Obama & Ebola 

Late yesterday afternoon, news broke that the first case of Ebola in America had been discovered in Dallas, Texas. The infected individual had recently returned from Liberia -- "ground zero" in the latest outbreak of this deadly disease. More than 1,800 people have died from Ebola in Liberia. 

The infected individual arrived in the U.S. on September 20th to visit family members. He went to the hospital on September 26th, was treated for flu-like symptoms and was sent home. Two days later, he went back to the hospital in far more serious condition. Three Dallas paramedics who treated him are being quarantined for 21 days to see if they develop any symptoms. 

Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control, assured the country yesterday that there was nothing to worry about. "We're stopping it in its tracks in this country," Dr. Frieden said. 

Dr. Jesse L. Goodman, a former top scientist at the Food and Drug Administration, isn't so sure. "It is quite appropriate to be concerned on many fronts," Dr. Goodman said. ". . .it appears several people were exposed before the individual was placed in isolation, and it is quite possible that one or more of his contacts will be infected." Press reports today suggest that has in fact happened.

We all hope and pray for the best. I hope the CDC is a lot more effective, efficient and knowledgeable than other federal agencies, such as the Veterans Administration, where incompetence and greed resulted in the abuse of our heroes. But in the past nine months there have been repeated incidents uncovered at the CDC in which officials failed to appropriately handle deadly toxins, including smallpox. 

Another thought came to mind overnight as I was pondering this latest news. There has been a long string of presidential pronouncements that were later disproved by events. For example:

"Al Qaeda has been decimated and is on the run." Benghazi proved otherwise. This Obama quote has gotten a lot of press lately: ". . .if a JV team puts on Lakers uniforms, that doesn't make them Kobe Bryant." That was Obama back in January dismissing ISIS as a junior varsity team. 

Obama said at the U.N. a few days ago that the threat of world war that hung over the U.N. at its founding no longer existed. Yes it does. Even the pope recognizes that. 

Here's one we hear almost daily: "Islam is a religion of peace." But large numbers of Islamists tell us theirs is a religion of war. 

How about this one: "If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan." That was the "Lie of the Year." 

And just two weeks ago, Obama said: ". . .the chances of an Ebola outbreak here in the United States are extremely low. . . .In the unlikely event that someone with Ebola does reach our shores. . ." Well, Ebola is here now, Mr. Obama. 


Scandal At The Secret Service 

The Secret Service has come under heavy -- and deserved -- criticism in recent days for a series of major security breaches. The latest report is that a contract security guard at the Centers for Disease Control got into an elevator with the president during his recent visit. 

The guard was acting unprofessionally and ignored requests from the president's security detail. They ran a background check and discovered that the guard -- who was armed at the time -- had a criminal record. 

How could a guy with a criminal record get a contract as a security guard? This has been an ongoing issue at the Transportation Security Administration. 

Likewise when news broke about the jihadist in Oklahoma who severed a woman's head at his former place of employment, we learned that he had a criminal record that included assaulting a police officer. 

Just a reminder, folks: This administration has sued employers, accusing them of racial discrimination for conducting criminal background checks on potential employees. 

Just more evidence that liberalism is at war with common sense. 


Goodbye, Sandra 

Sandra Cano passed away yesterday. Cano was "Mary Doe" in the case Doe v. Bolton, the companion case to Roe v. Wade. 

While the Supreme Court legalized abortion in its Roe ruling, its decision in Doe v. Bolton established the so-called "health" exception. More than Roe, Doe led to America's legal regime of abortion-on-demand.

Cano claimed she never wanted an abortion but was misled and exploited by the attorneys handling the case. Like Norma McCorvey, "Jane Roe" of Roe v. Wade, Cano became a pro-life activist. She told theCatholic Register, "Doe v. Bolton allows abortion up to the ninth month. This case takes children's lives."

What irony. The two women associated with the cases most celebrated by the left as "liberating" women and expanding their "rights" became staunch advocates for the right to life! 


Lena Gets Loony 

Lena Dunham, star of the TV show "Girls," has teamed up with the Planned Parenthood Action Fund to scare women into voting. In a massive email campaign, Dunham warns female voters, "The crazy and depressing truth is that there are people running for office right now who could actually affect your life. PARTICULARLY your sex life." 

This is what the loony left cares about most. After all, the most pressing issue for women is free birth control, right? Not national security. Not budget deficits that are bankrupting our country. Not our insecure borders. Not jobs. But free birth control. 

This pathetic campaign speaks volumes about the juvenile mentality of the left. It is also a telling commentary about the coarsening state of our culture that voting gets reduced to scare tactics over one's sex life. 

Voting is a cherished right. It is a serious responsibility. And it is the civic duty of every responsible citizen. 

Are you registered to vote? Are your friends and family members registered to vote? Click here to find out and get registered. 


Fighting Anti-Semitism On Campus 

Few topics provoke as much passion on America's college campuses as the constellation of issues surrounding Israel and Islamic terrorism. On the 13th anniversary of 9/11, I addressed both issues at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Read more about the event in my latest opinion piece at USA Today.com.