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LA Times Calls on Frist to Quit

By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Fri May 27, 2005 at 10:56:18 AM EST
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Check out this editorial in the Los Angeles Times today calling on Senator Bill Frist to resign.

The longer he tries to run the Senate, the more he looks like a bungler whose only principle is personal advancement.

Ouch. But so true. [hat tip Huffington Post.]

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    LA Times Calls on Frist to Quit | 15 comments (15 topical)
    Re: LA Times Calls on Frist to Quit (none / 0) (#1)
    by ras on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:24 PM EST
    The LAT is known for its pro-Dem stance. If they're calling for Frist's resignation now, they are doing so because they fear what he will do next - i.e. that he will move to end judicial filibusters if & when the recently-concluded deal falls apart - and they see that as a winning issue for the Republicans. Filibustering would hurt the Dems in '06 and the LAT has made it clear that the Dems know it, too. Interesting to see the fear in their eyes, though.

    Re: LA Times Calls on Frist to Quit (none / 0) (#2)
    by scarshapedstar on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:24 PM EST
    Fear of that moron? Fear of a guy who thinks you can catch AIDS through sweat? Yeah, we're shaking in our boots, ras. If Bush announced he firmly believes in the tooth fairy, we'd be absolutely petrified!

    Re: LA Times Calls on Frist to Quit (none / 0) (#3)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:24 PM EST
    That look in the eyes is stunned amazement that this guy is even IN congress.

    Re: LA Times Calls on Frist to Quit (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:24 PM EST
    I love how people on the right use ad hominems like "pro-Dem stance" to filter out things that displease them. This must be how so many individuals still believe we found WMD in Iraq.

    Re: LA Times Calls on Frist to Quit (none / 0) (#5)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:24 PM EST
    Got news for you, its normal in our system, its about political money and the non ideals, and what is personal advancement?, "Hey its all about that one thing in our non government", have you not been looking? by the way both sides are about Personal Advancement its always been that way.

    Re: LA Times Calls on Frist to Quit (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:24 PM EST
    Posted by ras: "The LAT is known for its pro-Dem stance." What was formerly the LAT is now owned by the Chicago Tribune, and run by a right-wing CEO. Which is why most Angelinos are boycotting the paper, and they are down below a million in subscriptions. It has nothing to do with fear of what Frist will do. He's a worthless pile of lies who has outed himself. You want something to blame, Justice Sunday was PLENTY.

    Re: LA Times Calls on Frist to Quit (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:24 PM EST
    Er... I think if anybody sees the fillibuster as a "winning issue for the Republicans"... it's more likely to be NewMax or some other "news" organization with a more tenuous connection to the facts. Not that you're totally off-base about the fear of Frist: personally, I find ideologues like him terrifying, and when they get into such a high position of power, I naturally fear that they will abuse it. His track record doesn't give me much reassurance! Anyway, about that "winning issue" thing... From that ultra-liberal lefty rag, USA Today:
    On the filibuster confrontation — defused by a compromise announced late Monday — those surveyed favored the Democrats by 48%-40%. But they saw merit in the arguments of each side. A 53% majority say the filibuster — the ability of at least 41 senators to continue debate and delay a vote — should be preserved. Still, 69% wanted the Senate to hold up-or-down votes on judicial nominees. Interest in the issue wasn't particularly high, though. A 57% majority wasn't following the news on filibusters closely; more than one in three weren't following it at all.


    Re: LA Times Calls on Frist to Quit (none / 0) (#8)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:24 PM EST
    et al - Somehow the LAT attacking someone on the Repub side reminds me of the, "Dog bites man," comment about news. The Repubs plan retains the filibuster for all but judical nominations, who they maintain must have a vote as part of the "advise and consent" part of the Constitution. I would have thought that the public did not understand that, but based on the USA Today information provided by webmacher, they do. 53% want the filibuster retained. 69% wanted the up/down vote. Which matches the Repub proposal. Perhaps the LAT and the Left is a bit hasty in deciding that Frist is an idiot. It appears that he has pushed the Demos into a losing position. Which is probably why they went for the compromise. scar - As for the AIDS comment, This link, to a hostile site, provides a transcript. Here is a partial. "Stephanopoulos: Let me just, I wanted to move to another subject, let me just clear this up, though. Do you or do you not believe that tears and sweat can transmit HIV? Frist: It would be very hard. It would be very hard for tears and sweat, I mean, you can get virus in tears and sweat but in terms of the degree of infecting somebody, it would be very hard." Now let's bring inKos. Now as you read Kos, note that his excerpt shows only the first paragraph in which Stephanopoulos interrupts Frist. But, if you read the transcript provided in the first link, Frist after being interrupted one again, completes his statement, in which he says you can get the virsus in sweat and tears, but it would be very hard to get the disease. Now go back to Kos and read the very first comment from a person who indentifies themselves as "a guy in HIV research." Read his comment. He confirms what Frist says. scar, what you have is an urban myth, probably ignited by a partial quote from Kos.

