Rumor check: Has anyone received an email with the following?: I received one over the week-end from a friend/Democrat..
I know she worked hard with various 527's to attempt to elect Kerry. I dimissed it after I did a google search on Dr. David Hager..I also did not see anything of this on the neither here on Politics for Pro's nor the Kerry thread...
I found that Dr. Hager was appointed in '03 to the FDA's Reproductive Health Advisory Committee. At the time his nomination met much resistance..he's still on the comittee and his charter expires in '05(see link below from fdaadvisorycommittee.com)
Here is the email as I received it: with a pleading note: "This is why I voted against him!"
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Subject: re: serious issue
Clearly, this is no time to be passive. Please read and follow through, if
you agree. This is not being sent based on general political
beliefs....this is in response to a specific medical and health issue at
stake. And a very disturbing one at that. Please review the following
accordingly.
========================================================================
Subject: Hager FDA appointment
President Bush has announced his plan to select Dr. W. David Hager to head
up the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Reproductive Health Drugs
Advisory Committee. The committee has not met for more than two years,
during which time its charter lapsed. As a result, the Bush Administration
is tasked with filling all eleven positions with new members. This position
does not require Congressional approval.
The FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee makes crucial
decisions on matters relating to drugs used in the practice of obstetrics,
gynecology and related specialties, including hormone therapy,
contraception, treatment for infertility, and medical alternatives to
surgical procedures for sterilization and pregnancy termination. Dr. Hager,
the author of "As Jesus Cared for Women:
Restoring Women Then and Now." The book blends biblical accounts of Christ
healing Women with case studies from Hager's practice. His views of
reproductive health care are far outside the mainstream for reproductive
technology. Dr. Hager is a practicing OB/GYN who describes himself as
"pro-life" and refuses to prescribe contraceptives to unmarried women.
In the book Dr. Hager wrote with his wife, entitled "Stress and the Woman's
Body," he suggests that women who suffer from premenstrual syndrome should
seek help from reading the bible and praying. As an editor and contributing
author of "The Reproduction Revolution: A Christian Appraisal of Sexuality
Reproductive Technologies and the Family," Dr. Hager appears to have
endorsed the medically inaccurate assertion that the common birth control
pill is an abortifacient (substance or device used to induce abortion).
We are concerned that Dr. Hager's strong religious beliefs may color his
assessment of technologies that are necessary to protect women's lives or to
preserve and promote women's health. Hager's track record of using religious
beliefs to guide his medical decision-making makes him a dangerous and
inappropriate candidate to serve as chair of this committee. Critical drug
public policy and research must not be held hostage by anti-abortion
politics. Members of this important panel should be appointed on the basis
of science and medicine, rather than politics and religion. American women
deserve no less.
There is something you can do. Below is a statement to be sent to the White
House, opposing the placement of Hager.
(1) Please copy-and-paste (DON'T forward) the ENTIRE email into a fresh
e-mail message; then number and add your name at the bottom. After you sign,
SEND THIS TO EVERY PERSON YOU KNOW WHO IS CONCERNED ABOUT WOMEN'S RIGHTS.
(2) Every 10th person who signs the list (i.e., #10, #20, #30, etc.) -
please forward the ENTIRE e-mail with all signatures to:
president@whitehouse.gov
-------------------------------------
We oppose the appointment of Dr. W. David Hager to the FDA Reproductive
Health Drugs Advisory Committee. Mixing religion and medicine is
unacceptable in a policy-making position. Using the FDA to promote a
political agenda is inappropriate and seriously threatens women's health.
Members of this important panel should be appointed on the basis of science
and medicine, rather than politics and religion.
American women deserve no less.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Here is a summary of my rumor check..any thoughts? I received 2 more today from passionate female friends who know I voted for Bush. It's been my concern throughout the campaign that Dem's have used scare tactics to sway voters(obvious to this thread) but not obvious to my friends who are all liberal democrats. Another example was when the most esteemed/influential cancer research organization in the world(American Society of Clinical Oncology) sent letters to cancer patients that they may not be able to treat them 'as before' because of the Medicare drug pay out cuts to oncologists. It was misleading because 1) the cuts to medication prices were put out for review and not definitive 2) Medicare increased what they payed for the administration of the medication(nursing..which is of the top captital expense in the health care setting) 3)Genentech, a top oncology company reported in their last earnings call that reimbursement for Avastin, Rituxan was increased.
I checked the links in the preview pane and they did not go through..a google search for David Hager gives links in the first 4 hits.
snopes.com
Another rumor check:
truthorfiction.com
The above link contains the letter that's being forwarded today. It looks like it was written in 02/03 when Hager
was first nominated..yet in the email today, making it seem that it began this week.
fdaadvisorycommittee.com
The date in italics underneath each name indicates when their
appointment ends, Hager's committe membership ends in '05..the current chair is in place until '06.
I'd appreciate views/and supporting links about this..TIA
Zeta |
