lance armstrong and the presidential race

BethNY

I got this email today- thought I'd share

Forward to a Friend | LIVESTRONG.ORG

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Cancer enters the '08 political race.

Dear Beth,

Four years ago cancer was not mentioned during the presidential election campaign. Today, the LIVESTRONG Army has made fighting cancer part of the national dialogue. For the next five days leading media, presidential candidates and citizens across the country will discuss how to stop the number one killer of all Americans under the age of 85.

Next Monday, August 27, and Tuesday, August 28, I will walk onto the stage at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to ask the presidential hopefuls to share their ideas and strategies on how to fight cancer in the first-ever LIVESTRONG Presidential Cancer Forum. This historic event will be discussed on NBC's Meet the Press with Tim Russert, webcast live on MSNBC.com and featured on Hardball with Chris Matthews.

As a member of the LIVESTRONG Army, I need your help to make sure Americans across the country are tuned in, asking questions and demanding answers from the presidential candidates.

Watch Meet the Press with Tim Russert. I will be a guest on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, August 26, talking about the LIVESTRONG Presidential Cancer Forum. Check local listings for times and channels.
Watch the LIVESTRONG Presidential Cancer Forum. MSNBC will webcast the LIVESTRONG Presidential Cancer Forum live at 10:00 am CT on August 27 and 28. MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews will be broadcast live from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, each night.

>> Click this link on Monday, August 27, and Tuesday, August 28, to load MSNBC.com's video player to watch the Forum.
>> Check MSNBC's local listings for times and channels to view Hardball with Chris Matthews on MSNBC on Monday and Tuesday evening.



Spread the word. Click here to forward this email to friends encouraging them to tune into the LIVESTRONG Presidential Cancer Forum.
Download and post the LIVESTRONG Presidential Cancer Forum posters in offices, gyms, coffee shops and other places with high traffic.

The LIVESTRONG Presidential Cancer Forum puts critical questions about fighting cancer on a national platform. Please join me in making history by raising awareness for the LIVESTRONG Presidential Cancer Forum.

LIVESTRONG,





Lance Armstrong, LIVESTRONG Army



P.S. Click here to share this message with others who might be interested. United, we can make a difference.

































































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Member_of_the_Club

Several candidates have been touched directly by bc. Of course, we all know about Elizabeth Edwards. Also, Obama's mother and Hilary Clinton's mother-in-law died from bc. Others?

Anonymous

Beth, I got that email today, too, and forwarded it to friends. I also sent in a question regarding disability benefits for Cancer patients even when you're not stage 4. Some of us worked because we HAD to, not because we wanted to put on a brave face or because we could. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do!

Anonymous

I watched Lance Armstrong's interview on Meet the Press this morning and am looking forward to what the candidates have to say about how they each propose to address the complex issue of cancer as the #1 killer in the US at the special forums tomorrow and Tuesday. I'm sure that their responses will pretty significantly affect who I decide to vote for.

~Marin

miamimama

I am amazed that none of the three Republican front runners will participate, especially since both McCain and Guliani have had cancer.

I also get a bit upset whenever Lance Armstrong talks about how having cancer makes everyone stronger. I am still waiting for my metamorphisis into superwoman.

Shirlann

Hey Fitchick, you know I love you, but heart disease is still the number one killer.

Hope you still love me.

Hugs, Shirlann

miamimama

If half the money spent in Iraq were used on health care, I'm sure that advances could have been made in cancer and heart desease. The rest could have been used to stay in Afghanistan and catch Bin Laden.

Anonymous

Well, darn, I forgot to watch it. Shoot!
Shirley

Anonymous

Quote:

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I also get a bit upset whenever Lance Armstrong talks about how having cancer makes everyone stronger. I am still waiting for my metamorphisis into superwoman.

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Me too. I think having cancer has made me more aware OF cancer. I believe that would be true for anyone.

I read his book while going through treatment. It was quite inspirational. However, NONE of us can compare ourselves to anyone else.
Shirley

Blundin2005

Hi,

Here are a few links to research by the WHO (World Health Organization) that rates healthcare by country ... a global view so to speak

http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html
http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/Hea...++-+performance

I hope that these links work for you all. Even if the info is somewhat dated...2000..... it wouldn't be difficult to fast forward to 2007 and realize not much changed.

It was noted in one article that US was first in BC survival rates ... ummmm... I think that had to do with the swell of the grass roots effort on the part of a sister (Komen) rather than any politician.

Don't kid yourselves, the politics get more in the way than help.

If you're interested, do to the NY Times Caucus for the election and download the healthcare plans of each candidate to see the difference between substance and hot air. It takes a little time to get through it, but it's worth it. Last time I looked only Ob had details written....this is the first level of substanitive test...give the details. Hillary has a habit to wait and float the balloon to test the reactions before she puts her head on the block....look at her voting record .... on line .... U S Senate.

I send my vote absentee...through the US Embassy in Rome....hand delivered....an hour and a half commute....train, subway, then walking....it matters.

Best wishes to all.

