May 03 2009
Sunday News Review: Swine Flu, Arlen Specter, Orin Hatch, Joe Scarborough
The Swine Flu:
On Meet the PressDavid Gregory hosted a variety of guests this week including the Swine Flu Crew, HHS Sec. Kathleen Sebelius, DHS Sec. Janet Nepolitano, CDC Acting Dir. Dr. Richard Besser. The three reiterated claims made earlier in the week that public transportation is sage, contradicting VP Biden’s gaffe. They are also fast tracking a vaccine now that they’ve isolated the bug, this however takes time, and no one would specifically state how long they thought it would take. The new and pressing question is why the swine flu is so virulent and deadly in Mexico and not as much here. One theory ventured by Dr. Besser, “We’re earlier than the Mexicans are, and it appears that they have had widespread flu across their country.” The health trio also appeared on Face the Nation.
Arlen Specter:
Arlen Specter also made the rounds, appearing on Meet the Press and Face the Nation, this sunday using the platform to continue his campaign again right wing attack PAC The Club for Growth, essentially blaming that organizations targeted campaign against him as a moderate as the precipitating factor in his recent defection from the democratic party. He also took the opportunity to deny claims that he was induced across the aisle with promises of position from the Dems., acknowledging only that he was promised only his continued seniority and campaign help from Obama.
The Republican Party:
Joe Scarborough and Ed Gillespie appeared on Meet the Press to offer a conservatives view of what is UP with the Republican Party. The two agreed that the party was healthier under the “Big Tent” that existed under Ronald Reagan. Joe Scarborough went farther stating that the Republican party is no longer conservative but “radical”.
Supreme Court: On This Week, Orin Hatch said that Obama using words like empathy is speaking in code, advocating for an activist judge. Also on Fox News Sunday Chris Wallace cornered Janet Nepolitano on rumors that she is being considered for the new Justice position. Nepolitano refused to deny that she would be interested in the position of offered.
Sunday Showdown: It was a quiet and amicable week for the most part with only one minor disagreement, that being between This WeekRound table guests, George Will and Gwen Ifil. George Will stated that NO is a good word in politics “I happen to believe that no is a pretty good word in politics. Most beautiful five words in the English language are the first five words of the first amendment. “Congress shall make no law,” period. But beyond that, in fact, Mr. Obama, by the clarity of his program and the energy of his program, is going to help the Republicans redefine themselves. They are going to be an opposition to this. They’re going to be again a party of more limited government, and if Mr. Obama’s program works, he wins. If not, the Republican revival assured.”
Ifil’s response, ” Well, and that’s where the danger of those five words that George was talking about comes, because it doesn’t — there’s not a period after Congress shall make no law. It continues.”
