Cheney Got Flu Shot Despite Shortage

[ruggerson]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=6562017

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney has received a flu shot, aides said on Wednesday, citing his history of heart disease as a reason to qualify for a shot during a national shortage.
"The vice president has received a flu shot," Cheney campaign spokeswoman Anne Womack said. "He gets them every year at the recommendation of his doctors because of his 25-year history of heart disease."

Womack said Cheney, 63, who has survived four heart attacks, received his flu shot recently. She did not provide an exact date.

Shortages of the flu prevention injections have become a campaign issue for President Bush. Many elderly Americans are standing in long lines for their shots and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry has accused Bush of not having done enough to ensure sufficient stocks

[bukk]

1. This is proper.

Frankly, Bush should get one too, and, in fact, if he hasn't, I'd be surprised. No matter what you think of the guy, he's the president. A bad flu at the wrong moment could result in, well, the Bush Administration.

[leesa]

34. That's ight. We wouldn't want any of these jerks to ever sacrifice

ANYTHING for their country. The world would be a better place if the Chief Cheerleader and his evil side-kick were out with the flu for a couple weeks.

[bukk]

38. That's an irrational comment

Like them or not, whoever the leaders of any country are, it would be irresponsible for them to not take precautions.

I don't like Bush any more than you do, and frankly I think if he died of the flu the world would be a better place, but disliking Bush and disregarding a responsible choice by a nation's leader are two different matters.

This isn't about a noble sacrifice -- it's about the nation's vice president and, hopefully, president making a good decision for once in their misbegotten careers.

[burrowowl]

42. In the proper order of things

Yes the VP and P should take precautions, even though the VP and P in question.

Bu$hie's BIG Sacrifice of one flu shot is patent assinity, he should have paid attention to a previous report.

Another very serious issue is the lack of tetanus shots because Murican pharmas don't want to produce it because not enough profit and the don't give a flying f**k about the common good.

[libertad]

65. plus cheney is an elderly heart patient and fits into the approved

category.

[Lilli]

2. I think all 4 of them should n/t

[qanda]

3. I honestly hope Kerry doesn't try to make a big deal out of this

I already stumbled upon Drudge saying something stupid about the Kerry Campaign giving Dick Cheney grief for receiving a flu shot, but for goodness sake the man is old and sickly-- let him have his flu shot.

[cubsfan forever]

63. "Drudge" says all you need to know

He's a FAUX News moron, so you know he will say whatever pops into his tiny little brain. Remember, their only strategy is to distract from their (non)record and their ongoing attempt to steal this election.

Professor 2

[VegasWolf]

4. Karen Hughes just got hers also so she will always be able

to contribute important shit.

New Information Shows Bush Indecisive, Paranoid, Delusional

[liberalmuse]

7. She doesn't need a flu shot.

If I were a virus, I wouldn't go near the hag.

[Free2BMe]

29. Please don't tell me KH really got one...that would piss me off

[XOKCowboy]

5. Depends on who you are...

It was reported on Al Franken's show today that all members of Congress have been advised to get their flu shots (no matter what their age or health condition) and the vaccine is readily available to them and their staffs. Imagine that.

[greblc]

9. I read Joe Lieberman

plans to get his. I also read about a mother with a child who has kidney problems took the day off work and drove across town to stand in line for a vaccination.
She arrived to late. The 150 Vaccinations were spoken for.

There are service men and women dying in Iraq and our politicians cant Stomache the Flu to protect the sick and elderly.

Fucking Cowards.

[liberalmuse]

6. I don't have a problem with this.

Cheney is a senior, isn't he? And he is probably suseptible to infection. The pResident should have one, too. He looks like hell, lately, and I only care because he's a fellow human being--I think. It kind of puts them in an awkward position, doesn't it?

Kerry should still harp on the Bush administration for the shortage. This is inexcusable. These people are the worst fuck-ups in history.

[tblue37]

52. A senior with a very bad heart. He was right to have the shot.

And Bush should, too. He is, after all, the president!

