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Question: How many people need to get sick for Obama to take this epidemic seriously?

Answer: One. Unfortunately, that person's name is Barack Obama.

To P. Y – because the dems had the foresight to think ahead, Its called good governing. The repubs, being that they don't care about silly little things like pandemics, demanded it be taken out of the stimulus. FACT.

If $1.8 Billion is wasted on this flu... then it must be removed from SOMEWHERE in the budget.

This is getting absolutely ridiculous how QUICKLY and EASILY Obama calls for B-I-L-L-I-O-N-S.

I would first like to say to all of the pigs and birds out there that Hillary will apologize for the arrogant United States causing all of these problems. I agree with Al Gore that it is probably caused by global warming and that the best way to handle it woudl be a cap & trade policy.

FYI: This is funding which was previously requested for the exact same reasons and the GOP turned it down.

How could "the money" - whatever that means - have been asked for in the original spending bill when the outbreak just started last week?

I want to know where & how the money is to be spent instead of just giving him a blank check.

Ok, anti- spending folks, I know its hard but please think. It takes money to mass produce vaccines and medicine, takes money to quarantine and screen massive amounts of people, takes money to have nurses and doctors work tons of overtime- sometimes pending is necessary by the people who are there to protect us and CAN FIX things. Don't say no no no just for the sake of saying no.

Maybe that $1.4 billion for rural waste disposal programs that was in the stimulus wasn't as big a waste as the Republicans said.

Maybe we really should look at disposal of waste on Hog Farms.

Ya Think?

I'd sure like just a tiny bit of this money so that I can afford to see my oncologist and get the recommended CT scan done. $18,000/year is too much income for medicaid, and I haven't been disabled by the cancer long enough, nor am I old enough, to be eligible for medicare.

Re the swine flu pandemic, why did MX keep this under their hat for so long? Also, why do I get the feeling that a substantial portion of the 1.5 B will be sent over the border?

The current outbreak ? There is no outbreak except in the media.
40 reported cases in the US, none of which are hospitalized.
There should already be money in the Dept of Health’s budget for a disease outbreak. Why more money ? What’s he going to do send our money down south ?

The president wouldn't have to ask congress for money to fight the swine flu if funding hadn't been removed by some holier than thou republicans from the stimulus package! They had better hope that this mess doesn't become an epidemic! Republicans whining cause nothing but trouble because they don't want any extra money to help anybody but themselves! They never learn!

Of course, more spending, and then the admin can tell us what medicine to take, when to take it, how to take it, and who is eligible to take it. Why? Because when they spend money they think they get to make all the decisions. A government built on power to the people is changing (willingly and sadly) to power to the bureaucrats.

More Money? Wow... who thought of that! I am sure the govt is behind the whole outbreak......Time for depopulation...

I'd like to see the rational for the money and exactly what $1.5 Billlion dollars is going to be spent on. We've got a few cases of the flu in this country and no fatalities, yet once again Obama plays the fear card and asks for huge sums of money. It's time for some transparency. What will the money be spent on??? Be specific please, i.e. not just to "Fight the flu""

Obama asked for this money in the original stimulus plan but the Repugs wanted no part of that, so, they voted it down. He wouldn't have to ask for it now if the Repugs hadn't done that.

Any idiot here that thinks it does not cost that much either has No High School Diploma, or is a Republican.

GOP = FAIL!!!

AndyL : you still didn't answer the question – would you rather President Obama spend the money in Iraq rather than the US of A????? Also the repugnacians took out funding for a pandemic and they still voted against the bill.

It's called the swine flu stimulus package. Half the money gets funneled to ACORN.

WATCH OUT!! SOCIALIZED MEDICINE IS ON THE WAY. THIS SITUATION WILL BE POLITICIZED BY THOSE WITH AN AGENDA. AND NOTCIE HOW CALIFORNIA IS THE FIRST ONE. COULD BE THAT IT IS BEING BROUGHT IN FROM MEXICO.

Mississippi Mike – no we don't have money set aside for this, the repugs made sure spending for a pandemics was TAKEN OUT of the budget. That is a FACT, go look it up.

