Politics, our business, and this year's speaker

Nitecap · Feb 24, 2006

I posted this reply on the CRNANews newsgroup and wanted to throw it out here to see what other CRNAs thoughts are on the topic.
BTW, I'll be out of the country for a week, so flame away -- I'll respond when I get back. If you want to get personal, please PM me instead wasting time on this forum.
Thanks,
Z
________________________________________________________________
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orig message (not mine):
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 2006
From: "over40victimofphate"
Subject: Bill Clinton
As a practicing CRNA I am disgusted by our association selecting Bill
Clinton as the speaker at our national convention. His past agenda,
impeachment, sexual harassment suit, disbarring, and many other
actions are very much against the beliefs of many CRNAs. A
controversial figure, whether from the left or right should not be on
the podium.
___________________________________________________________
My reply:
Date: 24 Feb 2006 16:44:08 GMT
From: John Zitzelberger
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: politics and our business The number one premise in my training and subsequent work (US Army) was "integrity."
I feel the same way. I would rather not know with whom and how the AANA PAC does business in D.C. -- I don't have any illusions about the Beltway business-as-usual process and don't waste my life's seconds thinking about it, except before I enter the voting booth.
However, I DO feel strongly about the public face our association presents. I dumped my ANA membership shortly after nursing school -- early 90s -- for similar reasons (endorsing Hillary's attempts to socialize medicine and refusing the Army Nurse Corps a booth at their convention after the enactment of "don't ask, don't tell," as if the Army had the choice). I think we play --public-- politics at our peril.
How can we deal with the A$A with a straight face if we choose politicians (especially one so controversial as this) as our chosen feature at our annual gathering? What message does this send the party in power about our non-partisan care for patients? What about when the pendulum swings again? What message to the public, with what little they know about anesthesia issues outside of Grey's Anatomy and similar shiznit?
How about next year we pick somebody with good information to impart who doesn't bring this baggage with them?
Just a thought.
John Zitzelberger (Jr.)
CRNA
Columbus/Ft. Benning, GA

-- When in doubt, use hollow points.

Hey everyone screws up in life. Im not even a Democrat but believe Bill has valuable things to share with people. He is a very smart man with a ton of experience. Now no I wouldnt go see Bill Speak on how to get away with cheating or what not but would welcome with all ears Bill's advice of many things. Despite the crap that happened in his administration Bill Clinton is still today one of the most powerful political figures in the nation and is probrably the most powerful democrat political figure. People pay thoussands to hear him speak at political fund raisers and what not. The man has a lot to say and the AANA developing or maintaining strong political ties to him is a very smart move period. To not would be plain ignoarant. Im sure half the politicians have stuff to hide. You have to be open minded here and not look at him for that and look at him for what you can gain from his experience and knowledge.

krystellmarie · Feb 24, 2006

:yeahthat: well put!!

yoga crna · Feb 25, 2006

It is absolutely amazing to me how quickly some of my colleagues revert back to powerlessnes and backbiting by failing to look at the larger picture.

Personally, I think it is great that President Clinton will be speaking at our annual meeting and I intend to be there. His mother was a CRNA and he knows that because of the income she was able to make in anesthesia, she was able to provide him with a good education.

The big picture is that we need positive public relations, need to be known for who and what we do, need favorable legislation passed and need all of the support we can get. President Clinton is an excellent person to be on our side and I look forward to his advise to our profession.

We all have our political ideals that need to be kept out of our professional common good. Personally, I liked Clinton a lot better than the jerk we currrenly have in the White House. I would like someone to tell me one good thing Bush has done for nurse anesthetists. Clinton signed the Opt-out and Bush rescinded it.

I like being open-minded and being able to promote what is best for our profession instead of judging other people.

Yoga CRNA

deepz · Feb 25, 2006

..........
How can we deal with the A$A with a straight face if we choose politicians (especially one so controversial as this) as our chosen feature at our annual gathering? What message does this send the party in power .....

Message? Basically it says to the A$A, "We got the Big Dog. You don't."

Could it possibly be any more plain?

!

tridil2000, MSN, RN · Feb 25, 2006

his mother was a crna.

for that reason alone, i think he'd be a terrific, inspiring speaker.

macanes, BSN, MSN, DNP, CRNA · Feb 25, 2006

The big picture is that we need positive public relations, need to be known for who and what we do, need favorable legislation passed and need all of the support we can get. President Clinton is an excellent person to be on our side and I look forward to his advise to our profession.

Not to pick on you, but your answer seems to typify those I've seen so far -- that and 'his mother was a CRNA, so he must be a good speaker for us.'

I don't care what his mother did. I wouldn't care if he were a past-president of the AANA and a former -- but disbarred/unlicensed, of course -- CRNA himself!

That wasn't my point.

I don't care if he can charm half the planet. I wouldn't hire him to do my professional charming for me. He does not represent what I feel is appropriate for our profession. For example, I don't lie to cover my ass, don't lack morals or common sense, and don't check a poll to see which way the wind blows before deciding how to react in my professional capacity.

On a more neutral tone, though, I don't want him, or any other political lightning rod representing, de-facto, my association. I am ticked off that the AANA chose to pay this guy a boatload of money -- my dues money, dammit!

