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Fact checking Jeff Erding

May 18, 2020 by Fillmore County Journal

Fillmore County Journal - Kathie Haynes

By Kathie Haynes

On April 20, 2020, Jeff Erding wrote a commentary titled, “Fact checking the haters.”  He says that “the haters” are the leftist writers who attempt to make a case against the Trump administration.  I would like to make a case against Jeff Erding’s facts.

1. “Did Trump fire the pandemic response team?” Jeff says that is a nasty lie.

The truth is Trump chose Bolton to lead the National Security Council in April 2018. He had orders to streamline the National Security Council.   Bolton disbanded  the pandemic preparedness office as part of streamlining the agency.  Global health experts believe this left the administration flat-footed and decapitated.  It certainly diluted the focus on pandemic threats.  Eliminating the senior director position reflected the White House’s misplaced priorities.  Rear Adm. Timothy Ziemer had been the senior director for global health security. He had also led a global anti-malaria initiative in the George W. Bush administration.  Now he is gone.

Therefore, as President, Trump was responsible for disbanding the Response Team when he ordered Bolton to streamline the agency.  Remember, “The buck stops here.”

2. “Medicare for All would save $450 billion.” Jeff says, “What a whopper.”

Facts are that colleagues at three University of California campuses examined 22 studies.  Every single study predicted that Medicare for All  would yield net savings over several years.  Even a right-wing think tank Mercatus Center found about $2 trillion net savings over 10 years. The evidence abounds!!!

3. “Asian Americans are being Scapegoated for CV19.”  Jeff says, Where? Big Cities? No rational person would do that.

In mid April, three masked men went thru Seattle Chinatown leaving stickers “Better Dead than Red” and “America First.”  Advocacy groups are tracking a rise in racist slurs and physical aggression against people of Asian descent.

Erding says, “Americans are overwhelmingly decent people, not racists.”  Yes, we are decent but we are also racist.  Everybody is racist to some extent.  Each person needs to make a decision to see others as equal humans.

4. “Trump called the Coronavirus a Hoax!” “Even the Left leaning SNOPES called this stinker a lie,” said Jeff.

On February 28, Trump likened the Democrats’ criticism of his administration’s response to the new coronavirus outbreak to their efforts to impeach him by saying, “This is their new hoax.” And then he compared the virus to the common flu.

Trump has used the word “hoax” hundreds of times as President.  Repetition of a word like “hoax” is a way for Trump to portray himself as a victim and gain support for his causes.

5. “The Trump Administration’s response has been total chaos.”

A strong governmental leadership is needed during a global crisis. Unfortunately, it appears the Trump administration is pushing science aside.  Conflicting messages are common, such as when to reboot the economy, the need for testing and the possibility of a resurgence of the virus.  Trump attempts to suppress facts that differ from his opinion and he has openly clashed with top public health officials.

Erding’s sarcasm and “put down” language certainly does not make his arguments any stronger or more correct…

Filed Under: Commentary

Comments

  1. shawn c bail says

    June 3, 2021 at 9:35 pm

    thank you, kathie—no matter how much we dispel the misinformation, these poor, lost souls grasp at anything they can to advance it. i wish one of them would explain to me why they feel such a strong determination to do the exact opposite—talk, think or act in a progressive manner, or even better in a manner that promotes social justice—love thy neighbor attitude, if you will. the party of the evangelicals, yet so fiercely opposed to the simple message the Christ spread.

    anyway, all of this was written over a yr ago and we’ve watched the sole remaining Dr on the WH covid response team give an interview explaining the whys and how’s of its demise, asians are met violently by decent citizens of this great nation—and not just in ‘big cities’ and Fox News is reporting the events, just like all the other “left-leaning” (jewish-owned/operated—we all know what you are alluding to, Rightist’s) and if anyone wants some “data” or “facts” concerning single-payer HI, may i suggest https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/08/06/health-insurance-canada-lie/
    **i know it’s the wapo. feel free to google it and read about it on an alternative, if you must.

    God Bless America
    Ephesians 6:11

  2. shawn c bail says

    June 3, 2021 at 9:30 pm

    thank you, kathie—no matter how much we dispel the misinformation, these poor, lost souls grasp at anything they can to advance it. i wish one of them would explain to me why they feel such a strong determination to talk, think or act in a progressive manner, or even better in a manner that promotes social justice—love thy neighbor attitude, if you will. the party of the evangelicals, yet so fiercely opposed to the simple message the Christ spread.

    anyway, all of this was written over a yr ago and we’ve watched the sole remaining Dr on the WH covid response team give an interview explaining the whys and how’s of its demise, asians are met violently by decent citizens of this great nation—and not just in ‘big cities’ and Fox News is reporting the events, just like all the other “left-leaning” jewish-owned/operated—we all know what you are alluding to, Rightist’s) and if anyone wants some “data” or “facts” concerning single-payer HI, may i suggest https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/08/06/health-insurance-canada-lie/
    **i know it’s the wapo. feel free to google it and read about it on an alternative, if you must.

    God Bless America
    Ephesians 6:11

  3. Kim wentworth says

    May 22, 2020 at 1:17 am

    Shooting fish in a barrel:

    1) there was no firing of pandemic response team. “Streamlining”, is ALWAYS a smart tool. Hey, wasn’t Bolton your hero for a brief time….? Fizzle
    2) Medicare for all is unattainable plus not a right spelled out in the Constitution. Ma’am, you state 3 California “campuses” found savings. Any idea how silly that sounds? I can’t believe you said that. On that mercatus item. Calling them a right wing think tank is like calling charles manson a family counselor.
    3) ?? It’s ALWAYS better to be dead than red, correct. America first, ALWAYS
    SHOOTING FISH IN A BARREL

    • James Bryant says

      February 7, 2022 at 5:09 am

      I wonder what her opinion of how Biden is handling this now, non pandemic? Atleast 2 shots and treatment plans(less than a year) was handed to him and more people died in 2021 than 2020. Fact check that Karen. When Trump said “it’s a hoax” was 100% correct, because he was comparing the lies the lift were doing now like the fake impeachment. The left will ALWAYS play this BS. I love this country and like it or not Trump was a great president and would’ve done so much more for ALL, but can wait til 2024.

      God Bless

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Fillmore County Journal - Your number one source for news and community information in Fillmore County Minnesota
Fillmore County Journal - Your number one source for news and community information in Fillmore County Minnesota

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