American Morning
We Listen!
Wednesday’s American Morning received comments surrounding the stem cell story, as viewers remarked that experimental treatments in the U.S. must be paid for by patients, and that the U.S. would be far more advanced on such research had Al Gore been in office.
- Carli: I just watched your report on stem cell treatments in foreign countries. The comment that really upset me was that these treatments are experimental and there should be no charge for them. Right here in the good old USA "experimental treatments" are used to treat patients every day and people have to pay for them. No health insurance company would pay for an "experimental" treatment" but that is how new treatments are developed. The insinuation that because they are asking for payments makes it a scam is upsetting. 25 years ago my father was diagnosed with cancer which was treatable by an "experimental treatment" at his expense. Currently, that treatment that was experimental is the standard of care for the type of cancer he had. He had to pay for the treatment that extended his life. So just because there is not enough data to say something works and there is a request for payment to use that treatment, does not mean it is a scam.
- Marlin: I do not know whether these treatments are authentic or not . I do know had Al Gore assumed the presidency in 2000 (as rightfully elected) this country would be at the forefront of stem cell research instead of people going to foreign countries to receive treatment. Had an administration been in power during the Clinton -Gore years I will assure you we would never had been where we were at in the computer and cyber world. This is the difference between a forward looking administration and one who was married to the religious right and therefore made little progress in stem cell research. The same can be said for all infrastructure progress. Tax cuts for the wealthy and borrow money from China to finance our wars. That was their policy for 8 years.
How do you feel about stem cell research? Do you know someone suffering from a debilitating disease who could benefit from experimental treatments?
The reception line for President Obama’s visit to Saudi Arabia perplexed viewers when those in the line did not offer to shake the President’s hand.
- Glenda: He [President Obama] made the choice that makes sense. Saudi Arabia represents the group he wants to reach. Going to a more democratic Muslim country creates a self-centered perception to Muslims. I am sure he put much thought into where to go.
- Bob: I was watching the reception line this morning and I noticed that almost everyone in the greeting line, refused to shake the hand of President Obama. Every time he put his hand up, the person would ignore him and shake the hand of the King. What was up with that!!!!
Joan: What about the four Saudi Princes alleged involvement with 9/11 and the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act that Obama petitioned the Supreme Court to honor on their behalf?
How do you feel about President Obama’s trip to Saudi Arabia? Do you believe his attempt at mending relations with the Muslim world will enable Americans to feel safer as a result of his outreach? How do you think his approach to the Arab nations will affect the U.S. relationship with Israel and Prime Minister Netanhayu?
About this Show
Welcome to the American Morning blog where you can get daily news updates from American Morning's reporters and producers. Join us for "the most news in the morning," weekdays from 6-9 a.m. ET, only on CNN.
This doom and gloom about the Middle Class would definitely be a reality under a Republican Administration. As you noticed, every single Republican in Congress voted against the Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as did all but three Republican members of the Senate.
Well, the Recovery and Reinvestment Act specifically addresses the low and middle income. The Middle Class Task Force is working hard to bring GREEN jobs to that sector.
I've seen what is going on behind the scenes. Yesterday I was on a conference call that talked about all the projects and training projects going on across the country.
The President didn't make Van Jones "Green Jobs" adviser for nothing. I would check out "Green for All".
The other thing, and I know Republicans are dead set against this; unions are not going away. They are the bedrock of the Middle Class and they are here to stay, more so under President Obama. Union workers make more and they did indeed build the Middle Class.
Expect to see GREEN jobs with a strong union component.
The best thing about GM's bankruptcy was that now, the UAW owns a large portion of GM. It has always been my dream for the employees to own the business. This is now a reality. Again, this is something that Republicans are 100% against. They talk small business, but they never talked about the employees having an ownership stake in big business.
President Obama has done that. GM is not dead. Michael Moore and President Obama talked about hi-speed rail. I see GM being at the center of this move. That will make a lot of union workers very happy; as it can't get done without that group being involved.
So naysayers and the Republican Party ... be very afraid cause a new day has come; and the bottom is now going to the top. A flip flop and its definitely a new business model.
The presidents keeps on surprising me - he was able to couch his comments towards unifying not dividing. He left the door open to all the extremist, who's main interest is for him to fail, from both sides to criticize.
One of the things that I realize that I am guilty of doing- as well as all of the rest of American citizens, the print, Internet, and news media- is taking things out of context. This is to say that many times a person says much more about a given subject, or issue, but people who want to see their side, in order to support their point or ideology. Then they take bits and pieces from this larger written, or spoken statement. I am good at reading source material after the fact, and I have better levity in assessment in my analysis by this method. But, as so many Americans...I can read a quote or series of statements, and analyze them, without knowing the larger context of what the person was trying to say.
I can offer many examples in the recent past here by ALL the TV networks, cable news programs, and the Internet, but the list is too long to even start to support my point by listing sources of this destructive thinking. You all know I am telling you true, if you stop to think about it.
Suffice it to say, that we need more time to see all the facts, and not all the hyperbole politics and ideology of any one person, who twists words to fit their agenda. This is not good for us as a country, and to continue to do so, will divide us further, and not recognize valid , and thoughtful discussion on all the issues. We need to have more thoughtful, reflective thinking about anything that we accuse another person of making. It is the only way not to digress into a primordial existence. We have come too far in our knowledge and existence to destroy ourselves by mindless, political, and ideological methods which history has shown has created major wars, hate, and destruction.
This "case" makes me sad, and even frustrated for the rightful father David Goldman. I am amazed and shocked that the actual father who lost his son to his ( now deceased ) wife Bruna-stealing him away to Brazil and marrying a rich, powerful lawyer- cannot get his son back. I don't know what crazy things that I would be trying to do at this point if I were in his shoes. I would probably hire a crack team of former special forces guys to take him by force in a clandestine operation.... but that is just me. Loll. Because this egoists rich lawyer ( Joao Paulo Lins e Silva ) has corrupted the judicial system in Brazil by his money, power and influence. And it seems our government is not caring enough to put pressure on the Brazilian government to force his release to his real father. It is a travesty of corrupt justice in Brazil. I recommend that we as Americans do not travel to Brazil as a protest. Money talks. I hope Secretary of State Clinton gets tough,
and imagines herself in his
shoes. Then maybe, she can find the strong resolve to make this release possible. 'Nuff said.
This morning Karen reported, with a great deal of passion, that ...
"everyday, people are putting everything on the line for what amounts to an 'experiment".
My wife was just such an individual.
She was a beautiful person,a powerful executive, highly respected throughout the world, as a leader with World Headquarters for the Tupperware Corporation. She was also a teacher, a mother and an adoring grandmother.
She put all of her faith, belief and trust in what amounted to an experiment, despite being told that it was simply that; an experiment.
In the end the experiment failed and the beautiful woman, who carried herself with exotic elegance as a descendant of German nobility and American Indian, who was known throughout the world, fell into a decline in which she was transformed from beautiful, to having the look and bearing of a survivor from the holocast. That 'experiment' was not overseas stem cell treatment, it was chemo therapy, which is not a formula, but a concoction of chemicals, a different combination of different chemicals depending on which doctor you use. And it is not a therapy but an experiment. The fact of the matter is, chemo therapy is chemical experimentation being conducted by doctors with the blessing of the AMA and sponsored by the FDA, a lobby for the drug companies that is bigger and more powerful than that for the oil industry. Do a story on THAT ! If you dare.
Randy Molnar
orlando florida