The Corpus Callosum

Known as "Hot Tub Tom" during his early years in the Texas legislature, Tom Delay underwent a makeover of sorts to get back his girlish figure for his premier appearance on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" tonight. Politics Daily tells us The Hammer started working out in June, losing 18 pounds in the process...

...During his days as House Majority Leader back in 2002 and 2003, Delay had a terrific con going with doctors' offices. A member of his staff would routinely phone medical offices, encourage the physicians to join a "Physicians Advisory Board," where an aide would strongly suggest that the medical professionals could get an opportunity to meet with and counsel lawmakers on health care concerns. What the aides failed to mention was the Physicians Advisory Board didn't actually exist. delay_jailed

But Delay didn't let that little detail prevent him from holding several staged events asking the doctors for a donation of $5,000 to show up. The doctors, believing there was a chance to influence lawmakers' decisions, generously donated. Like a good politician, Delay funneled his "contributions" directly into the National Republican Congressional Committee...

Basically, this slick dude preyed upon people emotions, desire for recognition, desire to rub elbows with persons of great importance.  Or whatever.  You got to go to a special event, and you got a plaque to put on your wall.  Or wherever.  I can think of a lot of events I'd rather attend, for $5,000.  Plus I could have my own plaque made for a lot less.  I could even make a plaque myself, with a 2x4 and a magic marker.

Anyway, the new scheme is not being run by DeLay.  As you can see from the photo, he has other things to do these days.  The new scheme is being run by Tom Price, US Representative from Georgia.

It is described in a "warning" issued by the Ohio State Medical Association.  You have to log in, in order to see it on the site, but anyone can see it in Google Cache

Warning: Solicitations from Rep. Tom Price & the Physicians' Council for Responsible Reform - 10/22

Many members have expressed concerns about a solicitation that they have received from Rep. Tom Price, MD, (R-Ga.) and a group called the Physicians' Council for Responsible Reform (PCRR). These solicitations ask physicians to contribute financially to join this group and/or to attend a PCRR Consultant Strategy Meeting in Washington D.C.

Despite the wording in these solicitations that alludes to the contrary, please be advised that the PCRR does not speak for organized medicine at all, and certainly not in the health system reform debate. The OSMA, along with the American Medical Association (AMA), continue to meet with elected leaders in Ohio and Washington D.C. to give you a voice in this important debate.

The health system reform debate is truly an important one that may heavily impact the practice of medicine in the future. The PCRR solicitation attempts to evoke emotions surrounding this debate in an effort to raise funds for the National Republican Congressional Committee. While you can make your own decision as to which, if any, political entity to support.. [emphasis added]

This is complete baloney, of course.  The thing that makes it really weird, is that he is a physician himself.  In fact, he went to the same medical school that I did!  (Four years earlier, so I never met him.)  Plus, he is -- ironically -- on record as being opposed to the use of innocently-termed boards for political purposes:

The GOP Should Fight Health-Care Rationing
By TOM PRICE
Wall Street Journal, 1/7/09

...For a preview, look no further than "What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis," a book published this year by former Sen. Tom Daschle, President-elect Barack Obama's choice for secretary of Health and Human Services. Atop the list of worrisome ideas proposed by Mr. Daschle is the creation of an innocently termed "Federal Health Advisory Board."...

Daschle's proposed board would serve a legitimate function, regardless of whether one agrees with it.  Price's Physicians' Council for Responsible Reform serves no purpose, other that to collect money for the National Republican Congressional Committee. 

Update: Wikipedia has more about the PRCC.