Kothary Says Pneumonia Red Herring By RALPH BAILEY

You can fill what I know about medicine in my right ear. No, my left. And I’d be willing to say Dr. Hemmel Kothary, chief of staff of Dignity Health, Mercy Southwest, would probably say the same about his relationship with politics. But can’t we all agree that a physician of Kothary’s experience and stature makes a diagnosis regarding pneumonia that he knows of what he speaks. And Kothary’s opinion of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s alleged pneumonia is … it’s all a Fugazi. Now for those culturally challenged “Fugazi” is an Italian slang made popular in Gangster movies like Donnie Brasco, (forgettabuotit), and the HBO series The Sopranos. As one who overcame a bout of the liquid in the lungs I can tell you ain’t no way you’re diagnosed Friday and you conjure up the strength to be on a presidential campaign less than a week later. As I speculated on the show, if they will, or I should say if SHE is willing to lie about her cough, why wouldn’t they come up with the pneumonia story to keep our eyes of a more serious problem like a seizure or mini stroke, as Dr. K speculates. “Pneumonia doesn’t act like that,” Kothary told us Wednesday referring to HRC’s behavior. While my analysis is purely political and probably partisan, Dr. Kothary is a licensed medical doctor, who knows a thing or two about illnesses. “No, that’s not pneumonia, Ralph.” If we had an active press in this town this would be a front page story, four TV station story but … we live in Bakersfield.