Now Ask Him If Stupidity Is Contagious

They told me that if I voted for McCain we'd have a Vice President who was a moron... and they were right!

Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that he would not recommend taking any commercial flight or riding in a subway car “at this point” because swine flu virus can spread “in confined places.” A little more than one hour later, Biden rushed out a statement backing off.

...That contradicted more restrained advice from President Barack Obama and the federal government - and the last thing the White House wants to do right now is shut down the airline industry and big city subways out of mass panic.

Don't you hate it when the VP goes rogue?

Comments

[clarice]

He's a living insurance policy if you get my drift....

[narciso]

Hey. Tom I called that one, about an hour ago, from a link on BusinessInsider, not Politico. That is so breathtakingly
irresponsible to be so cavalier specially in D.C, or NY, where the subway is such a key part of the transportation network there. Granted it's Biden, but does anyone actually brief him,at the very least, not to suggest how to shutdown the NorthEast economy,

[Charlie (Colorado)]

And with unerring accuracy, now that Biden is adding to the frantication, the real science is starting to say "Hey, it's just the flu, apparently fairly mild."

[clarice]

As I understand it--just 7 deaths and all in Mexico..Imagine.

[bad]

Tapper has FOUR different posts on ole Joe and the WH spin. The WH is definitly making it worse.

[bad]

Unfortunately, Texas has banned all sporting events for schools and school districts are banning all extra-curriculars.

IT'S prom, banquet and band trip season, many parts of which are contractualy obligated. Fundraising events for scholarships are very big at this time of year as well.

AP testing also starts next week.

[clarice]

I know why the media hypes stuff like this--it sells papers and drawers viewers. But why do so many people fall for these preposterous scares year after year-- often the same folks who shun advice to get flu shots? Is it to supply missing excitement in their dreary lives?

[clarice]

**draws viewers**

(Start out each say with a wrong)

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Okay, Typepad is really starting to piss me off.

Here's the link that disappeared from my comment above.

Here it is in plain text: http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-sci-swine-reality30-2009apr30,0,3606923.story

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Clarice, I dunno. I heard something the other day suggesting it was St John's fault for writing Revelations: in this Christian-dominated culture, we all get subtly influenced to be expecting Apocalypse.

Whatever it is, the apocalyptos on my "it's just the flu" piece on PJM are worrying about what if only having 30 days of food stashed will be enough.

[narciso]

They keep calling false alarms, and when the real pandemic hits, people will not listen.

[Porchlight]

As I understand it--just 7 deaths and all in Mexico

Actually I think the number of deaths is 160 as of yesterday. Still not a huge number.

[clarice]

Who just said 7--who said 160,Porchlight?

Interesting intellectual theory, Chaco. I say DRAMA..the need for drama..

[cbiggie]

Clarice, since someone already told you the Mexico count (which is higher according to El Diario/NY Mexican paper)...

Dr. Michael Osterholm (UM Inf. Dis., formerly under Levitt), will do a noon broadcast on MPR:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/04/30/midday2/

[PeterUK]

Wasn't the child which sadly died from Brownsville,which I understand is as near as Mexico as to make no difference?

[Captain Hate]

Brownsville is just over the Rio Grande from Mexico; also the southernmost municipality in the US.

[clarice]

PUK, he was driven across the border to the hospital in Brownsville for treatment.

Porchlight--I meant WHO (World Health Organization ) said 7.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Porch, the thing is that the papers are reporting possibles. The problem is that every bad respiratory infection is "possible" flu, and every pneumonia death is a "possible" flu death.

[MayBee]

Interesting intellectual theory, Chaco. I say DRAMA..the need for drama..

If you think about it, humans have had to react to drama and stress for survival for most of our existence. We've always needed it, so now we create it.
But I let my kids play violent video games so they can keep perspective on real life.

[PeterUK]

Population of Mexico 2008.
109,955,400

Population Mexico City 2008.
8,836,045

Since we seem to be at the height of the influenza season here,it is not unreasonable that common flu is being misdiagnosed.Certainly the hyperbole from the media and those who earn a living from health scares a vested interest in hyping this up.

