Swine Flu Running Rampant And Obama Does What? Golfing

[red states rule]

So during a national declared emergency declared by Napalitano - Obama is out golfing and they say he's getting hourly updates.

I guess it not a big enough crisis to cancel the game.





Most of us can’t afford to play golf after losing all of our money and paying for the government bailouts in higher taxes.

Nice that our money goes to buy 9,000 gals. of jet fuel so Obama can stand in front of a GE Windmill on Earth Day, and then fly’s home to play golf.

What a life!

[red states rule]

America will be saved from bad Mexican bugs!

Look! Up in the sky

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Super Prez!

Is there anything this wonderful man can't do?

Even Obama can't stop a Mexican flu pandemic. He may grant the flu bug amnesty however

[avatar4321]

I wasnt concerned when Bush didnt drop everything for every media crisis and im not worried if Obama goes golfing.

Right now this crisis is being hyped up by the media. There isnt much for the President to do aside from finish appointing all the people to his cabinet in the department of health and let the drs do their job.

[hjmick]

What would you have him do? Administer flu shots at a clinic in D.C.? I may not like Obama, but I'm with Avatar on this one. No big deal.

Edit: I take that back... I do not know Obama to like or dislike him. I do not like or agree with many of his policies or decisions thus far. Still know big deal.

[Kathianne]

I wasnt concerned when Bush didnt drop everything for every media crisis and im not worried if Obama goes golfing.

Right now this crisis is being hyped up by the media. There isnt much for the President to do aside from finish appointing all the people to his cabinet in the department of health and let the drs do their job.

I agree with the beginning, Obama cannot stop the flu from spreading. I don't care that he took the plane and used all that carbon for earth day either. That's nonsense, in a world that is really not all funny anymore.

However, I do believe there is a problem that has been underscored by this possible pandemic in that he's not filled any major positions in health & human services.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21719.html

As flu hits, holes in W.H. health team
By: Carrie Budoff Brown
April 26, 2009 06:37 PM EST

The Obama administration declared a “public health emergency” Sunday to confront the swine flu — but is heading into its first medical outbreak without a secretary of Health and Human Services or appointees in any of the department’s 19 key posts.

President Barack Obama has not yet chosen a surgeon general or the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His choice to run the Food and Drug Administration awaits confirmation.

In an unusual Sunday briefing at the White House, acting CDC Director Richard Besser appeared on camera with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Obama homeland security adviser John Brennan to announce the emergency declaration in response to the swine flu outbreak.

Napolitano is the former Arizona governor, and Brennan is a longtime CIA counterterrorism specialist once thought to be in line to run the agency.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs insisted the vacancies won’t hinder Obama’s response....

I also blame the lack of notice that something bad was happening in Mexico and the US did not find out for quite awhile. Lots of links:

http://pundita.blogspot.com/2009/04/...ak-and-us.html

UPDATE 4:10 PM ET
U.S. set to issue travel warning to Mexico
Mon Apr 27, 2009 3:26pm BST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government plans to issue a travel warning later on Monday urging Americans to avoid all "nonessential" trips to Mexico because of an outbreak of swine flu, a U.S. official said. [...]

"There will be a travel warning urging Americans to avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico because of the swine flu," said a U.S. official, who spoke on condition he not be named as the warning has not yet been officially announced.

It is likely to be announced by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, although the State Department will also carry details on its Web site, the official said. [...]
And breaking news 4:25 PM ET: WHO has just raised the pandemic threat level to 4, which acknowledges what they knew several days ago, which is that the virus is transmitted primarily human-to-human.

Gee, maybe I should call State "slime" more often. That's about as much humor as I can wring out of this grim situation.
*******************************
Yesterday The Washington Post published a report titled U.S. slow to learn of Mexico flu, which begins:

U.S. public health officials did not know about a growing outbreak of swine flu in Mexico until nearly a week after that country started invoking protective measures, and didn't learn that the deaths were caused by a rare strain of the influenza until after Canadian officials did.(1)
But why didn't the U.S. Department of State inform the CDC of the situation in Mexico?

Or are we to assume that both the Mexican and Canadian foreign offices refrained from informing State that a killer epidemic in Mexico was caused by a new -- new, not rare -- virus, as soon as they had such evidence?

The Post also reports, from the same article:
[I]t seems that U.S. public health officials are still largely in the dark about what's happening in Mexico two weeks after the outbreak was recognized.

