Mr. Obama: I'm calling you out

"The new boss is the same as the old boss." If we don't embrace third-party candidates who will actually represent us, the 2010 election will be all for naught.

"We have the numbers, the votes and the will power to turn back this assault on our individual freedoms."

And yet the author of this letter includes NO references to any assaults on individual freedoms. Unless he believes he is entitled to this govt provided flu shot, which would be terribly ironic.

WOW! I heard about this on Rush Limbaugh as he read the whole article. However, reading it in "print" makes that much better. Nicely said!!!

Actually, FriendO, I respectfully submit that the Gitmo detainees ARE getting shots this month, according to this Associated Press blurb: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/arti...

Here's an excerpt:

"By DAVID McFADDEN (AP) -- Nov 1, 2009

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Terrorism suspects held at the Guantanamo Bay naval base will soon get swine flu vaccines, despite complaints that American civilians should have priority, a military spokesman said Sunday.

Army Maj. James Crabtree, a spokesman for the U.S. jail facility in southeast Cuba, said the doses should start arriving this month, with guards and then inmates scheduled for inoculations..."

And Ike, sir... If we ask Mr. William Piercey Sr. about that doctor's office visit, I would be willing to wager that his H1N1 vaccination would have been billed to him, (not gratis), IF he could have gotten "government approval" from his county health department. That, in and of itself, sounds like an "...assault on individual freedom..." to me, as well as: "...card check, cap-and-trade, net neutrality, control of radio stations and possible newspaper bailouts...", that Mr. Piercey also cited. I realize that perception is in the eye of the reader, and I am grateful that we live in a country where thoughts and opinions can still be exchanged peacefully on the battlefield of ideas. In my humble opinion, I found Mr. Piercey's story to be intellectually honest and certainly thought provoking. Thank you.

I am only addressing Mr. Piercey's comments about the swine flu vaccine (his other comments would require too much indulgence from the other readers of this column to be addressed at this time).

I doubt that Mr. Piercey was ever a fan of this administration so it is not terribly surprising that a few details were overlooked in his tirade.

First is his attack on the federal government for not having enough vaccine, should be directed at the manufacturers of the vaccine, since the federal government had purchased a total of 250 million doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine in March. The manufacturers are all private companies and have been paid very handsomely to supply the vaccine. I don't mean to imply if the federal government did manufacture the vaccine, it would have been better. Actually, I personally would not even blame the manufacturers at this point either, because this was a Herculean task (and remember the resources for making this brand new product were in great demand simultaneously around the world also). All things considered I think the manufacturers are actually doing pretty well.

Interestingly many on conservative talk radio (especially Mr. Limbaugh) were ridiculing of the dangers of the swine flu pandemic last spring. So I doubt if Mr. Limbaugh had been in charge he would have ordered 250 millions doses of the H1N1 vaccine for such frivolous thing as swine flu. Which would have eliminated any need for rationing because there would have been any vaccine at all.

My other comment is to express my disappoint in Mr. Piercey personally at his outrage for not being given one of the last 3 doses his doctor had because it was reserved for "pregnant women and children". What a chivalrous gentleman, demanding to be placed ahead of "pregnant women and children". We can be assured that Mr. Piercey would have been securely ensconced in the first lifeboat off the Titanic, probably seated right next to Rush Limbaugh.

I did hear Mr. Limbaugh claim this was the first example of a "death panel" and he was outraged. I assume that since he was so outraged by way the government chose to distribute a scarce commodity (pregnant women and children first), he would have preferred to distribute in the tried and true manner of the right by giving it to the riches and most powerful first.

NO THIRD PARTIES!!!! I am as frustrated with the Republican party as anyone else, but a vote for a 3rd party is a vote for the Democrat. More people voted against Bill Clinton in his second election than voted for him. Unfortunately, Ross Perot split the vote, handing Bill Clinton his second term on a silver platter. In NY 23, if the Republican party had endorsed the conservative and there had only been a 2-way race, Hoffman would have won it. We can see how much damage the liberals have done in just a few short months under Obama. We may survive 4 years under Obama, but never 8. We need CONSERVATIVE Republicans to challenge INCUMBANT Republicans in the primaries. Then, we need to have a TRUE Reaganesque (NO RINOS) Republican challenge Obama in 2012. If there is a 3rd party, say hello to 4 more years of Obama.

I am glad you were able to have the flu shot.

Thanks to the Fed. Govt. restrictions I would be refused the shot because I am past the age that will be allowed to live by the wonderful hope and change in Washington.

After the healthcare bill passes, anyone my age or older will no longer be allowed the healthcare we need to extend our lives.

I plan to get my revenge by never getting sick and and outliving the term of office of everyone that votes for it or signs it into effect.

Washington Don't Mess With A Texan Great Grandmother!

to reddgreen

I love how your side of the fence loves to bring up all the big goverment growing, massive deficit spending and entitlement expanding the Bush era did, to which you are ABSOLUTLEY correct about. You guys apparently loved it so much that you have continued that same mindset to the tune of 3 to 4 times what GW did.....so "since they did it, we can do it too"???????

