A Doctors' Group on the Fringe [1]
Submitted by Anne Landman [2] on
Senate candidate Rand Paul [3] belongs [4] to an organization with the professional-sounding name "Association of American Physicians and Surgeons [5]," a doctors' group that has made headlines lately by organizing protests [6] against the new health insurance reform law. AAPS urges members to appear at these rallies wearing their white coats. But AAPS isn't your average professional group; its members hold views far outside the medical mainstream. AAPS' Statement of Principles [7] maintains that it is "evil" and "immoral" to participate in Medicare and Social Security. The group argues [8] that President Obama [9] uses a covert form of hypnosis called "neurolinguistic programming" to control his audiences and coerce voters. AAPS denies the link [10] between HIV and AIDS and opposes [11] mandatory vaccinations. The group has also fought [12] expanded health care coverage for children. Philip Morris [13] considered the group a friendly third party [14] ally who would to generate press releases [15] favorable to tobacco issues. AAPS has filed a lawsuit [16] to block the mandate in the new health reform law that every citizen purchase health insurance.