I know Pegasus isn't a Political board. It's been nice, too. The lack of partisan idiocy as its come to define our nation in terms of a sporting match or something is refreshing.
There is another issue though, and there is a very serious, clear and immediate problem that bears directly on the Ebola outbreak.
It is 100% and totally political in nature and it's entirely of the politicians making, by simply being stubborn politicians. WHICH party we look at, really makes no difference. Either party holds a house of Congress and by enough to call it control. That splits the grief, credit and blame of what happens in this nation right now. That may as well be called a 50/50 split too, for all I'm concerned. Boehner has ways of making Reid's life unbearable and the reverse is equally true. Neither does. Neither will....and the band plays on.
President Obama has the power which trumps them both in this instance, and he can solve the problem which vexes us right now. No.....He can't solve Ebola. However, he CAN solve the RESPONSE to it. It is ALL a President can or SHOULD be trying to do. Pick the very best, and use some of that 'pen-power' to give that professional the authority to go to work.
This nation last had a U.S. Surgeon General in 2013. ( Regina M. Benjamin (2009-2013) (http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/about/previous/biobenjamin.html) ). generally speaking, previous Surgeon Generals (http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/about/previous/) have been both qualified professionals and well accomplished before taking the post.
We don't need a "czar" (didn't we get enough of the czar garbage with the last President? Nyet?). Our Government has evolved since 1871 to have a position tailor made and specifically intended for this sort of occurrence. Congress made it a political issue over gun control. So, we have an expeditor or whatever the 'czar' is termed as.
What we need is the best Medical professional and administrator our nation has to offer. What the President has the power to do is
hold Congress,
against their will if necessary and until they give that nominee a vote. He cannot force them to appoint his choice, but he can force them to vote or give up anything but the Capital building for the duration.
Then, he can do it again, if the next one isn't accepted, and the next. The President has the power to do this through the end of this Session of Congress. That would be in January ( ;D ), by the way. No more campaigning. No holiday recess. Nothing but their chambers and work areas until the nation's business is done.
The President *CAN* do this, and in my view within context of the current medically based crisis? He needs to.
His authority comes from Article II, Section 3, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution which reads, in part:
Quotehe may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper;
Source: Cornell Law School (http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/articleii)
The Presidency last used this power in 1948 when Truman held both Houses in session (https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Turnip_Day_Session.htm) over politics related to the passage of Civil Rights, among other issues. There is extensive precedent for its use before that though. (History of Congressional Special Sessions (http://content.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,2009480,00.html)).
Now Obama isn't necessarily wrong for not using this power, however, it is accurate to say he
could. When its the standard reply these days for a politician to say they are 'doing all they can'? This one has a very unique stick he can draw and whack a reluctant Congress with. It's one heck of a fighting move for a President to make ... but can we say this one has that much capital left to lose? This would be the right thing to do.
I wish he'd do it. Only then could he honestly say he had done all a sitting President could do, to battle a virus.
Anyone else up for the show that would make in getting us our Surgeon General?
** As a footnote to this story, The Blaze (http://www.theblaze.com/blog/2014/10/15/msm-says-the-u-s-has-no-surgeon-general-amid-ebola-crisis-you-may-not-be-getting-the-whole-truth/) and others note that we do have a Surgeon General, which, in technical terms is true. The bureaucracy led by that position is alive, well and with someone to keep it running. It is also someone publicly stated as lacking the confidence of the President to serve in the post beyond the temporary status. We need the real deal with full time respect, authority and confidence to do the job the post so badly needs done right now. (That is, whatever medical sense dictates).
Ding Dong is under pressure to quickly deal with this outbreak. I think that's why he made this knee-jerk appointment. You're right. We need to appoint a Surgeon General immediately.
Congress should be recalled as well. This is far more important than campaigning for re-election.
At this point they are making MORE preparations for the aftermath then the outbreak itself. This speaks volumes as to why protocol is being violated across the board. When an AIDS victim violates their protocols and transmits the disease to another person through sexual acts they can be held accountable and charged. What is it called when a government violates stringent protocols and allows an entire country to be infected? Criminal negligence? As for your EBOLA CZAR...yeah, lets pick another corporate fat cat rather than someone that actually knows anything...
Instead of Appointing a Medical Expert, Obama Appoints a LOBBYIST as Ebola Czar
QuoteObama has appointed Ron Klain as the Ebola Czar.
Klain has no medical or healthcare background whatsoever.
Instead, he's a high-powered lobbyist. He helped the corrupt Fannie Mae to overcome "regulatory issues" in 2004. Wikipedia notes:
Klain [helped in] convincing Congress and Fannie Mae's regulators that Fannie Mae wasn't doing anything dangerous, and wasn't exposing taxpayers to risk. In other words, Ron Klain got paid to help fuel the housing bubble up until a couple of years before it popped.
Klain also:
Represented a company facing asbestos-exposure lawsuits, the embattled drugmaker ImClone and two companies trying to win support for large mergers.
What's he going to do ... lobby to convince Congress that Ebola is not that big a risk?
Klain is also a major Democratic operative, serving as Chief of Staff for Vice Presidents Al Gore and Joe Biden. As such, it is not unlikely that he will be motivated to cover up for any missteps by Obama and CDC chair Tom Frieden.
Matt Stoller – a Democrat who knows as much about D.C. politics as anyone – notes:
Ron Klain is a fixer who is well-connected and knows his way around the exec branch.His skill is fixing PR problems, not logistics.
He's not a doctor ... just a spin doctor.
http://www.prisonplanet.com/instead-of-appointing-a-medical-expert-obama-appoints-a-lobbyist-as-ebola-czar.html (http://www.prisonplanet.com/instead-of-appointing-a-medical-expert-obama-appoints-a-lobbyist-as-ebola-czar.html)
Who feels safer now? :P You just can't fix stupid...only vote for it apparently.
Why worry? If Nigeria can get this under control then it should be no problem for Western Europe or North American countries.
Quote from: Pimander on October 18, 2014, 05:04:32 PM
Why worry? If Nigeria can get this under control then it should be no problem for Western Europe or North American countries.
Very true, and that should be all there is to it. Of course, Nigeria got to doing and not apologizing. They appear to have handled things correctly, and not played 'on the job training' as they went. There is that to consider.
All in all though? I was reading a NYT piece last night saying they had 8 people who had been within 3 feet of the 2nd nurse on the plane. 8 people within possible air gap transmission range.
I'll bet what happens with those 8 people (whose quarantine expires around election day, as a coincidence) will say more about the danger or lack of it for this strain than 1,000 press conferences. DO those 8 get sick? If so..what %? Therein should lay our true estimate for virulence. Just my thoughts...and something I doubt the 'czar' thinks to mention.