[bolitha]

The little boy who died, as I understand it, was visiting relatives in Brownsville--he came from Mexico, crossed the border for the visit, went to a Mall two days before being diagnosed and dying.
Now, for Biden, what a stupid man--I think maybe? his ego is bigger than The One's.

[Ignatz]

-I heard something the other day suggesting it was St John's fault for writing Revelations: in this Christian-dominated culture, we all get subtly influenced to be expecting Apocalypse.-

Not that this matters too much Charlie, but the book is called "The Revelation of Jesus Christ". Not sure how it ever became plural, but it usually is now.
And also, the word Apocalypse (or Apocawyspe, if you're Barney Frank) itself is the Greek word translated as Revelation.
Not sure if you did, but many people say the Apocalypse is coming when in fact they are referring to Armageddon, the final battle in Revelation.

Hope no one minds a little pedantry.

[clarice]

Bolitha, you're account is more accurate than my memory was of the travels of the Nexican child who died in Brownsville.

[clarice]

**YOUR account***

[peter]

At least the Yankees are winning again.

[Sue]

The little boy crossed the border into Brownsville to visit relatives. They spent the weekend of April 4th (just so happens to be the weekend I was in Houston) in Houston visiting other relatives and an indoor mall (which one hasn't been released yet, but if they say Willowbrook, I'm outta here). He became ill at some point during then and 4 days later when he first showed signs of the flu. Houston Chronicle also reports he had underlying health issues. He didn't die until this week, so he probably died of the complications from the flu, not the flu itself.

[Sue]

He died at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, where he was taken on April 14th from Brownsville. No one else in his family has symptoms of the flu.

[Sue]

And I'm Sue, reporting from Houston, back to you Tom...

not really in Houston, but hey, I'm not really a reporter, either

[PDinDetroit]

How is it that a President of the US holds a news conference to announce the Bankruptcy of a Privately-Held Company?

President Training Wheels Indeed.

[Porchlight]

Porchlight--I meant WHO (World Health Organization ) said 7.

Thanks, clarice and Chaco - I didn't realize there was such a big discrepancy between what WHO deems official and what the media is reporting. That's good to know.

[sbw]

WHO's on first.
What's on second.
I don't know is Vice President.
One is pitching.

And I DO give a damn!

[Sue]

These are the three headlines at Drudge:

CHRSYLER to file Chapter 11 in NY...

'Surgical' bankruptcy to last up to 60 days...

Will get up to $8 billion in gov't financing...

What is wrong with this picture?

[bad]

In the same clip that Joe Biden says to stay away from public transportation, he talks of the Pennsylvania DEMOCRATIC party leaving Arlen Spector behind.

Matt Lauer doesn't correct him as far as I can tell.

It's about 5:15 into the clip at Tapper.

[PeterUK]

The epidemiology of a Scare

[ptg]

A joe Biden P\presidency wouldn't be too bad. He'd be like a liberal Gerald Ford only drunk.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Well, it wasn't my theory, but an interesting one. But yeah, the need for Drama is another part of it I think.

[clarice]

Let's set up a rotation--each member of which writes Biden daily urging him to continue to speak out with his endearing brilliance and candor.
LET BIDEN BE BIDEN!!

[Stephanie]

For all the photo chop experts out there...

LUN

[DavidL]

Brealing news from the CDC.

Foot in Mouth disease confirmed in Washington. Two cases, Joe Biden and Robert Gibbs unable to provide verbal comment.

Film at Eleven

[centralcal]

O/T: Looks like Major Garrett may never get to ask another question at a Prez Presser:

"Just In: FOX, the only one of the Big Four networks that did not carry Pres. Obama's news conference last night, finished first in the 8pmET hour with a new episode of "Lie to Me." The drama averaged 7.9 million Total Viewers, according to Nielsen overnights.

