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Republican's Blame Ebola on Obama Ploy Backfires
Posted: 10/18/2014 10:45 am EDT Updated: 3 hours ago
Earl Ofari Hutchinson
The instant the Ebola crisis hit American shores, the inevitable happened. The GOP blamed President Obama for it. First, it was the lame brained borderline racist charge that Obama either deliberately or through sheer incompetence did nothing to seal the borders to keep the virus at bay. The only slightly more intelligible attack was that Obama did nothing to command the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to take panic measures to insure no incidence of the disease would turn up in the country. Then the GOP campaign strategists stepped in and had some of its top candidates suddenly parroting the kooky line that Obama was to blame for a supposedly porous and negligent CDC and border security lapse. Obama's appointment of an "Ebola Czar" provided even more grist for the GOP hit mill on Obama. It was variously blown off as too little, too late or ridiculed as a desperate appointment of a supposedly medically unqualified political crony.
This is political gamesmanship of the lowest order, playing on media and public fears over a legitimate and terrifying health crisis, to again belittle Obama. And with the stakes sky high in the 2014 midterm elections, the dirty political pool by the GOP was totally predictable.
But the twist in the Ebola saga is that the dirty hit job has backfired. The attack opened the GOP wide open to media and public scrutiny of the galling fact that the GOP has systematically whittled away vital funding for dozens of health programs since 2010. The CDC, much the whipping agency for the supposed Obama health dereliction, was stripped of nearly $600 million; millions that could have gone to ramp up monitoring, screening, and education programs, as well as research on vaccines to deal with infectious and communicable diseases. The names of the more than two dozen Republicans who poleaxed the CDC budget have been published. And to no surprise the bulk of them are either directly affiliated with or have been in part bankrolled by tea party factions. In September, there were initial reports that House Republicans would cut almost half of the nearly $100 million that the White House wanted earmarked to fight Ebola. It didn't happen not because of any sudden epiphany by the GOP House members to provide all the funding that the White House asked for the program, but because word had quickly leaked out about the defunding possibility, and that would have been a PR nightmare that even the most rabid anti-Obama House Republicans knew was fraught with deep peril.
GOP leaders have hit back hard on the charge that they are somehow to blame for any laxity in the fight against Ebola by claiming that Obama and the Democrats have also made cuts in the NIH budget and that those cuts are the reason for any shortfall in the CDC's funding for programs. That's true as far as it goes. But what the GOP conveniently omits is that the cuts to the NIH budget and indeed all other health and education and domestic spending program cuts were agreed to by Obama with the GOP jamming a virtual political gun to his head demanding he sign off on cuts as the draconian price for ending gridlock over the deficit war.
Now in the backdrop of a potential catastrophic health nightmare, the cuts have suddenly become as big a political campaign tug of war as the blame game about Ebola. But it's one that the GOP can't win. Because it, not Obama and the Democrats, have been firmly identified in the public eye as the ones that have consistently sledge hammered the Obama administration and Congress to cut, cut, and cut some more spending. No matter how much the right wing gnashes its teeth, shouts and moans and attempts to turn the table and finger-point Obama for the funding fall off in the Ebola fight, it won't change that naked reality. The hit ads that Democrats took out lambasting the GOP for the funding cuts are believable not because of any numbers accuracy or inaccuracy but in part because of public belief that when it comes to pound saving, the GOP will go to any length to save a dollar at the expense of vital programs.
more...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/earl-ofari-hutchinson/republicans-blame-ebola-o_b_6006766.html
Solly Mack
(90,762 posts)Hekate
(90,655 posts)KnR
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)2014.
Both exposed Republican hypocrisy over government funding and revealed the enormous need and power of effective big government.
There is a God and He apparently has the President's back more than a lot of liberals do.
I said this in an OP earlier today and got both pillared and ignored for such crazy talk...good to see I am not alone in this analysis.
Americans are not quite so stupid as to forget who falsely made them fearful for no reason other than to try and get their vote.
"As it is clear enough that Republicans and their media propaganda wing, or is it Fox News and their political wing, have concluded that Ebola is a gift from God, political Mana from heaven, leading them to the holy land of Congressional control and Obama impeachment, what happens when the science catches up with the fear?"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025683861
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)explain anyway.
There are some 10,000 outstanding travel visas, issued by the US state department, to nationals of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. Probably, mostly Liberia. What some people seem to be unaware of, is you can't just get on any plane anywhere in the world and get off anywhere else in the world, any different country. We have things called passports, and we have things called visas.
