News Roundup for 8/10/09

Won't you help an uninsured wingnut?

-Headline of the day-
"Right Wing's Anti-Health Care Icon Is Uninsured, Seeking Donations To Pay For Care."

A teabagger at a town hall in St. Louis took a beatdown from a man in a Service Empolyees International Union shirt. Kenneth Gladney claims he was just handing out flage that read "Don't Tread on Me!" when he was attacked, but all a video of the incident currently making the rounds on right wing blogs shows is Gladney losing a fight. Who started it or how it started is really anyone's guess.

But he lost pretty bad and was taken to the hospital. Here, he got a good look at what exactly is wrong with the current health care system. He's become an icon of the town hall mobs and a case study in missing the goddam point:


Less than 48 hours later, protesters gathered Saturday in front of the union’s offices, many of them holding signs with a slightly different version of the message: "Don't Tread on Kenny." [...]

Gladney did not address Saturday's crowd of about 200 people. His attorney, David Brown, however, read a prepared statement Gladney wrote. "A few nights ago there was an assault on my liberty, and on yours, too." Brown read. "This should never happen in this country."

Supporters cheered. Brown finished by telling the crowd that Gladney is accepting donations toward his medical expenses. Gladney told reporters he was recently laid off and has no health insurance.


Hitting your forehead against your keyboard right now? Join the club. Don't worry, it hurts a lot less after you build up a callus. (Think Progress)


-We give!-
Damn, I wish I'd thought of this. A poster at Daily Kos promises to concede every one of the town hall mobs' demands. "We have considered your insightful and well reasoned arguments, and on behalf of progressives everywhere, I am here to say: OK! We give up!" writes Stroszek. "We are willing to compromise on the proposals that concern you. You've won! Yay!"

Here are some of the things dems won't do, under the agreement; "We will not euthanize your grandmother," "Rahm Emanuel's brother will not kill Sarah Palin's baby," "We will not provide illegal immigrants with unlimited free health care," "Private health insurance will not be eliminated," and "There will be no super-secret-awesome health care program for ACORN employees."

None of that is going to be discussed by Democrats. It's over, you guys totally won. Now go home and celebrate with a six-pack of Grain Belt or Lone Star or Grape Crush or whatever it is you guys drink.

Deal? (Daily Kos)


-Bonus HotD-
"I am Kenneth Gladney."

You mean that king of the right wing blogosphere and frequent talking head Andrew Breitbart, the author of this op-ed, doesn't have health insurance either?

Man, things are worse than I thought. We've totally got to pass this reform thing. (Washington Times)


-UK death panel killed Stephen Hawking years ago-
Josh Marshall notices that Atlanta Journal Consitution's columnist Jay Bookman noticed an Investors Business Daily editorial that argues that Sarah Palin's "death panels" are real and puts out this pile of stupid:


People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn't have a chance in the UK, where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless.


The problem? I'll let Marshall explain it; "Needless to say, Hawking, who is recognized as one of the great theoretical physicists of the 20th and 21st century, was born in the UK and has lived his entire life there."

You wish it was "needless to say." Clearly, you need to say it, because some people don't bother to fact-check their columns. There's this new thing called Google, guys. You might want to take it for a spin sometime.

And I need to say that I've yet to see an anti-health care reform piece that wasn't dumber than a screen door on a submarine. (Talking Points Memo)