Obama's Ethnic Washington D.C.

The Bama just announced his choice for the new Surgeon General. Sista gurl Regina Benjamin is a family practice doctor who spent most of her career in Alabama. She is known for not charging patients when they were unable to pay for treatment...not only that but when the clinic wasn't making any money she didn't even ask for a salary for herself! Now that's a Surgeon General I can appreciate.

She noted all of the preventable illnesses as to the reason why family members weren't present. Her older brother died at the age of 44 of an HIV-related illness, father died with diabetes and high blood pressure and mother passed of lung cancer. After all of these heart wrenching moments she can stand and hold her head up high with a smile on her face...that's who i can appreciate as a Surgeon General.

"I cannot change my family's past, but I can be a voice to improve our nation's health for the future."

She was the first African-American woman board member of the American Medical Association, and she just served a term as chairwoman of the group's Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs.

The position of surgeon general, whose effectiveness is largely in its use as a bully pulpit, requires Senate confirmation.