28 April 2009

Talking Point Du Jour: The Republicans Caused the Swine Flu or Something



Politics never ceases to amaze me with it's sleaziness. That's probably why I feel so at home blabbering about it from time to time! The swine flu outbreak is, indeed, not good, and the CDC (annual budget $8.8B) is addressing this public health problem. But, never letting a good crisis go to waste, the left is using recent public paranoia about all things pork to take a few whacks at the GOP. Politico has the scoop on a new push by the SEIU:

The union accuses Senate Republicans of delaying the confirmation of nominee Kathleen Sebelius to “curry favor with extremist outside groups” and depriving the department of leadership as the nation confronts a potential flu pandemic.

“This is simply unacceptable,” the union says on its website. “This disease is spreading as we speak, but right now, a Bush-appointed accountant is running the department. We need an HHS secretary NOW. Sign the petition telling the Senate to vote immediately to confirm Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. If we don't act, the swine flu might just turn into another Hurricane Katrina.”
Some other blogs (e.g. Kos, C&L, The Nation) are piling on by saying that flu preparedness was killed in the stimulus bill. If memory serves correct, Obama's first HHS nominee, Daschle, had a bit of a tax problem, and Sebelius is having similar issues with back taxes. So the Dems can blame themselves for that one. As for adequate funding to deal with the swine flu, is there any indication that the CDC is not manned up to manage this threat? So they don't have a bunch of self-promoting, political appointees to answer questions from the media, do photo-ops, and take responsibility for other people's work. Big fucking deal. Personally, I'd much rather see the bureaucracies and organizations of the federal government being managed by experienced professionals rather than a rag-tag bunch of politicians who performed enough sexual favors to get where they're at. I honestly believe that is why law enforcement and the military have a better public image and function more properly than some of the other agencies.

Of course, then we wouldn't be able to inject the right vs. left mouth-frothing into every single news event.

8 comments:

Wek said...

Everyone knows the Republicans didn't cause the Swine Flu. It was the immigrants of course.

Sleaziness from both sides on this topic. The bullshit will never end.

LogicallyLocked said...

I don't know what you're talking about here but everybody knows that George Bush caused the swine flu! Duh!

J. said...

Well, we certainly wouldn't want the president to have the staff that he desires. I mean, the Repubs and Dems were certainly death on Bush's appointees. Not.

NateSF said...

The CDC/department of health seems to be doing fine without a politically appointed mouthpiece. Remind me again why they need a political appointee running the place?

Lisa said...

LLocked,

"everybody knows that George Bush caused the swine flu"

... I rather like to think of Mr, Bush as a particularly virulent and toxic variant of the Swine Flu. When he mixes with bits of birds (=fearful people), the cocktail is deadly.

Lela said...

As for adequate funding to deal with the swine flu, is there any indication that the CDC is not manned up to manage this threat? So they don't have a bunch of self-promoting, political appointees to answer questions from the media, do photo-ops, and take responsibility for other people's work. Big fucking deal. Personally, I'd much rather see the bureaucracies and organizations of the federal government being managed by experienced professionals rather than a rag-tag bunch of politicians who performed enough sexual favors to get where they're at. AMEN, Lt Nixon, AMEN!!!

Nixon said...

Nate,

I'm not sure they're running anything. Just getting their pik-shers taken with the media. I don't have anything to criticize the CDC with, it's the politicians like Biden who are whipping everyone into a frenzy.

WFHMarket.com said...

don't know what you're talking about here but everybody knows that George Bush caused the swine.