.

“… he had accomplished what he had set out to do…”

Namely, position himself for a lucrative private-sector job.

  • I watched the 60 Minutes segment on Simonson and when I heard he was responsible for buying a billion dollars of antrax vaccine, “Kickback” flashed in my head. Maybe that’s what Simonson meant when he said he accomplished what he set out to do.

    Check that man’s bank account.

  • This bears in mind to question, is it better to have a hack that doesn’t know what he is doing, or a hack that does. It could be that his lack of knowledge could have been a good thing. Knowing Bush if he does appoint somebody who does have a clue they, that clue might have a more damaging agenda. So I guess what i am trying to say is that I have no faith in any appointment he will make, and will be totally shocked if it works out, I am sure whoever he picks will value the anti-abortion movement over any kind of avian bird flu, or HIV prevention, or HPV vaccine, or FDA approved but not politcially approved morning after pill….

  • assuming the administration can find one who meets Karl Rove’s partisan and ideological qualifications.

    Unfortunately for Karl, Josef Mengele passed on almost 30 years ago.

    Perhaps he could convince Frist to put aside his Presidential ambitions and take the job. He could do it via video-conferencing from the comfort of his home.

  • Why would the smash-and-grab administration give a crap what happens if avian flu strikes hard? They still act like Katrina was unforseeable.

    And the “free press” still lets them get away with that for the most part. We have videotape of them being warned, and it plays for maybe two days. Like they say, somebody give this guy a BJ so we can impeach him.

    I think a bird flu outbreak would just be used by these criminals as another excuse to piss on the constitution. Like the idiots they are, as they did with the Iraq debacle, they probably look forward to it.

  • We hear about a few of the more egregious examples of hacks in high places, but the truth is Bush has installed them far down the departmental and agency hierarchy. Contrary to popular belief, there are a lot of good federal workers with bona fide credentials who do good work and who are now forced to work under these idiots. It’s going to take decades for the federal government to recover from the damage Bush appointees have done.

  • “It’s going to take decades for the federal government to recover from the damage Bush appointees have done.” – beep52

    It is actually worse because now is the time when federal employees are reaching optional retirement age en-masse. And the good ones are going fast, leaving a froth of second-raters in middle management.

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