Tag Archive: vaccine

Howard Stern, the Democrats’ new best friend

Howard Stern, woke this week

Usually, blunt and crude radio personalities like Howard Stern are not great Democratic role models. That’s because they will often make “edgy” remarks about women, minorities or cultural issues to get a laugh, a reaction and/or higher ratings. This week, however, Stern made comments — not once, but twice — that would cause a Democrat to blush with pride.

First, on his SiriusXM satellite radio show this past Monday, Stern went off on Republicans’ pathological use of the term “woke” as a criticism of Democratic values.:

I kind of take that as a compliment, that I’m ‘woke.’ … To me, the opposite of ‘woke’ is being asleep…. And if ‘woke’ means I can’t get behind [Donald Trump], which is what I think it means, or that I support people who want to be transgender, or I’m for the vaccine — dude, call me ‘woke’ as you f‑‑‑ing want.

As to the Trump supporters who most often use the “woke” term against Democrats, Stern said:

I want to read legitimate news sources. Here’s how ‘woke’ I am: I believe the election was not rigged.

Continuing on the subject of the latest updated COVID vaccine (which many Republicans criticize as “woke,”), Stern added that he recently received it:

I’m not for stupidity…. F‑‑‑in’ science. This f‑‑‑ing country is so great…. I am ‘woke,’ motherf‑‑‑er. And I love it.

As if this weren’t enough to endear Stern to Democrats and rational Independents, on Monday he also attacked MAGA Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert for her recent tawdry behavior, which included vaping, groping with her date, taking selfies, etc. in a crowded Denver theater, all of which got the pair kicked out. Responding to a caller who brought up the topic, Stern said:

Lauren Boebert is a disgrace to this country! Forget the politics. She’s in a ti–y dress. She’s with some dude. Looks like she’s obviously vaping, but also looks like she might be grabbing his p—s during ‘Beetlejuice.’

Stern also reportedly “ripped [Boebert] for being a liar after she initially denied that she vaped during the musical.” According to Stern:

I don’t know what’s going on in Colorado. What are they — just got dumb people in Colorado. How do you elect someone like her? …. I mean, how did she win an election? How does a woman like that win an election? You know, there’s certain standards. Once you get caught lying like that, goodbye!

While we would likely choose different language, on this occasion at least, Howard Stern demonstrated to Democrats how to go on offense against the Republicans. For this, he deserves our applause and our attention.

Photo by Bill Norton, used under Creative Commons license. https://is.gd/sRfPnu

Finally, a news article that blames COVID deaths on the unvaccinated

National Guard administering COVID vaccination in Arizona

One of the saddest elements of the Coronavirus pandemic in the United States is the elevation of false and erroneous information in the media, including but not limited to social media such as Facebook. Much of this “fake news” is critical of COVID vaccination and precautions such as mask wearing. Some of it is politically motivated, for example, by people who don’t trust any government, or by right wingers who want to hurt Democratic leaders such as President Joe Biden and various Democratic state governors, who are largely proactive in fighting the pandemic.

As a result, the media information on COVID that many people access and then discuss with their friends, family and colleagues becomes “he said/she said,” featuring falsehoods on an even level with scientific evidence and truths. In such an environment, therefore, few things are more welcome than this news article from a few days ago (and since updated) in The Miami Herald:

Not just a number.’ COVID deaths pass 700,000 in U.S. amid vaccine refusal, delta variant

What distinguishes this article is that it’s an actual news article, not an opinion or editorial piece or comment, which places the blame for the recent 700,000 U.S. COVID death milestone squarely on the folks who refuse to get a COVID vaccine. After the jump are some choice excerpts and quotes from the article:

Prominent right wingers being silenced by COVID

Anti-vaccine/anti-mask protester, August 2021

Three right wing radio hosts who railed against COVID vaccinations and masks have died of COVID just in the past month. They are Phil Valentine, Dick Farrel and Marc Bernier. They are joined by other prominent right wingers, including Caleb Wallace, a self-described anti-mask “freedom fighter” who treated himself with the livestock deworming medicine Ivermectin and died of COVID last Saturday at age 30, and H. Scott Apley, a Texas Republican Official who criticized and mocked COVID vaccinations, and who died of COVID in early August at age 45. It is unknown how many others these conservatives in the spotlight caused to die by influencing their followers not to get vaccinated and/or wear masks in public places.

