In Attempt To Placate The Right Wing, Collins and Specter Endorsed Pandemic Flu Funding Cut
In Attempt To Placate The Right Wing, Collins and Specter Endorsed Pandemic Flu Funding Cut
On February 5, Karl Rove took to the pages of the Wall Street Journal to argue against President Obama’s Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act because, in his view, the spending was not targeted to create or preserve jobs. In particular, Rove complained about the fact that the bill included “$900 million for pandemic flu preparations.” He contended that such spending was unnecessary because the health care sector “added jobs last year.”
Rep. David Obey (D-WI) included the pandemic preparation funding in the package because he believed “that a pandemic hitting in the midst of an economic downturn could turn a recession into something far worse.” But Rove was not concerned with the actual substance of the funding.
Rather, as Paul Krugman explained at the time, in attempting to oppose and discredit the economic recovery package, conservatives in the media and Republicans in congress aligned themselves around a strategy that amounted to “snickering at stuff that they think sounds funny.” Unfortunately, this “snickering” at funding priorities had very real impacts.
Indeed, like Rove, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) was apparently unwilling to be seen as endorsing such “funny” sounding priorities as flu “preparedness” in an economic recovery package. Perhaps in an attempt to prove her fiscal conservative bona fides, Collins repeatedly insisted that Obey’s pandemic preparedness funding did not belong in the bill:
COLLINS: There’s funding to help improve our preparedness for a pandemic flu. There is funding to help improve cyber security. What does that have to do with an economic stimulus package? [CNN, 1/31/09]
COLLINS: I think everybody in the room is concerned about a pandemic flu. But does it belong in this bill? Should we have $870 million in this bill? No. We should not. [MSNBC, 2/5/09]
After the funding was stripped, another moderate Republican attempting to appear tough on “unnecessary” spending in the recovery package, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), endorsed Collins’ crusade against the pandemic preparedness funding on Fox News:
MS. KELLY: Okay. $780 million for pandemic flu preparedness, in or out?
SEN. SPECTER: Out. Very important projects, I took the lead along with Tom Harkin on some massive funding for pandemic flu, but it belongs in our regular appropriations bill.
Now, in light of the current outbreak of swine flu, their attempts to placate the conservative wing of their party by standing up against extremely important funding priorities looks extremely shortsighted. Ironically, those ultra conservatives in office who led the fight against the stimulus, like Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX), are seeking government assistance in addressing the swine flu outbreak.
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Stupid is as stupid does…
It must be the wrath of God, again. Mount Redoubt; wildfires in South Carolina; now a swine flu pandemic makes yet another set of Republicans look really, really stupid.
I’m getting so tired of God showing us what we already knew.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:01 amCollins should be asked to step down from her Ranking Position on the DHS Committee and if she doesn’t we should pressure her Leadership to remove her has unfit.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:01 amBut being extremely shortsighted is the M.O. of the GOP.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:04 amThis seems to fall in line with Bobby Jindal’s criticism of the volcano monintoring system funding.
Sadly, the hardest thing about preparation funding is that you’re working with odds. I don’t think some people took into account the SARS and avian flu outbreaks in recent years when weighing the economy. I cannot serious judge if I as a citizen would have been in favor of such a measure at the time, but hindsight is 20/20.
I still think we can fight this outbreak if it were to spread, but let’s not panic yet, folks, or else the virus will have already won.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:06 amSo, let’s get some fresh microphones in their faces now to see how the latest doctrinaire will be promoted.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:10 amThis is a simple problem to fix. The next to elections vote no to all republicans running, clean the nest of morans out they do not care about the anerican people and our country all they know is tax brakes for the rich ans big business.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:11 amThe two criteria Republicans seem to use for backing legislation.
1) Did you giggle when you read it?
2) Do you believe it? Facts aren’t important.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:14 amlet’s see… Billions in tax ccuts for the wealthy and corporations, but slash the money for pandemics. Idiots.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:20 amDaddy-O,from #1, makes you wonder why none of the fundies are saying anything. It does appear this ‘wroth of god’ stuff is sort of focusing on red states.
