GOP Paraplegic Politician "I'd be DEAD If I Had Universal Healthcare!"

Good! Then hopefully we will continue to have universal health care. Facebook us the pearly gates.

Yes, because only in America can someone who is a paraplegic survive. There's literally no paraplegics in Canada.

He certainly has the game show host/car salesman/repug sociopath in the making persona down pat.

He's either an idiot or a cynical grifter, or both. The Republican platform has become lies, gaslighting, and hyperbole.

Too bad all these pieces of shit don’t drop dead.

His logic is as fucked up as his ability to walk a straight line.

His logic is that if government is in charge of determining who get coverage, then someone like him, with a slim chance of survival, would be cut off in spite of his family's ability to pay and/or leverage their political contacts. Indeed, a horror story for those who have insurance and privilege.

But there's something missing from that perspective that I can't qwhite articulate...

R7, he's an idiot. There's plenty of people in countries with universal who had slim chances of survival who've lived through illnesses and accidents. Does he honestly think that other countries don't treat people with complex medical conditions? Hell, in Canada, there was even an MP who was a quadriplegic - that individual is a right-wing douche bag as well and has an assistant with him at all times, all courtesy of the health care system.

do tell how a 24 year old with his "ahem" qualifications and experience and you know working their way up in various positions able to be a congress person again?...

He doesn't have a leg to stand on.

Good lord - that is a tRump-crazy comment.

He is a youthful idiot. Other countries don't decide who lives and dies based on the cost of care and injuries.

Another asshole Republican of faith who has never been anywhere and doesn't know anything other than the 25 mile radius around where he was born.

This asshole is dangerous.

[quote]if government is in charge of determining who get coverage, then someone like him, with a slim chance of survival, would be cut off

Except, of course, that as a wealthy white man, he could still buy whatever coverage he wanted over and above and regardless of whatever "universal healthcare" means. Unless he means that they'd just cut off his useless legs, but he's wrong, like all Republicans.

Oh - and he was homeschooled.

Big question: how did he get into this accident at age 18/19? Was he drunk? I can't seem to find any specs on the crash, which is suspicious.

Has he explained how he paid for his 1%-chance-of-survival medical salvation? I’m pretty sure the rest of us did through our low health care utilization and high premiums. It certainly didn’t come out of the massive profits for the healthcare industry.

Somebody should tell him that if the Repugs get their way and the Supreme Court overturns the ACA, he wouldn't be able to get health insurance on his own because paraplegia is one hell of a preexisting condition.

So with his private health care he is just apparently brain dead.

R10 wins the thread

His bran's as dead as his legs. Dude's not gonna go far in life.

Good thing he's already brainwashed some simple girl into staying with him. He's gonna have that good congressman insurance to pay for his expenses forever.

Typical corporate predator's whore-for-hire trying to deceive the public out of what's best for it.

NO, he wouldn't be dead if we had universal healthcare.

NO, socialized healthcare doesn't result in "care being rationed" to the point they'd let a paraplegic die, just look at the systems in Europe and Canada. Their citizens are mostly satisfied.

NO, the "radical communist socialists on the left" in the United States are NOT promoting "universal health care," they're promoting Medicare for All, which is merely an optional insurance pool with the bargaining power to reduce the prices Miss Thing is so worried about without disrupting or precluding any provider competition AT ALL.

NO, capitalism doesn't stop private companies from gaining monopolies or collusion, which inflates prices and terms, EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE of what Miss Thing is preaching.

I don't give a shit how good-looking or handicapped this LYING WHORE is, he's still a LYING WHORE for corporate predators trying to manipulate the 99 percent out of what's best for them.

[quote]NO, socialized healthcare doesn't result in "care being rationed" to the point they'd let a paraplegic die, just look at the systems in Europe and Canada. Their citizens are mostly satisfied.