Mr. Duncan entered the United States on something called a visa, which was issued by the US State Department.
"Travel Restrictions", to my mind, include temporarily suspending the outstanding visas and issuance of further visas for travel, to citizens of those 3 countries, until the ebola situation is brought under control. Which is a measure many other countries have already implemented.
Do you understand, now?
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)not being cautious, it is panic over 3 cases all from one source not even contracted in America....an over reaction to justify the hysteria.
I am with President Obama and you are not , I trust him and you do not and that is the end of this discussion.
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)Trust me, a few more cases like Mr. Duncan and Obama will be all over visa restrictions. It'd be better to do it sooner, and escape the inevitable fallout.
If you think you are in any position to lecture me about support of our party and president, you are wildly off base, sir.
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)And I did not need a star to support him.
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)I think the argument that visa restrictions "will only cause people to lie about where they've been" doesn't make any sense, and it's merely the latest in a series of attempts to justify a lack of action on a move which seems patently obvious, and many other countries have already adopted.
I think any objective observer- without laying blame- will note that after several months of "we're totally, completely, 100% ready for ebola if it comes here", when it finally did come here, we weren't exactly 100% ready. It's been something of a clusterfuck, and if you don't think there is fallout hitting assorted candidates of our party on the campaign trail, you aren't paying attention.
If you're genuinely interested in the success of our President, you might do well to stop reflexively defending bad AND massively unpopular decisions.
alarimer
(16,245 posts)People are not listening; we see it here from otherwise smart people. It is unreasoning fear and there is nothing anyone can do. Except give in, I suppose, which would be dangerous.
lindysalsagal
(20,678 posts)had one spent any time here at all.
Way back at the beginning of Du it was far less about accusations and winning and it was much more an open, frank discussion.
Now, some moronic anonymous jury will probably throw me off of here for saying that.
uppityperson
(115,677 posts)Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)on-the-ground political reality, in terms of how this is playing out everywhere except maybe the hard drives of Huffpo op-ed contributors.
I'm reminded of something about Rivers in Egypt.
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)What fear can do to some folk.....
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)Since you're so invested in the support of this site, maybe next time you want to donate, get that little star next to your name!
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)your response is.
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)icymist
(15,888 posts)seveneyes
(4,631 posts)We are one more case of someone bringing another dose here from party destruction.
babylonsister
(171,057 posts)Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)ebola epidemic worse".
It spends an awful lot of time talking about how "proposals to completely cut off West Africa are nuts" - again, ignoring that that's not what people who suggest, for instance, limiting the entry of visa-holders to the US are proposing.
Let's break down this wonderfully informative VOX piece, shall we?
Paragraph 3: Conspiracy Theories! Which are, of course, bad.
Paragraphs 4-8: Airport Screening is a joke! So presumably in addition to being totally against any restrictions on recreational travel by citizens of the 3 main affected countries to the US, VOX apparently thinks we shouldn't even bother trying to screen anyone.
Paragraphs 9-10: You can't seal off Africa! (Which is not what is being proposed, but never mind) ... Also, sealing borders is a TERRIBLE idea. Oh, except for maybe all the countries in Africa which have already sealed their own borders, and seem to have been pretty effective at containing Ebola. And, perhaps, ignoring the quarantine zones already in effect INSIDE of Sierra Leone and Liberia, which also have been effective in containing the spread of the virus. Remember, sealing borders is a TERRIBLE IDEA!
Paragraphs 11-13: It's a "Crazy idea" because of the Flu, and SARS, never mind that the first is well-nigh impossible to contain under ANY circumstances, and the second WAS contained by sensible awareness and public health measures. And both are airborne viruses, unlike ebola.
Paragraph 14: Tom Frieden says it's a bad idea, Tom Freiden has totally been right about everything so far! And people will lie, people who went to the trouble of obtaining a state dept. travel visa from, say, Liberia, who will fly into the US and get in with a visa some other way... or something.
Paragraph 15: "Completely seal off, not let planes in or out"- yes, a bad idea, if that was what was being proposed.
Paragraph 16: Insurmountable logistical problems, apparently, in suspending outstanding visas and not issuing any more until this is over.
Paragraph 17: "Closing borders in nuts" and will "devastate economies"... okay, well, a lot of borders are ALREADY closed. No one has put forth a rational explanation of how not allowing some 10K visa holders from these 3 countries to vacation in the US for the next several months, will "devastate" those countries economies.
Paragraph 18-20: Nothing, again, about travel bans.