NBC's coverage of the Obama newser came in second with 6.7 million Total Viewers."

[PDinDetroit]

How Swine Flu really is transmitted!

[Mickey]

Biden is just the sideshow to keep attention off of the destruction being brought on behalf of our socialistic government. Misdirection.

[clarice]

cc: Naybe Fox should have a feature before every presidential presser then listinf questions real pressies would ask if they were called on..

[centralcal]

You know, Clarice. Actually, I think that is a really good idea!

[bad]

Gibbs is now explaining what slo joe meant to say.

Tapper just called him on it. ha ha ha ha ha

[clarice]

I do, too. I'll write that up and send it to them.

[Peter]

WHO is only counting those deaths where there has been an autopsy and full viral identification, I suspect. So seeing a gaggle of dead people means very little.

In Mexico there are very little in the way of money and facilities for such things.

So we have the burning question of who are you going to believe, WHO or our lyin' eyes.

[sbw]

Just a quick Pshop... for something different:
Rushmore Fly-by... Oops!

[janohoh]

Would any of you suggest to your loved one's that now is not a good time to be in highly congested or enclosed areas? Joe Biden may not be the sharpest tack in the box, (but then again who asked him to be his running mate?)but he words were honest regarding this issue.

[daddy]

cc: Naybe Fox should have a feature before every presidential presser then listinf questions real pressies would ask if they were called on..

Posted by: clarice | April 30, 2009 at 01:18 PM

Great idea Clarice! Hear hear.

[clarice]

Spelling it correctly I emailed them that suggestion. Glad you liked it. I'd like to see that cheap tactic of Obama's bounce back and bite him in the hind end.

[clarice]

"WHO also reported the number of confirmed swine flu cases rose to 257 worldwide Thursday, with cases in Mexico rising to 97 from 26, with seven deaths. The WHO confirmed tally from the United States now stands at 109, with one death.

Other confirmed cases include 19 in Canada, 13 in Spain, eight in Britain, three each in Germany and New Zealand, two in Israel and one each in Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Thompson told reporters in Geneva that at least one of the Spanish cases involved a person who had not traveled to Mexico. Spanish officials said that was a man who apparently got the virus from his girlfriend, who recently returned from Mexico.

WHO raised the pandemic flu alert to phase 5 on Wednesday, one step away from the highest level indicating a global outbreak. WHO flu chief Keiji Fukuda said Thursday there were no indications in the past day that would prompt the U.N. body to raise the alert further.

To move from pandemic alert level 5 to level 6 means that WHO believes there is evidence of big outbreaks in at least two world regions and a pandemic is under way.

Fukuda said the jump in confirmed cases from Mexico was probably the result of scientists working their way through a backlog of untested samples from suspected cases.

"They are going through several thousands of laboratory specimens right now," he said.

WHO has started distributing its stockpile of 2 million courses of the antiviral drug Tamiflu to regional offices, which will decide where to send them next.

Many of those drugs will go to developing countries that don't have stockpiles of their own and some will be sent to Mexico, Fukuda said, without providing figures."

[MayBee]

Would any of you suggest to your loved one's that now is not a good time to be in highly congested or enclosed areas? Joe Biden may not be the sharpest tack in the box, (but then again who asked him to be his running mate?)but he words were honest regarding this issue.

I have told my loved ones to proceed as usual. "Now" is statistically the same as any other time, disease-wise, to be in a congested or enclosed area.
One of the most lovings thing you can do is help people not give into irrational fear.

[clarice]

Precisely,MayBee--unless you think it's a good idea for your family to catch stupidity.

[Mikey NTH]

It's congenital - Joe Biden can't help but point out the obvious in unambiguous terms.

One of these days he is going to point out that the emperor has no clothes.

Out of the mouths of babes and Joe Biden.

[Mikey NTH]

Clarice - maybe the press should just ask Joe the questions they would like to ask the President. It would make all of this incredibly entertaining.

[MayBee]

Precisely,MayBee--unless you think it's a good idea for your family to catch stupidity.