Former Cigna Insurance Exec Wendell Berry admitted yesterday that the U.S. insurance industry pushed the idea that Canada's single-payer system was awful -- and that it was all a lie:

Hooray!!! Finally someone is talking about death panels. It’s about fucking time! I told you fuckers they were coming.

He's ignorant and immature and has no idea what he's talking about regarding providing and offering health care to the masses. It's not like the people on the ACA don't pay for it--they do! I was on the ACA so I am very familiar with the plan. And health care is not rationed as he says. He had a terrible, unfortunate accident; however, it does not qualify him to have an understanding of what accessible health care means for the society at large. The "competitive" health plans to which he refers are often useless and expensive and do not provide effective health care.

Sorry Madison, you sound like a typical uniformed piece of shit Repug who wants to deny health care to millions. And it's not s"ocialism" even though your Repug talking points told you to say that word as many times as you could squeeze into an interview. Stay the fuck home. No one needs you or your type in Congress.

I watched him on The View today.

Sadly, he had the same old tired, debunked conservative views of all the GOP. Nothing new at all.

"No socialized healthcare! We need more competition." (Doesn't work in healthcare) "All lives matter." "Stop socialism" "I truly feel I would be dead if I had lived in a country with free healthcare" (As if none of those countries have paraplegics)

So sad

R21 - he's too young and stupid to know the difference. What we have here is a homeschooled Evangelical with limited world experience who is using his injury to secure a job.

What exactly has he done besides workout at the gym? I mean, other disabled DEMOCRAT politicians lost their limbs/abilities in wars.

Republicans seem to get injured in accidents and then think they are the same thing. Same as the Governor of Texas.

Another thing to point out is that he was supposed to take an Academy commission (which he didn't because of the accident).

You can only get those with a recommendation from a member of congress...

which he got...

from Mark Meadows...

who vacated this very House seat to be White House Chief of Staff.

Every article about him compares him to AOC and how he can be the youngest ever member of Congress.

Surprise! this homeschooled snowflake who doesn't even know how to properly wear a seatbelt (thus, the paralysis) is shockingly the nominee. He doesn't have to know anything. They don't want him to know anything. I think he is merely a prop, created by committee for publicity and to burnish the image of a fusty OLD GOP.

People keep comparing him to AOC, but she's much smarter and has a real understanding of issues affecting the middle and lower classes.

He just says the same old shit. He's angry that the GOP Convention got moved to Florida and what that would have done for the economy. No mention of what sick people would do for the economy.

He's been trained by the GOP just like a monkey.

Basically "Second Amendment supporter!" and "Jesus"

He made some kind of pizza delivery analogy on The View today with healthcare, I didn't catch it as I had tuned him out by then. Meghan was positively giddy over him.

He's being propped up (no pun intended) because he's young, and conventionally attractive. How many of those does the GOP have? They know they can't continue with their policies much further because their base will die out soon. Getting young folks excited about Republican policies has to be a priority for them

This guy will look great for optics, and that's it. Same with Crenshaw from Texas.

The pizza analogy, R30, was about creating healthy free enterprise and a marketplace for insurance companies to be competitive. Which, of course, you can also do with oversight and anti-trust regulation.

Although Meghan said she "loves" that, I actually didn't think she was excessively enthusiastic about him. I would like to hope it's because she realizes that he is being used for his good looks and would be entirely manipulated on any and every issue.

btw: are there any photos of him prior to the accident? He probably wasn't ugly, but something that severe must have required extensive facial and dental reconstruction.

[quote]He's being propped up (no pun intended) because he's young, and conventionally attractive.

Also, he’s white, male, and (as far as we know) straight. Otherwise, we’d never have heard of him.

Thanks R32

Was the photo they showed of him with his rifle pre accident?

[quote] The pizza analogy, [R30], was about creating healthy free enterprise and a marketplace for insurance companies to be competitive.

Yet all health care economists agree that free enterprise never has and never will work in healthcare. Healthcare is too complicated for people to understand what treatments they should pick out of many possible ones.

