We all know that those crazy whackjobs that believe that government-run healthcare will result in rationing and then so-called "death panels" will have to choose who lives or dies are completely insane and not even worth listening to, like Sarah Palin. I mean, these "deathers" just need to be completely dismissed because of the unbelievable paranoia of these nutjobs, right?
Take former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich. I know, he seemed like a good, normal, common-sense Democrat for most of his life. A real progressive and visionary. Made a lot of sense. But then, he suddenly lost his mind and became a "deather", out of nowhere! Completely out of the blue. He threw in with those "fearmongers", those "fanatical, looney conspiracy theorists" and started saying crazy things like the government was going to let old people die because their medical bills are too expensive. Can you believe that?
In a speech he gave in the right-wing stronghold of Berkeley, CA in 2007, he must have suddenly snapped in front of all those frothing, gun-toting extremists and he told them what a presidential candidate will never say--but should say--about healthcare policy. He said a candidate SHOULD say:
Thank you so much for coming this afternoon. I'm so glad to see you and I would like to be president. Let me tell you a few things on healthcare....
What I'm going to do is try to reorganize it to be more amenable to treating sick people but that means you, particularly you young healthy people, you're going to have to pay more...And by the way, we are going to have to, if you are very old, we are not going to give you all that technology and all those drugs for the last couple of years of your life to keep you maybe going for another couple of months because it's too expensive.
So we're going to let you die.
Ha "let you die"...that language isn't in the health care bill! Silly little Robert Reich. His transformation into a right-wing radical is complete. Now, we must dismiss him and his baseless conclusion that the government is going to "let" people die because he is quite clearly one of "them"--he is a deather.
Weird...he gave that speech in 2007, yet endorsed Obama in 2008...It must have been temporary insanity. He became an insane fascist deather for just a little while before he reverted back to good 'ol Robbie Reich and endorsed the right candidate, the one that is going to use the government to fix healthcare.
In fact, here's proof that he still supports the public option. See! The government isn't going to ration anything. Everything will be fine, just let the government take care of it all. Try not to think too hard.
Although, he hasn't come out and said his previous wild allegations were wrong...it's almost as if he's avoiding the issue. I mean, if a tape surfaced of me spouting crazy conspiracy theories that I no longer believe in, I'd want to refute it right away! Yet his blog is strangely silent on the issue...
You don't think...Nah, can't be. You don't think he still *gasp* BELIEVES that nonsense, do you?
Because if he did, then all those crazy teabaggers wouldn't be so crazy, would they?
Eric Ingemunson's commentary has been featured on Hannity, CNN, NBC, Inside Edition, and KFI's The John and Ken Show.
Eric was born and raised in Ventura County and currently resides in Moorpark. He earned a master's degree in Public Policy and Administration from California Lutheran University. As a conservative, Eric supports smaller government, less taxation, more individual freedom, the rule of law, and a strict adherence to the Constitution.
Hey Eric,
Glad to see you here. A real conservative will give the libs fits, not to mention the heartburn it'll cause Katie Teague and Leslie Cornejo.
Keep up the good work.
Eric - about time!!! Must be a reaction to Cathy Carlson being offered a blog and the fact that both Dems and Reps cenbtral committee members complained to the paper mightly about it. Hopefully you will offer up factual and well thought out opinions and let people agree/disagree with you.
Does having this blog means you won't be writing stories for the Ventura County Republican Central Committee website anymore? Otherwise, I guess the paper will have to have your counterpart at the VCD committee do a blog as well.
Anyway, good luck and I will support you!
"We all know that those crazy whackjobs that believe that government-run healthcare will result in rationing and then so-called "death panels" will have to choose who lives or dies are completely insane and not even worth listening to, like Sarah Palin. I mean, these "deathers" just need to be completely dismissed because of the unbelievable paranoia of these nutjobs, right?"
Absolutely CORRECT!! They are "Crazy Whackjobs".
LOL!
Go here and read the posting here from Reich. As usual the classic right wing fact twisting is back at work and he addresses the fiction.
http://robertreich.blogspot.com/
Looks like the Star now has not only Liberal and Conservative blogs. Now it has a genuine Wingnut one. I wonder if it will end up going the way of Stephen Franks.
More right wing fact twisting. Goe to Robert Reichs blog for a response to the fiction presented.
Eric:
Congratulations regarding your "blog-outing" of Robert Reich's flippant disregard of the dignity of human life. Especially Reich's repugnant flippancy concerning the basic survival challenges faced by senior citizens at the end of their long lives.
Though not surprised, I am increasingly disgusted by self-selected opinion leaders in this country, such as Reich, who so cavalierly use assaults on reason and basic human dignity as bankrupt rhetorical underpinnings in support of their vision of the most appropriate prescription for health care reform in this nation..
Arguing that the "true" price of health care reform in this country should be the consignment of the healthy young to decades of indentured health tax servitude, and aging seniors to "Soylent Green," is intellectually lazy, morally reprehensible, and politically stupid..
Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, or just plain politically agnostic and ideologically neutral, there is nothing more humbling to all such "self-selected legends in their own minds" as to be hoisted on their own verbal petards. Especially razor-sharp verbal petards which hubristically spew from their own mouths..
While I suspect that we may have vastly different positions on a variety of political issues of the day, I have been impressed with both the logical constructs of your blog-arguments, and your thoughtful and impactful use of the Queen's English..
I look forward to seeing more of your blog-postings, and perhaps engaging in some spirited virtual debate with you, in the future.
Finally, as a matter of political sporting interest, I can't wait to see the potential blogging blast between yourself and the Democrats' "enfant terrible," Mssr. Atkins. Apparently, Mssr. Atkins has gone into blog-hiding, as Obama's favorability ratings have taken a nose-dive during the last six months..
Oh well, to paraphrase Scripture, "...those who live by the polls, die by the polls.."
Ciao Commendatori
NostraDemus
Welcome to the fold, Eric. But good luck with the "healthy, rational dialogue" thing. Been there, tried that. You will end up lowering your standards like the rest of us have.
Wondering though: it wouldn't happen to be Intuit you are employed by? They of kill ReadyReturn fame? Uh, you don't have to answer.
ND: I think David's just been busy, not hiding. It's election season in Ventura. We're all stretched too thin.
I look foward to having a "healthy, rational dialogue" as well. It is ridiculous some of the name calling and cyber bullying that has occured on Marie's and Brian Dennert's blog (all by fake namers). Timm Herdt's blog is safe because nobody wants to annoy him. We will see what happens on Eric's blog. It didn't start off too good - a taunting post by a fake name - typical....
Hi Marie, sorry for the late reply; this post was trapped in spam I just learned how to free messages from spam.
No, I don't work for Intuit; our company is much smaller, in Simi, and we make several competing products.
Katie,
Thanks for your comment, but just a small correction for the record. I never wrote for the Central Committee; they syndicated some of my writings from redcounty.com (which I still write for as a national correspondent).
I'm sorry Eric - when I went to the VCRC website and saw the By Eric Ingemuson with no Red County attribution, I assumed (erroneously) you were writing for them. Right now it looks like half the members aren't there either. And only 2 of the 3 candidates for governor are listed and a bunch of other statewide candidates aren't listed. Not a very good resource for Republicans in this county I'm afraid.
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