Community | August 28, 2009 | 89 comments

Huckabee: Kennedy Would Have Been Urged To Die Earlier Under ObamaCare

source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/28/huckabee-kennedy-would-ha_n_271605.html

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WakeUpPeople
Conservative media figures are blasting Democrats for trying to draw political gain from the death of Senator Ted Kennedy. But on Thursday, it was one of their own -- former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee -- who went there.

The 2008 Republican presidential candidate suggested during his radio show, "The Huckabee Report," on Thursday that, under President Obama's health care plan, Kennedy would have been told to "go home to take pain pills and die" during his last year of life.

"[I]t was President Obama himself who suggested that seniors who don't have as long to live might want to consider just taking a pain pill instead of getting an expensive operation to cure them," said Huckabee. "Yet when Sen. Kennedy was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer at 77, did he give up on life and go home to take pain pills and die? Of course not. He freely did what most of us would do. He choose an expensive operation and painful follow up treatments. He saw his work as vitally important and so he fought for every minute he could stay on this earth doing it. He would be a very fortunate man if his heroic last few months were what future generations remember him most for."
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89 comments // Huckabee: Kennedy Would Have Been Urged To Die Earlier Under ObamaCare

  • jubal
    • 0
      jubal  

    • I think being rude is one thing, but making personal attacks and threats such as "you are MFer I am going to put a bullet through your liberal skull" is not appropriate.

    • 2 years ago
  • wielandla
  • larrysnotes
  • GodsnLiberals
    • 0
      GodsnLiberals  

    • This is one of many times the Obama die hard liberals starts to squirm... i prefer a retort that would disprove the allegations rather than the usual moan and groan

    • 2 years ago
  • WakeUpPeople
  • DeliaTheArtist
  • kelkin
    • 0
      kelkin  

    • This is the rhetoric that people have become so sick of. I am an independent voter and will listen to anyone side. However, if the Republicans continue with this type of bullshit, I don't think they will ever get back in office. All this death panel crap, all the plan is trying to do is to let people have a choice about what kind of care they want when they are at death's door step, before they become unable to do so! (THIS BULLSHIT IS ALL ABOUT INSURANCE COMPANIES AND THE MONEY THEY STAND TO LOOSE IF THE HEALTH CARE PLAN GOES THROUGH!) God forbid for health care to acually help peope, rather than make all these sons -of- bitches rich!

    • 2 years ago
  • thedirtman
    • 0
      thedirtman  

    • "The 2008 Republican presidential candidate suggested during his radio show, "The Huckabee Report," on Thursday that, under President Obama's health care plan, Kennedy would have been told to "go home to take pain pills and die" during his last year of life."

      Let's do some simple analysis. There are a number of presumptions made by Huckabee:

      1.. Kennedy would have been actually asked by a doctor to simply take pain killers without further medical attention... a good, moral doctor wouldn't offer this advice under any circumstances.

      2. Kennedy would not have lived as long taking just pain killers... likely truth, but not absolute by chance.

      3. Kennedy would not have been able to seek alternate advice under health care reform.... an assumption that is an absolute falsehood.

      4. Kennedy had no significant motivation of his own for seeking health care reform... here Huckabee is simply distracting people from the fact that the current system is a failure for many people.

      This isn't necessarily a comprehensive list of problems with the Huckabee statement.

      A statement should hold water under analysis if we are to take it for any value at all. This one is puffed, reckless and unintelligent. Hard to see how anyone who follows him isn't... must I say.. stupid.

    • 2 years ago
  • Conniepae
  • macfan
    • 0
      macfan  

    • I saw a comment on a post
      from Palins Face book about Ted Kennedy
      and one commenter said he did not stand for
      what JFK stood for and that comment
      is really stupid because medicare was JFK
      idea and when Linden Jonhson was called a socialist
      when he was working on passing medicare.
      Hannity said "Out of respect for his family,"
      decided not to "bring up Mary Jo Kopechne" or Kennedy's "radical socialism that turning history on it's head JFK's medicare was called socialism.

    • 2 years ago
  • hunzedog
    • hunzedog  
    • This comment was removed by its owner.
  • macfan
    • 0
      macfan  
    • hunzedog:

      Kennedy made a mistake but
      he's not a murderer we don't
      call every one who kills some
      well drinking and driving a murderer
      why is it different for a Kennedy
      and would gone go crazy if a liberal
      called Chaney a murderer if that guy that
      got shot in face got killed by accident
      and about Obama being a liar
      the Bush admin lied more then well you guys on the right are going to say im blaming Bush im not
      blaming Bush for whats happen now but that's
      we got were we are today and you people to little
      to late.

