Garrison Keillor Muses Over Cutting Republicans 'Out of the Health-care System'

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KeillorHere's more "civility" from the Left.

In a Chicago Tribune article today that appears to open as an attempt at humor but quickly devolves into nastiness, NPR-dependent radio host and author Garrison Keillor, among other things, attacks social conservatives, blames them and not those who have brought legal actions for years-long fights over keeping religious symbols right where they are, and -- while conveniently forgetting that Republican Mitt Romney gave us the Massachusetts disaster known as CommonwealthCare that current Bay State Democratic governor Deval Patrick considers the model for ObamaCare -- ponders the pros and cons of cutting Republicans "out of the health-care system entirely."

There are few if any indications in the last 2/3 of his column that Keillor was attempting anything resembling humor. If he was, he failed.

Here are some paragraphs from the screed:

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The so-called cultural wars over abortion and prayer in the schools and pornography and gays did nothing about anything, except elect dullards to office who brought a certain nihilistic approach to governance that helped bring about the disaster in the banking industry that ate up a lot of 401(k)s, and all thanks to high-flyers in shirts like cheap wallpaper who never learned enough to let it discourage them from believing that they had magical powers over the laws of economics and could hand out mortgages to people with no assets and somehow the sun would come out tomorrow. The anti-regulation conservatives enabled those people. We're still waiting for an apology.

Uh no, Garrison. The government's Community Reinvestment Act, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac did all that. And it will surely surprise social conservatives that they have controlled Wall Street all along.

Continuing:

And now here comes the U.S. Supreme Court, about to rule in the case of a little plywood cross erected, as it turns out, on federal land in the Mojave Desert as a memorial to the war dead -- could there be anything less pressing right now? But we shall have great legal minds wrangling over something that doesn't make a dime's worth of difference to anybody whomsoever.

Thirty-six years of bitterness over Roe vs. Wade and what has it gotten us? If the decision were overturned tomorrow, not much would change.

..... When an entire major party has excused itself from meaningful debate and a thoughtful U.S. senator like Orrin Hatch no longer finds it important to make sense and an up-and-comer like Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty attacks the president for giving a speech telling schoolchildren to work hard in school and get good grades, one starts to wonder if the country wouldn't be better off without them and if Republicans should be cut out of the health-care system entirely and simply provided with aspirin and hand sanitizer. Thirty-two percent of the population identifies with the GOP, and if we cut off health care to them, we could probably pay off the deficit in short order.

Actually, Garrison, you should be careful what you wish for. One could argue that GOP-identifiers are disproportionately productive compared to the rest of society and cost it less in entitlement and other benefits. If that is so, things might get worse instead of better. At your advanced age, I wouldn't take a chance like that if I were you. It would be a particularly good idea, assuming you're interested in quality care, to ensure that Republican doctors aren't among those you cut out of the system. Since 45% of all doctors are reportedly considering quitting if ObamaCare is enacted, and many of them are Republicans, perhaps even more than 32% of them, that should be of more than academic interest.

Rush mentioned Keillor's column on the air, and took passing offense that the Tribune was willing to publish it. The paper shouldn't have done it, and I daresay would not have published a column by a conservative proposing, supposedly in jest, cutting far-leftists out of the health-care system.

Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.

—Tom Blumer is president of a training and development company in Mason, Ohio, and is a contributing editor to NewsBusters


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Garrison Keilor muses

over "cutting Republicans out of the Health Care System"  and then they wonder why there is NO Trust for this bunch of charlattans!   

Of course never mind that folks are Citizens, Americans before they are Party Members, but who would pay attention to a small detail like this!  

Dem Congressmen Alan Grayson: GOP Says "Die Quickly"

Is this a new "talking point" for the left? Representative Alan Grayson said on the House Floor last night that Republicans want people to "die quickly"

Apparently the press is too busy covering President Obamas magical trip to Denmark.     

Do you think he will be sanctioned by the House as Joe Wilson was?

My comeback

To Grayson would be that the Democrats idea is "Die quickly, or we'll kill you".

Good wan Panzerakc

Thats a good soundbite reply. I hope the Republicans pick up on it. Anyway Grayson was set to appear on left-wing commentator Wolf Blizters melodramatic "Situation Room". 

Does anyone know how he was received?

That idiot can't count.

democRATS are the MAJORITY! So then, it is democRATS that want you to die quickly!

That idiot needs to learn how to count.

"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason

It might be funny - except he's probably serious:

The jist of it was that this liberal writer said that once the Democrats take over health care, they should just deny treatment to anyone who's a Republican. And once enough of them are dead, they (the liberals) will have a permanent majority and not treating Republicans would save the system so much money.

