The boy who cried Obamacare

[Michchamp]

summary (from here):

Kansas GOP Congressman Tim Huelskamps' son was injured in a fall or accident while riding his bike. A "laceration on the calf."

"Court records said the total medical expenses incurred were approximately $385, of which $255.85 was paid by the Huelskamps’ insurance provider, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas."
​

So... his kid got hurt riding his bike and got a few stitches on his leg. So what does the Congressman - who has frequently railed about "frivolous lawsuits" and the need for "tort reform" - do? Sue the manufacturer of course.

"The Huelskamps alleged their son sustained known damages in the amount of $5,005.85."​

Result:

"A check for $4,750 was to be made payable to the Huelskamps and a check for $255.85 was to be made payable to The Rawlings Co. LLC, LaGrange, Ky., which represents health care plans in litigation."​

​

And when newspapers covered the story, did he say "this is a private family matter" and ask to be left alone? no... he blamed "Obamacare" (link) and claimed newspapers were "stalking" his family:

“We don’t hear the stories about how Americans are suffering under ObamaCare,” Huelskamp wrote in an email this week critical of “mainstream” newspapers. “They won’t tell us about the millions out of work because of the failures of liberal Washington politicians. And they don’t spend any time lifting up the real entrepreneurs like small businesses and their employees. But here’s where it gets very strange for a congressman like me. When they stalk my family, follow my kids to school, ask neighbors questions about your personal life.”​

 

[Monster]

The answer to any question for these people is now, "Obamacare dun it."

 

[TheVictors]

That's an odd leap from Obamacare to millions of unemployed to persecuting small business owners and stalking ....

what a politician.

 

[Spartanmack]

I blame Bush.

 

[tinselwolverine]

I blame Bush.

Yeah, he's a fuck.

 

[sggatecl]

I can't even wrap my head around that story. So...they billed him $385~ and the family said "No, fuck that, he's way more hurt than that. I'm suing you."??

I'm so confused. What in the actual fuck does Obamacare have to do with that??

 

[Gulo Blue]

The guy's a moron but what's the analogy here? The boy who cried wolf actually did end up with a wolf problem. I guess that's fair since Obamacare actually sucks.

 

[Michchamp]

The guy's a moron but what's the analogy here? The boy who cried wolf actually did end up with a wolf problem. I guess that's fair since Obamacare actually sucks.

Good point. I didn't think it all the way through.

Initially I was going to go with "just say obamacare" since that's the go-to excuse of the GOP these days, but I couldn't think of a catchy way to make that resonate. "the boy who cried wolf" theme was an established metaphor so I went with that and posted it.

I don't know if the program as a whole actually sucks yet. The people i know (typically self-employed small biz owners) said they were able to get insurance at a better rate than they were previously. They had no complaints about it otherwise. The legit complaints I did read had more to do with the rollout or process online. It seems like some people had unrealistic expectations though. Buying health insurance turned out to be a little more of an involved process than they felt if should be

My own insurance costs have gone up, but I have a family now which is different.

 

[Sbee]

Good point. I didn't think it all the way through.

Initially I was going to go with "just say obamacare" since that's the go-to excuse of the GOP these days, but I couldn't think of a catchy way to make that resonate. "the boy who cried wolf" theme was an established metaphor so I went with that and posted it.

I don't know if the program as a whole actually sucks yet. The people i know (typically self-employed small biz owners) said they were able to get insurance at a better rate than they were previously. They had no complaints about it otherwise. The legit complaints I did read had more to do with the rollout or process online. It seems like some people had unrealistic expectations though. Buying health insurance turned out to be a little more of an involved process than they felt if should be

My own insurance costs have gone up, but I have a family now which is different.

Too early to make a decision on the law but the cbo says rates are falling. 8 million signed up through the site, not all new but many more allowed to stay on parents coverage and coverage for those who prefer existing conditions.

Not a perfect law but the next best thing other than single payer.

Funny thing is that the Republican base is low income whites, the people who will benefit from the law the most

 

[Thumb]

Funny thing is that the Republican base is low income whites, the people who will benefit from the law the most

And that's the thing the GOP tries hardest to deflect from. They love to point out social welfare when it comes to minorities, but forget a large part of their voting base are what could be called "poor white trash".

 

[Sbee]

And that's the thing the GOP tries hardest to deflect from. They love to point out social welfare when it comes to minorities, but forget a large part of their voting base are what could be called "poor white trash".

Call them takers or the 47%, but of course they vote based on what they're told to do based on religion. Never mind that the Bible portrays Jesus as a big government liberal.

I understand why 2% of America votes republican, the rest are total rubes.

 

[Spartanmack]

Good point. I didn't think it all the way through.

Initially I was going to go with "just say obamacare" since that's the go-to excuse of the GOP these days, but I couldn't think of a catchy way to make that resonate. "the boy who cried wolf" theme was an established metaphor so I went with that and posted it.

I don't know if the program as a whole actually sucks yet. The people i know (typically self-employed small biz owners) said they were able to get insurance at a better rate than they were previously. They had no complaints about it otherwise. The legit complaints I did read had more to do with the rollout or process online. It seems like some people had unrealistic expectations though. Buying health insurance turned out to be a little more of an involved process than they felt if should be

My own insurance costs have gone up, but I have a family now which is different.

