The Republican Caucus Room Conspiracy Might Even Kill You
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The Republican Caucus Room Conspiracy is putting all of our lives at risk. As the condition of Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man diagnosed with Ebola in Texas, continues to worsen, and as fears over Ebola spreading in the U.S. continue to grow, the right-wing media is lashing out at the U.S. Surgeon General. So who is the Surgeon General?
The Surgeon General is America’s top doc. He or she gives unbiased information to the American people about health crises and health risks. It’s the Surgeon General’s responsibility to educate the people and help us understand what we do and don’t need to worry about. The Surgeon General helps cut through all of the fear-mongering and misinformation. But the folks over at Breitbart don’t think that the Surgeon General is doing his/her job.
In a recent piece, Breitbart points out that, “The official website of the Surgeon General of the United States has nothing to say about Ebola prevention and detection, other than an old press release about relief efforts in Liberia.” Well, there’s a good reason for that.
The U.S. doesn’t have a Surgeon General right now, and it’s all because of Republicans’ non-stop efforts to sabotage the Obama presidency.
Back in November of last year, President Obama nominated Dr. Vivek Murthy to take over the role of the nation’s top doc. Murthy is more than qualified for the position, but unfortunately, he did something that many in Washington won’t: he stood up to the NRA.
In a letter sent to members of Congress in his capacity has co-founder of the healthcare advocacy group Doctors for America, Murthy wrote that, “As health care professionals who are confronted with the human cost of gun violence every day, we are unwavering in our belief that strong measures to reduce gun violence must be taken immediately. We strongly urge Congress and the Obama administration to put legislation in place now and develop a comprehensive plan to reduce gun-related injuries and deaths.”
Naturally, those strong words against gun violence in America caught the ire of the NRA, which in turn got its Republican cronies in the Senate, along with some Red State Democrats, to put Murthy’s nomination on hold. For over a year now, America has been without a Surgeon General.
So, just how big a deal is that, especially in the face of a growing Ebola outbreak?
Well, as former U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin put it, “The surgeon general is America’s doctor, delivering information to the American people in a language they can understand. Not having one right now, you don’t have that face and that person that the American people can identify with as their doctor who’s looking out for them on a large scale.”
And as MSNBC’s Krystal Ball pointed out in a recent op-ed, “This role is exactly what prior surgeons general have filled in times of heightened public health anxiety. When faced with the threat of bird-flu, for example, the surgeon general at the time, Richard Carmona, talked to the public about prevention, pressured drug makers to ramp up production of effective treatments. He also educated us on risks associated with the disease and kept us updated on its status.”
But, thanks to Republicans, America is without its top doctor, during a time when we need him or her more than ever.
Our lack of a Surgeon General traces all the way back to the night of January 20, 2009, the day that President Obama was sworn in as Commander-in-Chief. At the Caucus Room restaurant here in Washington DC, top Republican lawmakers and strategists held a private dinner, where they hatched a plan to sabotage and undermine the Obama presidency.
In fact, they even pledged to use Taliban-like tactics. In an interview the National Journal back in March of 2009, Republican Congressman Pete Sessions said that the Republicans would take a page out of the Taliban playbook. He said, “Taliban Insurgency, we understand perhaps a little bit more because of the Taliban. Insurgency is the way they went about systematically understanding how to disrupt and change a person's entire processes. And these Taliban -- is an example of how you go about to change a person from their messaging, to their operations, to their frontline message. And we need to understand that Insurgency may be required when [dealing with Democrats on] the other side.”
The Texas Republican went on to say that -“If they [Democrats] do not give us those options or opportunities then we will then become Insurgency...I think Insurgency is a mindset and an attitude...”
Thanks to this Republican “insurgency” plan, America is without its top doctor, while a deadly virus continues to grow and spread. And, it’s that same “insurgency” plan that’s keeping Republican governors across America, like Texas’ Rick Perry, from expanding Medicaid coverage to millions of Americans, a move that would also help our country be better prepared for an epidemic.
So, next time you hear a Republican lawmaker or conservative pundit complaining about how we’re not ready to fight Ebola, just remember, they’re not really complaining. They’re bragging. They’re getting exactly what they wanted. At the risk of all the rest of us.
Comments
![aphrodite's picture aphrodite's picture](https://www.thomhartmann.com/sites/default/files/pictures/picture-83807.jpg)
![johnbest's picture johnbest's picture](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/7925446d26a654b1e88db28540bd9670.jpg?d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thomhartmann.com%2Fsites%2Fall%2Fmodules%2Fcontrib%2Fgravatar%2Favatar-clear.png&s=100&r=G)
The neotards and tea baggers are despicable, vile POS and need to be removed from society where they can do no more harm to our country. I could chew nails and spit horseshoes I am so pissed. When is their bulls**t going to end? We let that foreigner who owns fox news spew his shit 24/7 and it has to end, now!
![johnbest's picture johnbest's picture](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/7925446d26a654b1e88db28540bd9670.jpg?d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thomhartmann.com%2Fsites%2Fall%2Fmodules%2Fcontrib%2Fgravatar%2Favatar-clear.png&s=100&r=G)
Because of rick perry's inaction, millions of Texans remain uninsured and they have to go to emergency rooms for care. This gentleman who returned from Liberia with Ebola is a good example of the results of an overcrowded ER. If this gentleman dies, rick perry should be charged with murder. Damn douchenozzle neotard.
