So let’s give Biden credit

I was reminded on Wednesday that exactly a year ago we had received our first Covid vaccine. When we realized it had already been a year, we started remembering what happened before we got our shots.

It was a pretty dark time in Iowa. The vaccines had been approved just before Christmas 2020, but the supply was extremely limited. The offer that existed was clearly intended for the most vulnerable. So even though vaccines were slowly being made available to the public, the chances of us being vaccinated were far off in the future.

States were tasked with distribution, and Covid Kim seemed uninterested in doing much to get the vaccines out. No one in his administration seemed to really have a clue. I emailed the group running the program who must have gone to email heaven.

If I remember somewhat vaguely, the local pharmacies knew the day before what type of supply they would receive the next day. Based on this, they issued sign-up sheets early in the morning. For those I have dealt with, a person had to be in their database. Once entered in the database, they could try every day to register for an opening. I would do it every day at 5am. By the time I arrived most of the slots were filled.

Day after day throughout January and early February, I got up, signed up, and found the slots filled. By my calculations, even though we were in one of the highest priority groups, I kind of calculated that we might be lucky to get vaccinated in June, maybe in July, in depending on how fast the vaccinations were going.

In the country, we had the attempt to overthrow our government. We also finally had the nomination of Joe Biden which gave us a lot of hope. Fixing the vaccination mess would be a huge priority for Biden. Remember, the previous administration did everything it could to handcuff the Biden administration by refusing to hand over records or train incoming personnel. So the Biden administration had to start from scratch.

In a few weeks, they performed a sort of human miracle. The Biden administration has worked with manufacturers to dramatically increase production. They distributed storage units to more and more distribution sites. They set up mass clinics that could treat hundreds of people at a time.

I got a call from my sister-in-law one morning. She said my niece had seen a blurb about a mass clinic taking place in the area in a few days. Knowing we were desperate to be vaxxed, she called us. Within weeks, the vaccination process had gone from almost zero to full speed. Our estimated vaccination date has changed from June hopefully to the day after tomorrow. We were delighted.

We got vaccinated. We received the second dose a few weeks later. The State of Iowa and the Reynolds administration still seemed lost in the woods, but the Biden administration was doing the job in a hurry. What at one point felt like a year for everyone to be vaccinated was done within months – at least to the point that people would be vaxxed.

I don’t think anyone ever anticipated that there would be so much resistance to getting vaccinated against what was and still is a deadly virus. The resistance seemed aimed at making the Biden administration look like a failure because the virus was still public knowledge. Rather than make Biden look bad, these people made themselves look like fools by choosing to die a horrible death when a simple vaccination could have saved them.

So, despite maddened opposition, the Biden administration got off to a flying start by vaccinating much of the public against one of the world’s worst pandemics. The Biden administration has also led the world in providing vaccines to poorer countries.

With Covid cases currently seeing a drastic drop, where’s the press to give credit to the guy who’s been laser-focused on the pandemic since day one and done a lot of the work that brings the numbers down . Strangely, we hear no praise for Biden at a time when he should be credited.

While working what was an incredible feat to get the public vaccinated, it was just one of the huge problems Administrator Biden faced. Unemployment was rampant, people were at risk of losing their homes, and many Americans simply needed the money. Biden and Democrats enacted relief measures to address immediate issues and lay the groundwork that would get people back to work.

So here we are a year later with 7 million more jobs in banking and more created every day. Public schools are open again. Vaccinations were extended to 12 to 18 year olds first and 5 to 11 year olds last Thanksgiving. Vaccines for all toddlers are really close.

If the Covid pandemic actually subsides as many predict, will the Biden-Harris administration get the credit it deserves for slaying this monster? Considering the tilt of the media, I would doubt it.

These are just a very brief list of Biden’s accomplishments. Did I mention wages have taken a big leap forward? Yet, reading or listening to the mainstream (right-wing) press in this country, one would think that Biden is sinking the country into the ground. All they talk about is inflation.

We see that inflation is high, but the administration has little to do with the cause of the problem. It is global and largely due to corporate greed and problems caused by the poor response to the original waves of covid.

Few administrations have had such a rapid start. There are still big problems to solve. At a time like this, it is so much better to have an administration in place that will focus on solving problems rather than making them worse for political gain.

So turn off the Fox TVs and turn off the right hand radio. Do some reading that deals with reality. It’s a good time to watch a real president do his job.

Hats off to http://all-hat-no-cattle.blogspot.com