How doctors in Congress all seem to become board certified as obstructionists

Her's a snapshot of the anti-health care reform shell game:

Some physicians, I should note, were tickled pink to be asked to join the NRCC's phony council. Dr. Michael Richman, a heart surgeon in Los Angeles whose name appears neither on Fred's version of the draft press release nor on the one obtained by Think Progress, put out a press release announcing his selection to the panel. So did Dr. Richard Stanford, a pediatrician in Oklahoma City. (Stanford's name can't be found on Fred's or Think Progress's versions, either.) This is like putting out a press release to announce that somebody phoned and asked you to donate to the United Way.

I put in a call to Rep. Price's office to find out more about the PCRR. They referred me to the NRCC. A press representative who called back said he didn't know anything about the Physicians' Council and would have to get back to me.

I phoned the InfoCision call center and asked for some information about the PCRR. I was referred to Jessica Boulanger at the NRCC. When I phoned the NRCC, I was informed that nobody named Jessica Boulanger worked there. (Apparently, she used to.)

I phoned the InfoCision call center again and asked for Sabrina Taylor, the contact name on Fred's draft press release. I was told she was busy. I asked if Sabrina could call me back. This seemed to flummox the person I was speaking to. "Does Sabrina Taylor exist?" I asked. Yes, I was assured. I left my name and number. Sabrina didn't call back.

I phoned InfoCision yet again and asked for Candace Lyons. This was an entirely different contact listed on the version of the draft press release posted on the Think Progress Web site. Candace Lyons was also busy. Could Candace could call me back? Once again, this request seemed highly irregular. "Does Candace Lyons exist?" Yes. Candace didn't call back.

I phoned InfoCision's public relations office and got a very nice-sounding woman who said she'd get back to me. She didn't.

InfoCision, I can't resist mentioning, took home the "Best Practices" award in May from the Interactive Intelligence Interactions conference in Indianapolis.