File under things that make you say hmmmmmm.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:22 amThere are two things I want to hear from Arlen.
One, who killed J.F.K.?
Two, in relation to a Coke can, is Clarence Thomas’s wang as big as he told Anita Hill it was?
Arlen knows the answer to both of these questions. I’m not certain if he really knows anything else.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:22 amI’m interested in seeing how the wingnuts would discuss pandemic preparation and response. Something that private industry should be taking care of, for those customers who can afford it?
On one hand, they could make the argument that: if we have a system whereby only the wealthy can avoid being killed by disease, evolutionary pressure will naturally lead to everyone being fabulously rich in the long run, as generation after generation of the middle-class and poor die in the streets.
However, I’m hardly a good spokesperson for the right, and thus invite them to explain exactly how one would model pandemic response within an entirely free-enterprise system.
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ConservativeForProgress Says:
The issue was not that Conservatives were against the funding or were not concerned with pandemic flu. As you can see even from the comments above, Conservatives in fact were concerned with pandemic flu and took the lead on “some massive funding” ralating to pandemic flu.
Says Arlen Specter…
What projects? How massive? How relevant? We’ve heard this kind of hand-waving before.
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pops7154 Says:
This is a simple problem to fix. The next to elections vote no to all republicans running…
…and if someone you think is a good politician is running as a Republican, you should ask yourself why they would want to play boot-boy for monsters and criminals. Send a letter or email and let them know that you can’t vote for them solely because of that affiliation.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:23 amConservativeForProgress
Just like Bush decided not to include the cost of the Iraq and Afghans war in his overall budget?
Conservatives in fact were concerned with pandemic flu and took the lead on “some massive funding” ralating to pandemic flu. The issue was that the funding didn’t belong in the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act.Conservatives in fact were concerned with pandemic flu and took the lead on “some massive funding” ralating to pandemic flu. The issue was that the funding didn’t belong in the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
But if the funding had been left in the “stimulus” bill Perry wouldn’t be calling on Obama for help right now and there wouldn’t be a need to have an appropriations bill later which I’m sure the republican’ts would try to cut funding?
April 27th, 2009 at 11:23 amSomeone taught the swine flu how to keep an eye on other issues in order to calculate the right time jump out of the box.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:26 amConservativeForProgress Says:
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The issue was not that Conservatives were against the funding or were not concerned with pandemic flu. As you can see even from the comments above, Conservatives in fact were concerned with pandemic flu and took the lead on “some massive funding” ralating to pandemic flu. The issue was that the funding didn’t belong in the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act
So, were they against it before they were for it, or for it before they were against it? or were they for it for different reasons than the dems so they voted against it, or were were they against it but voted against it because the dems wern’t for it enough? Or were the for being against it bofore they were against being for it? Help us out constitpated for poogress.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:26 amNo worries, Senators. If you get sick, you’ll be taken care of.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:26 amShall we add the flu pandemic to the list of things “no one could have anticipated”? You know: a major terrorist attack, the escape of bin Laden, the Iraqi insurgency, a major hurricane on the Gulf Coast, financial deregulation leading to an economic bust…
April 27th, 2009 at 11:27 amI have to disagree with the thrust of this post. Both Senators made it clear that they support funding for flu pandemic preparedness, but that they did not think it was appropriate in this particular bill.
I think progressives should push for greater transparency in government spending rather than these huge omnibus bills which make it easy to hide spending on boondoggles and pure pork.
Yes, the flu pandemic is a great example of why progressive spending is important. No, the stimulus package was not the right place to fund it.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:33 amPurple State Says:
I still think we can fight this outbreak if it were to spread, but let’s not panic yet, folks, or else the virus will have already won.
