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DonViejo

(60,536 posts) Wed Feb 4, 2015, 09:10 PM Feb 2015

The Biggest Rand Paul Outrage Yet

Kent Sepkowitz

The eye doctor isn’t properly certified? Dr. Kent Sepkowitz on Paul’s slick end-run around the profession’s licensing rules—and what it tells you about the kind of politician he is.

Scarcely a day passes that we don’t find out something new and objectionable about Dr. Rand Paul. The risk in the pile-on is that a real doozie will get missed, lost in the daily torrent. The recent news—his lack of standard certification as an ophthalmologist and its relationship to his self-anointing and self-created National Board of Ophthalmology—is just such a Big Deal. Its specifics, however, are so complicated and unrewarding to follow as to threaten to place it on the endangered scandal list.

I am here to make certain that we don’t let this one slide. His decision to sidestep the standard way doctors are certified in America is—even by summer politician standards—slimy, lazy, self-serving, and, important to remember as we sink deeper into his muck, revealing of the real reason for his me-against-the-Man shtick. (Hint: He’s not looking out for you, Mr. Little Guy). But before we read from the latest entry of the Randiad, let me guide you through the mind-numbing world of American physician credentialing.

Trying to gin up a moral issue out of the selfish power play is reminiscent of Nixon’s view of the law as something to try to outsmart. It’s also disrespectful to the oddball but often courageous stances of his father and other giants of the right willing to fight on principle.

more
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2010/06/15/rand-paul-opthamology-certification-scandal-why-it-matters.html

12 replies

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Highlight:

The Biggest Rand Paul Outrage Yet (Original Post) DonViejo Feb 2015 OP

I read this about him quite a while back, the media ignored it...sigh...n/t monmouth4 Feb 2015 #1

I was aware of the story, read one or two sentences in other articles... DonViejo Feb 2015 #2

I have a sneaking suspicion that he actually took the standard test leftofcool Feb 2015 #3

According to Wikipedia, he passed it, but he doesn't seem to take his own board seriously. Jim Lane Feb 2015 #11

He's only a doctor 2naSalit Feb 2015 #4

Nailed it! gregcrawford Feb 2015 #6

Big Kentucky kick alfredo Feb 2015 #5

This is outrandish Blue Owl Feb 2015 #7

Republicans are all about making clinics jump through hoops when it comes to abortion Major Nikon Feb 2015 #8

I'm almost tempted to say "he's not a doctor but he plays one on TV!" calimary Feb 2015 #9

Old News. slumcamper Feb 2015 #10

Message auto-removed Name removed Feb 2015 #12

monmouth4

(9,708 posts)

1. I read this about him quite a while back, the media ignored it...sigh...n/t

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Feb 4, 2015, 09:21 PM

Feb 2015

DonViejo

(60,536 posts)

2. I was aware of the story, read one or two sentences in other articles...

Reply to monmouth4 (Reply #1)

Wed Feb 4, 2015, 09:25 PM

Feb 2015

and saw it mentioned here on DU, didn't know the details though. I'm guessing because he might be runnign for Prez, the long knives will be coming out now. I don't think he's helped himself this week with his vaccination nonsense, which probably triggered this article.

leftofcool

(19,460 posts)

3. I have a sneaking suspicion that he actually took the standard test

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Feb 4, 2015, 09:53 PM

Feb 2015

and failed it so he set up his own board. No proof of this but it makes sense.

Jim Lane

(11,175 posts)

11. According to Wikipedia, he passed it, but he doesn't seem to take his own board seriously.

Reply to leftofcool (Reply #3)

Thu Feb 5, 2015, 08:49 PM

Feb 2015

From the "Medical career" section of his Wikipedia bio:

In 1995, Paul passed the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) boards on his first attempt and earned board-certification under the ABO for 10 years. In 1997, to protest the ABO's 1992 decision to grandfather in older ophthalmologists and not require them to be recertified every 10 years in order to maintain their status as board-certified practitioners, Paul, along with 200 other ophthalmologists, formed the National Board of Ophthalmology (NBO) to offer an alternative ophthalmology certification system.[28][29] The NBO was incorporated in 1999, but he allowed it to be dissolved in 2000 after not filing the required paperwork with the Kentucky Secretary of State's office. Paul later recreated the board in September 2005, three months before his original 10-year certification from the ABO lapsed. His ABO certification lapsed on December 31, 2005. Paul has since been certified by the NBO,[23] with himself as the organization's president, his wife as vice-president, and his father-in-law as secretary.[30] The ophthalmology board is not officially recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).[23] The NBO was again dissolved on September 10, 2011.[31]

So he let this alternative board go out of existence, then revived it when he himself needed it to issue him (its president) a certification, then let it die again.

Your cynicism about his failing the exam is misplaced, so you might want to consider my alternative cynicism: The statement in Wikipedia about the motivation for the creation of NBO (substantive disagreement with ABO policies) is sourced only to Paul's own assertions. I wouldn't be surprised if there was actually something else going on and his noble, principled stand on recertification rules was just a convenient pretext.

2naSalit

(86,646 posts)

4. He's only a doctor

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Feb 4, 2015, 09:54 PM

Feb 2015

in his own mind. And much like W, daddy bought whatever parchment looking thing he has... it's not like he reads anything other than Wikipedia for info that he can plagiarize. It's not like he has any capacity for independent cognition...

Keep those videos of his earlier tripe handy, we'll need the ammunition.

gregcrawford

(2,382 posts)

6. Nailed it!

Reply to 2naSalit (Reply #4)

Wed Feb 4, 2015, 11:04 PM

Feb 2015

alfredo

(60,074 posts)

5. Big Kentucky kick

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Feb 4, 2015, 10:49 PM

Feb 2015

Blue Owl

(50,402 posts)

7. This is outrandish

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Feb 4, 2015, 11:22 PM

Feb 2015

n/t

Major Nikon

(36,827 posts)

8. Republicans are all about making clinics jump through hoops when it comes to abortion

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Feb 4, 2015, 11:35 PM

Feb 2015

I guess not so much when it comes to quacks like Paul.

calimary

(81,304 posts)

9. I'm almost tempted to say "he's not a doctor but he plays one on TV!"

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Feb 4, 2015, 11:39 PM

Feb 2015

This has come up before. NEVER MIND!!! I'm DELIGHTED to see it come up again. And again. And AGAIN!!! I want it to keep popping up in his face again and again and again and again and again and again!

I seriously doubt what kind of "doctor" he is, or ANY of those GOP alleged doctors are - who can go out there and attempt to legislate the most ridiculous, non-scientific positions imaginable - even ANTI-scientific positions. WHERE did they get their "degrees"? From the proverbial Cracker Jacks box? Or maybe one of those alleged "universities" founded by such religious extremists as Regent "University" (pat robertson) and Liberty "University" (jerry falwell)?

slumcamper

(1,606 posts)

10. Old News.

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Feb 4, 2015, 11:55 PM

Feb 2015

This shenanigan or skullfuckery was exposed at least 2 years ago. Point: he's an imposter and a fraud. We all know that.

His sleight of hand goes unchallenged by the mainstream media, and so....so much the better for him! Too bad the rest of the country seems oblivious to the self-anointed nature of "Dr." Rand Paul. This reminds me of people who faked resumes and manages to fly jet airliners--but this is worse.

How to publicize this fraud and make it apparent to all is beyond me. Twitter storm? Those with the wherewithal, GET BUSY and bury this SOB before he gains any more traction! Wreck and destroy this Ayn RAND namesake and save our country from the chaos of libertarian excess.

I suppose it's useful to bring old news to light, but...people...c'mon! We should have been deconstructing and disqualifying this corporate "libertarian" shill years ago!

Undoubtedly I've wasted valuable time ranting. Yes, I should have been "organizing." Fuck that. Fuck the so-called "system." And fuck protocol. It takes too long. SCREAM, people, SCREAM. Get rowdy. It's time for progressives to do their own version of "going rogue."

Excuse me...I need to puke. Rand Paul is making me ILL.

Fire up.

Response to DonViejo (Original post)

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