# BUSH:"Yer doin' uh heckuva job, Markie"(B. McLellan, Medicare Admin.) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 16, 2006, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-yer-doin-uh-heckuva-job-markie-b-mclellan-medicare-admin/340197 "2006-01-16T06:14:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-yer-doin-uh-heckuva-job-markie-b-mclellan-medicare-admin/340197/21 "2006-01-19T02:54:55Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Here’s today’s tip from [Health and Human Services secretary Mike Leavitt](http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2ODYyMTc3JnlyaXJ5N2Y3MTdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5Mg==): -Words to live by. I think we all know that as long as nobody raises taxes everything is cool. Don’t you agree that everything is cool, citizen? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![alaricthegoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@alaricthegoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alaricthegoth)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-yer-doin-uh-heckuva-job-markie-b-mclellan-medicare-admin/340197/22 "2006-01-19T03:54:03Z")
\*Most of the ones in our clinic who were Medicaid only and low income (which is most of them) were getting medicines through the drug companies and their indigent programs. Most drugs can be obtained from one of these programs, and we were very aggressive about getting patients signed up. Now that Part D is in effect, those who are eligible for Part D are no longer eligible for the indigent programs. It’s hard to muster up sympathy for someone who pays $50-60/month for meds that retail for ten times that, but when they used to get them for nothing, you have to wonder what we’ve done with this huge, expensive program.\* maybe pharma looked at that low income freebie and saw a potential profit center now the drug company is paid in full, mostly be the taxpayers, partly by the poor. this is good policy, comin’ at ya’ ---
**Author:** ![Illinois\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Illinois\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illinois_Boy)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-yer-doin-uh-heckuva-job-markie-b-mclellan-medicare-admin/340197/23 "2006-01-19T21:58:06Z")
> [@alaricthegoth](#): > > Is this yet another crony coming home to roost? Note that the congruence between Markie’s last name and Bush press guy Scott McLellan is not a coincidence–they be 'bros. No, really, not pals, brothers. Same parents, that kind of thing. > > Anyway, this looks like another Bush administrator who could fuck up boiling water. No, not really. Dr McClellan is by no means a crony. He is a world class intellect who should be emminently credentialed for the position. [resume](http://www.hhs.gov/about/bios/fda.html) "Mark McClellan was sworn in as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on November 14, 2002, following Senate confirmation by unanimous consent. Prior to joining FDA, Dr. McClellan was Associate Professor of Economics at Stanford University, Associate Professor of Medicine at Stanford Medical School, a practicing internist, and Director of the Program on Health Outcomes Research at Stanford University. He has twice received the Arrow Award for Outstanding Research in Health Economics. He earned his M.D. degree from the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology and his Ph.D. in economics from MIT. He completed his residency training in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and he is board-certified in Internal Medicine. " In the field of health economics, he’s one of the biggest brains in the world. In support of the other McCLellan, I got nothin’… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![alaricthegoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@alaricthegoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alaricthegoth)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-yer-doin-uh-heckuva-job-markie-b-mclellan-medicare-admin/340197/24 "2006-01-19T22:55:11Z")
> [@Illinois\_Boy](#): > > No, not really. Dr McClellan is by no means a crony. He is a world class intellect who should be emminently credentialed for the position. > > [resume](http://www.hhs.gov/about/bios/fda.html) > > "Mark McClellan was sworn in as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on November 14, 2002, following Senate confirmation by unanimous consent. > > Prior to joining FDA, Dr. McClellan was Associate Professor of Economics at Stanford University, Associate Professor of Medicine at Stanford Medical School, a practicing internist, and Director of the Program on Health Outcomes Research at Stanford University. > > He has twice received the Arrow Award for Outstanding Research in Health Economics. He earned his M.D. degree from the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology and his Ph.D. in economics from MIT. He completed his residency training in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and he is board-certified in Internal Medicine. " > > In the field of health economics, he’s one of the biggest brains in the world. > In support of the other McCLellan, I got nothin’… 😃 Sounds like a great diagnostician–what does that have to do with being a good manager? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-yer-doin-uh-heckuva-job-markie-b-mclellan-medicare-admin/340197.md?page=1)