Money takes care of everything what a joke. Keep the sickness in Mexico and dont let them over here spreading their illness. Between the drug cartels and flu's they know how to hurt us. The answer is legalize pot and there wouldn't be so much killings.Nope Government couldn't make money off of it that way.

Liberal and Proud of It dot com – btw i am a staunch PROUD LIBERAL DEM also. YOur post was oh so true how they think. they, the rethugs, conservatives and lush limpaugh listeners have no compassion, no ideas and no solutions. They didn't mind gwb rebuilding Iraq yet they have a huge problem with President Obama taking care of America. I wonder if they are anti american???

The only reason GOPers don't care about it yet is because it isn't effecting them, just Mexicans. At least that's how they see it. You see, Mexicans deserve it and have it coming to them as far as the GOP is concerned because they're all "illegals" and drug dealers in their simplified version of reality.

I gotta admit, 1.5 billion does seem like alot on money. I'd like to hear how serious this is 1st.

Use some of the dang bailout money you've already gotten. Why is the answer always to spend more money? Don't we already have funding for this type of thing?

Close the boarders. It takes 5-7 day to know if you have the flu, people who enter the USA may not be sick when they cross but could become sick once their here. Use common sense when making decision about American lives!

It's going to be hilarious when this thing goes pandemic in 6 months after the expected lull, and suddenly everyone in this commentary section who had knee-jerk criticism of Obama for this request is glad he made it.

LOL, GOP'ers (right-to-lifers) are against this...............................WHY? They only are interested in Upper-income to extream-wealthy folks living everyone else dosen't deserve to stay alive. What a JOKE!

@enlighted voter
Maybe he can use the monies in his "photo ops" fund

>>>>>and assisting international efforts to>>>>> stem the outbreak >>>>>could be good uses of the funds. He

In other words, lets send a billion or so to Mexico to all the drug lords and drug runners will not get sick before they cross into our country with illegal drugs.

Why dont we spend that 1.5 billion on health care for people losing jobs in the USA,,,,,

I have no problems with Obama requesting money for this. However, if you are going to request 1.5 billion, please already have a plan in place on how the money will be spent and not merely suggestions.

So is this the time for alarm now that we are way past concerned. I mean 1.5 BILLION for some 20 people who have the flu. That is $50 million per person. That must be some vaccine!

Oh no...don't spend money helping people in america...that's bad. What will cure the swine flu is Tax Cuts...tax cuts cure everything.

BTW People, by definition...the government spends the peoples money, by definition. Bush spent a butt load on illegal wars. Atleast this guy is spending it on REAL problems rather then the tooth fairy (WMD's).

Obama just charge it.

Spend baby spend! Can they print up enough money for this man?

I hate to point out but Germany tried this type of thing and it led to the people needing a wheelbarrow to curry enough money just to buy a loaf of bread.

But then again we could be like Zimbabwe and have 1 trillion dollar bills in our wallets. Wont that be cool? Thank you Obama for making our money as worthless as you being the president!

OK Conservatives. Here is an example of a problem the nation is facing. What should your federal government do?

1. Let the free market solve it. Sick Americans can simply go to their doctors and hospitals and pay for treatment. Those who cannot pay should have planned better.

2. Encourage Americans to stop using birth control medication so as to replace those citizens who have died.

3. Let the local governments handle it. After all, the county health officer is more trustworthy than the distant, incompetent federal government.

4. Give blankets formerly used by swine flu victims to old people on social security. If they die, it will help reduce social security and medicare expenditures.

5. Call for stronger enforcement of immigration laws. Deport those who have swine flu.

6. Call for a Constitutional Amendment banning flag burning and gay marriage.

7. Give a speech about the second amendment to the Constitution. Americans should have the right to shoot swine flu victims who try to enter their homes.

8. Reduce taxes on the wealthy class.

blah blah blah...... Republicans bitch and moan while the rest of us, (the 80% who actually do love this country) recognize government trying to actually do what is right and applaud it.

