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Rep. Joe Wilson Blames Obama For Vaccine Shortage -- After Voting Against Vaccine Funding
Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 2, 2009, 11:24AM
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC)
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Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) says President Obama has endangered American lives by not doing more to alleviate the nation's short supply of H1N1 vaccine. In a new interview with the conservative-leaning CNSNews.com, Wilson says Obama's administration is "solely responsible" for the vaccine shortage, which he said are related to promises America made to donate vaccine to some foreign allies.
From the interview:
"The current administration is solely responsible. They can't blame this on any prior administration," said Wilson. "This is the responsibility of the current administration. They've put the lives of Americans at risk."
Last week, some Democrats predicted that H1N1 could become a line of new line attack of attack on Obama from Republicans. In a release issued on Thursday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee claimed that any criticism of H1N1 policy by the GOP would amount to hypocrisy.
The DCCC pointed to a June vote on a supplementary appropriations bill as evidence. Wilson joined 95% of Republicans and voted against the bill, which contained special funding to combat H1N1 both domestically and internationally. But the bill also contained other much more money for other plans and programs Republicans at the time viewed as wasteful, including the Cash-For-Clunkers car purchase incentive program.
Still, the DCCC says that a vote against the bill essentially equaled a vote against combating H1N1 and means Republicans who voted against it like Wilson favored a public health program that would have resulted in even less vaccine than is available now.
"The families, schools, and businesses fighting against the H1N1 flu pandemic deserve better than House Republicans' reckless, knee jerk partisanship and just-say-no approach to helping prepare for this national emergency," DCCC spokesperson Ryan Rudominer said in a statement released Oct. 27.
Wilson has been personally touched by the H1N1 virus. Last week, he sent an email to his district announcing his wife, Roxanne, had been diagnosed with the swine flu and urging his constituents to get vaccinated.
Wilson says he plans to get vaccinated himself, but "only after the majority of Americans" have received the inoculation, he told CNN last week.
Video of Wilson's comments from CNSNews.com:
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mike from Arlington
November 2, 2009 11:27 AM
You Lie!
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FebM
November 2, 2009 5:45 PM in reply to mike from Arlington
Does this liar realize the first case of H1N1 was in April, in Mexico, and everything must go through due diligence when all he has done is vote against funding?
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smartone
November 2, 2009 11:32 AM
maybe a lie but smart politics
Obama admin tripped on this one - they managed expectations poorly - Politics 101: - rule 1 always under promised and over delivered
Pharma promised 40 million doses of vaccine then Obama admin should have said 30 million will be delivered ..
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Michael A
November 2, 2009 11:33 AM
Hmmm, seems to me I remember a major flu vaccine problem during the king's years. I recall that the vaccines were produced overseas in terrible conditions and were dangerous to use. They had to destroy the vaccines and start over. Huge problem and it revealed the fact that everything is being produced overseas.
Where was joe blowhard then? Oh, that's right he was a royalist. STFU.
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mcc
November 2, 2009 11:43 AM
Wait, I'm confused. Did the Obama administration put us at risk because the vaccines are unsafe and poisonous, or did the Obama administration put us at risk because there's not enough vaccine? Surely it can only be one!
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
November 2, 2009 11:45 AM in reply to mcc
You're just being obtuse. It's perfectly simple. He put the people who've gotten it at risk by making it dangerous and he put everyone else at risk by not making enough of it.
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hunter
November 2, 2009 2:53 PM in reply to mcc
Republican 1: "The food here is terrible!"
Republican 2: "And such small portions, too!"
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
November 2, 2009 11:43 AM
Damn Obama for causing those viruses to grow much more slowly than expected in hen eggs! Clearly ACORN is implicated in this outrage! (Or the AARP. They're all in it together!) If they'd only slashed wasteful spending on H1N1 preparedness as the Repulicans wanted we wouldn't be in this situation because there'd be no vaccine at all.
Besides, this whole "viruses cause disease" thing is only a theory.
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dswx
November 2, 2009 12:03 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
Actually, Wilson hypocrisy is extraordinary here. A rapid right wing extremist complaining about a vaccine, which is based on science. In other words, he is willing to trust science on this but not say on climate change. Classic.
