McCain on health care: I didn't have health care when I was a prisoner in Vietnam!

motivez · 04-28-2008, 12:36 PM

Here we go

STEPHANOPOULOS: Let me move on to health care. That could be
the biggest difference between you and the Democrats this year.
Democrats say your tax credit plan will not come close to covering
everyone, and it especially won’t help people with preexisting health
conditions. Here is Elizabeth Edwards, wife of John Edwards.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH EDWARDS: The truth is, a health care policy that
covers everything but cancer doesn’t exactly do me a lot of good. And
John McCain and I have something in common — neither one of us would
be covered by his health care policy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHANOPOULOS: Now, she went on to say that both of you are
going to be fine, because you have plenty of resources to pay for
health insurance, but for millions of Americans with preexisting
conditions, they won’t. Why not guarantee that anyone with a
preexisting condition should be able to get health care?

MCCAIN: We will, as part of our plan, have a special Medicaid
trust fund set up to help care for those people who are — who have
preexisting conditions. As you know, five chronic diseases consume 75
percent of the health care costs in America. We’re not leaving
anybody behind. But what we’re not doing is we’re not going to have a
big government takeover and mandates. They’ve tried that in other
countries. Both Senator Obama and Senator Clinton’s plans are big-
government solutions. But that’s true in everything that...

STEPHANOPOULOS: What’s wrong with government — what’s wrong
with government-run health care?

MCCAIN: And we continue to have these debates — what’s wrong
with it? Go to Canada. Go to England and you can find out what’s
wrong with it. Governments don’t make the right decisions. Families
make the right decisions.

STEPHANOPOULOS: One of the points Mrs. Edwards made in the Wall
Street Journal, she said that your whole life, you had government
health care. You were the son of a Naval officer, a Naval officer,
now a member of Congress. And her point is, why shouldn’t every
American be able to get the kind of health care that members of
Congress get or members of the military get?

MCCAIN: It’s a cheap shot, but I did have a period of time where
I didn’t have very good government health care. I had it from another
government.

(LAUGHTER)

MCCAIN: So, look, I know what it’s like in America not to have
health care. We know that Americans are hurting there as well. We’ve
got to make health care affordable and available. The difference,
again, between myself and the Democrats, and with all due respect,
Mrs. Edwards, I want the families to make the choices. They want the
government to make the choices. That’s a fundamental difference, and
we will continue to debate that issue.

But we can provide incentives.

Video:

YouTube Video

I mean, how ridiculous can you get?

Here's someone who's going on and on about the downfalls of the government being involved in health care decisions, who's been covered by the tax payers his entire life.. when he was in the military, and when he entered public office.. So the one incident he points to as a way to show "Look, I know how tough it is not to have health care" to relate to the millions of Americans who can't afford coverage.... is that he was a prisoner in Vietnam?

Give me a break, not only is not not relevant, but it's not even comparable.. what he went through is worse than not having health care, and that's exactly why he pulled out the PoW-card.. "Hey, don't go after my position and hypocracy, I was a prisoner in Vietnam!1!1"

This is what we're going to be dealing with throughout the campaign once the Democrats finally settle on someone..

Phantom · 04-28-2008, 12:45 PM

I think it was a joke, followed by his sympathetic suggestion that he understands the plight of those without health care.

But I can see how it's easily taken a different way for a great

kinggovernor · 04-28-2008, 01:24 PM

it was a joke, but she was making it personal. The vast majority of Americans would not be happy with the level of care that the military and the VA offers.

The military's health care plan involves two things:
1. Drink water
2. Motrin

And that works for the military because we are a group of young, healthy people who eat right and take care of ourselves. You can hear plenty of horror stories about what happens when someone actually needs health care, the Navy almost killed my dad by misdiagnosing appendicitis as being a pussy. He know has a scar across his stomach and was left permanently disabled because of it.

I sustained a grade III concussion and I was given a shot to settle my stomach/head, my first real meal in months and a real bed for the night. I was back patrolling 24 hours later, when I really should have been getting a CAT scan.

I came home and went to the VA. A month later I finally saw a regular doctor who referred me to a neurosurgeon who I saw a month later. The VA thinks it is doing a good job if you see a doctor within 30 days. So two months after I came home and 3 months after the injury I finally got real treatment.

I don't think most Americans would be happy with that kind of treatment, but that is the kind we will get if have the government take over health care.

7960 · 04-28-2008, 01:47 PM

This is what's getting old.

Originally Posted by motivez

.... who's been covered by the tax payers his entire life.. when he was in the military, and when he entered public office..

He was "covered" by the taxpayers because he was WORKING for the taxpayers. He wasn't sitting home shitting out babies, he was employed by the country....MOST of the time by being ELECTED so the people CHOSE to give him a job where they'd pay for his medical insurance.

motivez · 04-28-2008, 01:49 PM

Where did I suggest he didn't deserve it?

The point is, if it's such a disaster, he should have been paying private insurance because they do it so much better.. but he didn't.

The plan that Congress has is pretty amazing from everything I've heard about it, why would he want to get something different when it's such a nice program?

7960 · 04-28-2008, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

Where did I suggest he didn't deserve it?

Why did you bring it up if it wasn't an issue?

The point is, if it's such a disaster, he should have been paying private insurance because they do it so much better.. but he didn't.

When he was a soldier he didn't really have the option. Now that he's a senator I'm going to guess they've voted themselves a decent health plan. So why would he pay for private?