You dems didn't think the Senator from ME was so bad when she deserted the rest of her party to vote in Obama's Trillion Dollar Debt (I mean stimulus) package.

All of a sudden you turn on her! Nice..I hope Arlen Spector doesn't feel the knife going in to painfully.

Here's a suggestion obama. Why don't you open your checkbook and write a large check. Since you are getting paid about $500,000 a year? Instead of creating money, that the country doesn't have. And stop creating more debt for the middle class tax payers.

Spend, spend, spend. 1.5 billion is waaaaaaayyyyyyyy more than necessary. I'm not sure if people can quite comprehend how much money that really is. It's flabbergasting that he'd ask for that much, especially for a problem that he feel's isn't that big a deal. There has to be more to this than he's letting on.

What, so the right-wingers are happy to be paranoid and demand things to be done when they're afraid of something, but if it involves spending money its out of the question? Personally, I think the swine flu is being blown out of proportion, but there's nothing wrong with trying to save lives. Imagine if one of your loved ones had it...wouldn't you want something to be done? Stop worrying about money, worry about lives.

Every GOP'er is an idiot obviously, especially considering that the GOP eliminated the money that was to be spent for this from the stimulus!

You want a threat to a nation's economy? Mexico is entirely shut down right now. Can you imagine how much money they are losing?

I thought yesterday there was no need to panic? Yet today we need 1.5 billion?

The CDC has more than enough Tamiflu on hand, so why exactly 1.5 billion....

What is 1.5 billion for only 20 people have this.....Thats 20 people out of how many hundreds of million. This is crazy I dont think this president understand inflation. Its going to be a sad day in four years when we look back and look at how much liberty we lost and look at how much we are in debt.

$1.5 billion with maximum flexibility? Um, no. I guess Mr. Obama hasn't learned that unless you put stipulations and make sure you know where every penny is going, that $1.5 billion will be spent on everything but what he wants it used for. *Cough* Bailout *Cough*

To all the people critizing him for getting funds to control or fight this; what would you do? What is your plan that does not cost any money? I would like to hear it.

I am sure they will throw a few earmarks in this. This guy has never met any dollar especially our dollars that he won't spend. Barack is the Pac Man Jones of politics(Let is rain baby!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Amazing that Cuba has prohibited travel to and from Mexico to protect itself against swine flu yet Obama still values political correctness more than the health and welfare of the citizens of the US.

Hey rethugs I guess you'd rather our President spend money on Iraq and neglect this country like the last one did huh??? Why do you guys hate America?

If the Republicans say no, I would send them all to Mexico

How about closing the border and stopping all flights out to into Mexico, just long enough for the US and Mexico get over this. The more people coming and going the higher the risk for the US.

We now have 2 deaths from this strain... Yes, we all get the flu but not one that is known to kill the healthy as this one is doing.

Get smart Obama... shut those borders and stop those planes and trains.

NO MORE SPENDING!!!

I'm glad that he want's to be prepared for a pandemic, He may know something i don't about this disease but this guy uses The "Chin-American Express" Credit Card like it has no limit. . .

Doesn't this man know anything other than "I want money to spend" NOW???

By the end of this term, American will have to file for Bankruptcy!

AndyL April 28th, 2009 4:01 pm ET

Obama has not found a problem that spending can't solve

Yeah, its finny how throwing resources and capital at problems has a peculiar way of solving them...

...of course he has. I thought there was nothing to worry about.

The republicans demanded that funding for pandemic issues be taken out of the budget cause we all know they just don't care and look what has happened.
AndyL: would you rather President Obama spend the money rebuilding Iraq like it has been?????? Or in AMerica?????

I thought Congress was controled by Democrats? Has Obama started, talking to himself?

I don't want one dime of my money going to anyone outside this Country, not ONE DIME BARRY.

You can apologize all you want for this Country, I on the other hand KNOW and can rattle off hundreds of instances where WE helped EVERY damn Country and all we got in return was scorn and ridicule.

If one dime goes to help someone other than a US citizen it will further prove how much of an anti-American socialist that you are.

