The Wingnut Freakout Over the Swine Flu

Filed in National by on April 28, 2009

Notwithstanding that this flu business will end up being a smaller deal than the tone of the news would tell you, the wingnuts are in Full Freakout Mode over his thing:

  1. Glenn Beck thinks that Obama is reacting to the swine flu outbreak too fast — fast enough to fully staff the DHS while we’re not looking!
  2. Fred Thompson (when did he get a radio show?) thinks that the Obama Administration is reacting so fast, that it has to be political.  Thompson should be ashamed of himself.  People of his age are at greater risk for the flu.
  3. And the Drug Addict himself thinks that the government is using this crisis to get us conditioned to taking orders.  So — can we get an Executive Order that makes sure that Rush does NOT get the evacuation notices during this year’s hurricane season?

A good rundown on the obstructionism over pandemic flu preparation is from John Nichols who makes this point:

Rove specifically complained that Obey’s proposal included “$462 million for the Centers for Disease Control, and $900 million for pandemic flu preparations.”

This was wrong, the political operative charged, because the health care sector added jobs in 2008.

As bizarre as that criticism may sound — especially now — Rove’s argument was picked up by House and Senate Republicans, who made it an essential message in their attacks on the legislation. Even as Rove and his compatriots argued that a stimulus bill should include initiatives designed to shore-up and maintain any recovery, they consistently, and loudly, objected to spending money to address the potentially devastating economic impact of a major public health emergency.

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"You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas." -Shirley Chisholm

Comments (9)

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  1. Unstable Isotope says:

    Well, Republicans are certainly used to the government not responding to emergencies. Republican ideology depends on running against the ineffectiveness of government. If the government does something effectively, it hurts their election chances.

  2. Delaware Dem says:

    Unbelievable. And if Obama did not react at all they would criticize.

  3. pandora says:

    Science schmience.

  4. anonone says:

    They freaked out because they thought it would only infect them.

  5. cassandra_m says:

    Not wingnut, but certainly stupid as all get out. The flu is already is multiple countries so closing the borders counts as closing the barn door after all of the animals have run off.

    The wingnut pattern from the examples above focus on various extensions of the government coming to get you conspiracy theories. Which count as stupid as all get out too.

  6. miscreant says:

    I got your conspiracy theory, right here (post #10):

    http://www.delawaretalkradio.com/downwithabsolutes/?p=1992#comments

  7. pandora says:

    LOL and OMG!

  8. RSmitty says:

    I can’t access DWA from work (get off of the DTR URL, Matthews!!! DAMN IT!), so I am guessing miscreant’s link is to Liz’s assassination-conspiracy-theory.

    Look. They found the person attempting to assissinate Obama with the Swine Flu!

    The would-be-assassin