The plan that Congress has is pretty amazing from everything I've heard about it, why would he want to get something different when it's such a nice program?

and now you're contradicting your own point?

motivez · 04-28-2008, 02:12 PM

I brought it up because he's constantly going on about how bad government run health care would be.. while he's benefited from its successes throughout his life, not opting to get private coverage despite the fact that he can certainly afford it

As far as why would he pay for private? I dunno, consistency in beliefs? His whole spiel about it has been that the government shouldn't be involved in health care decisions, but obviously with him, it is.. and he doesn't seem to mind, he just doesn't want the rest of the country to have the same choice he's able to make.

I don't see what I'm contradicting?

7960 · 04-28-2008, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

I brought it up because he's constantly going on about how bad government run health care would be.. while he's benefited from its successes throughout his life, not opting to get private coverage despite the fact that he can certainly afford it

When he was in the military he certainly could NOT afford it. Now that he's a senator, I'm not sure but I'm guessing they have a health plan similar to any private business so he sees the doc he chooses. Or maybe he does get private healthcare from his wife's company...do you know for a fact he does use his senate healthcare plan?

His whole spiel about it has been that the government shouldn't be involved in health care decisions, but obviously with him, it is.. and he doesn't seem to mind, he just doesn't want the rest of the country to have the same choice he's able to make.

The rest of the country doesn't work for the country. He's talking about the govt getting involved in citizens' healthcare. The US is his employer. Are you saying employers shouldn't offer healthcare plans?

kombayn · 04-28-2008, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

I brought it up because he's constantly going on about how bad government run health care would be.. while he's benefited from its successes throughout his life, not opting to get private coverage despite the fact that he can certainly afford it

As far as why would he pay for private? I dunno, consistency in beliefs? His whole spiel about it has been that the government shouldn't be involved in health care decisions, but obviously with him, it is.. and he doesn't seem to mind, he just doesn't want the rest of the country to have the same choice he's able to make.

I don't see what I'm contradicting?

Well, I mean look at what Medicad has done for us over 35 years? It's put us into this health mess, we're in now. This Universal Care shit is going to cripple the care people get and you'll get put onto waiting lists, how it has happened over in the European Union. I like Mike Gravel's voucher system, but only used for extreme emergency's so people can get the care they need. Otherwise affordable health care plans should be provided by your worker as a benefit.

RockPusher · 04-28-2008, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by kombayn

...I like Mike Gravel's voucher system...

I love that Mike Gravel, being on the farther left side, is WAY more conservative than the Manchurian Candidate.

I am far right conservative and would vote for Gravel over McStain in a heartbeat. HEARTBEAT.

The "Conservative" in the race loves government backed healthcare.

7960 · 04-28-2008, 06:21 PM

Originally Posted by RockPusher

... than the Manchurian Candidate.

Comments like this make it harder and harder to take anything you say seriously.

RockPusher · 04-28-2008, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by 7960

Comments like this make it harder and harder to take anything you say seriously.

Its getting harder and harder to believe that you have any humor at all.

Of course I don't believe that he is a programmed killing zombie activated by a codeword. He was too busy telling the cameras how much of an 'Air Pirate' and murderer he was.

TankRizzo · 04-29-2008, 04:10 PM

You bolded the wrong parts. He wasn't using that as a "SUCK IT UP" tactic, he used it as a joke and HERE is the important part of what he said:

"We know that Americans are hurting there as well. We’ve
got to make health care affordable and available. The difference,
again, between myself and the Democrats, and with all due respect,
Mrs. Edwards, I want the families to make the choices. They want the
government to make the choices. That’s a fundamental difference, and
we will continue to debate that issue."

motivez · 04-29-2008, 04:12 PM

I'm not saying he wasn't using that as a joke, but the fact that he brings it up is beyond ridiculous, I have a feeling we're going to be hearing it a lot in this campaign.. a kind of, 'Oh look at me, I was a prisoner in Vietnam, if I can deal with that, then ....'

And, if he thinks the government being involved in health care is such a bad thing, he should have gotten healthcare with no government involvement a long time ago

7960 · 04-29-2008, 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

....if he thinks the government being involved in health care is such a bad thing, he should have gotten healthcare with no government involvement a long time ago

He's getting healthcare from his employer and asking that you do the same. Really, you're being intellectually dishonest with that argument.

JaJae · 04-29-2008, 04:58 PM

I think what he said was in jest, but here we go again with him looking to insert his POW experience into every avenue of politics when he's running a campaign. This is a habit for him that I just can't get past. Rudy dropped 9-11 every chance he got. McCain drops this. It's become a crutch for him politically. I completely respect what he did for his country, but I don't think he needs to insert it into every avenue he can to get himself into the White House. I understand it's part of who he is, but it just seems inappropriate at times.

motivez · 04-29-2008, 04:58 PM

I don't think so, because his employer is the government.

His whole argument is that government being involved in the decisions is bad, yet government is involved in his, so obviously it's not that bad or he would have gotten a plan (which he, unlike millions of Americans, can actually afford) that took them out of the equation entirely.

motivez · 04-29-2008, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by JaJae

I think what he said was in jest, but here we go again with him looking to insert his POW experience into every avenue of politics when he's running a campaign. This is a habit for him that I just can't get past. Rudy dropped 9-11 every chance he got. McCain drops this. It's become a crutch for him politically.

Exactly

kinggovernor · 04-29-2008, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by JaJae

I think what he said was in jest, but here we go again with him looking to insert his POW experience into every avenue of politics when he's running a campaign. This is a habit for him that I just can't get past. Rudy dropped 9-11 every chance he got. McCain drops this. It's become a crutch for him politically. I completely respect what he did for his country, but I don't think he needs to insert it into every avenue he can to get himself into the White House. I understand it's part of who he is, but it just seems inappropriate at times.

she is the one that brought it up.