Swine Flu Is Bad Enough, Yet Republicans Always Manage to Make It Worse
As I often tell myself, there is rarely any situation in which the attentions of the Republican party can't make it even worse. Dave Johnson at Seeing the Forest points out one major problem:
We face a potential swine flu pandemic, and we do not have the people in place in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that we need. Why not? The Republicans are blocking confirmation of Obama’s nominee, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.
Why are they blocking this nomination? Because Gov. Sebelius won’t approve Kansas Republican bills to block abortion even if the abortion will save the mother’s life. They say she is “an enemy of the unborn,” because she thinks doctors should be able to save the mother’s life.
So as you worry about this possible flu pandemic, think about why your government is not yet fully up and running to do its part and protect us. As we saw when hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, government-hating Republicans destroyed our ability to respond to emergencies, and instead set up a system where contracts were awarded to cronies who collected the cash but never delivered the services. And now they continue to block our government’s ability to protect us, because they think that a mother’s life is not as important as a fetus.
The Democrats should start a big public relations push to get the Republicans to drop their opposition for the sake of the country.
It might work, but who knows? After all, Republicans always put party above country. Because guess what the Republicans (including "moderate" Susan Collins, helped along by Karl Rove's attacks) stripped out of the stimulus bill? You guessed it: pandemic flu preparedness! (They insisted it had nothing to do with the economy.) From John Nichols in today's The Nation:
When House Appropriations Committee chairman David Obey, the Wisconsin Democrat who has long championed investment in pandemic preparation, included roughly $900 million for that purpose in this year's emergency stimulus bill, he was ridiculed by conservative operatives and congressional Republicans.
Obey and other advocates for the spending argued, correctly, that a pandemic hitting in the midst of an economic downturn could turn a recession into something far worse -- with workers ordered to remain in their homes, workplaces shuttered to avoid the spread of disease, transportation systems grinding to a halt and demand for emergency services and public health interventions skyrocketing. Indeed, they suggested, pandemic preparation was essential to any responsible plan for renewing the U.S. economy.
But former White House political czar Karl Rove and key congressional Republicans -- led by Maine Senator Susan Collins -- attacked the notion that there was a connection between pandemic preparation and economic recovery.
Now, as the World Health Organization says a deadly swine flu outbreak that apparently began in Mexico but has spread to the United States has the potential to develop into a pandemic, Obey's attempt to secure the money seems eerily prescient.
And the partisan attacks on his efforts seem not just creepy, but dangerous.
Go read the article. It's an in-depth look at how scoring political points was more important to the Republicans than repairing the system of government preparedness stripped bare by the last eight years of their careful stewardship.
I am making a plea to everyone who reads this, please, please DO NOT TAKE ANY VACCINE THAT IS PURPORTED TO ‘PREVENT’ THIS FLU. Dr. Patricia A. Doyle
hasn't been shut down yet. May as well use it.
I believe this is the Patricia Doyle that you are referring to in your plea to everyone. You do understand that DVM means Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and the Phd she holds is in Business Administration. I am not saying she isn't smart but why would I want to listen to a DVM concerning my health when the CDC is staffed with scientists and microbiologists. Sorry but I think this chick sounds more like that guy Savage who touts his degree for useless purposes.
Patricia A. Doyle DVM, PhD Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural Economics
Univ of West Indies Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message board at:
http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php Also my new website:
http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/ Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
Go with God and in Good Health
then try to put the puzzle together usually coming to the conclusion why do I bother? It all ends up with $$$$ ending up in someones pocket.
because you care. I also care. I care that accurate details and findings are represented by the most highly trained individuals in science and medicine.
these individuals are not selected for moral rectitude. BAYER still honors war criminal Fritz Ter Meer, land's sake. Now I see involvement of Safoni-Aventis, once part of IG FARBEN, too.
MONDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- A troubling increase in resistance to the antiviral drug Tamiflu is linked mostly to influenza A strains that are circulating this season, a new government report shows.
Almost 100 percent of the influenza A (H1N1) strain is now resistant to the drug, up from 12 percent during last year's flu season, said report author Dr. Alicia Fry, a medical epidemiologist with the influenza division at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/hscout/2009/03/02...
then a Minnesota bridge collapses when Bush and Cheney are sending our money to build Iraq infrastructure, then Bobby the Page Jindal ridicules volcano monitoring a month before one blew in Alaska, now the this.
I don't know how much more of Republicans "keeping America safe" we can stand.
Reminds me of an exchange in the movie "Ghostbusters."
This time...
Democrats: Every thing was fine until dickless over here thought it would be better not to fund emergency preparedness.
The American Public: Is this true?
The Media: Yes, this man has no dick.
