NYT In Clean Politics, Flesh Is Pressed, Then Sanitized

[bklyncowgirl]

The Times reports on the obsession with politicians sanitizing hands after contacting (shudder) citizens including pre-handshake purification for those fortunate few who got to shake hands with Dick Cheney at a fundraiser for Congressman Ryun.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/28/us/politics/28dirty.html?ref=politics

Like so many other people involved in politics these days, Mrs. Ryun has become obsessive about using hand sanitizer and ensuring that others do, too. She squirted Purell, the antiseptic goop of choice on the stump and self-proclaimed killer of “99.99 percent of most common germs that may cause illness,” on people lined up to meet Vice President Dick Cheney this month at a fund-raiser in Topeka.

When Mr. Cheney was done meeting and greeting, he, too, rubbed his hands vigorously with the stuff, dispensed in dollops by an aide when the vice president was out of public view.

That has become routine in this peak season of handshaking, practiced by everyone from the most powerful leaders to the lowliest hopefuls. Politics is personal at all levels, and germs do not discriminate. Like chicken dinners and lobbyists, they afflict Democrats and Republicans alike. It would be difficult to find an entourage that does not have at least one aide packing Purell.

It's a bipartisan thing, by the way, Al Gore is also a big fan of the stuff. Incidently, Bill Richardson finds it insulting to the public and Howard Dean, who as a physician should know the risks, thinks it's ridiculous.

Shouldn't it be the citizens who would need to wash their hands after contact with politicians?

Edited to include link. Sorry about that!

[Heidi]

1. Please provide a link, bklyncowgirl!

Thank you,

Heidi, LBN Moderator

[napi21]

2. As much as I criticize these folks for everything they do, I can see

where this makes sense. We are at the beginning of the cold/flu season, and someone on the campaign trail can't afford to get sick!

Many times, I've asked people who work in Drs iffuces "How the heck do you keep from getting sick? All day, every day, you're exposed to people with contagious stuff!"

Their response EVERY TIME has been to wash your hands ALL THE TIME, anddon'tever touch your eyes, nose, mouth, or any other body orfice. That's how the germs get to you!

In large crowds, there's no way to know what kind of illnesses exist.

[truthisfreedom]

3. exposure to germs builds immunity. there's two schools of thought...

one is scared.