Scarborough Accuses GOP Debate Audience of ‘Applauding the Death of a Young Man Without Health Insurance’
MSNBC's Joe Scarborough on Friday said the people in the audience at Monday's Republican presidential debate were “applauding the death of a young man without health insurance” and therefore were like the John Birchers “that Bill Buckley kicked out of the conservative movement in the mid-1960s .” Unfortunately, the host of “Morning Joe” has, like so many others in the media, badly misinterpreted what occurred when Texas Congressman Ron Paul was asked what should happen to a voluntarily uninsured man who falls into a coma (video follows with transcript and commentary): JOE SCARBOROUGH, HOST: I was a Tea Party guy before Tea Party was popular. You can look at my thousands of votes from 1995 to 2001, and you will not find anybody, nobody other than maybe Ron Paul, that was more small government than me. You just won't. It is a matter of record – a matter of record. And yet when I was watching the debate the other night and I heard some people applauding the death of a young man without health insurance, or some of the other applause, or quite frankly some of the responses to some things that Rick Perry said that would've got him laughed out of a middle school classroom. I sat there and said who are those people in that room, and where in the hell is my conservative party? Because I will tell you, these people – for the record, America – these are the people that Bill Buckley kicked out of the conservative movement in the mid-1960s . These are the people that he said, the John Birchers , that he said have nothing to do with what I am and what conservatism is. PEGGY NOONAN : So you think the Tea Party now consists of old Birchite folks, or Birchite thinking? SCARBOROUGH: No, I'm not painting that broad brush over the Tea Party movement at all. I think there are elements, though, that our candidates are focusing on too much and they're playing to the lowest common denominator in a way that doom conservatives to make gains next year in a race for the White House. I'm surprised Scarborough has fallen for this liberal, Tea Party-bashing line. Let's go back to what really happened at Monday's debate: WOLF BLITZER , CNN: Before I get to Michele Bachmann, I want to just — you're a physician, Ron Paul, so you're a doctor. You know something about this subject. Let me ask you this hypothetical question. A healthy 30-year-old young man has a good job, makes a good living, but decides, you know what? I'm not going to spend $200 or $300 a month for health insurance because I'm healthy, I don't need it. But something terrible happens, all of a sudden he needs it. Who's going to pay if he goes into a coma, for example? Who pays for that? CONGRESSMAN RON PAUL (R-TEXAS): Well, in a society that you accept welfarism and socialism, he expects the government to take care of him. BLITZER : Well, what do you want? PAUL: But what he should do is whatever he wants to do, and assume responsibility for himself. My advice to him would have a major medical policy, but not be forced — BLITZER : But he doesn't have that. He doesn't have it, and he needs intensive care for six months. Who pays? PAUL: That's what freedom is all about, taking your own risks. [APPLAUSE] This whole idea that you have to prepare and take care of everybody — (APPLAUSE) BLITZER : But Congressman, are you saying that society should just let him die? PAUL: No.
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on September 16, 2011. Filed under