Fauci Gets Feisty, Fights Back

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Our country's leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has, for months, been a target of conservative politicians and right-wing whackos as they try in vain to minimize the dangers of COVID-19 to the public health.  But yesterday in a US Senate health committee hearing regarding the gpovernent's response to the COVID pandemic, the good doctor had finally had enough. In response to remarks by Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, Fauci fired back that Paul "distorts everything about me" and that Paul uses Fauci for political gain.

In a clip from the hearing that was widely shared over social media, Dr. Fauci pointed to a social media post by the junior Kentucky senator in which he asked his readers if Fauci should be fired.  Dr. Fauci then noted that right next to that provocative remark was a "contribution" button - implying that Senator Paul was cultivating anger toward Dr. Fauci as a way to raise campaign donations.    Dr. Fauci smiled and seemed to maintain somewhat of a jovial attitude as he pointed out the senator's duplicity, but Paul became visibly livid - and loud - and tried to shout down the doctor's criticisms.

Unwarranred and unrestrained criticism of Dr. Fauci by politicians like Rand Paul and conservative commentators like Jesse Watters of Fox News, have cause the doctor and members of his family to receive death threats.  Fauci had this to say regarding Senator Paul:

"What happens he he gets out and accuses me of things that are completely untrue is that all of a sudden that kindles the crazies out there, and I have threats upon my life, harassment of my family and my children with obscene phone calls because people are lying about me."

Over recent weeks Dr Fauci has also complained about comments from two Fox News personalities who made remarks about him that many regarded as incendiary.  Lara Logan, who hosts a show on Fox's streaming service, compared Fauci to a Nazi doctor who did experiments on prisoners at Auschwitz, and Jesse Watters to fellow right-of-center journalists at a meeting that in order to get some good sound bites from Fauci, they should "ambush" his with "kill shot" questions.  Dr. Fauci was not amused by Watter's choice of metaphors, and he called on Fox to fire Watters immediately.   He also called out Fox fr not commenting on Lara Logan's statement.

But Fox News ignored comments by Lara Logan and defended those of Jesse Watters.  In fact, Fox even "promoted" Jesse Watters to a better time slot.

For his part, Dr. Fauci casts himself this way:

"The only thing that I have ever done throughout these two years is to encourage people to practice good public health measures:  to get vaccinated, to be careful in public settings, to wear a mask."

Rand Paul is also a physician.  He ought to be giving the same sound medical advice to Americans, instead of tryin to make a few bucks off of dangerous demagoguery!