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Xantar
November 2, 2009 12:10 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
The existence of viruses is itself only a theory. After all, everybody says viruses evolve. Evolution is a liberal theory being forced down the throats of our children. Therefore, H1N1 is a hoax.
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JohnW1141
November 2, 2009 12:43 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
The COmmenter,
hahahaha, that post is pure gold, but that's only a theory. :-)
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slb
November 2, 2009 7:17 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
Damn Obama for causing those viruses to grow much more slowly than expected in hen eggs!
Thank you! That's exactly what I was remembering was the chief reason there is less vaccine than anticipated. And the need to use chicken eggs to grow viruses as the choke point in virus manufacture was a problem during the Bush years, too.
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mJJ
November 3, 2009 3:25 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
Yes, go to any Republican Precinct meeting and you will see how out of touch Republicans have become. I find it amazing that Republicans have the nerve to say a word since they repeatedly accused Obama of politicizing the need for vaccine in the first place. As a Republican I am finding the party to be like Topsy Turvy. You know up is down and down is up. Then again, they are not even consistent in those statements. Sad to say, my party has become the party of "No" and they seem to care less for the safety of Americans.
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geofu54
November 2, 2009 11:46 AM
Sounds like he cannot forget how sweet it was to be in the national spotlight.
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CT Voter
November 2, 2009 12:20 PM
I wish the national media would start pointing out that those who are bellowing about a government take-over of healthcare are now bellowing about a government healthcare program to distribute vaccines.
Which is it, people? Government involved in healthcare bad bad bad, or, give me my government distributed vaccine, damn it!!!
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geofu54
November 2, 2009 1:25 PM in reply to CT Voter
That should be a pretty straightforward question if people have a modicum of ability to engage in rational thinking. And if some people think about it and decide that they want to take the former position, so be it. I don't agree, but that is just a difference in opinions.
The thing is that there are apparently quite a few out there who don't understand the question itself in the first place. Government is bad for whatever it does, and government is bad for whatever it doesn't. End of thinking.
And that scares the cr@p out of me.
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CT Voter
November 2, 2009 4:06 PM in reply to geofu54
People don't really understand. And politicians are cynically exploiting that. So you get people screaming "Keep the government off my medicare!". Or worse, those screaming that they get to keep THEIR medicare, and the rest of the country be damned. It's
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slb
November 2, 2009 7:19 PM in reply to CT Voter
CT? CT?? Please tell me they didn't taser you, bro!
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madmatt
November 2, 2009 12:36 PM
Hope your wife dies joe...maybe then you will have some sympathy for others.
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lousgirl84
November 2, 2009 4:04 PM in reply to madmatt
Don't count on that one!!!
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jenzinoh
November 2, 2009 4:56 PM in reply to madmatt
I'm certainly the anti-thesis of a Joe Wilson fan or apologist, but that was rude.
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slb
November 2, 2009 7:21 PM in reply to madmatt
Good God! What a horrible thing to say! The teabaggers might say something like that, but that doesn't mean we should stoop to the same level!
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obamaman
November 2, 2009 12:39 PM
The combination of lines from the front page make this as good as an Onion story. Wilson blames Obama for a vaccine shortage, followed immediately by a statement that Wilson voted against funding for the vaccine.
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fsudirectory
November 2, 2009 12:41 PM
I think Obama needs to get his hands dirty and start to work the supply chains at the various factories where the vaccine is being produced, and while hes at it, sign some executive orders to 'clear the red tape' so any factory can produce the vaccine, since who cares if a few people get hit with a bad batch?
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Tanjaoui
November 2, 2009 12:42 PM
Holy Swine Fever, Batman! He's right! The government should be on this! Time to enact HR 676, Medicare for All!
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loria
November 2, 2009 12:49 PM
Didn't the GOP hold up the confirmation of Sebelius and the Surgeon General even monts after we knew about H1N1?
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Walter Mitty
November 2, 2009 1:05 PM
Strip pandemic flu outbreak money from the stimulus, hold up confirmations of Sebelius and the Surgeon General and then blame the Obama White House? And the Surgeon General was only confirmed last week, probably because they realized how it would look politically.
Dems need to come out swinging on this.
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Schmed- ley
November 2, 2009 1:53 PM in reply to Walter Mitty
Aside from Grayson (who we know you can do without), what Dems have ever "come out swinging" on anything since Obama was inaugurated?