Still, the media screws up the point of the story...
"When are we going to stop trying to tell elected officials what to do. Our job is to spend the taxpayers' money the best way we can." -- Tommy Watkins, Justice of the Peace, Crawford County, Arkansas
One of my favorite movies! Tell him about the twinkie, Ray.
"No offense...but I gotta get my own lawyer."
"Anyone that makes less than $150K in this country, has no business voting Republican."
Scoring political points is ALWAYS the most important item for the repugs.
FLU 'ODDITIES' News
http://www.legitgov.org/flu_oddities.html
repugs score points
Democrats score.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Sanofi Aventis Invests 100 Million Euros In New Facility In Mexico to Produce Seasonal and Pandemic Influenza Vaccine 19 Mar 2009 Sanofi-aventis, announced the signing of an agreement with the Mexican authorities to build a 100 million euro facility to manufacture influenza vaccine in Mexico. The announcement was made during a ceremony attended by Felipe Calderon, [unelected] President of Mexico, and Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France, who was in Mexico City for a State visit. "By building this new facility, sanofi-aventis is proud to contribute to the strengthening of Mexico's health infrastructure and is eager to support Mexico's exemplary commitment to public health through influenza immunization and pandemic readiness", said Chris Viehbacher, Chief Executive Officer of sanofiaventis. [Now, that's what I call foresight! See also: Baxter working on vaccine to stop swine flu, though admitted sending live pandemic flu viruses to subcontractor By Lori Price 26 Apr 2009.]
Medical News Today
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/1428...
when you think about it.
*smacks forehead*
Democracy is too important to be entrusted to politicians.
Rise Up!
Protest!
these days to get to the bottom of things.
... for Lou Dobbs to blame illegal immigrants for the stateside outbreaks.
From the CDC website:
California 7 cases
Kansas 2 cases
New York City 28 cases
Ohio 1 case
Texas 2 cases
TOTAL COUNT 40 cases
it was 8 cases in New York yesterday.
No deaths in USA, yet.
croak from the complications of flu in this country even before this.
This flu can be over 10 times deadlier than "normal" flu, and once it makes into the human stream... it uses the same spread vectors.
Which is why these flus are taken seriously.
All of those cases have come into contact with other people who have either not gone to a doctor or have yet to show any symptoms. Doesn't going to the doctor mean you have either the insurance or the money to do so?
I have put this link up before, but I am really adamant about making sure that this Swine Flu thing does not turn into a tool for political hacks.
Please read and spread the word, although Crooks and Liars seem to be doing a great job of spreading it. Keep it up!!!
http://progressnotcongress.org/blog/?p=474
Is there any such thing as a tofu flu pandemic?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
We can only hope. It may keep my wife from coming up with crazy dinner ideas.
"When are we going to stop trying to tell elected officials what to do. Our job is to spend the taxpayers' money the best way we can." -- Tommy Watkins, Justice of the Peace, Crawford County, Arkansas
..and the cut in the Stimulus Package to pandemic flu emergencies (?),
maybe the GOP is hoping that a flu will hit and kill so many people, especially those of us who don't think like they do, that they'll be back in the majority. No, they wouldn't stoop that lo...oh wait, the GOP's President and VP approved of torture, sat by while New Orleans went underwater, invaded a non-threatening nation killing how many of their citizens and displacing how many more?
Like they care about Flu Pandemics. Well, when their kids get sick, all you'll hear about is the lack of funding because tax cuts for the rich and/or the drug companies don't exist and how its "God's will" and not their fault.
What a pitiful excuse for a POLITICAL Party.
Mickey: "It was an epiphany. Do you know what an epipany is?"
Keoni: "NOT NOW MICKEY!"
Rove specifically complained that Obey's proposal included "$462 million for the Centers for Disease Control, and $900 million for pandemic flu preparations."
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/4/26/7...
This pathetic party of losers will go down in history as "the party of no", "obstructionists", "sour losers", "corporate shills", etc.
This is all they have left...their final stand. They have nothing to lose, because anyone with any brains has already left the party or is hiding behind the curtain until what is left of this once "gop" has dried up and blown away.
These are "shells" of politicians who are in it now to obstruct President Obama and the Democratic "socialist" moves that this country has been lacking behind the rest of the first world nations.
Pathetic scum bags. They stand for nothing but obstruction. It is laughable to try to attach the old tags of "conservative", "smaller government", etc to these hypocritical jack asses. All that's left is the extremist and nut cakes. Sad, but more pathetic than sad.
Obama, slammed by rivals as inexperienced, slipped on the mantle of president with ease, in unflappable style.
