One of President Bush’s guests at the State of the Union tonight, Tatu Msangi, is an HIV-positive nurse and single mother from Tanzania. As Andrew Sullivan points out, under current U.S. policy, Msangi is technically barred from entering America because she has HIV. Sullivan surmises that “the administration must have found a way to get Msangi a special waiver” and suggests that her situation is another reason to support the HIV Nondiscrimination in Travel and Immigration Act of 2007.
UPDATE: A State Department official tells ThinkProgress that Tatu did not receive a special waiver. She applied for and received it.

I was wondering who the balcony props were going to be this year. Now we know who at least one of them is.
January 28th, 2008 at 4:54 pmI was wondering who the balcony props were going to be this year. Now we know who at least one of them is.
Comment by missmolly
I don’t get it. How is he going to tout all of his accomplishments in helping the world get rid of AIDS? How can this do anything but make him look worse?
January 28th, 2008 at 4:59 pmIOKIYAR.
Or in this case, It’s OK If You’re A Republican Prop For A Talking Point (IOKIYARPFATP).
January 28th, 2008 at 5:07 pmDo as I say. I’m the decider. Rules need not apply.
January 28th, 2008 at 5:09 pmDid you check to see whether there was a signing statement?
January 28th, 2008 at 5:12 pmIs she the replacement for Jeff Gannon?
January 28th, 2008 at 5:23 pmI don’t get it. How is he going to tout all of his accomplishments in helping the world get rid of AIDS? How can this do anything but make him look worse?
Comment by Fred — January 28, 2008 @ 4:59 pm
His 28% will accept whatever he says without question. The other 72% aren’t going to be swayed no matter how he spins his AIDS “accomplishments”.
It’s as if he’s just given up.
January 28th, 2008 at 5:25 pmFor Bush, helping Africans with HIV is just another opportunity to channel more money to faith-based charities.
January 28th, 2008 at 5:37 pmHe’s wrong on many levels. There are some that came to mind as soon as I read this post:
1) Breaking his own rules.
2) Coming up with the rule in the first place.
3) He’s twisting his already twisted logic into another form of twisted logic to support the current message he wants to promote.
4) He’s exploiting someone with HIV.
January 28th, 2008 at 5:40 pmI’m still trying to figure out why HIV positive folks would be banned from the US. It would be one thing if HIV didn’t exist in the US, but we’ve got a pretty high rate of HIV here already.
January 28th, 2008 at 5:48 pmfoot thinks he understands something….
January 28th, 2008 at 5:58 pmfoot thinks he understands…..EVERYTHING….no arignorace there huh?
January 28th, 2008 at 6:25 pmGood laws, bad laws - gw breaks ‘em all.
January 28th, 2008 at 6:30 pmI understand EVERYTHING, Fred. And that’s a position you will never be in…
Comment by O. Bigfoot — January 28, 2008 @ 6:17 pm
I’ll give you one chance to ammend this arrogant and stupid statement before i will encourage all to blow you out of the water. Never ever ever make declarifive statements that clearly are erroneous. If it is intended to be sarcasm, let us know. Otherwise I will be pressing the “release the hounds” button on my count.
January 28th, 2008 at 7:25 pm.
S’cuse meeeeee??????
“She did not receive a special waver but instead she applied and received it.”
In other words… she did not, did receive a special waver?
O.K…… ?
.
January 29th, 2008 at 2:36 amI understand EVERYTHING, Fred. And that’s a position you will never be in…
Comment by O. Bigfoot — January 28, 2008 @ 6:17 pm
OK, God, provide answers to these questions:
1. What are the causes and cures for autism?
January 29th, 2008 at 10:00 am2. If homosexuality is a choice, why are the rates of people who
are homosexual consistent across time and cultures?
3. Who killed Martin Luther King?
4. What is the exact day that the world will end?
5. Who DID let the dogs out?
6. Exactly how many brain cells do you have?