It was billed as a 'humerous' article.  But the anger and the bitterness of this man made the article decidedly UN-funny.  Because it is a perfect example of why the health care bills currently before the house and senate should be thrown in the trash forthwith.  Yes, what he wrote is vile and repulsive - but I don't direct my anger at the writer.  Because he was simply writing what most
liberal Democrats are thinking.

I feel safe in saying that it's a guarantee that what Mr. Kelloir wrote is what every liberal Democrat in power right now is thinking behind closed doors.  When they think the cameras are off and the microphones are shut down, I'll bet anything that Democrat politicians are rubbing their hands
together at the prospect of denying treatment to percentages of the population based on their political views.

I also guarantee that whoever wrote this article just got bumped to the front of the line to be Obama's 'Death Czar' in charge of determining who does and doesn't get treated when they take over.  Democrats in the House and Senate - do you not see the inherent danger in placing a political organization in control of determining who gets treatment?

Obama has appointed dozens of 'Czars' to positions of nearly limitless power without any public input or scrutiny.  Some of these czars have been forced to resign in disgrace because they have been exposed as radicals and totalitarians. It is an entirely legitimate concern that Obama would appoint a man to control the health program who shares Mr. Kelloir's sentiments.

We have seen the provisions in the Government Health Care Takeover which would make it impossible for private insurance to remain in business.  We have seen the provisions which punish those who do not join your Communist Medicine utopia by socking them with fines and even throwing them in jail.

It is a legitimate concern that whoever is put in charge of your Communist Medicine would abuse that power.  We've seen the language in the bill which gives the government debit-card access to the bank accounts of every citizen.  We've seen the provisions in the bill that give the government unfettered access to the personal, political, financial and medical data of every man, woman and child.  And it's perfectly legitimate to fear that Obama's Death Czar would use that information as a weapon to terrorize any citizen who is not a member of 'his' political party.

Even the THREAT that someone might use this power as a political weapon to terrorize the population into voting one way or the other at the threat of having their children killed by denying them treatment would be enough to change the dynamics of this country from freedom to tyranny.

As a side note to Mr. Garrison:  If we conservatives would be allowed to make our own health care system outside of your Communist Medicine, we would happily do so.  We would have no problem with you 'cutting us out' of your medical plan, so long as we were guaranteed our constitutional freedom of making our own health care system.  But you liberals are too scared
of it succeeding and making fools out of you.  Which is why you've written in rules to make any and all competition to your takeover 'illegal'.

Can you SEE why the American people are so mad at you when you and your cohorts come up with stuff like this?  It becomes harder and harder to believe you're 'only joking' when your followers are beating up black conservatives and biting senior citizens' fingers off.  So when this guy comes along and says 'once we take over we're REALLY gonna make those Republicans crawl', can you see why it's not funny?

I have

Conservatives could become the new "jews". I see there is a logical progression to this.

 

"Somehow, I told you so, just doesn't quite say it." Will Smith in 'I, Robot.'

Keillor's an idiot.

 "And now here comes the U.S. Supreme Court, about to rule in the case of
a little plywood cross erected, as it turns out, on federal land in the
Mojave Desert as a memorial to the war dead
"

Keillor's an idiot.  That cross, as it turns out,  was erected when that land was in private ownership.  The federal government acquired that land, and that cross, later. The agreement that allowed the federal government to purchase that land included the stipulation that the cross wouldn't be removed.  THIS is why this case is going to court.  The federal government wants to violate a contractual agreement, which a rather disconcerting idea. 

The federal government wants to negate a legal contract.   But, this idiot doesn't beleve that this is a "pressing" issue?

The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.
The US Constitution

Unless you're a fetus.
The US Supreme Court

Keillor's mind is showing

Keillor's mind is showing the damage caused by too many years of Minnesota Cabin Fever.

Given the apparent extent of the damage, he might never recover.

 

"Reason and persuasion are the only practical instruments against error.  To make way for these, free inquiry must be indulged" - Thomas Jefferson

Perhaps he should go burrow

Perhaps he should go burrow into the prairie with his companions, the field rats.

______________________
Moderate... Democrat... Liberal... Progressive... Socialist... Communist—The progression is clear as day.

Kiellor

This man is a complete tool.  He thought it correct that the Libyan bomber's release was just and humanitarian, however no mention and compassion of the over 200 who died at his hands.  So his latest lieberal musings come as no surprise.

His columns come in our local Sunday paper, and I never read it; who needs the aggravation.

...

 "...an attempt at humor but quickly devolves into nastiness..."