FYI: Here in Mexico, we’ve closed down schools, from kindergartens to universities, as a precaution. The capital is basically closing down all crowded places (restaurants, theaters, schools, even soccer stadiums) for a week in order to stop the spreading of the disease.
Here in the north, we’re closing down schools as well, just to be safe (there’s already 10 confirmed cases in my state).
I hope this is not too off-topic =/.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:33 amTHESE STUPID REPUBLICAN’TS AND THEIR TROLLS DON’T BELIEVE IN SCIENCE, NO WONDER WHY AMERICA HAS LAGGED IN THE SCIENCES CONSIDERABLY UNDER THEM?
April 27th, 2009 at 11:33 amGOP = NO plans for the future.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:33 amFlet3cher says:
Yes, the flu pandemic is a great example of why progressive spending is important. No, the stimulus package was not the right place to fund it.
Why? I can’t find the link, but I read somewhere yesterday that the Obama Adminstration included this in the bill because of the negative effects a pandemic would have on the recovery. Did anyone else read this? It makes sense to me.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:36 amNo Luis, it’ not too off topic. Please keep us informed.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:37 amThe Republican stance on the stimulus bill was patently ridiculous. The entire algorithm for what should go in was this: everything that we should have been doing, that would be quick and easy to get started, that Bush has dropped the ball on for eight years, goes in the pot. “Shovels” or other ridiculous analogies don’t matter.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:42 amConservativesforProgress makes a predictable point — that the issue Republicans had with pandemic preparedness funding wasn’t so much the funding but rather where it belonged.
The problem is that the credibility of the claim is severely undercut by the well-known pattern of Republican attacks on ANY funding except for weapons systems or military contractors.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:42 amElBruce, you said it better than I did. Kudos.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:43 amoh please tell me that the Republicans didn’t eliminate stimulus funding for protection from oncoming asteroids….
April 27th, 2009 at 11:43 amWell, the way I look at it, we should not be giving any financial help to the states where there is a Republican senator. Let them stew in their juices. President Obama should announce that they didn’t want that funding in the bill so they can do it on their own. Fortunately for those states President Obama is not vindictive like I have become.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:44 amrmwarnick Says:
Shall we add the flu pandemic to the list of things “no one could have anticipated”?
Personally, I would categorize it as a “known unknown.”
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fletc3her Says:
I have to disagree with the thrust of this post. Both Senators made it clear that they support funding for flu pandemic preparedness, but that they did not think it was appropriate in this particular bill.
Sure, they’re all for it in theory, right up until you put an actual bill in front of them for an actual vote, and then they have a problem. It’s pretty obvious how this game is played.
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Varanus komodoensis Says:
THESE STUPID REPUBLICAN’TS AND THEIR TROLLS DON’T BELIEVE IN SCIENCE…
This brings up a good point. Perhaps Collins and Specter would have preferred a solution involving less medicine and more prayer.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:48 amBreaking News: 5 US representatives arrested outside of the US embassy in Sudan.
Thank goodness we have set the moral example for the rest of the world and don’t need to concern ourselves with the possibility of these people being tortured.
If someone in the US goverment commits a war crime, we hold them accountable to prove to the rest of the world we are serious about the Geneva Conventions and respect international law like we expect others to do.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:48 amTurd Blossom needs to go fertilize a field somewhere.
Has he ever been right about anything?
April 27th, 2009 at 11:52 amDoes anyone else find it ironic that Bobby Jindal opposed monitoring volcanoes, and shortly thereafter, one threatened to blow in Alaska? Susan Collins opposed money to fight pandemic flu, and bingo! here comes swine flu.
It appears they cannot get it right.
If Perry wants medication and help from the federal to fight the flu, does this mean Texas is going to stay in the Union a bit longer?
April 27th, 2009 at 11:53 amConservativeForProgress Says:
The issue was that the funding didn’t belong in the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act
How pathetic.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:57 amRodeskawler Says:
April 27th, 2009 at 12:05 pmLink please?
