Madeleine Cosman
Encyclopedia
Madeleine Pelner Cosman was a scholar, a policy analyst, an advocate, a prolific author, and a faculty member at City College of New York
. "As a medical lawyer, educator and health-care policy guru, she testified before Congress, wrote 15 books and buttressed conservative politicians' arguments against immigration"“She was recruited by all these politicians to present ideas with coherence, logic and dramatic flair,” her daughter said. “But before the political world took notice, the intellectual world was pretty much aware of her." Lecture appointments took Cosman throughout the United States and to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Israel and Western Europe. She also contributed to think tanks that reflected her philosophy on medical and legal issues, the Cato Institute
and Galen Institute
.
Cosman was a professor in the Department of English at City College of New York
from 1964 until her retirement in 1993.
Institute for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, which granted undergraduate and graduate degrees. Her book, Fabulous Feasts: Medieval Cookery and Ceremony (1976) is said to have been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize
and the National Book Award
. (The Pulitzer nomination, however, has been doubted, on the grounds that even according to Pulitzer officials "[t]he names of nominated finalists have been announced only since 1980.")
According to one obituary, she lectured for years "on cable television at the Metropolitan Museum of New York on medieval daily life. She was deeply passionate about ideas and her gift was to share her ideas with an intelligent audience."
, medical business and medical history
at City College of City University of New York. and was a strong advocate for personal choice of one's own medical care. Her views spawned an hourlong presentation on C-span titled "Who owns your body" as well as books titled "ABCs of the Clinton Medical World" (published 1993) and "Selling the Medical Practice: The Physicians and Surgeons Guide" (published 1988)
requirement that those hospitals provide services (including childbirth) to illegal aliens in the emergency room regardless of their ability to pay.
' CNN program
had cited as facts Cosman's claims that there were, over a period of three years, 7,000 cases of leprosy
in the United States and that many of these were the result of illegal immigrants bringing the disease into the country. Dobbs has since rejected these claims as unsubstantiated, calling Cosman "a wackjob". Cosman has also been accused of making racist claims in her criticism of immigration. For example, railing against Mexican immigrant men, she made the following ominous warning: "Recognize that most of these bastards molest girls under age twelve, some as young as age five, others age three. Although, of course, some specialize in boys, some specialize in nuns, some are exceedingly versatile and rape little girls age eleven and women up to age seventy-nine." She goes on to attribute the behavior to allegedly lenient Mexican laws concerning rape.
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
. "As a medical lawyer, educator and health-care policy guru, she testified before Congress, wrote 15 books and buttressed conservative politicians' arguments against immigration"“She was recruited by all these politicians to present ideas with coherence, logic and dramatic flair,” her daughter said. “But before the political world took notice, the intellectual world was pretty much aware of her." Lecture appointments took Cosman throughout the United States and to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Israel and Western Europe. She also contributed to think tanks that reflected her philosophy on medical and legal issues, the Cato Institute
Cato Institute
The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...
and Galen Institute
Galen Institute
The Galen Institute is a non-profit public policy research organization based in Alexandria, Virginia. Founded in 1995 by Grace-Marie Turner, the Galen Institute's stated mission is "advancing free-market ideas in health policy, promoting a more informed public debate over ideas that support...
.
Education
Cosman's degrees include- a J.D.Juris DoctorJuris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of LawBenjamin N. Cardozo School of LawThe Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law is the law school of Yeshiva University, located in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The school is named for Supreme Court Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo. Cardozo's success as a young school has been remarkable, leading some to characterize Cardozo as a...
(1995) - a Ph.D.Ph.D.A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in English and comparative literatureComparative literatureComparative literature is an academic field dealing with the literature of two or more different linguistic, cultural or national groups...
from Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
(1964) - an M.A.Master of Arts (postgraduate)A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Comparative Literature from Hunter CollegeHunter CollegeHunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
(1960) - a B.A.Bachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Barnard CollegeBarnard CollegeBarnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, Barnard has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900. The campus stretches along Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough...
(1959)
Cosman was a professor in the Department of English at City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
from 1964 until her retirement in 1993.