Do I need an X ray, CT Scan, or MRI? Sure they come at differing costs levels but should the patient really be the one deciding?

If you're in a coma after an accident or stroke, how are you exactly going to choose what hospital you go to or what treatment you'll get.

Only in the minds of the ignorant right, does healthcare follow free enterprise rules.

The very reason we have regulations is that private enterprised FAILED to improve. healthcare costs and access

When he said he truly believed he wouldn't be alive today if he lived in a socialist country--shows me he has never traveled anywhereand just repeats what his handlers told him to.

I’ve never hoped a stranger would catch gangrene so fast in my life.

He's cute, but the minute he opened his mouth and started spewing conservative bullshit, I realized he's lost.

Youve go to hand it to the GOP, they NEVER change.

His life expectancy is 43 years. He’s got two decades.

The NHS worked well for Stephen Hawking.

More completion would need to reduce costs, likely by reducing costs. Guess how they do that? Not by paying out $3M claims to pretty paraplegics.

More competition would need to reduce costs, likely by reducing payments.

Somebody wheel this guy down a flight of stairs.

Has anyone found any info about this accident? It's fair game if he's going to use it to sell himself to the public.

[quote]GOP Paraplegic Politician "I'd be DEAD If I Had Universal Healthcare!"

Which would not have broken my heart.

He complained that other countries ration healthcare .

Which shows complete ignorance about the American system

[Quote] More competition would need to reduce costs, likely by reducing payments.

More competition how? There are already dozens of hospitals and thousands of doctors in major cities. Prices haven’t gone down at all

You got it r43!

He compared healthcare to pizza delivery, r47. All these companies just begging to give him a fast, tasty, cheap treat at the front door.

wouldn't you love to see him in a debate with a actual experienced educated ANYONE?!....

question: does he not know he's a whore and being used or knows he is and is okay with it?

seriously how in the world in this country can anyone with no education, no experience, no qualifications run for ANY office, much less a important one like congress! wonder whose funding him too!.. course he must have ONE HUGE MONUMENTAL EGO because anyone else of his age and lack of education and experience and qualifications with a shred of integrity, honor, character wouldn't even THINK to run for congress INHERENTLY KNOWING that they are NOT qualified, not experienced, not educated enough where countless others are! heck, i'm more qualified and i wouldn't run!....

From his website, I see no reference to any education other than high school and supposedly an appointment to the Naval Academy, which is questionable.

And remember, you can be nominated - it does NOT mean you are automatically accepted. If he was, he would have stated as such. This is either puffery or an outright lie. Then this nugget:

"Today, Madison is a small businessman. He is the owner and CEO of a real estate investment company. Madison is also a motivational speaker. He challenges people across the nation to have faith, work hard, play by the rules and pursue the American dream."

Owner and CEO of a real estate investment company at 24 years old...with what money? Money he got from insurance companies because of his accident? Or family money?

He's cute alright - but he's already showing the shady Republican idiot side. I want to donate to the Dem in the race.

He was nominated, but then the accident happened.he literally ran on his personality, suggesting that Republicans needed someone with charm and good looks.

R52 - I want to see receipts of that. Naval Academy acceptance rate is 8.4%. All accepted candidates must be approved by Congress. I know it sounds goofy, but it's true.

This 'nomination' is meaningless. I want to know more about the accident and how he became a real estate investor at age 24.

I mean - the fact that he has to state "CEO' is laughable on its face. As if there is a full C-suite employed at this company. Is his dog COO?

Clearly his lower half was not the only thing that was irreparably damaged in that car accident.

[quote] I want to know more about the accident and how he became a real estate investor at age 24.

I can tell you how. From the money he got from the lawsuit he filed against the driver's insurance company. Of that you can get your last dollar.

He's paraplegic from the abdomen down, does that mean he can't get a hard-on?

No wonder he'd lash out at anything and anyone.

SAD!!!

He may be taking about what happened in Italy. When the shit hit the fan in Italy resources were allocated to those who had a better chance of survival.

