And now, we have this proposal from U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-SC:
Charleston, SC – U.S. Senator Tim Scott released the following statement regarding travel restrictions from Ebola-stricken nations in West Africa. Senator Scott is a member of both the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees.
“First and foremost, my heart goes out to those infected with Ebola and their families both in the United States and in West Africa. This is a terrible virus, and one the world must come together to stop.
As infections continue to spread here in the United States, the trust of the American people has been shaken by the administration’s response thus far. It is clear that a temporary travel ban for foreign nationals traveling from Ebola-stricken nations in West Africa should be put in place. The President has the authority to do so, and we have seen that airport screenings and self-reporting simply are not enough.
While both the Centers for Disease Control and National Institutes of Health state that patients without a fever are not contagious, recent studies from West Africa show that almost 13 percent of confirmed cases did not present with a fever. Screenings have also only been initiated at five airports, and even at airports travelers’ symptoms can be masked by over-the-counter medications.
This is about the safety of the American people, and nothing more. As the fight against Ebola continues, a temporary travel ban for foreign nationals traveling from the epicenter of the outbreak is a necessity.”
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I find myself wondering: Did he decide independently to join the voices advocating this, or did Republicans get together and decide that his was the most sympathetic face they had for advancing such a proposal?
I say that in part because, although a number of Republicans have said it, it has tended to be those in tight races, such as Scott Brown and Thom Tillis. Sen. Scott, of course, is in the opposite of a “tight race.”
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Speaking of which…
It continues to puzzle me that Brad Hutto chose to run against Lindsey Graham rather than Scott. If I had been determined to run for U.S. Senate from South Carolina this year, that’s the softer target I would have preferred to go after.
But then I think, I suppose he decided that Graham was weaker among his own base, and that some reliable Democratic voters might peel off and go for Scott.
In a rational world, Graham’s would be the safe seat, not that of the relative neophyte Scott. But politics is not a rational world, especially in South Carolina…
Sen Scott needs to read this:
4 Reasons Why A Travel Ban Won’t Solve The Ebola Crisis
http://www.nationofchange.org/2014/10/17/4-reasons-travel-ban-wont-solve-ebola-crisis/
Thank you. Saved me a lot of typing…
It seems like there is a divide between those who say, ‘It just stands to reason….” and those who actually endeavor to process complex facts.
Yup.
Time will certainly reveal the veritable wisdom or folly of the “4 Reasons Why A Travel Ban Won’t Solve The Ebola Crisis”.
This is a gamble with super stakes. Oddly, no Democratich spokeperson has claimed Obama’s Ebola policy is their characteristic intent “to err on the side of caution”.
Rather, the policy makes certain that a political campaign activist (the new ‘Ebola Tsar”)
will spend taxpayer $$$ as wastefully as he once did on Solyndra. What a pick — I have serious doubts about those claiming to “actually endeavor to process complex facts” when their process ignores near-term historical facts.
Never mentioned is the reigning invisible Ebola Tsar, Dr. Nicole Lurie, HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. Her job?
…as National Journal rather glowingly puts it, “Lurie’s job is to plan for the unthinkable. A global flu pandemic? She has a plan. A bioterror attack? She’s on it. Massive earthquake? Yep. Her responsibilities as assistant secretary span public health, global health, and homeland security.” A profile of Lurie quoted her as saying, “I have responsibility for getting the nation prepared for public health emergencies—whether naturally occurring disasters or man-made, as well as for helping it respond and recover. It’s a pretty significant undertaking.” Still another refers to her as “the highest-ranking federal official in charge of preparing the nation to face such health crises as earthquakes, hurricanes, terrorist attacks, and pandemic influenza.”
Why has she been overlooked for a less qualified Tsar? Beacause she was caught 3 years ago in a hushed scandal in which she had a role in the funneling of $433 million HSS grant to a big Obama donor, of course, or had the processors of complex facts missed that, also?
The Obama administration hires according to gender and race not competence. Obamacare. Secret service. Bengazi. IRS scandal. Connect the dots.
Heard on Wait, Wait: More than twice as many people have married Larry King than have contracted Ebola in the US.
But most of us are blessed with better resistance to Larry King than to Ebola…
And marrying Larry King (while likely a very unpleasant experience) isn’t fatal.
Scott has one of the biggest cases of gayface,I’ve ever seen