This doesn't make me anti-world, but PRO-AMERICAN, which every other Country does in times of crisis, THEY TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN FIRST.

conservatives and Republicans screaming:

"No, don't save people. let them die, all of them die!"

in....3-2-1......

Obama has not found a problem that spending can't solve

So far, I am very impressed with the way our President has handled this situation with the Swine virus. If I have anything I would really want him to do, is "close the borders" now. Stop air travel in both directions. I listened to Gen. Honore this morning and this was also his suggestion and I certainly agree. Do it now before it's too late. Mexico is a friend and should understand this is being done to proctect both countries.

Here's where the right wing-nuts start carping "Here he goes again, spending my money" complaining it will benefit illegal aliens and poor people, not just the elite.
Shoot, Beck will probably say this pandemic was actually unleashed by the Obama administration to punish those who don't endorse socialism. Or Michele Bachman will claim its just a ruse to herd us all into re-education camps. Then Hannity will call for the right wing militias to mobilize so they can shoot the virus down if it attacks their homes. Who'll be the first?

And where does all this money that he keeps asking for come from? Do we just keep printing more or what?

does he EVER stop asking for money??

There's nothing in a $3.5 TRILLION DOLLAR Budget to fight a flu virus? Obama must not be looking that hard.

It's a smart idea, I doubt there will be much resistance from the opposition.

I think that our nation should provide every form of assistance that we can to Mexico in order to fight this possible pandemic. At this time, Mexico is on the front line of this battle. This nation is already suffering from the narco-trafficante crime war and it's governmental agencies need some help. Only the US (and perhaps with help from Canada) is in a position to render tangible scientific and monetary assistance. Mexico is an ally. A large portion of our population has Mexican heritage. Let's extend a hand to a friend.

Well I wonder if the republicans in congress will object to this. Would not suprise me if they did, they have went against everything else the president has tried to do.

Why don't you use some of the money for your elaborate "fly-by" photo-op for this?

is he also going to blast the drug companies for charging too much for drugs after they spent so much money on research and development to come up with the drugs that he now finds so important?

Let him find these funds somewhere else in his budget. We have less than 100 cases here in the U.S. That means he's asking for $15,000,000 per reported case. Is America waking up yet?

Come on Prez, Don't hop on the 'OH NO NOT THE PIG FLU' bandwagon. Here in the USA we have modern medical technologies like Tylenol, and chicken noodle soup.

Does anyone else not see the person crying wolf?? SARS OH NO!!! WEST NILE WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!! THE BIRD FLU WILL SURELY KILL US ALL!!!

Come on. Take some cold medicine and deal. The flu kills old people and sickly people near death already. Pig, nile, sars, bird; its just the flu.

Asking is all well and good but I doubt he'll get it. There's too much politics involved for the good of the people to actually be an issue. And even if he does get it, the Republicans will fight him every step of the way. They aren't interested in whats good for the people.

This swine flu sounds like a hoax, just like all the other 'pandemics' of recent years. Swine flu is flavor of the month now.

Mr President, our citizens, and more specifically your democrat Congress, have given you enough "maximum flexibility".

Interesting that every new crisis comes with a call for more spending.

Republicans vote no like you have been doing. Don't help Americans. You are so good at turning your backs on Americans. If it is ok with Rush, then vote yes. Don't think for your country. Rush is the man!!!

Knowing the Obama administration the main recipients of these funds will be ACORN, the unions and any business George Soros is connected with and it will point out the need for the ECAF bill.

Watching how the President and this administration is handling this issue, before it even becomes a serious threat in the US actually makes me feel safe. I feel like if things are handled the way they should be I wouldn't have to worry if I caught it.

Heck, get us some funding to fight off the swine called the GOP....

Yes, is there any money available to throw at this problem?

I love the response time of this President. He evaluates, consults, then acts. Better than the guy in that office for the last 8 years.

Go ahead, Mr. President. Just don't send any funds to Texas – it's a self-sufficient state, apparently.

yeah after republican Senator Collins had it removed from the stimulus bill as unnecessary PORK.

Stupid is as stupid does and the average American pays the price.