    Re: LA Times Calls on Frist to Quit (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:25 PM EST
    Jim: "Now go back to Kos and read the very first comment from a person who indentifies themselves as "a guy in HIV research." Read his comment. He confirms what Frist says." HOGWASH. Frist should have his medical licence pulled for his LIES about contagion, a public health issue which is NOT about politics. Just wait, Jim, until someone in your family has to depend on the judgment of a corrupt doctor. That's the karma you're making, spreading these lies. The Chicago LAT is run by a right-winger, who controls what is printed. You want to pretend it's still owned by a local family, that's just more lying. People did not stop reading the CLAT because of the left-wing content. The reverse, though any port in a storm for winger-liars is the rule.

    Re: LA Times Calls on Frist to Quit (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:25 PM EST
    Posted by Jim: 'it would be very hard." "don't you undersatnd?" Yeah, Jim, I undersatnd just fine. THERE IS NO WAY THAT RETROVIRUSES CAN INFECT THROUGH TEARS OR SWEAT. There is not ONE documented case of such a thing happening. You (or he, the liar) might as well say you can get it out of the air. It doesn't happen that way. Retroviruses live in the nuclei of cells with a rich blood supply, and sweat glands and tear glands are in the superfices of the body (with relatively poor blood supply), and protected by their own natural immunity (sweat is acidic, tears are salty, for a reason). Defending liars, quacks, and the corrupt politicians who LIE the country into needless war for profit -- is that really how you want to go through life?

    Re: LA Times Calls on Frist to Quit (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:25 PM EST
    Well, nevermind want, that IS how you are going through life. Frist should resign? Who knows, but he should be stripped of his medical licence. That Schiavo 'diagnosis' alone was one of the biggest acts of cowardice and treason to the profession in the history of modern medicine.

    Re: LA Times Calls on Frist to Quit (none / 0) (#15)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:25 PM EST
    PIL - What part about the fact that if the virsus is there you might just catch the disease? And that the virsus is there in sweat and in tears. Yes, it would be very hard, and no, I'm not concerned about it, but a Doctor should always state the facts. BTW - Your degree is in, and from where??

    Re: LA Times Calls on Frist to Quit (none / 0) (#11)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:26 PM EST
    PIL - What part about: "Frist: It would be very hard. It would be very hard for tears and sweat, I mean, you can get virus in tears and sweat but in terms of the degree of infecting somebody, it would be very hard." don't you undersatnd?

    Re: LA Times Calls on Frist to Quit (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:26 PM EST
    Well, how about going from "it would be very hard" to there is "NO medical evidence that AIDS is spread by sweat". But then, that might be too specific for the anti-gay fearmongerers out there.

    Re: LA Times Calls on Frist to Quit (none / 0) (#16)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:26 PM EST
    Frist's comments only serve to increase the anxiety of those who are afraid and uninformed about the life cycle of the HIV virus. "It would be very hard" is NOT the correct way to inform about this disease. It only serves to create fear. What any informed clinician (that's me, by the way) should say is that there is no reason to fear that HIV can be transmitted through sweat and tears because there has never been a reported case of transmission via that route. The HIV virus is a very weak organism outside of it's preferred environment. Frist is just continuing the spread of fear. That is in direct contradiction of the medical code of "do no harm". His actions and medical evaluation of a contentious medical case (Schaivo) by viewing a video and then pronouncing his diagnosis to THE ENTIRE COUNTRY rates about a 9.5 on the scale of bad medical judgement.

    LA Times Calls on Frist to Quit | 15 comments (15 topical)