They can't help themselves.  For many of these hateful liberals, they've had practice in nastiness for 8 years in going after a decent man in George Bush.  Is anyone surprised Mr. Prarie Home Companion spews such hateful rhetoric himself?

 

 

"When people stop believing in God, they don't believe in nothing -- they believe in anything."
  --  GK Chesterton

He left his brains in Lake

He left his brains in Lake Woebegone.

I have no problem with this

I have no problem with this as long as I do not have to pay the taxes for it. You guys are looking at it wrong. Just imagine being able to walk into a doctors office with cash get treated first because you pay better and getting better treatment then the masses because you are paying for it. This is a brilliant idea. I would love to be able to opt out.

You beat me to it...

I'll gladly opt out of the whole entire madness, just make sure you don't try to make me pay for it.  Ah, but that's the rub, isn't it?  The left always want to charge the productive for the excesses and failures and shortcomings of the unproductive.

It has to do with a bird

It has to do with a bird and what time ya get up.... I guess....

me too (... or is that three)

Yeah, go ahead and make me mad - keep me out of government run health care.

I agree with you guys though. I am just as sure I have to pay for 'them' as well as myself. But then I am doing that now. My insurance costs include covering the costs for the deadbeats already. If we could only get the darn government 'mandates' and other interferences out of the picture we could have some really good health insurance. Yeah. Dream on.

 

Spreading misery equally

Liberals need your money to build their utopia. They believe that everyone should be impoverished and dependent on government programs controlled by them.

"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason

Problem solved!

I've got a better idea.  NO legislation shall be considered.  Everyone who doesn't have health insurance shall sign up with Blue-Cross and shall send the bills to Garrison Keillor or any ass-hat liberal of their choosing.  Problem solved!

Ain't gonna happen

"Just imagine being able to walk into a doctors office with cash get
treated first because you pay better and getting better treatment then
the masses because you are paying for it.
"

That ain't gonna happen.  Obama and the democrats will REQUIRE you to have health insurance, remember? Do you really think that they'll let you pay cash after requiring you to purchase health insurance?  No Cash and carry policy in their "perfect world."

The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.
The US Constitution

Unless you're a fetus.
The US Supreme Court

niner, you are absolutely

niner, you are absolutely correct!  They want to cut Republicans out of health care?  Great, knock yourselves out.  Just quit taking Federal taxes out of my pay check and I'll keep what health insurance I have.  I won't bother y'all a tiny bit if you just do that. 

OPTING OUT...

 People will be cut out of the Obama-care system, but they just don't know it. Seasoned-citizens will be the 1st cut out, because the costs for elderly medical care is very high. Another will be newborns with major health problems, & they will more then likely never see their 2nd or 3rd birthdays. They will cost too much to care for.

The only group that will be off limits for very expensive treatment will be those with HIV/AIDS, because they are in a "protected class". Despite the fact that getting HIV/AIDS is almost always a behavioral issue(blood transfusions almost never cause it today)the astronomical high cost for it's treatment will be worth it to those promoting Obama-care, & it's pure politics.

There is the truth that if there is a gov't option, you really can't opt out, even if you don't use it. You still pay for it. You really can't opt out of the post office, even if you use UPS or FedEx to send packages. You can send your kids to private schools or home school them, but you still pay for the public schools. So you can never really opt out of some things.

 

 

"...How blind can you be, don't you see...

...that the gambler lost all he does not have..."  

Nightwish

Mass Commonwealth Care

Who does he blame for it's failure? How does he equate it's lack of success to ObamaCare? 

JDW

DAILY WAVE

I didn't know ACORN was getting a lot of money

it's the same

ObamaCare is going to look a whole lot like MassCare and TennCare and it will result in exactly the same economic disaster they did.

Who's to blame? Idiots that think Marxist economics can refute the natural laws of economics and social science such as The Tradgedy of the Commons, rent seeking, etc.

 

This Is Why Govt Sucks

If a group of insurers was contacted about such a deal they would reject projections and require numbers. Offer Massachusetts books and swallow the sword.

Who in their right mind would invest in a private company that has not demonstrated profit, growth, and potential? Big govt loses money in health care, they always have. They have no incentive to be the best. Every facet of govt spends until it requires more, when it does, it increases taxes. Never is there operational improvement. Compare the costs and achievements of public v. home school education. Socialized v. private medical care is no different with the exception that we are putting our lives on the line.

JDW

DAILY WAVE

I didn't know ACORN was getting a lot of money

If the libtards.....

Want to cut the Republicans out of healthcare, then so be it.  As long as I don't have to pay for all the costs that they are going to ring up, no problem.  If this is going to be predicated on your registered party affiliation, I predict a HUGE SURGE of republican registrations. 

