As much as I personally believe in the goals of ONE VOTE '08, I cannot and will not endorse former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist as its spokesperson. Bill Frist misused his roles as political leader, businessman, citizen and doctor (Terri Shiavo being a prime example) and does not warrant such a reputation-restoring role.
NEW MEDIA mustn't permit Frist to use his position with ONE VOTE '08 to resurrect his public image. NEW MEDIA should be aware that Frist's attempted resurrection is timed conspicuously just prior to the June 29th release of Michael Moore's latest movie, SICKO, which spotlights the sorry state of America's healthcare system.
In SICKO, Moore reveals vast improprieties throughout the nation's healthcare system and focuses on health services providers who have cheated their patients, their patients' families, the government, and we-the-people-taxpayers. Bill Frist's family-owned business, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), certainly fits that bill.
Those who have seen SICKO predict it will have a profound effect on Americans' perception of the healthcare industry. Corporate healthcare providers like Frist's HCA will not be looked upon kindly. In fact, it's likely they'll be despised. Therefore, it is not the least bit surprising that Bill Frist signed on with ONE VOTE '08 in a veiled attempt to sweeten his image before SICKO hits the fan.
This past week, while addressing the California State Legislature in a condemnation of the American healthcare system, Michael Moore made specific reference to Bill Frist's onerous healthcare system ties. Frist, also mentioned in SICKO, is similarly referenced in Michael Moore's healthcare debate challenge to likely Presidential contender and former healthcare lobbyist, Fred Thompson. Thompson is a Frist cohort and a fellow Tennessean who also made a killing wheeling and dealing in the healthcare system.
For NEW MEDIA to properly do it's job, it must keep Bill Frist's
dubious dealings in healthcare, finance and politics squarely in the
public eye so mainstream media cannot suppress them. Mainstream media
does not keep 'old' news alive because it isn't cost effective to
retell it. But it's NEW MEDIA's job in supplanting mainstream media to
keep history alive and not let the public forget it.
Frist's previous indiscretions have been consistently downplayed
and suppressed by mainstream media, including his personal ties to
privatized medical fraud and criminally investigated stock sales. To
safeguard the truth and deter his whitewashed resurrection, these
issues must be brought to the fore when considering Frist as a leader.
Unlike mainstream media, NEW MEDIA must not permit those who have
wronged our nation and our world to bury their sordid histories and
rise again to places of honor. Each time these resurrections occur they
send the message 'it's okay to harm the public.' That the public has a
short memory and if you manipulate it successfully you are forgiven and
welcomed right back.
I have the utmost respect for Ben Affleck and believe strongly in this cause.
But there are two major hurdles in ONE VOTE's campaign and they are its
selection of Bill Frist and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle
of South Dakota as its spokespersons. Obviously the previous political
rivalry between Frist and Daschle provides ONE VOTE its bi-partisan
credentials. But honestly, aren't there better spokespeople with
opposing political views than Bill Frist and Tom Daschle?
Tom Daschle is also unsuitable, but for less nefarious reasons.
He's merely a lackluster, uninspired leader. A trait he passed on to
Harry Reid.
Now come on, folks. Couldn't an effort as valiant and worthwhile as
ONE VOTE find two more worthwhile leaders? It's certainly not
unprecedented. Former Senators George McGovern, a Democrat, and Bob
Dole, a Republican, are two highly respected leaders of their parties
who have teamed in a national and global effort to combat world hunger.
There must be other political leaders with the stature of McGovern and
Dole who would do an equally admirable job.
In recent media interviews discussing ONE VOTE, Bill Frist said ONE
VOTE will use NEW MEDIA to further its cause. Sadly, it seems Frist is
using NEW MEDIA to futher HIS cause by promoting his heart surgeon work
in Africa. In all probability Frist's work in Africa served his
patients well, much like publicizing that work in America serves Bill
Frist well.
There is no doubt that ONE VOTE '08 is a well-intentioned and
necessary campaign. The fact that people across the globe live in
impoverished circumstances and die unnecessarily from illnesses that
can be prevented and cured is an abomination. Our energies and
resources should be used to do 'good.' Any world leader who prioritizes
militarism and global domination over preserving the planet and
eliminating illness and hunger forsakes the very essence of humanity. A
nation that forsakes humanity is not a democracy.
A nation that invests even a second to destroy life rather than
sustain it commits crimes against humanity. Tragically billions,
trillions, 'gazillions' of those seconds have already passed us by.
Umpteen of them during the tenures of Tom Daschle and Bill Frist.
ONE VOTE '08... Please find better leaders. You're worth it!!
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