Tommy Thompson blames Clinton for flu vaccine shortage

[quaoar]

http://www.hhs.gov/news/speech/2004/191004.html

"We knew that our flu vaccine manufacturing marketplace had withered from neglect for much of the 90s, and we began taking aggressive steps to reverse that environment as well as prepare for challenges such as the one we face this year with a vaccine shortage.

< snip >

Now, I want to take a few moments to outline why we are in this predicament and how far this administration has taken us in transforming the flu vaccine marketplace. No President or administration has investment more in the flu than this one.

The fact is that the flu vaccine marketplace has been withering for years, through most of the 1990s. Ten years ago, in 1994, we had five manufacturers of injectible flu vaccine; today we have two.

There are many reasons for the souring of the marketplace, including: high risks associated with a complex production process; unpredictable consumer demand that often leaves manufacturers with millions of surplus doses; and low-profit margins; and costly liability lawsuits."

[hatrack]

1. Wouldn't a "withered marketplace" stem from lack of PRIVATE capital?

Uh, Tommy? Did that not occur to you?

[Stephanjnj]

15. There never any vaccine shortage on Clinton's watch!

Nice try Tommy, but no cigar!

[displacedtexan]

2. In other words...

"It took us four years to fail the American people so miserably."

[Cha]

3. Nice try ..you lying sack o shit...

but this stops at your door...no blaming Clinton for something you had four fucking years to make all right.

[Jacobin]

4. Now there's a surprise!!

4years later, STILL blaming Clinton. Funny, I don't recall any shortages during the 1990's do you?

[MichiganVote]

5. Not only that, my car headlight went out--must be Clinton's fault

The Hurricane's in Florida?-Clinton's fault

Yankee's loss in NY?-Clinton's fault

You name it, must be Clinton's fault

[Lefta Dissenter]

6. well, you know,

if the Clintonistas hadn't removed all of the "W"s from the typewriters, then the incoming administration would have been able to send off their requests: "anted, more flu vaccines" just wouldn't cut it! :shrug:

[Wind Dancer]

7. These people just tell bald-faced lies.

Politicians use to be somewhat discreet but not this group.

[DrZeeLit]

8. But...what are they doing about a bioterror attack? Huh????

Isn't that a reality in their freaked out minds? Doesn't a major flu epidemic cross their peabrains when planning for a terrorist attack?
HUH?

Who the hell are these idiots and ... pah leeeeze... get rid of them!!!

[gratuitous]

9. This whole administration was just warm-up, wasn't it?

Sorry, Tommy. As soon as your boss took his hand off the Bible or that copy of Classic Comics or whatever in hell he swore on to uphold the Constitution, he became the President, for good or bad. Mostly for bad.

There's a problem with the supply of flu vaccine this year? YOUR fault, you ten pounds of shit in a five pound bag.

[ThoughtCriminal]

10. This is what they do instead

of actually solving problems. Pays the same as work.

[girl gone mad]

11. 2 more weeks..

and all of their Clinton problems will be solved.

[Inland]

12. Give back your salary you worthless piece of shit, Thompson

He states the private sector failed to provide for our health long before he came into office. But that means that, er, government should DO something, doesn't it. Private sector fails to provide necessary vaccine, and Thompson states the obvious, and does nothing. Nothing!

Give back your salary you worthless piece of shit! You, Tenet, Rice, sit back and pretend like you just showed up yesterday and have no responsibility for anything! Give back you salary and quit!

[RetroLounge]

13. Thompson is a piece of shit...

sad thing, after bush* is tossed back to Crawford, this worthless Repug Scumbag will slither back to Wisconsin ans try to be a Senator or something.

Every single member of the bush* cabinet should be barred from public office...

RL

[Raiden]

14. BULL---SHIT!

I can't wait until Kerry wins and we get to blame everything on Bush. At any rate, we had flu vaccine shortages last year as well. You'd think the Bush Administration would have prepared for another such shortage, but no... and Republicans claim to be all about personal responsibility... HA! "It's Bill Clinton's fault!" "It's that Commie-bitch Hillary's fault!"