They just don't get it.

"I work hard for my sh*t, why should I give it to you.  If you want what I have, go earn it."  Tito Ortiz 

"Your right to Life, Liberty, and the Persuit of Happiness ends at my front door, and my wallet!"-Me!

It will happen!

Folks, if the government takes over the entire healthcare system, including all files on all citizens including financial and bank records, I have no doubt that those files will eventually contain your party ID and perhaps even political donations. They will have access to political donation records if they have all your financial records.

Then once some kind of panel is rationing healthcare especially for senior citizens, does anyone doubt that political information will be used to make decisions on who gets what? The Bamster's czar, the ghoulish Ezekiel Emanuel and the nutball John Holdren are on record believing in the 'communitarian value' of a person in rationing healthcare. Does anyone doubt that the liberals would see fellow liberals as of more value to a community than conservatives?

Anything the government controls at present is corrupted by the lobbying process and by political donations including union donations. One has to simply assume that the doling out of medical care would be similarly corrupted, or subject to lobbying if you want to put it that way.

The only time Keillor is NOT nasty

Is on his radio show.  Then he pretends to be a nice guy to keep our tax money paying for it.

A couple days back he referred to Joe Wilson as a "gin-soaked cracker."   

 He's had a horrible personal life; doesn't have what it takes to maintain relationships.  A lot of women got fed up with his miserable personality. 

I can remember...

...growing up back in the 80's when this guy was all the rage amongst my classmates. I didn't like him then and I certainly don't like him now. I guess my early distaste for him was prescient.

Sounds good to me...

...Just sign me up with the same program Congress has!

v

...an error was made in 2008

works for me!

get me something I can sign so I can opt out of a few other government mandates while you're at it :)

____________________________________________ 
The Emperor, he has no clothes

This is nothing new for Keillor

I was living up in St. Paul when Senator Paul Wellstone died in that plane accident before the 2002 Senate race.  After the accident, Keillor wrote an article blaming the Republicans for the accident.  His basically saying the Republicans assasinated Wellstone never got much press and he still has a paying gig on the radio to this day.  Thank you America.

This is the same man

Who, after Bush won re-election, stated that Christians should all have their voting rights repealed.  His reasoning was that since the real home of Christians is heaven, they have no business voting in elections here on Earth.

WELLSTONE NTSP REPORT...

 I know folks up here in Minnesota who acually believe that the GOP did do it. It still amazes me that there are people who are fairly bright in many ways that buy into this. They want to believe it I guess. Here is a report on the Wellstone crash...

http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/uscongress/a/wellstonentsb.htm

...it says, PILOT ERROR. It mentions that there had been reviews of both pilots on board the plane had "...previously demonstrated serious performance deficiencies consistent with below-average flight proficiency". So the fact is Wellstone died because he had less then great pilots flying in less then great weather. Election time in Minnesota rarely see nice weather. The further north you go, the worse it usually gets, & this crash happened at the Elveleth/Virgina Municipal Airport, just west of Duluth. Hard to see where the connection that Bush/Cheney/Rove/GOP killed Wellstone. It was tragic, & it was an accident.

 

"...How blind can you be, don't you see...

...that the gambler lost all he does not have..."  

Nightwish

I knew a congressman from Illinois....

.....Who was dead certain that Bill and Hill ordered the death of Ron Brown after ol' Ronnie threatened to go public about Bill's womanizing ways.  And why would he threaten to expose him?  Well, seems Billy boy made some serious advances towards Mr. Brown's very young daughter.  Any truth to it?  Who knows.  But I'm sure there are LOTS of rumors running around the political world that would make normal people go WTF?

Gecks 

"Your right to Life, Liberty, and the Persuit of Happiness ends at my front door, and my wallet!"-Me!

Throw the Dems to the terrorists

Well, I say that we round up all democrats and liberals/progressives and offer them up to Al-Queda and Islamoterrorists. Since these people have always fought our efforts to defeat terrorism, it's only fair that they should have to face the very people that want to destroy our country and our people. See, Garrison, you lamebrain, two can play at your game. Idiot.

You support the troops by supporting the mission! If you don't support the mission, have the guts to say you don't support the troops.

Obama: Not my President. Ever.

Support The Troops

Support the families who have loved ones fighting there. 

JDW

DAILY WAVE

I didn't know ACORN was getting a lot of money

JWF

"Support the troops. Bring them home."

=

Support the soldiers. Make sure they're not in combat trying to win a war.