By chosing him, the AANA has taken a political stance. It says, "We believe in this guy . . . we're aligning ourselves with his camp." That sucks for an organization that has to appeal to all sides, to all people -- those many who will eventually be our patients.

The way it works in D.C. is that lobbyists for pay BOTH sides, EVERY election. In this fashion, they are sure to have greased the campaign skids of the winner, and the winner shows gratitude by granting face time proportionate to the amount of cumshaw applied. That's how it works.

Y'all would be raisin' holy catlitter if the AANA had gotten Bush to speak, or Rumsfeld to come talk about CRNAs overseas. Admit it. And, you would be right. We don't need this guy -- or any other politician -- to represent us. What we need is an inspiring speaker who WILL appeal to the majority of our members (can't please everyone, I know), not create a gulf like the one we obviously have here.

I would like to hear from the CRNA-PAC, AANA Foundation folks. Does this make your job easier or harder or does it not matter? Any of y'all reading this forum out there?

I would also like to hear how this guy was picked, by whom, and what was the vote (It's going to be really embarassing if this was settled by a vote at the last convention -- which I could not attend -- but I'll chance it).

Politicians are not inspiring -- people who actually DO the things we do, or some similar righteous profession, are inspiring.

My idea of an inspiring speaker, for those of you who say Bill Clinton would be such, is someone who can motivate me to be a better man. Usually, I prefer that person to actually BE a better man. 'Do as I say, not as I do' does not work for me in this setting.

Hasta luego, On-out,

Z

macanes, BSN, MSN, DNP, CRNA · Feb 25, 2006

Message? Basically it says to the A$A, "We got the Big Dog. You don't."
Could it possibly be any more plain?
!

Yes.

Anyone who pays this particular dog the price of a bone can have him. Don't imagine that he's your dog.

And, the A$A has more cash, if that's the issue, sir.

Z

macanes, BSN, MSN, DNP, CRNA · Feb 25, 2006

his mother was a crna.
for that reason alone, i think he'd be a terrific, inspiring speaker.

My father is a devout Roman Catholic, buy you definitely do not want me speaking to the impressionable young minds at your local Catholic youth group.

Z

macanes, BSN, MSN, DNP, CRNA · Feb 25, 2006

We all have our political ideals that need to be kept out of our professional common good. Personally, I liked Clinton a lot better than the jerk we currrenly have in the White House. I would like someone to tell me one good thing Bush has done for nurse anesthetists. Clinton signed the Opt-out and Bush rescinded it.

Money drives everything in D.C. If you are waiting for Congress or the Executive to 'do something for nurse anesthetists' you'll be waiting a long time . . . unless the AANA continues to lobby BOTH sides, as I'm sure they do. That's where our $500 dues go, or money given separately to the PAC. That's why we do it.

But "that jerk" will be out of the White House in a couple of years and do you really think things are going to change politically with a new administration?

We really have to put our best face forward every single day at work in order to maintain professional respect from people who have often been trained not to respect us at all, even to disparage us.

We are fighting an uphill battle that can only be maintained if we always maintain absolute professionalism. To me, that includes integrity. That means that I don't want some amoral yahoo put forth as the 'poster child for succesful children of CRNAs.'

I don't want to hear what he has to say about the value of our profession when his wife and his party would, in my view, dearly love to socialize American medicine so that 'everyone can get the care they deserve.' Ask the Germans, the Canadians and the Brits how much they pay for their system of medicine and how much they like it. Tell me why the American pharmaceutical market is the only one driving the development of new drugs (even if they are the run of the mill, mass appeal/mass sales items, not the next miracle drug for one of the terrible, but obscure illnesses). Tell me how long you plan to work as a nurse anesthetist when the pay is "stabilized" at $60,000/year, or so. How many doctors will chose family practice when their pay is $75k and their patient load triples with no additional resources. How about those Scandanavian countries? It worth a 60- or 80- or whatever-percent or more tax rate so that everyone can live off the government teat?

But, really, it's just him. It's not "backbiting." I'll tell him to his face: Bill Clinton, you're not half the man I am, and I'm just an average joe. So, don't try to inspire me with a toothy grin and meaningless, generalized feel-good platitudes. Just refund us your speaking fee, please. Thank you, Mr. President.

That's why I don't want Bill Clinton representing my association. And I resent the AANA for foisting him upon me, at my expense.

Z

Nitecap · Feb 25, 2006

Yeah I would welcome Bush and Rumsy at the next confrence. Im a Bush guy anyway. Just saying I wont be going to the AANA conference looking for a speaker that is going to effect my morals. My morals have long been set and no one speaker is going to change that. I am however looking for a speaker that is farmiliar with CRNA's and that has a ton of experience in dealing with political clout as this profession is full of it.

Choosing Cliniton to speak is not a move to choose one political party. The PAC supports candidates from all parties that support us. Didnt go the the conference last year Bill does. You just have to widen your mind and gain what you can from the experience. Or you could volunteer to find the speaker next year.

deepz · Feb 25, 2006

.......And, the A$A has more cash, if that's the issue, sir.

Maybe, although some years our PAC outspends theirs ... but, Z, they've never had a US President speak at their A$A confab, have they?

All other considerations, and your personal, obviously strong feelings that motivated you to start this thread -- all that aside, this man has a special connection with CRNAs and, as things do go in politics, we CRNAs need to EXPLOIT him TO THE MAX.

?