Renaissance Studies
In 1968, Cosman became founding director of the City College of New YorkCity College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
Institute for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, which granted undergraduate and graduate degrees. Her book, Fabulous Feasts: Medieval Cookery and Ceremony (1976) is said to have been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
and the National Book Award
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
. (The Pulitzer nomination, however, has been doubted, on the grounds that even according to Pulitzer officials "[t]he names of nominated finalists have been announced only since 1980.")
According to one obituary, she lectured for years "on cable television at the Metropolitan Museum of New York on medieval daily life. She was deeply passionate about ideas and her gift was to share her ideas with an intelligent audience."
Advocacy
“She never practiced law,” her daughter said. “She used her knowledge of the law to be more effective as a policy analyst.” "Known for an engaging speaking style that illuminated her legal savvy, Cosman was a favorite guest on talk radio."Health-care policy
For nearly 30 years, Cosman taught medical students medical lawMedical law
Medical law is the branch of law which concerns the prerogatives and responsibilities of medical professionals and the rights of the patient. It should not be confused with medical jurisprudence, which is a branch of medicine, rather than a branch of law....
, medical business and medical history
Medical history
The medical history or anamnesis of a patient is information gained by a physician by asking specific questions, either of the patient or of other people who know the person and can give suitable information , with the aim of obtaining information useful in formulating a diagnosis and providing...
at City College of City University of New York. and was a strong advocate for personal choice of one's own medical care. Her views spawned an hourlong presentation on C-span titled "Who owns your body" as well as books titled "ABCs of the Clinton Medical World" (published 1993) and "Selling the Medical Practice: The Physicians and Surgeons Guide" (published 1988)
Immigration issues
Cosman appeared frequently with host Mark Edwards of “Wake Up America” and provided the medical legal data for “Hold Their Feet to the Fire,” a project of Americans for Legal Immigration - ALIPAC. One article she wrote for the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons titled "Illegal Aliens and American Medicine" stated that“Horrendous diseases that long ago America had conquered are resurging,” she wrote last April. “Horrific diseases common in Third World poverty and medical ignorance suddenly are appearing in American emergency rooms and medical offices.”and she argued that 80 California hospitals closed between 1994 and 2003 because of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act
Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act is a U.S. Act of Congress passed in 1986 as part of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act . It requires hospitals to provide care to anyone needing emergency healthcare treatment regardless of citizenship, legal status or ability to...
requirement that those hospitals provide services (including childbirth) to illegal aliens in the emergency room regardless of their ability to pay.
Criticism
Critics have objected that many of her controversial claims on immigration and medicine are not authoritative due her lack of credentials. In discussions of medical issues, she is often referred to as "Dr. Madeleine Cosman", though her doctorates were in literature and law. The title, though technically accurate, has led some to the mistaken impression that she has a medical degree and therefore medical expertise. For example, a reporter on Lou DobbsLou Dobbs
Louis Carl "Lou" Dobbs is an American journalist, radio host, television host on the Fox Business Network, and author. He anchored CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight until November 2009 when he announced on the air that he would leave the 24-hour cable news television network.He was born in Texas and lived...
' CNN program
Lou Dobbs Tonight
Lou Dobbs Tonight is an American editorial commentary and discussion program hosted by Lou Dobbs, previously broadcast on CNN and currently on Fox Business Network. The hour-long show aired live on evenings every weekday, and was replayed in the overnight/early morning hours. It covered the major...
had cited as facts Cosman's claims that there were, over a period of three years, 7,000 cases of leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
in the United States and that many of these were the result of illegal immigrants bringing the disease into the country. Dobbs has since rejected these claims as unsubstantiated, calling Cosman "a wackjob". Cosman has also been accused of making racist claims in her criticism of immigration. For example, railing against Mexican immigrant men, she made the following ominous warning: "Recognize that most of these bastards molest girls under age twelve, some as young as age five, others age three. Although, of course, some specialize in boys, some specialize in nuns, some are exceedingly versatile and rape little girls age eleven and women up to age seventy-nine." She goes on to attribute the behavior to allegedly lenient Mexican laws concerning rape.