![DAnneMarc's picture DAnneMarc's picture](https://www.thomhartmann.com/sites/default/files/pictures/picture-75067.jpg)
Just imagine the mass outbreak that could easily occur because of one or two people who get infected and hesitate for few days to seek treatment because they can neither afford to see a Doctor, or to take the time off from work. They might wait until they are too sick to get out of bed; and, if they work in something like Walmart or the fast food industry, they might have infected hundreds of unknown people before they ever get diagnosed. If and when they eventually get checked that number could easily expand exponentially. This Republican madness could easily cause the deaths of thousands of innocents; and, further destroy our economy and way of life in the process. It needs to end now! Please, vote these imbeciles out of office!
![xs10shal's picture xs10shal's picture](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/37a08fe64824457c05b6613686419bf9.jpg?d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thomhartmann.com%2Fsites%2Fall%2Fmodules%2Fcontrib%2Fgravatar%2Favatar-clear.png&s=100&r=G)
Causing the deaths of thousands does not worry Republicans. The top 1% would be happy to see the herd of humanity reduced. Lets face it, there are too many of us humans on the earth already and with less of us around, life would be better for those that count (the wealthy of the world). If the earth's population was cut by 35%, they would appauld a job well done.
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http://www.naturalnews.com/vaccines_get_the_full_story.html
Begin here and track down a story of misinformation, corporate greed and medical dishonesty designed to make the population of the world sick, dependant and frightened.
![N Z Sarah's picture N Z Sarah's picture](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6691226fec5b5698cd159ed2ef1d4a5e.jpg?d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thomhartmann.com%2Fsites%2Fall%2Fmodules%2Fcontrib%2Fgravatar%2Favatar-clear.png&s=100&r=G)
Love your children? http://preventdisease.com/news/14/092214_Mysterious-Virus-Spreading-US-C...
![BARBARA NECKER's picture BARBARA NECKER's picture](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5bad9a1f94b6f585cb326a52ec89684d.jpg?d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thomhartmann.com%2Fsites%2Fall%2Fmodules%2Fcontrib%2Fgravatar%2Favatar-clear.png&s=100&r=G)
Thank you GOP -- another victory for you. Let's hope voters remember this at the polls in November; we could benefit from getting a few more of you out of Congress.
![ProfDocSJTpese's picture ProfDocSJTpese's picture](https://www.thomhartmann.com/sites/default/files/pictures/picture-136146.jpg)
Congressman Sessions comments were truly unfortunate and inappropriate. However, as Americans we should endeavor to set our differences (and in some cases outright hatred) aside and take a close look at the nature of the risks facing this country together. In this writers opinion the first step in reducing the risk of the spread of Ebola in the USA would be to stem the influx of illegal aliens across our borders and enact travel restrictions to places in the world known to have high numbers of Ebola cases. Everyone must be aware that it is not only Mexican "dreamers" entering our country illegally across its borders. It seems to this writer that these actions are "no-brainers". President Obama has used his telephone and pen to do as he pleases in the past. Surely he can take these steps to protect us and our treasured children. Bringing the NRA into this discussion is superfluous and needlessly inflammatory. It adds nothing of substance. The NRA is not to blame for a single case of Ebola anywhere nor are they remotely responsible for the gun related violence perpetrated by criminals illegally in possession of firearms in this country. If indeed we did have a sitting Attorney General I would only hope that he would have the wisdom and courage to recommend the most obvious and expedient actions to stem the influx of the Ebola virus into our country. When will we resume the practice of treating one another as countrymen and using our heads when considering the grave issues facing our nation?
![DAnneMarc's picture DAnneMarc's picture](https://www.thomhartmann.com/sites/default/files/pictures/picture-75067.jpg)
So what you are all suggesting is that the GOP isn't merely playing a deadly game of obstructionism at the expense of all the people, what they are actually doing is intentional genocide for the powers that be--aka the 1%? That is a mighty serious allegation and as such, deserves much attention. Even if unproven, such an allegation could easily be used to force a change in the behavior of the Party of No. Once the formal accusation is made, any further hesitation to alter behavior indicates complete complicity. Certainly a most worthy course of action in the matter of national health care--especially if served up with the heaping helping of the threat of lengthy prison time; or, even, execution for high treason. Certainly worth a shot. Much more meaningful than a bunch of empty words.
While I am really not at all concerned about ebola spreading wildly in the U.S., I am very concerned about this new, mysterious polio-like disease that is affecting our children. And affecting them fast. And I do understand how the Republicans in power feel about that...they don't care. They don't care about anything or anyone other than their owners and themselves. They love power and the ultimate power of life or death over the "little people" is like a drug to them. The more they think they are discrediting our President by denying the People their governmental representatives...judges, ambassadors, the Surgeon General, the more powerful they feel. They claim to be pro-life, but they worship death as long as the death is someone elses. Frankly they disgust me in more ways than I can even count!