Obama's Declaration Of Swine Flu Emergency Prompts Pro-Swine-Flu Republican Response

[kpete]

Obama's Declaration Of Swine Flu Emergency Prompts Pro-Swine-Flu Republican Response

October 28, 2009 | Issue 45•44

WASHINGTON—Claiming that the president was preying on the public's fear of contracting a fatal disease last week when he declared the H1N1 virus a national emergency, Republican leaders announced Wednesday that they were officially endorsing the swine flu. "Thousands of Americans—hardworking ordinary Americans like you and me—already have H1N1," Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele said during a press conference. "Now Obama wants to take that away from us. Ask yourself: Do you want the federal government making these kinds of health care decisions for you and your family?" Other prominent Republicans opposing Obama's declaration of emergency include Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, who urged residents of his state to continue not washing their hands, and radio host Rush Limbaugh, who made a point of dying of the virus during his show on Wednesday.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/obamas_declaration_of_swine?utm_source=onion_rss_daily

[SpartanDem]

1. Rush Limbaugh, who made a point of dying of the virus

If only this were true

[gordianot]

3. I listened to Limbaugh's rant today on the radio.

He claimed that as many people die of the flu as die of hemorrhoids. Entirely appropriate that he is concerned with conditions that pertain to the ass. Anything that threatens his ass or other asses should be a concern for Limbaugh.

[tavalon]

2. They pegged the Party of No very well.

[BolivarianHero]

4. It's kind of funny...

Here in Canada, the political class and the mainstream media are almost overwhelmingly hostile to the conspiracy theories regardless of their ideological differences, which is unsurprising given that anti-science views are scorned by virtually any Canadian with a decent education. I read a decent pro-vaccine editorial from a Conservative columnist who used to be a Tory MP. The Ottawa Sun (lots of Sudoku and good sports coverage...hard to resist sometimes), the paper in which the column appeared, still published some moron's letter that blamed the virus' preference for the young on the fact that they are "over-vaccinated".

His hypothesis is easily disproved by the fact that genetic makeup of the current virus is similar to the 1919 pandemic virus and by the fact that it is not logically possible for one influenza virus to sicken the young so virulently while thousands of other strains tend to only bring serious illness and death to people who already have crippled immune systems because of age or some other mitigating factor unless there is a meaningful difference between the that virus that occurs independent of anything to do with vaccination.

Sadly, I have heard some quackery among people whom I would have assumed to be above it.

[FLyellowdog]

5. Personal sadness...

my daugher-in-law's cousin with Down Syndrome (34 years old) died last Thursday night from H1N1 and resulting pneumonia. She'd been in poor health most of her life and just couldn't survive this last battle. Seems kinda like this virus was an emergency to her family regardless of what Steele or Limbaugh or whoever says.

I wish there were something that someone,anyone, including our government, could have done to save her. Some people are just too good to stay here for very long.

She's resting in peace now.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Hugs and may she rest in peace

[BluDemocratGirl]

8. I'm so sorry to hear that.

Hugs.

[BluDemocratGirl]

7. And I thought that the RePUKES are all about Pro-Life!

What a bunch of stupid-ass M.F.s! Michael Steele, please STFU.