Secretary of Veterans Affairs

The Character Assassination of Ronny Jackson

4/26/18

from The Wall Street Journal,

4/26/18:

The White House physician withdraws from consideration to run the VA.

Attacking the character of presidential nominees is among Washington’s favorite sports. But by creating and distributing a compilation of anonymous smears against White House physician Dr. Ronny Jackson, Montana Democrat Sen. Jon Tester appears to be setting a new Beltway record for unsportsmanlike conduct. Today Dr. Jackson, a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy, withdrew from consideration to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs. This followed Mr. Tester’s unique contribution to public discourse and civility—a collection of unsourced and unverified claims that the man lauded and trusted by Presidents of both parties is in fact a reckless, dishonest, mean-spirited drunk. Some readers might think that, surely, a public official with the responsibilities of Mr. Tester would not publicize such attacks without first making a good-faith effort to verify them.

Is it too much to ask senators to avoid going on television and accusing people of being drunken drug peddlers without knowing if the allegations are true?

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The Character Assassination of Ronny Jackson