..just another reason to despise the Bush regime. Bush pissed away the budget surplus rather than do anything practical with it. Rather shore up Social Security, provide for natural disasters, give EVERYONE a moderate tax break, national security (hey that's a big deal right there), he did the stupidest possible thing in the world, he pissed it all away and plunged us into an economic crises. Way to go W, you a-hole!
Mickey: "It was an epiphany. Do you know what an epipany is?"
Keoni: "NOT NOW MICKEY!"
I wish I could view this potential pandemic as anything other than the latest shiny object that will distract from torture or economic collapse/bailout investigations.
I just can't though.
Good thing I had to drop my health insurance this month. Typical Different Anonymous "perfect timing"...
worrying about illegal Mexican immigration, gay marriage wiping out heterosexual unions, assault weapon bans, avian flu, world economic collapse, peak oil, terrorism and those who pal around with them, and killer bees.
That bastard.
Let's hope the media will talk and chew gum and keep TortureGate in the news.
The ideological extremism currently dominant in the GOP is a form of terrorism. Not the kind that plants bombs or kidnaps people. But the goals and effects (when they are successful) are the same: to shut down the normal functioning of government. This form of terrorism started, in a way, with Gingrich leading the charge to shut down the government in the 90s.
World Health Organisation May Increase Alert To Level 4
UKMedix Health News - 1 hour ago
A Level 5 alert signals that the pandemic has begun.
Anne Schuchat at the Centers for Disease Control said that the World Health Organisation was likely to issue travel recommendations and that there was a “strong possibility” that the alert level change would be announced today.
CDC.................they already have a vaccine ready to ''cure'' the people.
I guess they made that the same time as they engineered the virus at Ft. Detrick.
...although there is definately a history there.
I read the story posted on Mike's Blog this morning about the flu starting at the Smithfield hog farm in Veracruz, and 30% of the people in the area showing symptoms. Go there and check it out. Plausible story, and what makes it even more so is the total lack of coverage in the US.
"Courtesy is owed. Respect is earned. Love is given." --Unknown author, found in Guide to Texas Etiquette by Kinky Friedman
What's that scream? OH! It's the conservaloons swirling around the toilet bowl.
Goodbye Fox Noise! Hannity, Rove, Cheney, Coulter, O'Dildoe.
Goodby Fat Junkie! Goodby Hate Radio! Goodby Loony Tunes!
Enough was 7 1/2 years ago!
from every commercial transportation & freight company going into and out of Mexico from March 1st.
So you can see the whole planet. Interesting to see who's not getting it.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&...
Interesting visual. I wonder how quickly this map will change? And who is Niman (the person who generated it?)
What'll they do, cough in our faces?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
past 8 years why not Big Pharmaceuticals?
the flu can both take the blame for the economic collapse (which is ongoing and will get worse with or without the flu?
Will we have to worry about a mutant swine-avian flu combination when pigs fly?
i see they're closing 10 starBUCKs in mexico city since one of the employees reported having flu symptoms.
Republicans are consistent. Before 9/11 they thought President Gore's recommendations for increased airline security were unnecessary and not worth the expense. After 9/11 they implemented all of them.
Should the avian flu, er monkey pox, ummm swine flu actually be more than media hype and millions die then the Republicans will jump into action.
They said the same about Bird Flu and SARS. I'll wait this out and get the facts.
As for the Reps, they've ALWAYS been against anything that will help the American public. Plain and simple.
NOBODY 2012
They're against anything that will help the public UNLESS it will make them buckets full of money. Then they'll be leading the parade.
I just got back from Mexico and my employer send me an e-mail requiring me not to return to work before I get clean bill of health,not cool.............
we get all whipped out of shape over these illnesses but we don't take it seriously enough to improve our health care system to handle a true and deadly epidemic. We need to build a system that could be put in place to handle large numbers of illness and we haven't done it yet. We had a SARS outbreak in Asia to alert us to our lack of preparedness and we do enough.
Look at Mexico. They're handing out masks to the general public but the doctors and nurses are protesting the fact that they don't have enough and they're on the front line.
Look at the ill students in New York. One of those that came down with the illness has a family looking all over New York for Tamiflu and can't find it anywhere. Yet it's being given out to people who don't have the flu but might get it. That's crazy.
Jeanne
One of the ideas being floated around is shutting down trade. But Mike Osterholm from the U of Minnesota and an epidemiologist warns against that. Many of our part to machines such as ventilators and drugs needed to fight infection are from countries outside the US. The parts for ventilators are from...you guessed it, Mexico.
Jeanne
I made a web comic about the whole thing:
http://******/t9R4D
has blamed Obama for the Swine Flu, claiming that if he had tortured the pigs earlier this would not have happened.
NOBODY 2012
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