[LosinIt]

55. You know, I was having a nice night, did you HAVE to remind me??

that he is the pResident??? Damn

[tblue37]

59. Sorry about that.

But there are excellent arguments we can properly make against these bastards. I think it weakens our case and makes us look foolish to suggest that our elderly vice president who has had four heart attacks shouldn't get the flu shot because it shows he is privileged.

And as much as I despise Bush and consider him an illegitimate president, he does hold the office and should therefore be protected against the flu. And despite what he said, he has had that shot. I guarantee it. Even if he didn't want it, he would have been pressured to have it.

[Evergreen Emerald]

62. how long was the line he stood in?

[Silverhair]

8. I will give Cheney a pass on this.

He has heart trouble and is in his sixties. Both Bush & Kerry have declined to get flu shots, and that is also the correct thing for them to have done. They are each setting an example.

[radwriter0555]

10. I agree, no matter the crimes of the man, he is immune compromised and in

ill health.

He's still an American, after all.

It'd be rather nasty to pose otherwise. We gots better fishies to fry.

[Skittles]

56. he got it because he is the acting president

more than because of his heart

[BUSHOUT]

11. I'd like to see Kerry get a flu shot. Bush is an idiot...

he's the president, he should be getting one too.

His sacraficial sentiment was a feeble attempt...you could see by the smile on his face when he made the edict during the debate....he was pleased with himself. In the end though, it was irresponsible. He needs to think about more than just appearing sanctimoneous.

[Child_Of_Isis]

21. No way do I believe that shrub didn't get his flu shot.

Most likely the entirety of Washington got one before the shortage hit the news!

[BUSHOUT]

22. Possible. Bush really hung his a$$ out in the debate then...n/t

[Child_Of_Isis]

36. Wouldn't be the first lie he told to the public. n/t

[mitchtv]

43. it's ok for JK to get the shot

as long as he waits in line

[GinaMaria]

12. He needs one. He's at risk with his health n/t

[librechik]

13. flu would be a death sentence to Dick--his heart doesn't work!

not that he doesn't deserve it, but this seems like a proper use of the vaccine.

Besides I want to see him do the perp walk. Like the 85 year old peace activist they sent to jail this morning. Hope he lives for that.

[librechik]

16. Kerry should get one also immediately!

[Bread and Circus]

14. By CDC recommendations, he should have due to heart disease.

[progressivebydesign]

18. True.. but there are MILLIONS of people that would qualify,

under CDC regulations, but CANNOT get the shot. I'm not saying he shouldn't have had it, but I guess I"m underscoring the INTENSITY of this vaccination shortage, and how the CDC reccommendations for who should get one, does not mean they'll get one. Only if you're rich, and, working in the White House, apparently.

[CBHagman]

46. You have an excellent point.

I'm all for Cheney getting the shot because he qualifies as someone with a chronic disease. However, there are a lot of us who fit the guidelines and cannot get a shot. At least three members of my immediate family are in need of the shot as we speak.

[tblue37]

53. I feel kind of guilty.

I am 54 and I have mild asthma. I have had pneumonia in the past, which means I am more susceptible to it in the future, so I always get a flu shot each year.

A month ago I went to the doctor's office for my montly B12 shot, and while there, I had them give me my yearly flu shot.

I didn't even realize at the time that there was a shortage of vaccine, and the shot was given to me as usual. Now I feel bad, because I honestly doubt that I have anywhere near as much risk as all those elderly people standing (and sometimes fainting) in line for their shots.

I especially feel bad that my 25-year-old son, whose asthma is actually severe, is not likely to be able to get a shot at all this year.

[CBHagman]

64. Please don't spend any more time on guilt.

Given your history, it was the most natural thing in the world for you to go ahead and get the vaccine. Unless you've been lurking around the Chiron plant in Liverpool, how could you possibly have known there would be a shortage?

Did your doctor also recommend a pneumonia vaccine? I got one of those a while back, and they will be good for several years. Consider that for you and your son, if the doctor advises.

As for your son, I hope he keeps trying. They are still sending out vaccine, and there is supposed to be more coming in January.