He's aging horrendously for a 24 year-old.

The discussion recently about how they choose who lives and who dies if there aren't enough ICU beds sure smacks of those Death Panels the GOP was screeching about when Palin was the news.

I think they are going to try again to tell the US that no one wants universal health care, but so many people saw their jobs go away during the epidemic, along with their health care. We have seen other countries get their shit together quickly, with few deaths, and the difference is universal health care, and leadership with a cohesive, coherent message. Sorry, Junior, you're too late for your lies.

He looks like the assholes in the 80s that would play "Smear the Queer" at my prep school, except they could walk.

You mean like they are discussing in Texas and Arizona (and probably FlA), R57? It is called a "Crisis Care Algorithm" now, not a death panel.

I am sure in other countries they also have "Concierge" Care, where very wealthy people get an entirely different standard of care than anyone else, no matter their ages/issues.

Maybe by "real estate development" he means flipped a house once.

R57 - no, he would have said that. He was talking about his own accident. Stop giving him points cuz he's pretty.

And yes R62 - that's exactly what that means. He worked on flipping a cheap house once or twice.

[quote]with few deaths, and the difference is universal health care...

Italy, Spain, France, UK, Sweden, Belgium, etc all beg to differ.

He's not completely wrong. Lots of Canadians get denied drugs and treatment if they are deemed too expensive. Lots of wealthy Canadians travel to the US for the best treatment money can buy. Canada's system is only good for the basics. Most Canadians can't even get a regular family doctor, and have to rely on walk-in clinics.

R65- What province do you live in? How big is your community? Is there a dearth of providers in your area? The reason I ask is because although I'm an American, I moved back from Canada a few years ago and I flippin LOVED the health care. I saw a WONDERFUL older British gal as my g.p. who had her practice in her older Victorian home. Now I must admit ( and SURELY YOU KNOW THIS BEING CANADIAN) MANY JOBS above being a Starbucks barista, *also* will offer an additional " private- like" insurance plan for a ridiculously low fee a month ( mine was $150) for which I was able to select premium health services such as top-tier psychiatrists, acupuncture, massage therapy or dental care. Now, I am aware not all plans are available in all areas, and of course in certain markets there could be a lack of providers, or limits according to pay- but hell- people in the U.S. DIE cause they can't afford their INSULIN. That shit NEVER happens to you guys up north!

How many threads do we have featuring this paraplegic cunt?

I am sad this poor paraplegic lived.

Do not copy Canada's mediocre system whatever you decide. There is almost no mental health/addiction support and the death rate here in BC from fentanyl overdose is the highest on earth. Canada is only good for health care basics....broken wrists, births, etc.....Canada is nowhere near Europe's level of care. Check out our wonderful province of Quebec in this pandemic...highest death rate per million in the world after Belgium. Yes, Canada is such a role model..not.

I live in Canada. Our Healthcare system here in Saskatchewan isn't good. Trust me. I have a chronic illness and have seen many doctors. Many really don't care. The nurses are all overworked and over stressed. People wait months and months for surgery. The hospitals are dirty and you wait atleast five hours to get through EMERGENCY.

[quote]The hospitals are dirty and you wait atleast five hours to get through EMERGENCY.

So, I take it you've never been to any major American city general hospital.

Then get him some.

It's annoying that this pretty gimp is getting so much press. He's a nobody from North Carolina with nary an original thought in his head. Stop elevating this nothing by talking about him, which I'm also guilty of.

Maybe this Paraplegic would be walking right now, if he had free surgeries, unlimited hospital stay, months of rehabilitation and extensive physical therapy available to him. Countries with good universal health care usually don't kick patients out of the hospital at the earliest opportunity and refuse to pay for follow up treatment. People with his condition spend months or years in hospitals and rehab in Europe to get maximum results/mobility without paying a penny.