Examples of the diatribes of these dead conservatives include Marc Bernier’s last tweet (his Twitter account has now been deleted), in which Bernier, referring to Democratic government officials who exhort Americans to get vaccinated, wrote:”Now the US Government is acting like Nazi’s” [sic]. Likewise, as to Phil Valentine, according to WTVF NewsChannel 5, Nashville, TN:

In December of 2020 he tweeted “I have a very low risk of A) Getting COVID and B) dying of it if I do. Why would I risk getting a heart attack or paralysis by getting the vaccine?”

He even recorded a parody song – Vaxman – mocking the vaccine.

Republicans are losing the COVID war

Oregon National Guard soldier receiving COVID vaccine

On Monday, President Joe Biden‘s White House COVID-19 Data Director, Dr. Cyrus Shapar, reported that the United States had reached a long-sought milestone in vaccinations:

Perhaps not surprisingly, however, red states have been of little or no help in reaching this COVID vaccination milestone:

Nevertheless, despite the efforts of many Republicans, including those on Fox “News,” to raise doubts about and opposition to COVID vaccines and other precautions such as mask-wearing, things are starting to change. If these Republicans are waging a very sick war that keeps COVID alive and kills many Americans, it appears they are losing allies.

The story is COVID. Drive the story.

Everyone should be masking in public

If you subscribe to the right news services or social media accounts and look through the headlines, you will find out that right now, America and the world are facing a new COVID emergency. The problem, largely based on the “Delta variant,” is bad enough that organizations from the California State University System to the Washington Post are starting to require proof of COVID vaccination for those who show up in person, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.) announced Monday that it would mandate coronavirus vaccines for its front-line workers. Likewise, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) just announced that all people, including those fully vaccinated, should wear masks indoors again in areas with “high” or “substantial” COVID transmission.

However, U.S. Republicans, whose anti-vaccine, anti-mask diatribes and protests are largely responsible for the new COVID emergency, don’t want to talk about the new COVID surge (except, cynically, to try to blame President Joe Biden, who has made extraordinary strides and numerous public calls for full vaccination). Rather, Republicans want to distract by cosplaying about immigration, attacking the imaginary “Critical Race Theory,” fretting about trans people and their bathroom use, or just about anything else that is part of their 24/7 Culture War.

How to persuade Republicans to take the COVID vaccine

COVID vaccinations, increasingly received by Democrats

Right now, the Republican anti-science, anti-facts cult that previously enveloped climate change and the 2020 presidential election results has spread to the COVID vaccine. Indeed, Republican anti-COVID vaccine (and anti-mask) sentiment is directly intertwined with their Big Lie regarding the 2020 presidential election (that Donald Trump really beat Joe Biden, but Trump’s reelection was stolen by voter fraud), as reflected by the bizarre statement by Trump last Sunday that “people are refusing to take the Vaccine because they don’t trust his Administration, they don’t trust the Election results, and they certainly don’t trust the Fake News, which is refusing to tell the Truth.” Not surprisingly, the results in the red states have been especially deadly. After the jump, we’ll give what is perhaps the best suggestion to get more Republicans vaccinated and get us closer to a point of safety from COVID in America.

Democrats create achievements, Republicans create acrimony

Democrats getting things done while Republicans do each other in

Right now, there is a massive split between what is going on in the Democratic Party versus the Republican Party.