ConservativeForProgress Says:
The issue was that the funding didn’t belong in the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Actually a valid point. Sort of. It should have been in legislation many times over in the past 8 years.
Maybe that’s why the REINVESTMENT word was included in the title of the bill.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:07 pmRodeskawler Says:
Breaking News: 5 US representatives arrested outside of the US embassy in Sudan.
I think they were arrested outside the Sudanese embassy in DC.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:11 pmhttp://www.redorbit.com/news/politics/485941/us_representatives_arrested_at_sudan_protest/index.html
Ah found it using google
April 27th, 2009 at 12:11 pmThis is entirely different issue(not about torture).
… and then there’s the Rethuglicans holding up Obama’s Health and Human Services nominee.
Good job, folks…
Cheers,
April 27th, 2009 at 12:23 pmIf there’s a bad decision being made…chances are it’s a republican acting as the “decider”.
Why is it those on the right have trouble thinking beyond the end of each week? No foresight whatsoever.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:25 pmYet another example of the GOP’s self-serving mindset. They have made it abundantly clear that their main goal over the next four years is to interfere with the business of the Obama administration. Working to make the American people healthier, safer, and more prosperous is somewhere down on the list, just above “getting Carla Bruni’s recipe for ratatouille”.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:29 pmBobwurst, there was a great article in The Nation about it.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:33 pm“In Attempt To Placate The Right Wing, Collins and Specter Endorsed Pandemic Flu Funding Cut”
Well, God certainly has a sense of humor. Collins, Specter, and The Party of No didn’t think stripping pandemic flu preparedness from the ARRA bill would come back to bite them in the ass. An old saying: Be careful what you do and say. I have a feeling that other aspects of the ARRA bill that was stripped will come back to haunt those lawmakers who voted no for the stimulus package.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:33 pmThe article in The Nation is about pandemic funding. But the point is beside the economic issues of widespread flu, how would preparations NOT create jobs. Republicans act like you throw money into the air and things get done by themselves. Like when they ripped the money out for maintenance to the rundown mall in DC. Like that was going to do itself too.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:38 pmPerry the secessionist wants federal aid after his buddies cut spending for it. Last week Gov. Sanford of South Carolina who turned down stimulus money wanted wildfire areas declared a federal disaster area. Jindal laughs at volcano preparedness and of all the states to suffer the next eruption it’s Palin’s Alaska. Why do I get the feeling that the Flying Spaghetti Monster is giving Republicans the middle finger.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:42 pmVolcano monitoring, pandemic flu preparation . . . how silly, when we have Citibank and Bank of America to bail out. What were we thinking ! Obama has to stop kissing the asses of these No-ers and get on with business.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:45 pmConservativesforProgress makes a predictable point — that the issue Republicans had with pandemic preparedness funding wasn’t so much the funding but rather where it belonged.
Yeah. And the Repuglicants are SO good at placing funding in bills – like the Iraq war funding. More lies propagated by the meat puppets.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:46 pm*Cough* *cough* … thanks, for nothing! *Cough* *Cough* *Ah choo!* *sniff sniff*
zuch Says:
… and then there’s the Rethuglicans holding up Obama’s Health and Human Services nominee.
Good job, folks…
Maybe the swine flu will be good enough to wait a week?
April 27th, 2009 at 12:49 pmBoy talk about your mindless drones. Whatever the internet or media says you guys believe it, hook, line and sinker. I don’t know what bothers me more. The fact that none of you have a clue what you are talking about or that you really think obama is doing a good job. Would it make you happier if he just made up your mind for you. Did you also know that in this so called stimulus bill there is 600 million for new cars for government workers. Boy we really needed that to stimulate things. Oh and how about 300-400 thousand to help the gay people figure themselves out. What is that in there for. So if you people would take the time to read the actual bill for yourselves instead of listening to the media which is so biased it’s ridiculous, you may actually sound like you have a brain.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:58 pmConservativeForProgress Says:
The issue was that the funding didn’t belong in the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act
You’re right, and to take care of that oversight, then the Republicans that wanted it out of the ERRA turned it right around and proposed a brand new separate bill that created funding for it… oh no, wait, that DIDN’T happen either.