[KeepItReal]

15. "Do What I Say...Not What I Do" - Bush & Co. mantra

<eom>

[progressivebydesign]

17. Cheney should.. Bush shouldn't... yet.

UNLESS Bush has some unreported health issue (which we wouldn't know, since he REFUSES to take a physical!!). Bush should wait... If my mother, who has COPD and is in the age range to get one anyway, can't get one.. then Bush and his family shouldn't get one. Cheney has a heart ailment.. that's a no brainer, OF COURSE he should get one, if it's available. Of course.. MILLIONS of people with similar ailments are going without.. hmmmmm

[DemBones DemBones]

32. I'm another one who should have one and hasn't been able to get it

so far. My primary care doc (with lots of elderly & chronically ill patients, has been given no vaccine this year. I tried to get one at a store but they gave the shots hours before we had been told to be there.

[sr_pacifica]

49. Find out about the Visiting Nurses Association flu clinics in your area.

That's VNA. You will need a note from your doctor to show them that you are in a high-risk group.

[tinanator]

19. wheres the Anthrax terrorist when you need him?

If youre gonna kill somebody, have some taste!

RIP Bill.

[greblc]

20. Sorry Dick the Chicken Hawk gets...

no sympathy or pass from me. Women and Children first. It is their shortcoming that created the situation.

How will these incompetents ever have the resourcefulness to vaccinate our population against Biological attacks.

This illustrates a vulnerability in vaccine manufacturing and distribution.

Can you imagine the panic in the event of a large scale Anthrax attack?

Washington cant protect us from the Flu.

[aquart]

23. Cheney should.

Our Congress is a whole other story.

[David Zephyr]

24. 374 Seniors in Line One Day at a Kroger in Houston

Believe me, this will not sit well with these old folks. People in their eighties and nineties and cancer survivors.

Cheney's privilege.

[LizW]

25. This is acceptable to me

No matter how much I despise the guy, he does hold the office of Vice President of the United States, at least for a little while longer. I think it is important to do what it takes to protect his safety and health. It's part of having respect for the office, if not the man who temporarily holds it.

Plus, his heart problems might (I don't know) put him in a high risk group that would justify his getting the vaccine. He shouldn't get less than the average citizen would get.

Now, the Senators and Congressmen who are young and healthy and got the vaccine? That's another story. I am stunned that they would be so arrogant and stupid as to take the vaccine before other citizens, and, even worse, to let everyone know about it. What doofuses.

[Mz Pip]

26. He fits the profile of

those who should get a vaccine. Let's not make an issue outof something that is a non issue. He's had 4 heart attacks. A frined of mine who is much younger than Cheney was told to get a flu shot and she'd only had one heart attack.

MzPip
:dem:

[UTUSN]

27. What the Hell Does This A-Hole HAVE, Anyway? n/t

[quaoar]

28. Drudge has a screaming banner headline

that says Kerry slams Cheney for getting a flu shot.

[cdsilv]

31. ...I've never had a flu shot....

...however, I think I had the flu (or something) last christmas eve, christmas day and a few days after last year while living in a homeless shelter.

It wasn't fun, but I did survive.

[Spiffarino]

30. How did Cheney qualify?

Zombies are supposed to be immune to the flu. They get that way from eating
BRAAAAAAIIIIIINNnnnnssssss!!!!!

[Klapaucius]

39. Zombie?

I was thinking more along the lines of a lich...

But, a Google image search reveals that they tend to be skeletal, or at least the common conception of them is.

Oh well, undead either way. Although he does remind me strangely of Montgomery Burns from the Simpsons.

He just seems like the kind that would gleefully rejoice in foul and evil deeds.

K.


Now that I think of it, he reminds me of the main villain in Doom III.

[looking glass]

33. Cardiac patients fit the guidelines.

President Clinton had a flu shot too.

[amandabeech]

35. No matter what happens Nov. 2, Bush and Cheney are going

to be running the country for at least two more weeks. Then, I believe, Kerry and Edwards will take over. Considering the world situation today, I wouldn't want any of them to be out of it with 103 degree fevers at the wrong time. Therefore, I wouldn't blame any of them for getting a flu shot.