Ha!

[Chuck Pelto]

TO: All
RE: Heh

Evey people gets the governance they deserive.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
P.S. I 'hope' you're enjoying your 'change'.....

[clarice]

Mickey--what a swell idea. Do you suppose the journos are athletic enough to be able to climb 50 foot high walls guarded by vicious attack dogs--cause I think some of that stimulus money's about to go to building that (and an alligator filled moat) around the Veep's official residence.

[Chuck Pelto]

TO: Charlie (Colorado) Martin
RE: Yeah....

....the thing is that the papers are reporting possibles. The problem is that every bad respiratory infection is "possible" flu, and every pneumonia death is a "possible" flu death. -- Charlie (Colorado)

But YOU don't know, one way or the other, do you.

Over in another venue, you disavow the reports from the local health officials of the 180+ dead and seem to accept the WHO report of only 7 dead.

In the meantime, you oppose closing the borders.

I'm beginning to appreciate a 'picture' of your position in this situation. And I think I asked a question of you in that other venue that you have yet to reply to.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[The Truth will out.....]

[bad]

Well, Chuck, I'm not sure it's appropriate to ask about a lady's change but thanks for asking anyway. I'm sure you meant well.

[matt]

Contrast Biden's comments with Mayor Bloomberg's decision to announce he's taking the subway every day from Gracie Mansion to City Hall. Not a fan of the Nanny Mayor, but i respect his decision.

The whole thing has issues as far as I'm concerned. The virus seems to be a moderate form of the flu, and to date only 350 cases have been reported worldwide. 35,000 people die of the flu every year in the United States already.

It's a H5N1, but nothing so far seems to indicate it's going to mutate into something worse. After slaughtering all the chickens in China a couple of years ago, it now seems to be the pigs turn.

[Mojo Bison]

Pace the Houston Chronicle and KHOU.com, the child was from Mexico City and came north. His family was shopping at the Galleria. His death was at Texas Women & Childrens Hospital, not an indigent facility like Ben Taub. This suggests an upper-middle-class Mexican family but that is not a guarantee.

There is starting to be some concern in the kitchens of Houston restaurants because of the large number of Mexican staff. Construction and yard-care outfits are not so heavily affected as those tend now to be dominated by Hondurans and Guatemalans. Houston schools, however, are on the verge of panic.

But since mass transit in Houston is primarily used by voters and not politicians, Joe is safe to come and visit.

[Bill]

Give Joe a break - Swine Flu has killed at least seven more people than Global Warming

[Bill Quick]

Charlie Colorado - That LA Times article is hardly the ultimate authority you seem to be trying to paint it as being. It also includes such authoritative information as the following:

"Dirk Brockmann, a professor of engineering and applied mathematics at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., used a computer model of human travel patterns to predict how this swine flu virus would spread in the worst-case scenario, in which nothing is done to contain the disease.

After four weeks, almost 1,700 people in the U.S. would have symptoms, including 198 in Los Angeles, according to his model. That's just a fraction of the county's thousands of yearly flu victims."

Now, do you honestly think that one month from now, we will see only 1,700 cases of exibited symptoms in this country, especially if "nothing is done to contain the disease?"

Would you base your planning on bullhooey and bogus models like that?

The truth is, as responsible folks are still trying to get across, it is just too early to make any authoritative predictions about what is going to happen with this outbreak. The people saying we're all gonna die are going too far in one direction. The people confidently advising us to ignore the whole thing are going too far in the other.

I rather liked Biden's statement. He's not going to ride the subways. Actually, neither am I, if I can avoid it, and if I must, I'll wear a mask. (Yeah, masks are effective, if you actually wear one). I'm tired of people making (or not making) public health announcements based on factors that don't involve public health - like economic problems for airlines or subway operators.

[Uncle Joe's Patriotic Taxpayer]

No one ever mentions that he had a bleeding, near-fatal brain aneurysm some years back. He likely suffered brain damage.

