GOP Opposed Budget Money For Swine Flu Research

Congressional Republicans and their media operatives recently opposed money in the recovery plan for swine flu research and for volcano monitoring. They claimed such expenditures would not stimulate the economy. Apparently they were not concerned what effect a pandemic or an eruption might do to damage the economy.
Wisconsin Democrat David Obey(7th Congressional district)proposed $870 million for pandemic research. Obey has a long history of providing money for such research.
Senator Susan Collins (R Maine)went along with her Republican colleagues and helped defeat Obey's proposal. She had the help of some Senate Democrats. Apparently they hoped to gain her support on other issues. Collins, one of the last truly moderate Republicans in Congress, has been seen as an important part of the Democrats' efforts toward bi-partisanship. She is headed towards a tough re-election campaign against a conservative challenger so she is attempting to broaden her base.
Once again the Republican party has put playing politics ahead of the public interests.
And in an ironic twist Alaska's Mount Redoubt volcano rumbled to another eruption shortly after the Republicans ridiculed money for volcano research in the budget. A full scale eruption would have a negative effect on Alaska's economy! It would also disrupt many commercial air routes and military defensive flights in the area, from which, as we all know, "You can see Russia from there!"