"Dr." Rand Paul's response when asked when he'd explain his certification..."Uh ... never"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Monday, Jun 14, 2010 17:35 ET

Asked by a Louisville reporter when he would explain his dubious certification, Rand Paul said: "Uh ... never"
By Joe Conason

http://www.salon.com/news/rand_paul_kentucky_senate_republican/index.html?story=/opinion/conason/2010/06/14/rand



Libertarian ideology rejects most of the modern regulatory systems that protect consumers, because everyone should be responsible for determining whether the hamburger contains E. coli on his own. But does that do-it-yourself dogma apply to the regulation of medicine, too? If you're Dr. Rand Paul, practicing ophthalmologist, the answer is emphatically yes.

According to an amusing story in today's Louisville Courier-Journal, the Kentucky Republican Senate candidate bills himself as a "board-certified" physician even though he is not actually certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology -- the only recognized body that certifies doctors in his specialty.

Paul's only certification was provided instead by something called the National Board of Ophthalmology, which is very convenient because he operates that organization himself. As the Courier-Journal explains drily, the American Board of Ophthalmology, which maintains a fully staffed headquarters in Philadelphia, has existed for roughly a century and currently lists about 16,000 doctors on its rolls. (Most hospitals and insurance companies strongly prefer doctors who are board-certified because certification indicates that they have kept up with changes in technology, best practices and so on.) The National Board of Ophthalmology has existed since 1999, when Paul "founded" it, lists no more than seven doctors, and its address is a post-office box in Bowling Green, Ky. He had claimed to be certified by both boards, but Courier-Journal reporter Joseph Gerth quickly discovered that claim was false.

When Gerth tried to ask Paul why he claims to be board-certified when he isn't and why he set up the National Board of Ophthalmology, the candidate stonewalled:

"I'm not going to go through all that right now," Paul said while at the Great Eastern National Gun Day Show and JAG Military Show, in Louisville. Asked when he would talk, Paul said: "Uh, you know, never ... What does this have to do with our election?"

[SpiralHawk]

1. Typical RepuliBagger occultist

Likes to hide the truth.

Sheesh.

[damntexdem]

14. But worse in the sense of applying his defective ideology.

Someone should look into his medical license. Is IT legit?

[tblue]

2. Who would go to an eye doctor who says, "Accidents happen,"???

:wow: The man is scary.

[damntexdem]

15. Oh, I would. But not "accidents happen in my practice."

Accidents in the world can be the reason one needs to see an ophthamologist.

[Cha]

3. He's so brilliant he doesn't know ..

how this could possibly have anything to do with this election.

[mix]

4. crook & liar that Paul spawn nt

[DebbieCDC]

5. Where did this fruitcake go to college/grad school?

Or did he?

[KamaAina]

7. Baylor and Duke Med

or at least he's convinced Wikipedia of that. :tinfoilhat:

[KingFlorez]

6. That's unsettling he could certify himself through an organization he created

How on earth can any doctor get away with that?

[Blue Owl]

8. "Not only am I the president of Hair Club for Men..."

"I'm also a member..."

[gratuitous]

9. "What does this have to do with our election?"

So, it would be, like, totally unfair to draw any conclusions about Rand and his truthfulness based on this little episode, and anyone who does is just asking for a big, fat libel suit! Not, mind you, that Rand would submit to the authority of a court of law, except that it's the only venue that would probably not laugh its ass off at his dumbfuckery.

Look for Rand to set up his own court system with its own secret rules of procedure just any day now. The Louisville-Courier Journal should look forward to having to answer for a "judgment" against it lodged with the Paul Court of Constitutional Law for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Or some such drivel.

[DURHAM D]

10. Did he get his medical degree online? nt

[thereismore]

11. "Foundered in 1999". Brings back memories. Clue: my avatar. Anyone?

[elehhhhna]

12. He' s a teabaggin' visionary! He privatized his own Medical Board!

Wonder how much he paid hisself for teaching him self homeschooled opthamology!

[Mojeoux]

13. Uh...never?

Nice try "Little Rand." This is too juicy. MSM likes juicy.

You will be asked again, and someone will explain how it relates to your election.

It is the same way that Clinton's BJ related to his impeachment.

HE LIED!

[Scurrilous]

16. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Scuba]

17. Weren't those guys always screaming about how "character" counts?

[MattSh]

18. Character "does" count...

except when it doesn't.

It counts for D's but not for R's and other assorted wingnuts, apparently...