But I seem to remember all kinds of pork projects that were slipped into all kinds of appropriations bills when Republicans controlled Congress. Hmmm. Funny how that happens. Bridge to Nowhere, anyone? Bueller?
April 27th, 2009 at 12:59 pmDid you also know that in this so called stimulus bill there is 600 million for new cars for government workers.
Wow. Ordering new cars to replace old worn out cars for government employees. Why, that could only help the US AUTO industry! OMG! We can’t have that, now can we? That might create jobs! That might even keep the Auto plants Open during the summer! Oh my! That is such a bad bad thing.
What part of Stimulus don’t you understand?
April 27th, 2009 at 1:04 pmRepublicans are suffering from a pandemic inability to be on the right side of any issue.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:05 pmdarkside69, could you show me where this item is in the bill:
Because I know you don’t believe it just because somebody like Limbaugh or O’Reilly told you it was in there. You saw it yourself right.
And while your at it show be where this is:
Because your guys probably cut this out too. One question though is how does buying cars from struggling car manufacturers not protect jobs. Do you think they build themselves?
April 27th, 2009 at 1:11 pmWhether or not funding was stuffed in bills under Republicans is irrelevant – it should’nt be done at all by either party. Both parties are guilty of stuffing this garbage down our throats because of their corruption. As for helping out the bankers, it’s both parties on that, as well. Take a look at Sen. Dodd – maybe he’ll get tossed out after what he pulled (big bucks from the banks and a sweetheart deal) and now even he’s in trouble in his home state. If Democrats were any better, they would have tossed out Blagojevich in my own state a lot sooner – only when he was too great a burden did he finally go.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:12 pmWay to go wingnuts. Maybe another tax cut for the ultra wealthy would make it all better!
April 27th, 2009 at 1:13 pmdarkside apparently believes that cars reproduce in the same way living organisms to. Kind of takes the whole debunked spontaneous generation theory to a whole new level of stupid.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:16 pmFlet3cher says:
Yes, the flu pandemic is a great example of why progressive spending is important. No, the stimulus package was not the right place to fund it.
It was totally the right place for it. The package is all about the economy, recession, etc. Do you really think a widespread outbreak of any virus/disease etc. will not affect the economy?
April 27th, 2009 at 1:17 pmindependent58 Says:
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Whether or not funding was stuffed in bills under Republicans is irrelevant – it should’nt be done at all by either party. Both parties are guilty of stuffing this garbage down our throats because of their corruption
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Because your free market philosophy worked so well? Get some perspective and then come back. You cannot convince anyone free markets fix anything, Sparky, because they failed miserably with the real corruption coming from those with the most power.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:17 pmindependent58, I’m from Illinois too. Blagojevich didn’t do anything that Palin isn’t doing. When is she getting indicted?
April 27th, 2009 at 1:17 pmCFP is quick to defend the repugs — just like I am sure he was quick to defend dems when they made bad choices.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:20 pmDear Governor Perry,
Sorry, bub, the Republicans in congress decided to yank funding for pandemic disease response out of the legislation that contained it, so we just don’t have that money to “throw away”.
On the bright side, we are now fully prepared to endorse your secession of diseased territory from the union, and we prefer that you do it sooner rather than later. It will make it easier to justify the barbed wire international frontier that we plan to erect along your border with us.
Yours truly,
April 27th, 2009 at 1:24 pmEveryone with a brain
Jindal wants to ignore volcanoes – then one erupted.
Perry wants to secede from the union – until he needs vaccines.
Collins and Specter showed their “convenient” fiscal responsibility when they denied funding for pandemic preparations, which, if the flu continues unabated, could sink the country and the world so deep into the economic mess that was created by repugs since Reagan’s era, what we may not recover.