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MyMy
November 2, 2009 1:23 PM
Two words to Joe Wilson: "YOU LIE!"
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Reefdancer
November 2, 2009 1:56 PM
I thought the wingnuts said the vaccine was poison, now they're complaining they don't have it?
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slb
November 2, 2009 7:27 PM in reply to Reefdancer
Cognitive dissonance. It runs rampant through the GOP.
(And I'm remembering that "cognitive dissonance" was one of Molly Ivins's favorite terms. I'd say, "May she rest in peace," but somehow I doubt Molly would want to be resting peacefully as long as there were soulless politicians to afflict!)
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OceanDog
November 2, 2009 2:38 PM
I'm guessing Joe's wife is getting top-notch treatment thanks to the sweet U.S. Congress health care coverage she gets because of hubby.
Maybe Joe will now be more susceptible to the Swine Flu because he's such a pig himself.
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Ric H.
November 2, 2009 3:21 PM
What was the reporter talking about when he said that funds were being diverted to pay for other countries' health care?
It is interesting that the reporter didn't ask Joe the Mouth about his lack of support for vaccine production and his hypocrisy. Left to those forward-thinking Republicans, we would not have any vaccine at all if their votes are any indication.
Also, the reporter didn't touch on the manufacturing difficulties which (as I understand it) are the main reason for the shortage.
One wonders what (not if) the Republicans would complain about if there were too much vaccine.
I always think of Republicans as a group of old white men who wear both suspenders and a belt and would complain if they were hung with a new rope.
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Kuyleh
November 2, 2009 6:08 PM in reply to Ric H.
Money "wasted" on the extra vaccine, or what Obama decided to do with it, if he sent it to other affected countries or something.
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ubeeno
November 2, 2009 4:22 PM
Rolling on the floor! Typical politics, always pointing the fingers!
RT
www.complete-privacy.at.tc
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Kuyleh
November 2, 2009 5:55 PM
His wife has it. He's likely to get it before his grandstanding can even come true. What an ass.
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Chris
November 2, 2009 6:10 PM
Proofread!
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AJM
November 2, 2009 6:59 PM
All of his constituents need to be careful not to shake his hand. He's in a prime position to spread the disease -- exposed and not taking precautions. If he touches anything his wife has coughed on, he can not only get the disease but he pick up and spread the virus.
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sweet spot
November 2, 2009 8:46 PM
This is actually very common Republican behavior. They don't exhibit sympathy for other humans, therefor they don't support government programs until one of their own is affected.
For example: Republicans are against stem cell research, until Reagan gets alzheimers. Suddenly Nancy Reagan is a big supporter.
And another: Republicans are against gun control, until Jim Brady gets shot. Suddenly there's a Brady Bill to limit certain kinds of gun ownership.
And now there's Wilson: against government vaccine programs until his wife gets sick. Suddenly the government isn't doing enough.
It's becoming clear that the difference between a Republican and a Democrat is, at the bottom, simply empathy.
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johnjay60
November 2, 2009 10:46 PM in reply to sweet spot
Excellent point and one I have often used. You also forgot Dick Cheney's sudden support for a Libertarian position on Gay Marriage, but only when his daughter is involved.
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MrPinko
November 2, 2009 11:07 PM
You know why that's especially hilarious? Read this article from May 2009--2 Republican Congressmen from GA who didn't want the government to spend so much on the swine flu vaccine: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22205.html
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MrPinko
November 2, 2009 11:20 PM in reply to MrPinko
To clarify a bit--most Republicans will be able to point to the fact that the bill contained other measures and use that as a reason for voting against it. As the article says, "the bill also contained other much more money for other plans and programs Republicans at the time viewed as wasteful, including the Cash-For-Clunkers car purchase incentive program." But those two made the case specifically against funding the H1N1 vaccine.
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jjdjjd
November 3, 2009 2:53 AM
under promise, over deliver. obama does the opposite. that could get you in trouble.
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agatlin24
November 3, 2009 12:12 PM
I'm a rebublican and I'm embarassed by Wilson. He needs to just be quiet for awhile and learn to say things that make sense and have better arguments that 'you lie'. What is politics coming to?
http://www.drury.edu/
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goodyear
November 3, 2009 10:22 PM
Funding pandemic preparedness:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-04-27-flumoney_N.htm
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