Asked at a news conference yesterday whether the number of swine flu cases found daily in Mexico is increasing -- a key determinant in understanding whether an epidemic is spreading -- Anne Schuchat, an interim deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, "I do not know the answer to those questions."
The rest of the Post article explains how Canada came to be contacted before the United States. But if the CDC is still having trouble coordinating with their Mexican counterparts on this most urgent matter, the ball is in State's court.

Memo to those Members of Congress who're trying to do an end run around Bob Gates by restoring State to the power it had over the U.S. military during the Clinton presidency. You need to reorder your priorities in tbe face of a global pandemic. If Mrs Clinton is unclear about her job duties that problem should trump everything else.

But I want to return to the odd statement, "U.S. public health officials did not know about a growing outbreak of swine flu in Mexico until nearly a week after that country started invoking protective measures ..."

I understand that the Central Intelligence Agency has been very busy talking with lawyers since the CIA memos were released. But this is not the remotest region of the Hindu Kush we're talking about. Aren't there any Spanish speakers at Langley?

In other words why should the CDC have to wait to learn from Mexican officials that there was a killer flu outbreak in Mexico?

Then there's the NSA. And State's own spy agency. Oh -- and there's the DEA, which has a large presence in Mexico.

Didn't any DEA agents phone stateside in early April and say, 'Ship us more Tamiflu yesterday! There's a strange flu epidemic going on here?'

And say, doesn't the U.S. have an embassy in Mexico City -- which is the locus of one of the biggest outbreaks of the epidemic?

No embassy workers rang up State and shrieked, 'Send us more Tamiflu, were trapped in an epidemic?'

Nobody did that, huh?...

[Creek]

Your feed-back to all of this is his golf game...

I'd sacrafice a left nut right now that you'd be one of those "non hand washers" that left a restroom in Mexico City on the 13th of April.

Most likely speaking at an anti-foodstamp rally.

Then to blame it on the guy who did wash his hands...and you caught it from the faucet claiming that to be the case.The guy could look like a farmer,gay,an indivual who made less than $10.00 an hour....

It could be a pile of crap you stepped in...

I'd dread to be at a coffee shop listining to your yack..because that's all what it is.

While you continue to get your diarrhea at Taco Bell...please give the rest of us the dignity,and respect that we know better.

Your post is nothing but an opinion..and this is an opinionated post back..

You make a political satement...when people are suffering.

Way to go..

[Mr. P]

I wasnt concerned when Bush didnt drop everything for every media crisis and im not worried if Obama goes golfing.

Right now this crisis is being hyped up by the media. There isnt much for the President to do aside from finish appointing all the people to his cabinet in the department of health and let the drs do their job.

Pretty much what he said..

Hey, this swine flu has been around for over 30 yrs. I can't hammer Bambam for going golfing..hell, what's he pose to do, give shots?

[CockySOB]

It'd be nice if the media were as tough on Obama's recreation and stress-relief as they were towards GWB. Nice - but unrealistic, I know.

[82Marine89]

Anyone for a good game of football? No wait, you can't get swine flu from playing with a pigskin. Never mind, carry on.

[Mr. P]

It'd be nice if the media were as tough on Obama's recreation and stress-relief as they were towards GWB. Nice - but unrealistic, I know.

Oh boy do I agree!

[hjmick]

It'd be nice if the media were as tough on Obama's recreation and stress-relief as they were towards GWB. Nice - but unrealistic, I know.

If it's of any consequence, I'm as tough on Obama's recreation and stress-relief as I was on Bush's.

[red states rule]

Pretty much what he said..

Hey, this swine flu has been around for over 30 yrs. I can't hammer Bambam for going golfing..hell, what's he pose to do, give shots?

True

I suppose he'd rather micromanage the banks, car companies, and insurance companies instead.

[red states rule]

What would you have him do? Administer flu shots at a clinic in D.C.? I may not like Obama, but I'm with Avatar on this one. No big deal.

Edit: I take that back... I do not know Obama to like or dislike him. I do not like or agree with many of his policies or decisions thus far. Still know big deal.

Remember when we were told that the situation was so critical that the Mega Pork stimulus bill had to be passed without even letting members of Congress read it?

The country would collapse within hours if they didn't pass the bill.

What did Obama do?

Why, him and Michelle jumped aboard Air Force One to jet away to Chicago for some fancy dining and dancing. After all, it was Valentines day, you know.

Priorities, priorities.