Too early to make a decision on the law but the cbo says rates are falling. 8 million signed up through the site, not all new but many more allowed to stay on parents coverage and coverage for those who prefer existing conditions.

Not a perfect law but the next best thing other than single payer.

Funny thing is that the Republican base is low income whites, the people who will benefit from the law the most

And that's the thing the GOP tries hardest to deflect from. They love to point out social welfare when it comes to minorities, but forget a large part of their voting base are what could be called "poor white trash".

Call them takers or the 47%, but of course they vote based on what they're told to do based on religion. Never mind that the Bible portrays Jesus as a big government liberal.

I understand why 2% of America votes republican, the rest are total rubes.

Reading these posts is like watching Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews and Chris Hayes have a competition to see who can say the dumbest things while making the most unfounded accusations of racism among conservatives.

The CBO is not estimating that insurance premiums are falling - they're not in the business of tracking private insurance rates. What they have said is that their estimate of costs to the federal government over the next 10 years went from $1.5 to $1.4 TRILLION. Of course there's no way this non-partisan partisan government office could possibly underestimate a 10 year projection.

Additionally, there are poor people of all stripes that realize welfare is often a perpetual poverty trap and that the erosion of their liberties with ever-increasing government intervention into their lives is bad for them individually and for the nation as a whole.

 

[sggatecl]

I can't even wrap my head around that story. So...they billed him $385~ and the family said "No, fuck that, he's way more hurt than that. I'm suing you."??

I'm so confused. What in the actual fuck does Obamacare have to do with that??

I wasn't being sarcastic Someone please answer my question.

 

[Thumb]

I wasn't being sarcastic Someone please answer my question.

What it had to do with Obamacare is it's the go to deflection point for any republican to try to talk his way out of shit.

 

[Thumb]

Reading these posts is like watching Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews and Chris Hayes have a competition to see who can say the dumbest things while making the most unfounded accusations of racism among conservatives.

The CBO is not estimating that insurance premiums are falling - they're not in the business of tracking private insurance rates. What they have said is that their estimate of costs to the federal government over the next 10 years went from $1.5 to $1.4 TRILLION. Of course there's no way this non-partisan partisan government office could possibly underestimate a 10 year projection.

Additionally, there are poor people of all stripes that realize welfare is often a perpetual poverty trap and that the erosion of their liberties with ever-increasing government intervention into their lives is bad for them individually and for the nation as a whole.

Reading your posts I'm convinced you might be one of tsmiths children, maybe the one he dropped.

 

[Spartanmack]

I wasn't being sarcastic Someone please answer my question.

The way I read it he's saying the media ignores the problems with Obamacare and other real issues or even scandals to pursue and write a politically or socially unimportant personal story about his family. Basically, he's saying the media is a bunch of hit men that don't report news but instead try to make up scandals about republicans. He has a point - look at the Leland Yee coverage - dudes an elected anti-gun state representative indicted on multiple charges of trafficking weapons (f'n grenade launchers and machine guns) to Chinese gangsters. But he's a democrat so CNN didn't even cover it and most print stories on it didn't mention his party affiliation until at least 3 paragraphs in. The married rep in Louisiana who was filmed kissing a staffer - it was all over every news outlet and most headlines identified him as a republican. So a guy who supports tort reform sues someone for $5k in a product liability suit or some crap - is that really a bigger scandal than an aggressively pro gun control state rep selling grenade launchers to drug dealers?

 

[Spartanmack]

Reading your posts I'm convinced you might be one of tsmiths children, maybe the one he dropped.

Facts hurt - you at least. And your posts make me think you're michturd and Chris Hayes' (the female version of Rachel Maddow) love child - dropping you in your head might make you less dumb.

 

[Thumb]

The way I read it he's saying the media ignores the problems with Obamacare and other real issues or even scandals to pursue and write a politically or socially unimportant personal story about his family.

How is him trying to cash in on what seems a very frivolous lawsuit politically unimportant?

Get your head out of Glenn Beck's ass, if the guy was a democrat you would be calling for him to be tarred and feathered. All he's doing is trying some misdirection; pointing his finger and saying "hey, look over there!" while trying to sneak away.

 

[Spartanmack]

Because you don't know anything about the lawsuit so you don't know if it's frivolous or not. The size of the settlement indicates to me that he wasn't trying to "cash in". It also indicates to anyone who is not an idiot that this or a story about a republican philanderer doesn't deserve more coverage than an illegal arms dealing state rep. That's painfully obvious.

Fail. I don't and have never watched Fox News or Glenn Beck. I also don't listen to conservative talk radio. but how about you stop blowing that Rachel Maddow dude - if he was a democrat you never would have heard about this. THAT is the point. It's indisputable and you know it. It may be deflection, but he's absolutely right.

 

[jwlcosu]

Facts hurt - you at least. And your posts make me think you're michturd and Chris Hayes' (the female version of Rachel Maddow) love child - dropping you in your head might make you less dumb.

It is true that Chris and Rachel are alter egos. They are female and male versions of the same person. Or maybe male and female. Something like that.