For the sake of argument, assume Dr. Wulsin has bad stuff to hide about her association with the Heimlich Institute. (Yes, I know that’s difficult to imagine.) If that’s the case, there’s one person with the power to sink her. That person is Heimlich Institute vice president and loyal Republican Phil Heimlich.

Chew on that for awhile. If Wulsin’s hiding dirt and Phil doesn’t hand over the information to expose her, then Wulsin wins the race, Phil deserves a lion’s share of the blame.

If I were Barry Bennett (Jean Schmidt’s chief of staff) or a Republican blogger, I’d start pressuring Phil to ante up or else suffer the prospect of being the Republican responsible for handing the Ohio 2nd to the Dems. (He already gave them Hamilton County, remember?) For Phil, that would be the final nail in the coffin of his political career.

Better yet, Barry, try the honey vs. vinegar approach. Offer Phil a job in exchange for the information, something where he can’t break anything or steal the silver or appoint Ron Roberts. Then everybody’s happy.

Well, maybe not Jeff Coryell.

That depends on what’s in the files. He would only have to leak a little to prove that she’s been lying all along. If that happened, Dr. Vic would be kaput. Even a toady like Coryell might finally give up the familiar “see no evil” acrobatics he’s been engaging in to defend her sorry self.

Now fast-forward. It’s January 2009 and newly-elected congresswoman Victoria Wells Wulsin MD PhD has taken the oath of office, the gates of opportunity have opened for her and the future looks quite, quite bright. As for Phil Heimlich, his radio show has flopped and he’s unemployed again.

Under those conditions, in a game of extortion chicken, who do you think would blink first, Vic or her ex-boss with the files, Phil?

Based on what you’re saying, I would think if Phil had become competitive in the spring in OH-02, which he apparently never did, he could have been stung by the same malariotherapy problem. And if he releases docs, does he not also “destroy” himself?

Like your handle. It took some Blood, Sweat & Tears to come up with that one. :–>

Phil Heimlich is the longtime vice president of the Heimlich Institute. Therefore he has full knowledge and access to all the financial and medical records associated with the Africa experiments and Dr. Wulsin’s participation. (Modern Esquire, sorry to burst your bubble, but she was being groomed to take over the Heimlich Institute and to supervise the Africa project. Don’t believe me? Tom or anyone else, ask her point blank and see if she’ll go on the record.)

Here’s my point, one which is indisputable and should give pause to Dr. Wulsin’s supporters. If she’s not telling the truth and was, in fact, more deeply involved with the Africa experiments, Republican Phil Heimlich has her on a lifetime leash. He can release documents to the medical board and other oversight authorities and destroy her. In other words, he would have her in the palm of his hand.

Sure, Modern Esquire may respond that’s only “if she’s not telling the truth.” But that little “if” has already come back to haunt her and, who knows, perhaps more ghosts have yet to spring from the “malariotherapy” closet.

Her role in the study has been overblown, and those pushing the story had been relying on the pending investigation by the Ohio Medical Board as given their attacks some legitimacy. Now that the Ohio Medical Board has closed their investigation with no finding of any ethical impropriety, this line of attack has very little juice in it.