Setting Priorities

The first true criticism -- at least the first one that isn't laden with political bias -- of the changing of the Congressional guard has come from an unlikely source. I read this article on CNN.com yesterday, written by none other than Lance Armstrong.

Actually, it wasn't so much a criticism of the new Congress as it was a declaration of priorities.

We have spent more than $357 billion on the war in Iraq and while our troops over there certainly deserve the support, I question why we have never spent nearly as much on finding a cure for cancer.

Two of my friends have had young children diagnosed with leukemia. Cancer took family members and friends' family members at a young age. And only three days ago I discovered that a friend from the neighborhood where I grew up, has an advanced stage of leukemia.

My friends are not alone. 1.3 million Americans are diagnosed with some form of cancer each year.

Yet in the last year our government -- obviously strapped for cash to support their war fix -- had cut funding on cancer research.

I know that we as Americans do a tremendous amount of fund-raising for cancer research. The charity events, the LiveStrong bands, and other ways we support the cause is laudable. But why isn't our government making it the priority it should be?

We are a nation -- a country with borders and citizens. What happens outside our borders is less important than what happens inside of it. And cancer affects the home.

Let's remind our delegates in Congress and the Senate what should be a priority.