Of course were that to happen, it would surely be Obama’s fault, right repugs?
April 27th, 2009 at 1:27 pmkasinca Says:
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independent58 Says:
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Whether or not funding was stuffed in bills under Republicans is irrelevant – it should’nt be done at all by either party. Both parties are guilty of stuffing this garbage down our throats because of their corruption
————————————————————–
Because your free market philosophy worked so well? Get some perspective and then come back. You cannot convince anyone free markets fix anything, Sparky, because they failed miserably with the real corruption coming from those with the most power.
Who said anything about free market philosophy? The funding belongs in *relevant* bills, not packed away in massive omnibus bills designed to hide away pet projects – we need more transparency and honesty in government. If you weren’t blinded by doctrinaire allegiance, Sparky Jr., you would find nothing to argue about in my comment.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:28 pmlarkohio at #32 — sorry, I didn’t mean to repeat your post — I see we were exactly on the same thought wave!! :)
April 27th, 2009 at 1:28 pmAnother update: even while we’re dealing with the flu pandemic here in Mexico, an earthquake just hit the center of the country. 5.7 Richter.
Jeez, when it rains, it pours.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:28 pmDoodlebug Shayne Says:
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independent58, I’m from Illinois too. Blagojevich didn’t do anything that Palin isn’t doing. When is she getting indicted?
I object to what Palin did, as well. I have no idea what will happen in Alaska. I only saw what happened in IL. Everyone knew what was going on. Only after Blago became a massive political liability did the Dems here do anything. The 2008 election campaign was a joke – Dems were running ads to show how far they were separated from him (after linking to him previously). Some people still don’t get it – I work with people who still defend him (one woman has said, “hey, they persecuted Jesus, too”). It’s why I remain an independent – blind loyalty to either party is indefensible.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:37 pmWell where were you when George Ryan the Republican was reelected while he was under investigation and got to serve his whole second term? And if you were from Illinois you’d know that the state legislature is not predominantly Democratic.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:42 pmThe “Omnibus Bill” is not the same as the “Stimulus Bill”. Come back when you get a freaking clue.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:44 pmOh and nimrod indie, Blagojevich hasn’t been convicted of anything yet and Republican Governor Ryan is sitting in the slammer. Where’s your outrage, idiot?
April 27th, 2009 at 1:45 pmSorry to hear that. And there’s like 65 confirmed cases of swine flu in NYC.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:46 pmCome on, folks. Schumer opposed the funding also and spoke against it. Besides it was all included in another bill. Look it up.
April 27th, 2009 at 1:51 pmG = Gangsters
April 27th, 2009 at 1:59 pmO = Obstinately
P = Peevish
Doodlebug Shayne Says:
The “Omnibus Bill” is not the same as the “Stimulus Bill”. Come back when you get a freaking clue.
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I was speaking in general terms, if you read the post *carefully*
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Doodlebug Shayne Says:
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Oh and nimrod indie, Blagojevich hasn’t been convicted of anything yet and Republican Governor Ryan is sitting in the slammer. Where’s your outrage, idiot?
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And Dem ex-govs Kerner and Walker were also convicted and served prison time. *All* corrupt politicians deserve prison time for abusing the public trust. I object to blind defense of politicians just because they are from a certain political party (either party). By the way, do you think Blago belongs in the same category as Jesus, as well?
April 27th, 2009 at 1:59 pmWhy does Washington have to purchase flu vaccine? Are we expecting more than 50 million infections from this newest flu? Has anyone proffered an estimate that is greater than 50 million? We have that much vaccine now. Let’s be adults, shall we? Let’s determine IF we need more. Then let’s buy our vaccines IF we need them. Take your lead from president Obama. He isn’t too concerned and I agree with him. Stop all of the loonie lefty hate speech and live in the realm of reality.
April 27th, 2009 at 2:15 pmnostromo Says:
Look it up.