I had no idea that he's not even college-educated. A simple high school diploma would be fine if he had some life experience but this privileged kid went from home school kid to Congress? I don't expect much from him beyond a 1 pm speaking slot at the RNC Convention. I've heard paraplegics have a touch time battling illnesses while maintaining their independence, he should consider skipping the convention but we already know what type of politician he is.

I am so happy my Party has young people like AOC with an International Relations and Economics degree. Yes, I'm being elitist and don't care.

[quote]Big question: how did he get into this accident at age 18/19? Was he drunk? I can't seem to find any specs on the crash, which is suspicious.

Cawthorn (18 and for 3? years an employee of Chick-Fil-A ) was the passenger in a vehicle driven by a friend (17) and owned by the RV business owned by the friend's father. The two were returning from a spring break trip to Daytona Beach. The friend fell asleep; Cawthorn, asleep at the time of impact had his feet propped against the dashboard accounting for the nature of his injuries.

In the course of settlement discussions for $3M with the friend's insurance company, Cawthorn's medical records were never released to the insurer. A judgment was made in favor of the insurer; Cawthorn sued the friend for $33M to recover expenses and damages and the earlier judgment overturned in favor of Cawthorn who removed the culpability of the friend in a consent agreement judgment of $30M.

Somebody play the national anthem and see if this traitor refuses to stand.

[quote]Cawthorn, asleep at the time of impact had his feet propped against the dashboard

I know this dude isn't gay, well he's more like a eunuch... but I thought only chicks did the feet propped against the dashboard thing.

If only he knew that someone with his condition, in Canada, would get a disproportionately higher amount of care. Or, rather, proportionate to his needs, which would be a lot. What does he think? The Canadian system is going to push him aside for someone with a headache? That's literally what a system where your health care is based on your ability to pay does.

The attention he gets now will bite him in the ass later when all his comments are used against him to make him look like the utter fool he is.

That is the life of a hypocrite and Republican.

And all he will do is play the "look at those Liberal Nazis picking on me, the cripple in a wheelchair!" card he will play over and over again until everybody just wants to shove him down some stairs because they are so sick of this douche.

A friend of mine said that conservatives are like lottery winners who work hard to make lotteries illegal so nobody can get rich the same way as them.

"If only he knew that someone with his condition, in Canada, would get a disproportionately higher amount of care."

Well, he got a huge settlement from the insurance company, but will most likely spend most of it on his therapy the next couple of years. In Canada or most countries in Europe his health insurance would cover these costs and would provide him with excellent free therapy. But this is what winning looks like for a Republican.

It just boggles my mind that someone thinks a capitalist would care more about your health than a socialist.

This man is sinister. He has eyes like a predator.

I thought he may have been born like this. He's bitter. Imagine having your whole life ahead of you, then having your mobility taken away and the ability to sexually perform.

And if he was one of those crazy home schooled Jesus freaks, he may have never had sex at all.

Ok - so he was returning from Daytona Spring break when he was 18 in April 2014.

What was this bible-thumping Christian doing partying underage in Daytona Beach? And were there drugs/alcohol in his or the driver's system and did he have on a seatbelt?

Most likely - no to the above.

So brave. So moral. So Christian. Fucking bullshit - every last word, including the Naval Academy lie.

What horrible people these evangelical conservatives are. Dishonest and cruel. Despicable in their inhumanity.

r87, I totally agree about Evilgelicals.

Well let's just hope by the time this right wing wheel meat gets to Washington his sick party will be relegated to a subservient role in Congress.

R78 If he had his feet on the dashboard, isn’t it partially his fault since you’re not supposed to have your feet up there in the first place?🙄

I wondered how he'd injured himself, but the fact that he sued his "friend" for a windfall over what was an accident — in which (this asshole) victim had an active role in causing the outcome by "resting" his feet in a dangerous position — makes perfect sense... for a Republican. So much for him taking responsibility for his own actions; typical Republican hypocrisy. I wonder how the life of his "friend" is turning out, having to pay for this asshole to live a life of luxury as he joins the ranks of wingnut welfare recipients?