If Retarded Were Nickels, He’d Be A Millionaire

Forget what I said earlier about Bush’s Social Security explanation. This quote is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever read in my life (via Oliver) :

Speaking of doctors, physician-Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), a new member of the senate Judiciary Committee, was at last week’s meeting on a bill restricting class-action suits. “You know,” he said, “I immediately thought about silicone breast implants and the legal wrangling and the class-action suits off that.

“And I thought I would just share with you what science says today about silicone breast implants. If you have them, you’re healthier than if you don’t. That is what the ultimate science shows. . . . In fact, there’s no science that shows that silicone breast implants are detrimental and, in fact, they make you healthier.”

They make you healthier. Seriously, you can’t make this shit up.


posted by greg on February 7, 2005 @ 3:47 pm

9 comments

  1. And they vote people like that into Senate seats. Jeebus, the inmates *are* running the asylum.

    Comment by Jason — February 8, 2005 @ 4:42 am

  2. Actually, as much as I hate Mr. Coburn, he’s right about this one. Studies have shown that the silcone breast implant scare was nothing more than a scare. A few people got sick who happened to have them and they decided that they were the reason. Of course at the time no one thought to do any real statistical analysis which showed that the kinds of and frequency of illness occured at the same rate among women with and without the implants.

    This would have come out in cout, but the case never got that far, it was settled before any arguements were ever made.

    Comment by Andrew — February 8, 2005 @ 10:03 am

  3. Studies have shown that the silcone breast implant scare was nothing more than a scare.

    I figured that was what he was talking about, but do those studies say that silicone implants “make you healthier”?

    Comment by greg — February 8, 2005 @ 10:13 am

  4. “In fact, there’s no science that shows that silicone breast implants are detrimental and, in fact, they make you healthier.”

    I bet that is true of penile extensions and implants as well. I’ll start forwarding my email to Dr. Tom–because I am truly interested in his good health.

    Comment by Ereshkigal — February 8, 2005 @ 12:09 pm

  5. I have a tube of silicone and it will never die. Hence silicone makes you healthier.

    Come on people, think!

    Comment by Stephen — February 8, 2005 @ 12:59 pm

  6. Well Mr. Coburn fell into the trap of assuming that correlation = causation. Which is sometimes not the case. In the actual statistical studies women with the implants actually are healthier than those without. This does not mean the implants are good for you. It means they are either harmless or their harm is negligible. The increased health probably comes from the fact that people getting implants are generally wealthier and would tend to have better health regardless. It might also be because the are simply seeing their doctor more often (as you tend to do after having surgery) so thinks like breast cancer are caught earlier.

    Of course all of that being said, I still don’t think you should blame the lawyers here. The people to blame are doctors and the media. How many episodes of 60 minutes, dateline, 20/20, etc focused on the evils of silicone implants? The shows always focused on one or two sick women and were completly devoid of factual statistical information. Then there were the doctors who were more than happy to let the myth propogate so they could make money by taking all the silicone implants out and replacing them with sailine ones.

    Comment by Andrew — February 8, 2005 @ 2:00 pm

  7. I wonder if Coburn will be getting implants soon?

    “Coburn fell into the trap of assuming that correlation = causation” Andrew you stupid shit head, stop being an enabler for Coburn’s actions. Coburn is a physician! He knows medicine. He knows scientific method. He is supposed to be perceptive and methodical. He knows what he says. He is supposed to be rational person and a healer. Not a tool for the GOP, big pharma and big business. For foolish statements like, “breast implants make you healthier”, his license to practice should be reviewed, yet again.

    Comment by notanumber — February 8, 2005 @ 6:55 pm

  8. I’m not being an enabler. I don’t like coburn. However, attacking someone when technically they are correct is never a good policy. It makes you look bad and weakens your ability to attack when your opponent is wrong.

    Comment by Andrew — February 9, 2005 @ 8:14 am

  9. holy cow, andrew! it’s an “udderly” preposterous claim.
    “they make you healthier” is the point in contention here. it’s an outlandish assertion, in which motivations behind it come into question (i suspect doc tom likes his women busty). why you want to apologize for coburn’s reckless comment is beyond me….
    …or do you prefer chesty babes, too?

    KEvron

    Comment by KEvron — February 15, 2005 @ 4:31 pm

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