Gimme a link.
.
drew3rd Says:
Stop all of the loonie lefty hate speech and live in the realm of reality.
Just hoping that nothing bad will happen hasn’t worked out for you very well so far. You might consider taking another approach.
April 27th, 2009 at 2:37 pmIndie, Walker wasn’t convicted of crimes while serving in office. Nice try though.
And Otto Kerner was charged by soon to be Republican Governor Jim Thompson while he was prosecutor. Thompson then turned around and defended Governor Ryan PRO BONO.
April 27th, 2009 at 2:52 pmdrew3rd, why don’t you try to find out how long it takes to manufacture flu vaccine. And since this strain is new there is no vaccine that will prevent it. Tamaflu is the antiviral used to treat. Why don’t you find out how long it takes to manufacture that.
April 27th, 2009 at 2:54 pmWhat part of “…it belongs in our regular appropriations bill.” did the writer not understand? It sounds as though the senators are for funding this, but not through the stimulus package. Why the “sky is falling” context of this story?
April 27th, 2009 at 3:07 pmBecause wrench they don’t pass bills every day. And the adverse effect it would have on the economy is why it was in the stimulus bill. Now it hasn’t been passed. Why is that confusing for you.
April 27th, 2009 at 3:43 pmWow, it took thinkprogress just one day to blame swine flu on Republicans. This happened under Obama watch, its his fault. Well now, where have i heard that before?
April 27th, 2009 at 4:13 pmThe point is that the Party of “No” forgets that every time they strip out funding for viable and (in turns out) necessary programs that real people get hurt.
Deals are made every day in Congress. That is no lie. And Collins and Specter did a brave thing in defying the leadership of their party to help get the stimulus package through, too bad that the rest of the Republicans chose to just say “no” to everything instead of obstructing the direction where the majority of this country has said that they want to go.
April 27th, 2009 at 4:45 pmjeff2001 Says:
Did I miss Obama going on a monthlong vacation while he neglected the pandemic issue? Why no in fact he TRIED to get it dealt with. You do know you are a moron right?
April 27th, 2009 at 4:51 pmjeff2001
Think of it this way: isn’t keeping the nation healthy just one way of keeping Americans safe by providing for the common defense and promoting the general welfare of Americans from those “alien” flu bugs? ;)
And no, we aren’t blaming swine flu on the Repubs.
Peace.
April 27th, 2009 at 4:52 pmNext time someone says “swine flu” say “not as scary as death by torture”.
They have gone over it and over it, and they do it every other year. anyone who is paranoid knows the drill from the last pandemic.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:03 pmEugene, you’re just mad because your name is eugene.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:34 pmjeff2001 is the reason the Rethuglicans still exists. Once they remove themselves from the gene pool – we’ll be good as new ….
April 27th, 2009 at 5:59 pmjeff2001 Says:
Eugene, you’re just mad because your name is eugene.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
My name ISNT Eugene. My NICK is Eugene. I am not mad. I just think you are an idiot
April 27th, 2009 at 6:34 pmGreat. So, in the face of a starting pandemy, they cut funds to prevent it go greater. Common sense all over the place.
April 27th, 2009 at 7:03 pmHmm, Specter had cancer, right? So his immune system is compromised. And he’s elderly. Wouldn’t want to get something like a flu, would you. All the money and finest healthcare in the world won’t help you.
April 27th, 2009 at 7:19 pmThis isn’t a new trend. The conservatives didn’t acknowledge AIDS for a long time, cut TB treatment, cut mental health care leaving more disturbed people homeless and let the military hospitals and VA go to pot. While lavish spending on war and armaments is popular with their base, anything to help people is demonized.
Know-nothingism plays well with conservatives.
April 27th, 2009 at 10:01 pmI’m not sure, Mr. Powers, if you are dishonest, ignorant [it's a term implying lack of knowledge not lack of innate mental capacity], or just silly.
