Yes, it’s true. Newt Gingrich, the former staunch Republican U.S. House Speaker, who’s rivalry with former President Bill Clinton still baffles many of us, is now finding himself agreeing with Bill’s wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The issue of endorsement? Hillary Clinton’s $2 billion dollar proposal for research to find a cure for Alzheimers by 2025. Hillary also proposed a $6k tax credit for unpaid family caregivers.
Some remain suspect to Gingrich’s motives, while others believe this proposal is one in which Hillary will get a mound of support—from both sides. Why? Because it’s reported that over 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimers, and even more Americans are family members and caretakers who are also affected by this very a cruel and sad terminal disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear in their mid-60s. Estimates vary, but experts suggest that more than 5 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer's disease is currently ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, but recent estimates indicate that the disorder may rank third, just behind heart disease and cancer, as a cause of death for older people.
Here is Gingrich’s tweet:
So, if Gingrich is in, that might mean more Right Wing politicians will jump in, and maybe, just maybe, we’ll make this happen and find a cure.
Thank you to Hillary Clinton. And it’s good Newt Gingrich is supporting this proposal, though I don’t trust him as far as I can throw a rock, as a woman or as an American. But I’m grateful to any person who opts to help better the lives of those suffering. Perhaps he’ll go a step further and make an end-of-the year tax-deductible donation to the cause.
To learn more about this disease, visit Alzheimers.org (www.alz.org/...) and The National Institute on Aging.
Special thanks to Daily Kossack, ‘campskunk2’ and the great Daily Kos community, for the input, the honesty, the enlightenment, and the inspiration.
