Obama Takes First Step in a Cancer ‘Moonshot’

ny times ^ | january 28, 2016 | zach gibson

[lowbridge]

President Obama signed a presidential memorandum on Thursday creating a White House task force on cancer, the first step in what Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. has called a "moonshot" to cure the disease, administration officials said.

The president appointed Mr. Biden to lead the panel, which will include representatives from at least 13 government agencies. The group's first meeting will be on Monday, officials said.

The emotional power behind the push will come from Mr. Biden, whose son Beau died last year after a battle with brain cancer. This month in his final State of the Union address, Mr. Obama cited Mr. Biden's "moonshot" comment, saying that "I'm putting Joe in charge of mission control."

Mr. Obama pledged in the speech to initiate a government wide push to cure the disease along the lines of the effort in the 1960s to send a man to the moon. The president made no specific promises but urged Americans to believe that a cure could be found.

"For the loved ones we've all lost, for the family we can still save, let's make America the country that cures cancer once and for all," Mr. Obama said.

Officials familiar with the president's actions said the task force would set a goal of doubling the rate of scientific progress toward prevention, treatment and a cure.

[fuzzylogic]

I’m mixed on this. I don’t trust big-pharma. I trust sincere efforts of scientists, big difference in interests. Cancer treatments make billions. I might be too cynical...hard to know.

If federal money can go to scientists in organizations that are doing honest work it could help. However the cynical in me says it won’t and this is all trying to create a great backdrop for a failed president.

[American in Israel]

Big Pharma running out of money?

[Charles Martel]

I suspect that Obama’s actions will set back cancer research by a decade or more, like most other things that he has touched.

[wagglebee]

I doubt there's an adult anywhere who hasn't lost at least one close friend or relative to cancer. It's not like cancer hasn't been on the radar for a long time now.

The problem is that cancer IS NOT A VIRUS, which would indicate that a vaccine is unlikely. As far as cures go, a lot of progress has been made and more will surely be made in the future, but an absolute "cure" may very well never come.

If Obama wants to spend more money on cancer research, he should ask for it in a budget, there's NOTHING a "task force" can do other than push for more research.

[wagglebee]

I'm inclined to agree. Obviously any advances can only come from further research and that costs money. But too much government involvement only creates bureaucracy and diverts money from research. There is NOTHING a task force can recommend that isn't already being done.

[Gator113]

So it’s another promise: “If you have cancer, you don’t have to keep it”?

[Angels27]

They can start by removing the the biggest cancer of all...0nama himself.

[originalbuckeye]

I just love it when people who know nothing about cancer announce they are looking for ‘A’ cure! There are so many different types of cancer and most require THEIR OWN CURE. Now, some cancers are interrupted by something that may have worked on another type of cancer. Obama KNOWS NOTHING about cancer.....he’s not a Dr.......he doesn’t even play one in the WH. He is pandering to people’s desires and when the smoke (likely his own) clears, nothing will have changed and Big Media will not ask him ‘why wasn’t cancer cured during your Admin?’. Remember the public was told that Christopher Reeve was supposed to be able to get up and walk if Kerry and Edwards were elected in 2004? I’m sick of politicians!

[Tax-chick]

I agree.

[hinckley buzzard]

The time tested ritual of throwing money at a problem until the public stops noticing, at which point the money throwers find a new target. Sort of like environmental "crises."

Meanwhile cancer will not be "cured," and treatment in the established paradigms will show only incremental progress. Nixon tried this in 1971 and with isolated exceptions the cure rate hardly budged.

[ZOOKER]

Obama is laying claim to the cure of cancer as his legacy since everything else he did has turned into monkey poop.

Exactly. Having failed to create a "legacy" he intends to BUY one using our money. Who can argue with such a worthy cause?

Wonder how many Millions/Billions will be earmarked for fetal stem cell research? That brings PP to the trough...

[muir_redwoods]

why doesn’t d!*kless just issue an EO and declare the country cancer-free?

[Sooth2222]

WOW! "at least 13 government agencies"!

This from the same people who can't effectively manage something as simple as a telephone "No-Call" list?

Good grief! We're all gonna die! (Of cancer!)

(First, cancer is not "a" problem. It's thousands of problems.)

[CincyRichieRich]

What’s 0bie doing while no one is looking? That is, while all are looking at Trump, we should be digging into what freedoms are vanishing...I’m sure he and the ValMonster are doing evil stuff.

[DoughtyOne]

good carma will follow your donation to free republic

[baltimorepoet]

Maybe Obama plays Civilization III.

That is one of the “Wonders of the World” that you can “build” in the Modern era. (others being like the “The Internet”)

[wakibeach]

Why is it so difficult to vote in the Caucus and how come my vote shows up a couple of days and then the next day, I check back several times and after 2 hours my vote still has not shown up in the Vote thread. Why aren’t you showing this Free Republic Caucus on the home page/right-hand side so it’s easy to pick out. Even better put it in the comments section so that it shows at the top all day long.
Unless I am mistaken I have been a member of Free Republic since Feb 2012 and yet I find that using your website and writing comments or articles is not that friendly when it comes to posting them.
Any insight will be appreciated.
Thank you!

[goodtomato]

If one can double the effort, then why not quadruple the effort? The news blurb also said that the payoff will not be achieved this year, but will lay the ground work for the next administration! WTFReep, is this what slo joe is going to run on?

[qam1]

Just curious. What has happened to all of the trillions of dollars spent so far?

Ask the smokers outside at your local bar or those dying of DDT!

To Liberals finding a cure means banning, taxing and regulating things more.

[DoughtyOne]

Whatever comments or thoughts you have, others are probably having as well.  Let's go...

Why is it so difficult to vote in the Caucus and how come my vote shows up a couple of days and then the next day, I check back several times and after 2 hours my vote still has not shown up in the Vote thread.

The Vote Thread is located on the forum, and I do my best to make sure nothing is deleted from it.  Some people have made mistakes and have asked the moderators to delete their posts.  I try to intercede so that doesn't happen, so folks can have confidence I am not deleting votes for any candidates.   It is possible that you mistakenly hit a link to one of the closed Caucus threads, and voted on one of them.  Checking back on the Live thread, you don't see it later.  Perhaps you didn't cast it there.

I try to warn folks when this happens.  I spend enough time on this effort.  At some point I more or less give up trying to notify everyone of an error.

You're asking a question that I don't have an answer to other than this.  I know of no other reason for it to seem like this to you.  

Why aren’t you showing this Free Republic Caucus on the home page/right-hand side so it’s easy to pick out. Even better put it in the comments section so that it shows at the top all day long.

I do post it on the right hand side, but articles are posted and by morning time the Caucus thread has moved off the list.  I will look into using the comments section.  I wonder if enough FReepers even look at it to make that meaningful.  I have been providing links on many threads.  People can also find the Caucus by searching "Caucus".  The Caucus threads show up nicely when I do this.

One thing you have to remember, hundreds of people are finding a way to vote, so this can't be that big a problem.  I do see it as a problem though.  I do want it to be as easy as possibe for folks to participate, so I will continue to try to come up with ways to make that easier.

Unless I am mistaken I have been a member of Free Republic since Feb 2012 and yet I find that using your website and writing comments or articles is not that friendly when it comes to posting them.

I'm not sure why you keep refering to my web site.  The voting exists on Free Republic.  The only thing that doesn't are the results.  I open up the voting threads for comments at the end the 24 hour voting period.  There is also a comments thread set up by Windflier each day.  "Free Republic 2016 Caucus Open Discussion Thread XXX"

Any insight will be appreciated.
Thank you!

Thank you.