The Democrats, led by President Joe Biden, have had a tremendous 100 days. First and foremost, Biden has succeeded in getting over 200 million COVID vaccinations into Americans’ arms (double his original stated goal), and taking steps to beat the pandemic using real science and competence. Next, Biden pushed through and signed the American Rescue Plan, including stimulus checks for millions of Americans, all while rejoining the Paris Agreement on climate change and undoing many of Trump’s damaging executive orders. Biden is now being compared to progressive activist President Franklin Roosevelt, who also had a very successful first 100 days (as well as being re-elected president three more times).

Meanwhile, as if to quash another Republican myth, the U.S. stock market has had the best performance during a president’s first 100 days since the beginning of John F. Kennedy‘s presidency in 1961. Biden’s popularity is substantially high (and way higher than Trump’s), especially given our polarized politics today. Biden and Congressional Democrats have also continued on offense with a positive policy agenda that includes rebuilding America’s infrastructure, creating jobs, battling climate change, support for American families, and more. While they may not get all of it passed in its current proposed form (after all, Washington is about compromise and the art of the possible), they are poised to pass a great deal more.

Republicans about to fall into next political trap on infrastructure

Better roads and more jobs: a win-win for America

On the heels of  President Joe Biden‘s policy and political victory on the American Rescue Plan (ARP), and with the COVID vaccination rate well exceeding his 100-day goal, Biden and Congressional Democrats are now adding infrastructure to their agenda. That is the dry term for the crucial task of rebuilding America’s crumbling roads and bridges. And once again, just as happened with the ARP, Republicans are in danger of ending up on the wrong side of a very popular issue.

First, recall that Donald Trump, touting himself as a “builder,” had talked about rebuilding America’s infrastructure since at least 2015. After arriving at the White House, Trump even promised up to $1.5 trillion in infrastructure spending. Of course, Trump’s big plan never happened, just like Trump’s promised healthcare plan, nor anything else other than a tax cut for the wealthy and the near-destruction of our democracy.

But now the Democrats, with the White House and control of both houses of Congress, have the opportunity to deliver on rebuilding America, or what President Biden and the Democrats might call “Build Back Better.” And here’s where the Republicans may again fall into a trap of their own making:

President Biden becomes successful spokesman for his agenda

When selling his agenda, President Biden has the gift of gab.

Yesterday, President Joe Biden announced from the White House that U.S. COVID vaccinations will reach 100 million today, more than six weeks ahead of Biden’s previously set goal of 100 million COVID doses in the first 100 days of his presidency. This remarkable achievement follows President Biden’s successful signing of the American Rescue Plan (ARP), with his full proposed $1.9 trillion in relief, into law. Biden’s signing of the ARP was followed by an extremely effective White House speech where he announced direct stimulus payments of up to $1,400 to many Americans (a large number of which have already been received), as well as strong steps to combat the Coronavirus pandemic, including increased purchasing and distribution of vaccines, and assistance to states and businesses.

Perhaps it should not be surprising that President Biden has been so good at touting his administration’s achievements. After all, Biden is the one who, as U.S. Vice President, came up with the bumper sticker of the year for the 2012 elections:

If you are looking for a bumper sticker to sum up how President Obama has handled what we inherited, it’s pretty simple: Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive.

Time for a Liberal Shock Doctrine on COVID

Republicans may soon be feeling the Liberal Shock Doctrine

In her 2007 book The Shock Doctrine, author Naomi Klein explains how Republican leaders, especially George W. Bush, imposed conservative economic plans, including laissez-faire and privatization, upon the people of Iraq, the residents of New Orleans, and others who were shell-shocked from wars or other disasters. We have argued that, if Republicans can impose their Shock Doctrine when bad things happen and they are in power, then Democrats can do so too, with Democratic, progressive policies. The COVID pandemic presents just such an opportunity for President Joe Biden and the Democrats who now control both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Sure enough, there are signs that a liberal, or Democratic, Shock Doctrine is about to be put into practice: