Dr. Ben Carson

We're talking to neurosurgeon, Obama health care critic and new darling of the American conservative movement, Dr. Ben Carson.

Dr. Ben Carson is accomplished, conservative, and black. This month he stood up at the National Prayer Breakfast, one seat away from the President, and laid down a big political critique of the Age of Obama.

On taxes, on health care, on political correctness. Time for self-reliance, he said. Within twenty-four hours, the Wall Street Journal headlined its editorial “Ben Carson for President.”

Conservative media threw their arms around the big doctor. He’s still on a roll.

This hour, On Point: Dr. Ben Carson, conservative man of the moment, on America now.
-Tom Ashbrook

Dr. Benjamin Carson, neurosurgeon and the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008. (@realbencarson)

Jonathan Cohn, writer and senior editor at the New Republic. Author of "Sick: The Untold Story of America's Health Care Crisis---and the People Who Pay the Price." (@citizencohn)

Michael Specter, staff writer for the New Yorker. His piece on the passing of C. Everett Koop is here. (@specterm)

The Atlantic "There are two ways you might have heard of Dr. Ben Carson. If you're a doctor or follow medicine, you might know of his great success — the youngest head of a major division at Johns Hopkins, one of America's medical meccas; the first surgeon to successfully separate conjoined twins, back in 1987; a Presidential Medal of Freedom winner late in George W. Bush's term. He was also mentioned on The Wire."

CBS News "A YouTube video of the speech has since gotten over 2 million views and earned praised from conservative pundits. He's been invited on numerous talk shows and his book has shot up to number one on Amazon's best seller list. A Wall Street Journal editorial called on Carson to run for president. Carson has said he doesn't plan on running for office, but continues to keep the door open. 'That calling has to come from God,' he said. 'I never rule anything out because I'm not totally in control.'"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tQvLn-4DaNQ