Talk:Stewart Simonson

First read the abbreviated GOPUSA version of Melanie Hunter's October 13, 2005, Cybercast News Service article "MoveOn.Org Warns HHS Official Unqualified to Deal with Flu Pandemic," which is actually only the first four paragraphs of the full version (see link below):

In an email titled "Flu Pandemic: Our lives are in this man's hands," the MoveOn.org Political Action Team issued a warning Wednesday predicting that the Bush administration would be ill-prepared to deal with an outbreak of the avian flu virus in the United States, because the point man responsible for dealing with a flu pandemic is not qualified.

The liberal advocacy group accused Stewart Simonson, assistant secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness for the Health and Human Services Department, of having "no experience related to his job - he's a political appointee."

"And a botched response could affect millions of Americans," the group wrote, urging the public to sign a petition to replace Simonson.

"Stewart Simonson is the Bush administration's point man for a flu pandemic but he has no public health management experience. He got his job because he is a close associate of former Health & Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson," wrote MoveOn.org.

Then compare it to Hunter's lengthy October 12, 2005, original version posted on the CNS website.

Update: Full version also posted on CrossWalk website.

Note that in the middle of the article Hunter inserted "The group's plan is to pressure HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt to force Simonson's ouster." [Comment: duh!]

Perhaps CNS and CrossWalk are less opposed to telling the whole story than GOPUSA?

If someone has a copy of the original MoveOn email, a link would be greatly appreciated. Artificial Intelligence 07:31, 19 Oct 2005 (EDT)