HOORAY for Surgeon General Elders!!

[Dan Bammes]

   What bothers me about Dr. Elders' speech earlier this week is not the
merits of the arguments for or against legalizing drugs.  I listened to
the speech, and discovered that Joycelyn Elders is a bombastic individual
in love with the sound of her own voice.  I don't think she thought very
much about what she said before it came out of her mouth.  I got the same
impression watching her on one of the Sunday news shows last week (I think
it was David Brinkley on ABC).

    Given this personality characteristic, I suspect she'll find herself
in trouble often for saying things that conflict with the administration's
public positions and possibly contradicting her own earlier statements.

    I don't know who I'd compare her to in this regard -- maybe James Watt
in the Reagan administration or Andrew Young under Carter.  You can't
violate the number one rule in political life -- everyone in the
administration is supposed to be singing from the same music, personal
views notwithstanding.