DAveakins.com: Ladies and Gentlemen, the Democratic Leader of the Senate

January 21, 2004

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Democratic Leader of the Senate

GWB's SOTU speech was just OK. Didn't do much for me either way.

But Senator Tom Daschle's following response? Whoa-ho-ho nelly....

Today, 43.6 million Americans - almost all of them from working families - have no health insurance. That's over 3.8 million more than when President Bush took office. Those Americans lucky enough to have health insurance have seen their premiums go up each of the last three years.

Dear Tom:

You sanctimonious son of a bitch. How dare you imply that Americans with health insurance are "lucky". HOW DARE YOU. When that statement passed from your lips, a big glob of spit went with it. And it spattered directly on the faces of every man and woman in this country who bust his or her ass every day to not only provide for their families basic needs but to also to provide themselves and their families medical coverage.

So you spit in my father's face, you detestable, arrogant maggot.

This is the Democratic Party's Leader in the Senate... a fine, fine representative of the party as a whole, no?

You pissed me off, Tom. You really friggin' pissed me off.

DAve

Posted by DAve at January 21, 2004 12:37 PM

Comments

Two cars are in a horrible head-on collision. Both drivers are air-lifted to the local trauma unit.

Driver A works in the receiving department at Wal-Mart. Management won't give them enough ours per week to qualify for medical coverage.

Driver B is a computer programmer with full medical coverage.

The pre-packaged libertarian response will probably be, "This is America. Driver A has been provided the resources to do whatever he/she wants. It is not Driver B's fault that he made a better career choice."

While Neal Boortz Libertarian Argument Response #6479a may be true - at the moment of impact, Diver B is undeniably luckier than Driver A.

I bust my ass to provide medical coverage for myself and my family. This country is FULL of people and families who work twice as hard as I do to ensure their health and somehow always come up short. If that doesn't make me lucky, I don't know what does.

Weak rant, Dave. Weak. I've come to expect more from you.

Posted by: tony at January 25, 2004 10:00 AM

Tony:

Thanks for visiting.

Your argument is predicated on Driver A not being able to afford ANY health insurance. Just because a company doesn't provide it doesn't mean you can't get it independently.

Note that Daschle said 43.6 million Americans don't HAVE health insurance. Classic deceptive line. He didn't say 43.6 million Americans can't AFFORD it, because this would be a lie.

Posted by: DAve at January 25, 2004 05:10 PM

Are you saying that all those uninsured people go without health insurance because they choose to spend their money on Plasma TVs and Hummers?

When was the last time you priced health insurance on the retail market? I lived in Oregon for a few years recently (insert tree-hugging, dirt-worshipping, liberal joke here) and I was required to acquire my own coverage. I was in the least expensive demographic (Single male, age 18-24), and the cheapest coverage available to me with no assistance was an HMO from Kaiser for $125 a month. No dental, no vision, all care must take place at a Kaiser facility, etc. The next best was Blue Cross at $140 per month. And once you left my demographic, the price goes up substantially. A woman over thirty with children is looking at coughing up well over $300 a month.

I'm not defending anything that comes out of any politician's mouth because the motivation is always suspect, but I would argue that cost is THE issue with people not obtaining health insurance.

On a side note, what is that picture at the end of all your posts? I was in Redcoats at Georgia for 4 years and that picture looks like one of the staff members wearing a headset. Were you a Redcoat staff member?

Posted by: tony at January 26, 2004 09:08 AM

"Are you saying that all those uninsured people go without health insurance because they choose to spend their money on Plasma TVs and Hummers?"

Um, no.

But I'm willing to bet a significant percentage of that 40 million could afford health insurance if they wished. But maybe they just don't want to, who knows? The fact remains that I shouldn't be forced to cover them and myself. Daschle's plan is built upon scare tactics, and would simply accelerate our fall into a bankrupt Federal health system.

Looking at that picture now I can see how it looks like a headset. It's actually a cigar. That was taken outside of a country club in Columbia, South Cackalacky the weekend my brother was married there.

Posted by: DAve at January 26, 2004 11:18 AM

I think all poor people should die. Or make me a sandwich. One of the two. Maybe make me a sandwich, then die. Or mow my lawn first. Actually, there are some hot girls that are poor. They can come live with me. In the basement. But once they stop putting out - you know...

Posted by: Josh Massey at February 6, 2004 11:37 PM