Did you ever get the feeling that most of the freshman Republicans in Congress, you know, don't know what the #*%@ they're talking about when it comes to health care?
Not just idiots who don't know that it makes actual goddamn sense to make sure every family can afford a family doctor, but real prize-winning jerk-asses who can't wait to get in your face about the government helping pay for your health care, but genuinely don't know (because they never bothered to find out) that the government is paying for theirs? Or who don't know that, yeah, in the real world, people sometimes have to go without insurance. Even if it might mean they'll lose everything if they get sick.
Andy Harris (R-MD-01), anyone?
A conservative Maryland physician elected to Congress on an anti-Obamacare platform surprised fellow freshmen at a Monday orientation session by demanding to know why his government-subsidized health care plan takes a month to kick in.
Republican Andy Harris ... reacted incredulously when informed that federal law mandated that his government-subsidized health care policy would take effect on Feb. 1 51; 28 days after his Jan. 3rd swearing-in.
"He stood up and asked the two ladies who were answering questions why it had to take so long, what he would do without 28 days of health care" ... "Harris then asked if he could purchase insurance from the government to cover the gap," added the aide, who was struck by the similarity to Harris’s request and the public option he denounced as a gateway to socialized medicine.
Twenty-eight days? Pobrecito! And, how precious! He wanted government insurance to cover the gap.
FAIL.
Michael Grimm (R-NY-13)?
In one of his first interviews since being sworn in, Grimm brushed off the suggestion that he was being hypocritical for accepting government-provided health insurance while calling for the repeal of Pres. Obama's health care reform.
"What am I, not supposed to have health care?" Grimm told the New York Daily News (the article hasn't appeared online, only in print). "It's practicality. I'm not going to become a burden for the state because I don't have health care and, God forbid I get into an accident and I can't afford the operation...That can happen to anyone."
"That can happen to anyone."
Yeah. Happy birthday, Sherlock!
Sure would hate to see you become a burden for the state because you don't have health care. The state oughta see if maybe something can be done about getting you some coverage, don't you think? So you don't become a burden to it?
O. M. F. G.
Bob Hurt (R-VA-05)?
HURT: I’ll support the repeal. Okay, what else?
TP: After you vote to repeal health care, will you also reject government-sponsored, government-subsidized health care given to members of Congress?
HURT: Uhm, well obviously we’ve got — I’ve got a health insurance policy that I pay for through the government so I don’t really51;
TP: Well there’s $700 a month in taxpayer money on average that goes to a member of Congress’s health care plan given by you know the taxpayer.
HURT: It’s a policy that’s issued by Anthem and it’s a policy that any51; it’s open to the public.
TP: But my tax dollars and everyone’s tax dollars subsidize your plan as a member of Congress. And all of your staff members. You’ve got what, thirty members of your staff? Do you think they should have government-sponsored health care if you’re going to repeal it for everyone else?
HURT: If you’re going to pay members of Congress anything, if they’re going to have a salary and they’re going to have benefits, like so many people who are employed do, then I think it’s not unreasonable to offer those benefits. So I support that.
Government help pay for your insurance? Bite me, peon! Government help pay for my insurance? Why, yes, don't mind if I do. Thanks!
To this distinguished parade of dingbats, we now add Ann Marie Buerkle (R-NY-25):
Buerkle, who voted to repeal the health care reform act, was twice asked about the health insurance she receives as a government employee. At first she said she couldn’t understand why people were so interested in her health insurance, and that taxpayers didn’t pay anything for it. She later corrected herself after being handed a note from a staffer. Like most employees, she pays for a portion of her insurance and her employer, the government, pays the rest, she said.
Gosh, I can't understand why you're all so interested in that! But she confidently tells them all to go screw, because the taxpayers don't pay anything for it. So bite me!
Oh, I'm being told that you actually do pay for it. Golly. Heh heh! Hey, look over there! Socialism!
Had to be told by a staffer, this one did. Andy Harris at least paid attention at the orientation. This one -- along with Bob Hurt -- slept through it, apparently. Health care is magically super cheap for Members of Congress! On account of our being so smart smug, you see.
These people have no connection to reality. How many of them bragged on themselves as being "small business owners" and the like while on the campaign trail, I wonder? Small business owners who forget that employers pay a giant chunk of the cost of employee health insurance premiums, somehow?
Just one of many reasons why you never send a Republican to do a normal human being's job.
