Sudden cloud is just what Bush didn't need right now (mad cow disease)

The Washington Post | 12/29/2003 | Mike Allen in Crawford, Texas

[leadpenny]

Agree. This appears to be a case of wishful thinking.

Can't remember what it was but Mike Allen did something else offhanded after he had done a pretty good job of reporting on W's Thanksgiving trip to Baghdad.

He's gonna find himself out behind the woodshed in Waco soon enough.

[leadpenny]

I meant Crawford. Couldn't think of it when I typed Waco.

[OldFriend]

We have nine mad cows running in the democrat primaries.

[billhilly]

There have been a few deaths from flu this winter. What did president Bush know, and when did he know it?

[ClearCase_guy]

Waaaal, the way I heard it, seems George and Laura were getting on a plane, and leading a mangy old, sick cow. The flight attendant tried to stop him (cow looked real sick) but George just said, "Back off you peasant! Halliburton bought a ticket for this cow, and its flyin' first class!"

Anyway, that's how Mad Cow Disease got into the US. It's clearly Bush's fault. And now, we got 10,000 people dying every week from this dread disease. But don't worry, friends, John Kerry has a plan ...

[Oztrich Boy]

Blame Canada!

[Sender]

Bush...that Bush! He allowed this mad cow scandal that is squandering America's good will! He once choked on a pretzel!!

[CGASMIA68]

What a bunch a Cow S_ _t!

[Fresh Wind]

The landscape always seems tilted when your own outlook is slanted.

[pfflier]

Bush has closer ties to ranching than to any other industry besides oil,

This is udder bias.

[elli1]

Well, darn me for thinking that the industry ought have an interest in protecting the interests of the industry. And what about CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) in the deer population? I suppose that is Bush's fault also.

[Mr.Atos]

Let us observe this situation in perspective, considering that we have discovered one cow out of how many millions of head of cattle in the US. Now, I am certainly concerned about this or any disease - especially since suspect meat was delivered as ground and distributed in my local grocery. I certainly won't put my family in jeopardy... which is the reason that I stopped voting for Democrats in 1993. There are many other areas of more pressing concern. When, for instance, was the last time the alphabet news warned us about Trichinosis?

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From Medline: Trichinosis is a parasitic disease that results from eating undercooked meat, most frequently pork, which contains cysts of Trichinella spiralis. T. spiralis can be found in pork, bear, fox, rat, horse and lion meat.

Trichinosis is a common infection worldwide, but it is seldom seen in the United States because of regulations regarding the feeding of domestic animals and meat-processing inspections.

When a person eats meat from an infected animal, trichinella cysts hatch in the intestines and grow into adult roundworms, which measure 2-4 mm long.

The roundworms then produce offspring that migrate through the gut wall and into the bloodstream. These parasites tend to invade muscle tissues, including the heart and diaphgragm (the breathing muscle under the lungs). They can also affect the lungs and brain.

Domestic meat animals (hogs) raised specifically for consumer consumption under USDA guidelines and inspection can be considered safe. Wild animals, especially carnivores (meat eaters) or omnivores (animals that eat both meat and plants), should be considered a possible source of roundworm disease.

There are approximately 40 cases per year in the US. Medline: Trichinosis

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Curious?