 

Actually, you do NOT

Actually, you do NOT support the troops by bringing them home. You support the troops by electing leaders who only have victory in mind when they are sent to battle. George Bush supported victory. Obama is "uncomfortable with the word victory". George Bush supported the generals on the ground and listened to them, talked to them several times a week. Obama has talked to the man he appointed as Commander of our Armed Forces in Afghanistan ONE time in 70 days. You tell me who supports troops.

Your absolute ignorance about how the world works is summed up in your last inane statement. "Make sure they're not in combat trying to win a war."????How do you think we have stayed free for over 200 years? Our military fighting in wars and winning. Not by singing songs and holding flowers.

Judging by the way you think of our military, you don't support them much less respect them. I was in for 20 years. I spent time in the Sandbox. We who served were not drafted and forced into a truck to fight. We willingly raised our hand and served to protect and defend our nation, something you know nothing about.

I was using his comments to

I was using his comments to say something equally inane to show what an idiot he is. It wasn't meant to be taken literally.

Garrison Keillor...

That boring old creepy guy is still alive?

Garrison Keilor's reasoning

Garrison Keilor's reasoning abilities appear to be adversely affected by his medical condition, pathological ugliness.

Garrison Keller

sounds like a gin-soaked cracker to me

 

 

 

 

"The American Republic will endure, until politicians realize they can
bribe the people with their own money." – Alexis de Tocqueville

Keillor looks like a

Keillor looks like a Jack-o-Lantern that's been left on the porch 'til Thanksgiving.

More ignorant hate speech from the beloved icons of the left

Can you not think, Garrison Keillor?

Keillor:  ..and [conservatives] could hand out mortgages to people with no assets and somehow the sun would come out tomorrow. The anti-regulation conservatives enabled those people. We're still waiting for an apology.

 

Tom: Uh no, Garrison. The government's Community Reinvestment Act, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac did all that. And it will surely surprise social conservatives that they have controlled Wall Street all along.

Gary: Indeed Tom. And once again, can you remind me where to find the conservative name all over this governement regulation?:

Oct. 2000 - HUD ANNOUNCES NEW REGULATIONS TO PROVIDE $2.4 TRILLION IN MORTGAGES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR 28.1 MILLION FAMILIES

If Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fail to make a good faith effort to achieve the affordable housing goals, the Secretary of HUD has the authority to impose civil money penalties of up to $10,000 for each day the failure occurs.

Actually, that one is proof that government stimulus could screw with the economy.

(;~/ gary

Hey Keillor, please point me to the opt-out list

I'll sign today. 

-Dave

The election of 2010 will be our last chance to save our republic. -Neal Boortz

cut us out of health care

not a bad idea actually. We won't  pay any taxes. Hell, if they vote it in, I'm taking to the streets anyway.

Opting out

Don't stop there. I want out of Social Security. 

"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason

Sigh

I can remember, a long time ago, whe I religoulsy listened to this Dufus' program. It wa great a long time ago but the the lib NPR mindset came to be. 

I now use it as an example whenever NPR/PBS have a fund drive. I ask if I can designate where my money goes (we like the cooking programs on PBS)? They say no. I say then I will write my useless congress idiots and demand that my taxes not be used to find them. They respond that they get a miniscule amount from us taxpayers. I respond:  then, you won't miss the fed funding. They hang up. 

So I watch the programs I like guilt free.  The only thing I ever listened to on NPR was classical music and Bluegrass...XM Radio filled that void. 

Good Idea

I think thats great idea, cut the Rep's out and we will paid our own way, and the Dem's can pay theirs. After a year lets see who is in the red? 

Authority isn't truth, truth is authority

"Les Moore" 

Guess that oddball

Guess that oddball Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party stuff dies hard.  Probably has a portrait of Hubert Humphrey hanging above his fireplace down at "Lake Wobegon"...

One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 86% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.

I think that every lib that

I think that every lib that squeals for the public option should have their private insurance canceled and be issued a Medicaid card.

For Republicans: No ObamaCare, No Tax

Well, to be fair, then don't ask Republicans to fund ObamaCare; tax the rich Democrats. That should be a good thing. Let Democrats fund ObamaCare, reduce the health care benefits, use ObamaCare when sick and be death-paneled when seriously ill. Republicans can rely on private insurance and free market for their health care. I wonder how much longer rich Democrats and seriously ill Democrats stay Democrats. Democrats will be a party of leeches and illegal immigrants. How long can they stay a viable party?

This is like in Atlas Shrugs. Remove those who don't want socialism from the system and the system collapses.

Liberal tolerance on

Liberal tolerance on parade.

The Rocky Mountain Collegian: Illustrating Idiocy

Rhubarb Pie

Always enjoyed Prairie Home Companion.... but this seals the deal.. I'll never again respond to an NPR "pledge drive..