By either of those subterfuges, you use Karl Rove, your as your bogeyman, to tie a “radical right wing” identification to the levels at which Congress has funded activities for “pandemic preparedness”. If, we are to, erroneously, accept your “right wing” label to the charge, then apparently the Democrat leadership in Congress has been hiding among the “right wing radicals” for years.
Let’s look at your lies or ignorance (1) and then (2) who has been the “right wing radicals” in Congress who have been holding back on “pandemic preparedness” funding for years.
(1)
(a) In his February 5, 2009 Wall Street Journal editorial, Karl Rove did not make the argument that the porkulous spending bill should be opposed, in a way that particularly, singularly, set out the “pandemic flu preparations” as his reason. And, yet, as we will show, he hardly stood as a “right wing radical”, or alone, in opposition to that particular item. Neither did he argue that the “pandemic flu preparations”, funding, was, singularly unqualified because “the health care sector added jobs last year.”
(b) Mr. Rove had a laundry list of items that the porkulous spending bill contained.; he was no more drawing attention to any one item, or another. He opposed the humongous level of the whole. The “pandemic flu preparation” item was the final item in his list of a number of health care related items. It was that list of health care items that was followed by his simple factual statement that “the health care sector added jobs last year”.
(c) There was nothing radical about including the fact that the health care sector added jobs last year. If he wanted to be fully correct, he could have added that the health care sector, including the “public health” component has been adding jobs for many years; that while many sectors have seen declines in their jobs, health care has not been one of them; and even in the current “crisis”, the “jobs” impact has probably been least among health care and education, even before any “STIMULUS”.
Mr. Rove’s very small comment on that item had much larger relevancy and was not a slight at the subject of “pandemic preparedness”. If the fiction is that the “stimulus” bill is about “jobs”, then wouldn’t it be better for ANY government priority on spending be better focused on where more job losses have been experienced, than where employment has been steadily gaining.
(d). Lost in all the to and fro of this issue (lost to the uninformed) is that the states still have over $1 billion in already allocated money that they have not yet found justification to spend (but which is still there when they do request it).
(2) As to who have been the “right wing radicals” denying funding for “pandemic preparedness”.
(a)”In an effort to battle pandemic flu, the White House launched a massive program in June 2005 to purchase and stockpile influenza vaccines and antiviral medications, develop systems to detect and contain disease outbreaks globally, and develop plans and policies to manage disease outbreak in the United States……… Though President Bush asked for $7.1 billion in funding for pandemic preparedness funding in his 2006 budget, Congress provided only $5.6 billion in the 2006 Emergency Supplemental Bill..”
http://www.cdc.gov/biosense/files/govexec.com_story.pdf
After the Democrat leadership took over Congress:
(b).Congress provided NO additional funding for “pandemic preparedness” for 2007.
http://www.cdc.gov/biosense/files/govexec.com_story.pdf
(c) The Democrat controlled Congress, in December 2007, slashed President Bush’s $870 million budget request for “pandemic preparedness” to $76 million, for 2008.
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/panflu/news/dec2007budget.html
And who were the “right wing radical”, apparently allied with Karl Rove on spending for “pandemic preparedness” in the porkulous bill:
(d) “All those little porky things that the House put in, the money for the [National] Mall or the sexually transmitted diseases or the flu pandemic, they’re all out,” Schumer said.
[That's uber-Liberal, New York state Senator Charles Schumer]
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/04/27/schumer-opposed-flu-pandemic-funding-in-stimulus-too-you-morons/
Of course he too knows, from his own state, that “jobs” in health care have been a growing segment of the workforce, for a long time, without any new special “stimulus” – while manufacturing has nearly abandoned the state. Whose fault is that? Ask the manufacturers that quit or were driven out.
But its’ easier for Mr, Powers to try to use the iconic bogeyman of “Karl Rove” to explain what, and who, is wrong. He obviously works with or loves the media, where image over substance reigns supreme.
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