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President-elect Barack Obama approached the most important medical correspondent for CNN, Sanjay Gupta, to be the next director general of public health, said Tuesday the news television channel.

CNN said that since he learned that Gupta was being considered for the post, asked that no longer make reports of public health policies and other matters related to the upcoming Obama government.


Two Democrats are aware of the talks on the post of director general of public health said that Gupta was being considered for the same, but cautioned that there is not yet a final decision on who will occupy it. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the store did not have permission to talk to the media on the matter.

The transition team of Obama did not respond immediately to requests for comments he made the connection that AP.


Gupta is the host of the "House Call" CNN, contributes reports to CBS News and writes a column for Time magazine. It neurosurgeon and is in the faculty of the School of Medicine at Emory University in Atlanta.

During the administration of Bill Clinton, Gupta was a special adviser in the White House for then first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.


The director of public health is not usually very involved in shaping government policy, but his office can be very effective in expressing opinions. In the past, some of which have had the job have contributed positively in the fight against AIDS and snuff.

Having a well-known television personality would give the post of director of public health care that has not had since C. Everett Koop took office in the administration of President Ronald Reagan.


Koop is best known for having pressed to make AIDS a public health issue rather than a moral issue, and Reagan faced pressure to dismiss him. Koop said that Reagan never interfered.

CNN said Gupta would not comment on the considerations on the possible nomination and issued a statement which said: "Since it was first learned that Dr. Gupta was being considered for the post of director of public health, CNN has ensured He reports that the air has been on health and welfare issues, not policy or health care issue that involves no new government. "


CBS News is a unit of CBS Corp., CNN is owned by Time Warner Inc.

On the other hand, the president-elect on Tuesday, had to make a bit of public relations in the new Congress controlled by his own party, apologizing with a key Democratic senator for not having consulted on his decision to appoint Leon Panetta as director of the CIA .


Vice President-elect Joe Biden also described as a mistake of not having Obama discussed his decision before the incoming chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Dianne Feinstein.

But despite the murmurs of criticism about the lack of experience in the field of intelligence Panetta, his confirmation is not expected to generate a strong opposition.


Then on Monday to complain about the omission of the president-elect Feinstein, who will oversee the confirmation hearing Panetta, said on Tuesday that Obama and Biden spoke to reassure him. Feinstein also questioned the lack of background Panetta on matters of intelligence.

"I contacted both the president-elect Obama as the vice president-elect Biden, and I explained the reasons why we believe that Leon Panetta is the best candidate for CIA director," Feinstein said in a communique drafted cold.


The senator added that looks forward "to talk with Mr Panetta on the critical issues facing the intelligence community and on their plans to address them."

Feinstein was upset not only because of the fracture in the normal protocol, but also because the Intelligence Committee Democrats were still angry for having been largely marginalized during the eight years of the administration of President George W. Bush.