Retired steelworker Steve Skvara tugged at the heartstrings of liberals everywhere when he asked Democratic presidential candidates at an August debate sponsored by the AFL-CIO, "What's wrong with America? And what will you do to change it?" The underlying premise of his question, that something's wrong with this nation because taxpayers aren't picking up the tab for his spouse's health insurance, made him an instant celebrity in certain circles.
Chris Matthews invited Mr. Skvara to his MSNBC Hardball program and told him, "You're a great American to speak so well to the needs of this country." Matthews later fawned, ""Well, can I pay tribute — can I pay tribute to you, sir?" The CBS Evening News described Skvara's query as a time when "a moment of truth breaks through a political campaign event." Since his debut, Mr. Skvara's popped up in the media numerous times, including Oprah Winfrey's show.
In its October 4 edition, People's Weekly World reports on a recent Chicago rally demanding single-payer health care. More than a third of the article is devoted to Steve Skvara, who "personified the devastating effects of a broken health care system on working families."
On Sept. 28, Skvara rallied with other health care advocates and groups at the State of Illinois building in downtown Chicago as part of a national day of action for single-payer health care.
“This country has the finest doctors and nurses in the world,” he told the World at the rally. “But it has the worst health care delivery system known, based on profit and greed and not on need.”
Skvara said people need to push lawmakers to back HR 676, the “Medicare for All” bill, a national health care bill that promotes universal health care in the United States.
“Who’s going to run this country? The corporations or the people who vote? We have to realize our potential and our power as voters,” he said. Ah, that old class struggle yet again.
People's Weekly World has an interesting history. It contends it's "the direct descendant of the Daily Worker" and "enjoy(s) a special relationship with the Communist Party USA, founded in 1919, and publish(es) its news and views."
Sometimes it's humorously asserted that great minds think alike. I don't know if that's true, but it certainly seems as though liberal minds think alike. It's only a hop, skip, and a jump from being paid tribute by Chris Matthews and garnering the attention of Oprah to Mr. Skvara finding himself approvingly quoted by People's Weekly World, a publication with that special relationship with Commies.
A September 23 piece in the (Northwest Indiana) Post-Tribune noted that "Skvara warned his four children not to look for him on the Internet" because of distressing stuff they might read. I don't blame him. If I were given favorable coverage in a publication that brags of being a direct descendant of the Daily Worker, I wouldn't want my kids to see it either.
Then again, Chris Matthews hasn't paid tribute to me as a great American. Yet.
