Obama To Tap CNN's Sanjay Gupta As Surgeon General

"President-elect Barack Obama has offered the job of surgeon general to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the neurosurgeon and correspondent for CNN and CBS, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.

"Gupta has told administration officials that he wants the job, and the final vetting process is under way. He has asked for a few days to figure out the financial and logistical details of moving his family from Atlanta to Washington but is expected to accept the offer."

According to Kurtz, Sanjay Gupta and Obama met to discuss the position in November. Gupta also spoke with Obama's HHS Secretary designee Tom Daschle.

During the 1990s, according to Kurtz, Gupta was a White House fellow who helped craft Hillary Clinton's speeches and policy recommendations.

There is discussion going on about the choice of Gupta in jamgirl86's diary.

By SusanG's diary of Daily Kos.

Here is what CNN says about Sanjay Gupta's possible role as Surgeon General. CNN actually confirms it.

The Obama transition team approached Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent, about becoming U.S. surgeon general, according to sources inside the transition and at CNN.

Gupta was in Chicago, Illinois, in November to meet with President-elect Barack Obama on the matter, sources said.

Gupta has declined comment.

The transition team is impressed with the combination of Gupta's past government experience, as a White House fellow in 1997 and a special adviser to then-first lady Hillary Clinton, along with his medical career as a neurosurgeon and his communication skills, the transition source said.

Gupta is a member of the staff and faculty of the Department of Neurosurgery at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. He regularly performs surgery at Emory University Hospital and at Grady Memorial Hospital, where he serves as associate chief of neurosurgery.

CNN released a statement saying, "Since first learning that Dr. Gupta was under consideration for the surgeon general position, CNN has made sure that his on-air reporting has been on health and wellness matters and not on health-care policy or any matters involving the new administration."

Sanjay Gupta has been working with CNN since 2001