Also I am surprised you didn't bring up that your other hero Bubba left the country a surplus and GW squandered that away...which again all true...but find it interesting everytime that little nugget is brought up the Bubba side of the arguement always leaves out who controlled the "purse strings" for 6 of the 8 yrs Bubba was in office...oh and the other minor little event that happened in the 90's.....you know that little world/life changing event called the "technology revolution"....that little thing that generated a whole new way we live our lives and conduct our business. Couple this newly found tax revenue flood (all the new business and products that were made during this time may have given the tax revenue the country took in just a teeny-tiny bump)with the fact that Bubba severly cut military spending....but nevermind those facts...it was because he had a "D" as President....

when is either side going to wake up and see that we have and have had for sometime a class system in this country...not the rich and the poor perse...but the polictical and the non-political...either side of the fence please tell me how someone who works 3.5 days a week makes over $150k (40%+ of our "representives" are millionaries)plus ALL the job perks...actually knows how the "everyday" american truly feels....especially the career politican who will do ANYTHING/say nearly anything to ensure they get re-elected...most recent example Arleen Specter....

Production of a vaccine to control a specific virus can not be accelerated, because the reproductive capability is set by its inherent structure. In other words, this 'bug' grows at a predetermined pace when it is cultured. Arguments that attempt to focus blame toward our President fall short of common sense and defy biological principles. Here are the facts.

This particular genetic combination of human swine influenza had not been identified prior to April 2009. Standard operating procedure at the Center for Disease Control is to generate a vaccine capable strain for any newly recognized virus. Caution and vigilance are foremost during this phase in order to isolate adapted or mutated types.

For the 2009 H1N1 virus, modified strains suitable for vaccine manufacture were created and provided to influenza vaccine manufacturers by late May. A virus grows by replicating itself, thus creating hundreds of thousands of copies in specially produced eggs or other medium. It is the efficiency of this growth that determines how much vaccine can be produced and how quickly. The H1N1 virus did not grow as fast as expected when compared to the 2009 seasonal flue strain.

Private companies began manufacturing the 2009 H1N1 vaccines in the same factories where they are licensed to manufacture seasonal influenza vaccines.

Over the summer, the National Institutes of Health and vaccine manufacturers initiated clinical trials to determine the dose and number of doses needed for immunization.

On September 15th the FDA licensed four manufacturers, Sanofi Pasteur, Novartis, CSL Limited, and MedImmune, to produce vaccines against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. All are private companies, with only a contractual relationship to the United States government. As of November 3, 2009, 31.8 million doses of the vaccine were available, with 8 to 10 million additional doses expected to be produced each week.

Since the H1N1 flu pandemic began in April, millions of people in the United States have been infected, at least 20,000 have been hospitalized and more than 1,000 have died. Opinionated political games have no place where life is at risk, and that includes the health care debate.

The ongoing fear propaganda is not really about reforming health care, which both parties agree is a major economic and moral issue. It is about the billions of dollars stuffed into congressional pockets by lobbyists, and the undying efforts of an out of power party to stifle and impede a sitting president. Neither is in the best interests of the American people.

Want to alarm the public? Why not tell the truth? Discuss the P.E.C.s that insurance companies do not want you to understand. Many policies define as pre-existing conditions: past pregnancies, C-Sections, domestic violence, and any surgery - no matter the how minor. At your health insurance provider's option, having an in-grown toenail removed could label you with a pre-existing condition. Does anyone really think that co-pays and deductibles benefit anyone other than the party that writes the policy?

We all need to get behind health care reform; it is economically valid for businesses, individuals, and the country. This is the moral issue of our times; over 40,000 American citizens die every year because they can not afford health care. We need a public option to help control costs, and provide coverage to those denied by the private health insurance companies!

I would even offer an amendment to the current bill. Any congressman or senator that votes against Health Care Reform under the claim that it is socialist, must opt out of Social Security, Medicare, Public Schools, and of course their current government run health care plan. These vital government programs were all deemed unacceptable, liberal, and socialist by the predecessors to the current health care opponents.

"send my kids to Private School where they can get a real education instead of liberal propoganda everyday."

Public schools teach liberal propaganda? Is that what all those schools were doing when they refused to let their students watch a speech to America's youth by the current President?

I remember pretty vividly my public school education. I remember the half-truths presented in the history books. I remember being made to stand up every morning and recite the pledge of allegiance i.e. repeating some phrase over and over that made no sense to me as a kid.

Pledging allegiance to a flag is about as ridiculous as pledging allegiance to a man in the clouds.

When will this country and it's people stop talking the talk without having to walk the walk.

I was taught as a child that classic phrase "women and children first"

Any real christian human who has lived a full life would have no problem allowing an important vaccine be provided to a child or a pregnant woman before himself.

Of course, I said "any real christian human".

Stop blaming everyone around you, and be a MAN.

If you don't want to get the flu, stay in, avoid contact with people, and keep yourself and the things around you clean.

A nation of whiners indeed.