‘Public option may cost you your life,’ GOP leader says

By John Byrne
Friday, October 30th, 2009 -- 7:50 am
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mcconnell cnn small Public option may cost you your life, GOP leader saysFrom the party that brought you "death panels," meet -- well -- just "death."

Republicans and private health insurance firms are aghast at the inclusion of a so-called "public option" in House and Senate healthcare overhaul bills.

None more so than Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who's charged with leading resistance in the Senate. In an interview Wednesday revealed by ThinkProgress, McConnell declared that the government insurance option would lead to government takeover of the entire healthcare system.

"I think if you have any kind of government insurance program, you're going to be stuck with it and it will lead us in the direction of the European style, you know, sort of British-style, single payer, government run system," McConnell remarked. "And those systems are known for delays, denial of care and, you know, if your particular malady doesn't fit the government regulation, you don't get the medication.

Then, he added, "And it may cost you your life. I mean, we don't want to go down that path."

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Republicans aren't the only party throwing around the d-word, however. Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) recently took fire over comments on the House floor in which he declared that the Republican health care plan involved hoping for patients to "die quickly."

The following audio is The Dennis Miller Show, broadcast on Oct. 28, 2009.

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Story comments are below...

  • WJM51
    Brilliant, McConnell. Why don't you tell that tot he families of the 25,000 of us who DO DIE every year thanks to NO public option.

    You, "sir", are a flying sack of shit. You REALLY need a PERMANENT vacation from the political world. You and your shit eating party had your chance, and what did you do? You made SURE that tens of millions of us would lose our jobs, our insurance, our homes, and NOW you say you're doing something for US? Go home and STAY THERE.

    The depth of my disdain for you and your party cannot be expressed in mere words.
  • DownriverDem
    This is exactly why so many Americans are independents. The GOP is so out of touch with reality.
    Fear, hate and lies are all they have. They will win some races, but it does not mean they are staging a come back. Amreicans will see that Obama is doing what needs to be done. As a white woman, I am totally embarrassed at the hateful white people we see on tv trying to pit whites against every one else in the country.

    Wake up folks! Diversity is a great thing. Quit listening to the hate talkers of the GOP.
  • overdoneputaforkinit
    How many people die every year because of insurance company delays, denial of care and, you know, if your particular malady doesn't fit what they cover, you don't get the medication?
  • Bob_in_Prague
    Man, absolutely everything the thugs accuse others of, everything - it's exactly what the thugs themselves are doing. What a bizzarro strategy! I live in the little Czech Republic; only 10 million souls live here. I'm 64 (anyone still need me and feed me?), have hypertension, and pay roughly 60 bucks a month for full health, dental, and eye care - no waiting (except for certain purely elective procedcures), no nonsense, inexpensive prescriptions, great doctors. It's beyond me: what on Earth entitles health insurance company paper shufflers to reap billions while adding absolutely zero value to health care delivery (quite the opposite is true, as they cut costs by screwing the ailing). If the little Czech Republic can figure this out, what is the matter with people in the US??? Americans should stand up and demand more bang for less bucks, the way it works in the civilized world...
  • Hologram5
    When will these assholes quit tossing lies like they toss salad? I am so sick of lies from this "Party of NO" and the Family values regime.
  • earthbone
    what a pile of shit ! go fuck yourself mitch ! asshole !
  • homeromj
    McConnell...you had your chance to fix America and you dic*ed it up. Now go back to your ol' Kentucky Home and iron your sheets for the next rally.
  • DFW
    An American Republican claiming that Europeans suffer "denial of care?" That's a good one. I thought it was Halloween, not April Fools Day.

    The Europeans mock America precisely because it is their American counterparts that suffer from denial of care, where Europeans are the ones who breathe easier due to far greater health care coverage.

    I wonder how much longer Republicans will get away with spouting lies, and using them to back up their positions?

    I guess as long as there are Americans using Fox Noise for their source of information, lies like McConnell's will continue to pass for truth in some circles, but even Fox viewers get sick sometimes, and I doubt that all of them have the kind of comprehensive health coverage enjoyed by most Europeans. I have news for them: if you get sick and can't pay for your care, Mitch McConnell, Roger Ailes and their party will not lift a finger to help you.
  • nader paul kucinich gravel
    Insurance Corporations are goin' down hard.

    Your ballroom days are over baby
    Night is drawing near
  • donofcali
    At this point, he and those who employ him are just piling on the rhetoric. They want to appear to be defeated. But they're not worried now; in fact they're quite happy with the result of the totally watered down, "public option" that is now simply a government subsidy of the health insurance plutocrats.

    They've won. The health care bill is a piece of shit that won't solve our health insurance problems. Payback on the dems in 2010 and 2012 will be severe.
  • kiboshki
    Agreed. The healthcare bills as they've come out of committee are so advantageous to corporate interests, they really defeat the purpose of reform. We'll get a system that hurts real people more than it helps, a huge chunk of the American population will happily and ignoranly go along with it, and we as a country will continue slip deeper into the sewer of history.
  • edwards_com
    I have excellent health Insurance. But I am one of the lucky few:...I am one of the 4% between the1% that own everything & the 95% struggling. WE MUST HAVE AN AFFORDABLE PUBLIC OPTION FOR THE 95%. .. The GOP fear & smear is killing you Mitch.I know it will raise my taxes It HAS too.but ending those stupid wars would help a lot.
    .
  • nobloodforhubris
    He doesn't know that people are already dying?

    From lack of health care?

    medicines that are to expensive?

    denial of care/

    medical bankruptcy?


    Idiot.
  • starvapor
    Listening to the GOP's endless string of baseless bullshit is much higher on the list of things that will kill you than any public option.
    Hitler would have hired this guy to speak for him in a heartbeat.
  • justadood
    ....."whereas, our GOP plan will *definitely* cost you your life. We don't want yu to die uncertain now, would we?"
  • dennycrane
    Using denns miller as a "launch" pad to fling his shit. Classy.
  • Hologram5
    This douchebag will be dying off soon and then we'll have to deal with a younger douchebag. Time to vote all these tools out of office or exact term limits so we don't have to deal with "lifers" that are too comfortable selling us out.
  • nobodyforpresident
    "The time for glorifying yourself will soon be at an end."

    Maximus
  • thincaboutit
    Now the battle REALLY begins! Check out “Healthcare Fighting (Kung Fu Mix)” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nc1VwJOb9Y
  • pitbullstew
    News alert; God tries to kill an innocent man and fails. “A storms blew the signature steeple off a church in downtown Shreveport. The falling tower hit a car and the 57-year-old driver, Michael Williams, had to be pulled out by rescuers He suffered broken bones.”
    Michael Williams said that it was an unprovoked attack on him from God.
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