Paragraph 21: The old "this will divert attention and resources".. No, it won't. We already check peoples' passports and visas, don't we? If we got rid of the "ineffective" screening and simply DIDNT LET THOSE PEOPLE IN, wouldn't that require LESS resources, not more?
Paragraph 22: The false dichotomy that stipulates restricting travel from there to here is somehow mutually exclusive with helping fight it over there.
There is NOWHERE in that article where they actually explain what they claim to, namely "why travel bans will only make the ebola epidemic worse". It's rambling incoherence in pursuit of an ideological agenda, and one which hasn't even been well thought-out. Not the basis on which we should be endangering the lives of our front line health care providers.
Tarheel_Dem
(31,233 posts)seveneyes
(4,631 posts)Tarheel_Dem
(31,233 posts)davidn3600
(6,342 posts)Polls show over 2/3rds of Americans say there needs to be travel restrictions. Even some Democrats (especially ones in close elections) have jumped ship and joined the GOP in that call.
babylonsister
(171,057 posts)Americans are acting out of fear imo, pushed by all sorts of media.
http://www.vox.com/2014/10/13/6964633/travel-ban-airport-screening-ebola-outbreak-virus
Why travel bans will only make the Ebola epidemic worse
davidn3600
(6,342 posts)Travel restrictions would not interfere with aid workers, volunteers, charities, and anyone else going in there to help. The ban would only apply to people who hold passports from these 3 countries.
I don't trust the government with this virus. They already lied and said that the US health system is more than capable to handle this and that we've been preparing for it. Now we get one Mr. Duncan who ends up infecting at least 2 nurses. And we find out most hospitals are not prepared and do not have the protocols in place. It appears the CDC is making these protocols up as they go along.
If a single Mr. Duncan can cause these kind of problems, image what would happen if a dozen come here and start showing symptoms.
babylonsister
(171,057 posts)that's being peddled. But we all have our opinions.
alarimer
(16,245 posts)The CDC is NOT an enforcement agency. All they can do is recommend and provide guidelines. Whether this is followed or not is another thing.
I am so tired of the fear-mongering BULLSHIT like this I am hearing here and everywhere.
That article is right. You and most people are panicking for no good reason.
Travel restrictions most certainly would interfere. They would also kill what's left of the economy in those places, strand people who might be there from other places. AND, it wouldn't stop illegal border crossings and the like.
Stupid fucking idea.
FSogol
(45,481 posts)malaise
(268,949 posts)So Texas - are you still allowing Abbott and Perry to refuse Obamacare funding while they're terrifying you about Ebola?
Come on Wendy let's fugg up the Supremes as well
Jamastiene
(38,187 posts)Then again, I would imagine they are blaming it on anyone and everyone to see what sticks. It couldn't be their refusal to allow for a national public health care system that would function much better than a for profit health care system designed to treat only those with enough money. No, that couldn't be it. Not at all. It is either the fault of overweight lesbians or Obama or anything but their own willful stupidity.
Kalidurga
(14,177 posts)out of wedlock births to go up. That is what Gomer says anyway.
Jamastiene
(38,187 posts)Kalidurga
(14,177 posts)Jamastiene
(38,187 posts)The Republicans have no shortage of large mouthed idiots.
BobbyBoring
(1,965 posts)You have to wonder how these idiots haven't wandered in to the path of a bus.
Moran's!
RussBLib
(9,006 posts)Mindless irrational cuts
gademocrat7
(10,656 posts)davidpdx
(22,000 posts)because that's exactly what they deserve!
JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)It isn't just Obama's fault. As soon as the ebola epidemic became fairly widespread in Western Africa, the UN and the whole world should have become alarmed and closed borders and sent in experts in large numbers and the necessary equipment to help stop the spread of the disease.
The entire world delayed too long to save the lives that could have been saved.
Quarantine plus equipment plus efforts to save as many people as possible. That should have been an international effort.
alarimer
(16,245 posts)They should be talking about it at every campaign stop.
world wide wally
(21,740 posts)excited about this.
Do you think those days will ever return again, or are we becoming totally Orwellian?
ZombieHorde
(29,047 posts)lindysalsagal
(20,678 posts)So funny, how they expect so much from a government they believe they don't need.
nxylas
(6,440 posts)All I'm hearing on social media is "why isn't Obama stopping all flights from infected countries?" And this is not just from the hardcore wingnuts, but also from mostly older, less well-informed relatives who are more likely to watch the nightly news on their local Fox affiliate than actual Fox "News" (though of course the loudest voices come from those who would like nothing more than for all flights from abroad to be banned from entering the US permanently).