President Obama made history again Monday, nominating Dr. Regina Benjamin to be his surgeon general, said the Los Angeles Times in an editorial. But unlike Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, a fellow “woman from an under-represented minority,” Benjamin will probably have an easy confirmation hearing. What senator would oppose a MacArthur “genius” award winner “considered an angel-like figure” for her work among the rural poor in Alabama?
Benjamin’s selection did spark some debate: “Is she fantastic or, as some dissenters claim, merely marvelous?” said Christopher Beam in Slate. As a family practitioner, she has the “America’s doctor” part of the job down. “Where Benjamin will really distinguish herself, though—or fall face first—is in the role of advocate,” for Obama’s health-care reform but also less controversial wellness programs.
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