Motherbeartosix

Yes, even with so many women uninsured we are still first. Someone once explained that breast care (surgery, radiation, for example) in other countries might be very good once a cancer is identified, but that screening is not what it is here, and that "machines" are not as readily available as they are here, so that means delays for mammograms, ultrasounds, etc.

We do like our technology in this country.

Blundin2005

Hey there again,
Yes, the technology is wonderful. I worked in the healthsystem for over 20 years. The US recruited medical students to their universities from foreign countries, employed them cheaply. I can remember so many of them came from India. In fact, I hired student from Drexel university to help me program my computers at the hospital.... great people all of them....and very intelligent. It's not an accident that their country's growth rate is very high and their standard of living is improving at the same rate...many analysts today are looking to their poverty and ecological indexes as a measure of the health of their society in broader terms.

The ranking put US at 37th .... Italy was #2 after France.

There is much information behind these numbers. As one analyst mentioned, there is much we can learn from one another if we are open to it....healthy debate.

Best wishes

Motherbeartosix

Yes, there is much we can learn, but a lot of our gripe with American health care (besides COST YUCK ) is based on the fact that we don't seem to be getting much bang for our buck when you look at life expectancy. Unfortunately, life expectancy in this country is lower for many reasons - not just heath care - including the number of deaths related to obesity, violence, car accidents, and premature related deaths. Aside from cost, life expectancy often drives comparisons in health care. If Americans (including me) don't get off our rears to walk and exercise, the difference in our life expectancies is going to increase due to obesity related illnesses like heart disease and diabetes! And we have higher death rates due to violence and even car accidents. Americans also tend to treat problem pregnancies more aggressively with an increase in early infant mortality rates over other countries. A three week old preemie who dies gets lumped in with infant mortality rates.

Anyway, perhaps if we had better "health" care and not just "sick" care, Americans wouldn't be so obese, but I'm not so sure how much that is going to help. We have incredibly unhealthy lifestyles and eating habits compared to much of the world, and I think that might take generations to fix. I'm definitely overweight, and now that I'm fifty I'm realizing just how my weight is going to negatively affect my health as I get older. If we want to improve our life expectancy, we're going to have to do a lot more than change our healthcare system.

Edited to add - Culture simply plays a huge role in life expectancy even within the same country. I believe life expectancy - even in France - is different for minorities living in France compared to the majority population. I just think we have to be realistic about making comparisons and realistic about what possible changes to the U.S. healthcare system will accomplish other than the obvious disparity in health insurance coverage.

Blundin2005

This link might help provide info on the candidates health care plan proposals. You will see that some have not even produced one in writing...a political decision to be sure. This is a tremendously difficult issue from political, social, economic perspectives.

It's easy to say they have a policy and another thing to put it in writing. From what I've read so far (in the last month or so?) there is not much substance in what the candidates are saying. This is because to get elected they need to please everyone and that isn't possible when something so intricate needs an adjustment....something needs to give. Because of this, I think it is a mistake to elect a candidate based on the healthcare issue alone....there is so much more work to do .... But this needs to be done also, so follow their written proposals very carefully to see who has the most character and backbone ... this is the person we need to be president .... not the most popular ...

http://www.healthjournalism.org/secondarypage-details.php?id=97

Sorry ... I went to find the proposals in the NY times and I couldn't find them. I have a print out of Obama's proposal but it's in pdf format and I can't past it here. Some days my mind just runs out of steam ... hope this helps anyway.

ake

the forum is being broadcast live right now on MSNBC and it's fantastic just in the sense that this issue is even being discussed. i think it's so important! and where are the republicans? i don't get it. Chris Matthews is giving them so really tough questions and Lance Armstrong is as spectacular as always.

miamimama

The Republican day is tomorrow but only two will be there - none of the front runners. I thought Hillary and John Edwards were great.

Blundin2005

I tried to find the live broadcast ... LA.org or MSnbc ... LA.org will have the text of the forum at least.

Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

nosurrender

I watched MTP yesterday.
When was the presidential forum even on tv??
Where can I see a re=broadcast??
I loved what LA said to Tim Russert.
When Russert asked him if a cure is possible, he said he was an 11 year survivor of testicular cancer, but the 45 year old woman with the three kids dies of breast cancer... cancer is different diseases with different protocols, and different prognoses.
I was glad he said that and pointed out that it isn't all the same strain of Flu that we all got in different parts of our bodies.

Anonymous

Yeah, this is kinda weird. The cancer forums are taking place/took place yesterday and today and, from what I could determine, will be broadcast in pieces throughout today on MSNBC. I watched Hardball last night and the only spot they showed (twice!) was Hillary Clinton talking about declaring "war on cancer" (think that's biased?). Chris Matthews did interview Lance A, but then it was over. I guess cancer doesn't deserve an entire hour....?

~Marin

Anonymous

Gina, I sure do appreciate LA stating the facts about cancer. Perhaps some people will get it...breast cancer is the "good" cancer. He's one lucky and, I'm sure, grateful person to be alive.

I still haven't seen any of the interview.
Shirley