And you know that a serious risk factor for aneurysms is cocaine use. If he has to give health advice, he be telling his family to stay off the yayo.

[Darren]

Texas Dept. of Health confirmed a case of H1N1 in a town about 15 miles north of where I live. Closed the school district for a week as a result, the confirmation was in a child.

Could very well be false-positive, makes you wonder if they've already got a quickie ELISA-type test for this one, or if they have to actually do something like a Western Blot. If so, the kid got sick days ago.

All well and good that Joe was honest with his fears, but the CDC isn't saying anything like that, so neither should the VP. In that interview Biden pooh-poohed the "Should we close the border?" question by saying that the scientists didn't say to do that, then in the next question raised the specter of one person on a plane or subway infecting the whole vehicle's occupants.

You can't go from quoting "experts" one minute to spouting ignorance the next. Unless you're Joe Biden. I'm sorry, but when I want to know what Joe Biden really, deep-down authentically feels on a subject, I'm going straight to the source.

Anybody have Neil Kinnock's phone number?

[bad]

I guess stupidity is contagagious. Tapper:

Words matter, even when you’re the president or the vice president. Two of the administration’s cabinet secretaries spent part of their daily briefing today cleaning up from mistakes made by President Obama and VP Biden about the H1N1 virus, aka the “swine flu.”

“There's been some confusion about the difference between a vaccine and an antiviral,” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said at the beginning of the briefing today. “A vaccine is something that one takes to prevent the occurrence of a disease; an antiviral is something one takes after you've already -- after you've already become sick.”

The confusion may have stemmed from the president himself, who made this mistake yesterday while addressing the administration’s concerns over the outbreak of the virus in the Diplomatic Room.

“Yesterday, I also requested from Congress an immediate $1.5 billion in emergency funding. This funding will ensure that we have adequate supplies of vaccines and the equipment to handle a potential outbreak.”
=====================================
It's not just slow Joe they have to clean up after. lol I love the "words matter."

[Uncle Joe's Patriotic Taxpayer]

Whoops, "needs to be telling" etc.

[BB Key]

Biden will mot make it to the end of the first term and neither will some cabinet members. The "czars" ate there to provide "continuity without confirmation".

[Michael McNeil]

Brownsville is not the southernmost community in America. Miami, Key West, and nearby communities are further south, as is the entirety of the state of Hawaii.

[cathyf]

Brownsville is not the southernmost community in America.

Well, it's the southernmost city in the important part of America. ;-)

[clarice]

cathyf, I owe you so much for bringing the Madonna Inn to my attention!

[matt]

that's the $1.5 Billion in funding Charlie Schumer stripped out of the Porkulus Bill, right?

We had a recent bout of flu here in California, and I had it on and off for 3 weeks. Strange bug. I spoke with my neighbors who have young children, and the schools were rampant with it. Caled the doctor who prescribed an antibiotic. After a week it had not worked, so I called again and he prescribed one that did. No idea which flavor of flu it was.

So unless they are taking cultures and analyzing them we're not going to know what is going on. As I said, 6 mortalities out of 300 cases just doesn't seem like a reason to freak out the entire planet.

[DrJ]

An antibiotic for a flu? Why? That's only good against secondary bacterial infections, and not the underlying flu!

[John]

So does this mean no Amtrak trains to Wilmington for Joe for a while?

[clarice]

Maybe they'll give him one of those special rides down the Hudson.

[dk70]

Biden makes Quayle look like a piker.

[Robert Speirs]

Biden proves the old saying:

If you've half a mind to be Vice President, that's all it takes!

[clarice]

HEH, Robert.

[albert bryans]

our news media has captured the american people with just how wonderful obama is and the honey moon is starting to wane soo Huge swine flue outbreak is the next attraction. with in several hours our boy asked congress for 1.5 billion to fight it ! quick to spend my grand childrens money. this too will pass !

[Nuke Riding Cowboy]

Hey now, go easy. I bet Biden has a higher IQ than you!