As I understand it, the nasal mist supply is more than sufficient this year. Perhaps Bush, Kerry, Edwards and other top people under 65 and without a qualifying chronic disease should get the nasal mist. I may do that myself, since I'm very, very susceptible to the flu.

[kohodog]

37. Dick is such a sick fuck he deserves to be first in line! n/t

[JVS]

40. I remember when PA gov Bob Casey got a heart transplant...

without any delay while my friends father had been on the waiting list for a long time. It was very upsetting to the whole family to see someone jump to the top of the list because of political connections.

That having been said, Cheney is an unhealthy man. His poor health qualifies him for a flu shot.

[PartyPooper]

41. This reminds me of the Titanic disaster. "Women and children first!"

I reckon Cheney qualifies as a bratty adult posing as child. Whatever.

:eyes:

[AlFrankenFan]

44. He's old...but then again, extremely fucking priveleged

So he didn't need it. Believe me, if my mom wasn't a fanatic about it, I wouldn't have gotten one either. But he's a fucking adult, the fucking VP. He could've given it to someone who really needs it.

[ogradda]

45. he's in a high risk group so i understand that

as long as he stood in a costco line for 3 hours like my mother did.

[nadinbrzezinski]

47. Under Triage rules he is in the high risk that needs it

In this case nothing is improper

[goclark]

48. My mom is 86,diabetic and

had major surgery in June.

Not one place to get her a flu shot.

Cheney is telling us that he is well enough to run this country and he gets a flu shot before my mom.

No justice, no peace!

[terrierist]

50. Prison inmates get flu shots

This is what a right-wing newspaper (The Trentonian) in Trenton, New Jersey had as its front page story on Wednesday, October 20. (I wanted to make this a new post but was informed by DU that "I don't have enough posts to create a new post." If that doesn't come under idiotic democratic rules, I don't know what does.) Anyway - I'm a NJ state employee, and many of my fellow workers were full of anger after reading that headline today, which said that hundreds of inmates had received the shots and "State and local health departments have said repeatedly that flu shots are limited to seniors over age 65, children and those with chronic illnesses or serious health concerns. But the demand has proved so great that even residents who fit the criteria have been turned away from vaccination clinics or told by their doctors to check back as new supplies arrive.
They aren’t as fortunate as hundreds of prison inmates who have received their shots in recent weeks." The article complained that many of the shot recipients were violent offenders.

I can't help but wonder if this story from a newspaper with a bias worse than Fox news wasn't a deliberate move to deflect anger away from the Bush Administration for its failure to provide enough flu shots, and to redirect that anger at the publicly unpopular inmate population. Polls in New Jersey are showing a fairly tight race, and I wonder if this story is just another dirty trick to try to mislead voters two weeks before the election and steal New Jersey's electoral votes.

[T Bone]

51. So Cheney is OLD, SICK, UNFIT for office, and CORRUPT

This proves it beyond a doubt.

Not like anyone here doesn't already know it.

[monobrau]

54. Uh - he's the vice president until January

C'mon people, it really gets silly around here sometimes. I may loathe the man, but it would be pretty stupid for the vice president to be taken out by the flu, and he does qualify for health reasons anyway.
I want him nice and healthy so he can spend his last years in a Federal prison.

[moondust]

57. George Costanza would have done the same Dick.

Push the seniors and children out of the way if you have to. It's your due.

[SoCalDem]

58. It was perfectly proper to give him the shot.. We should USE it..

NOT berate him for it..
My spin would be :

Kerry:..."...Mr Cheney was right in getting the shot.. The administration said the shots were to be given to the "most frail, sickly people" among us.." A person with a LONG history or heart DISEASE, and ill health, SHOULD get the shot...and I am glad that he did..He might just be the MOST IMPORTANT person in this administration, and since they have to serve until January 20th, we cannot affaord to have Mr Cheney sick ..."..:evilgrin:

[triguy46]

60. take a deep breath folks

He meets the CDC criteria. If he walked into my clinic, he'd qualify for a flu shot, (We have vaccine, and we are very popular right now).

[suegeo]

61. Did he pay for it out of his war profits?

Did Snarl pay for this shot out of his share of the war profits, or did us serfs have to pick up the tab for this, as well?