    • 2 years ago
  • hunzedog
    • hunzedog  
    • This comment was removed by its owner.
  • cztheday
    • 0
      cztheday  

    • Oh BS, hunzedog...nice try. Healthcare was the issue Kennedy care about most and was central to his life's work. Of COURSE it will be discussed at his memorial. Let me guess. When Muhammed Ali dies, you will say that if Obama talks about boxing at his funeral THAT will be in poor taste, too.

      I simply do not understand the OBSESSION you people have with President Obama. He does not have NEARLY the kind of power you attribute to him, so your state of constant panic and concurrent need to criticize everything about him, no matter how trivial, makes you look like a cartoon character. Man up, dude!

    • 2 years ago
  • WakeUpPeople
  • Conniepae
    • 0
      Conniepae  
    • cztheday:

      I'm just browsing and don't have time to go back and check if hunzedog deleted his earlier comment about President Obama mentioning health care during his eulogy, but if he did, it was shameful.

      It is one thing to come and comment and say what one thinks. But, when later we are proven to have been wrong, to remove said comment is just wrong! We all come here and comment. If you don't have the courage to be wrong in your comment, you shouldn't have the audacity to remove it. We all have times when we are wrong. I think it's better to leave it, so other posters can see the error of our ways. The times I have made comments in error, I go back and post my apology, or acknowledge my error.

      One leads by example. If hunzedog removed his comment because he was wrong, he set a bad example. Better to acknowledge ones error and move along.

    • 2 years ago
  • cztheday
    • 0
      cztheday  
    • cztheday:

      Thanks, WakeUp, I was kind of wondering -- admittedly a bit surprised that nobody mentioned it...

      Excellent observations, as usual, Conniepae. One of these days I am going to do an article on the various ways the right wingers on this site turn themselves inside out manipulating their posts -- adding, deleting, modifying, alternating screen names, baiting others into flag" situations, dishing out vile, hateful language but then reacting on the verge tears when they perceve someone is being mean in return...infantile paranoia...thanks for making me feel welcome at the grown up's table...

    • 2 years ago
  • wayseeker
    • 0
      wayseeker  
    • cztheday:

      You are right. I've noticed that most of the personal attacks and foul language posted here comes from the right wingers. These crude comments break the community code of conduct and should be flagged.

    • 2 years ago
  • Conniepae
    • 0
      Conniepae  
    • cztheday:

      I don't think the rude comments should be flagged. People should be free to express themselves, even when rude. My hope is others will be able to differentiate between rude, mad and indifferent.

      Sometimes it feels good to rant. We are on a website, which gives us the opportunity to express our opinions. Not everyone feels great and happy. Sometimes people just want to vent and rant. We should not pick and choose who gets to rant when. If someone is rude all the time, ignore what they write. Don't feed rude, with more rude! We are only responsible for our own rants.

    • 2 years ago
  • macfan
  • libertyforall
  • macfan
    • 0
      macfan  
    • macfan:

      all people over 65 gets medicare
      which is government program
      and old don't get death panels
      now and doctors don't complain
      about medicare getting between them
      and there patient.

    • 2 years ago
  • trelk
    • 0
      trelk  

    • "Yet when Sen. Kennedy was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer at 77, did he give up on life and go home to take pain pills and die? Of course not. He freely did what most of us would do. He choose an expensive operation and painful follow up treatments. "

      most of us!? how many on this board can afford an "expensive operation and painful follow up treatments"? i haven't got a pot to piss in so i would be lucky to score the drugs to go home and die with less pain.

    • 2 years ago
  • Amber_Taylor
    • 0
      Amber_Taylor  

    • News flash to Huckabee, Kennedy had "Obama-care". Kennedy worked for the government and got government health insurance.

      I would take "Obama-care" over "Private Insurance company is not going to cover you now because our profit will go down, even though you paid you premiums on time your whole life - care.

      Huckabee - in the pocket of private insurance companies just like the rest of the Republicans.

    • 2 years ago
  • kennymotown
    • 0
      kennymotown  

    • And Huckster was supposed to be a good Christian, what about Mathew 24 or 25. Now it has been revealed this guy is not a real Christian, phony baloney fake pretending doing the work of the devil Christian. Up yours Huckabee, you pig.

    • 2 years ago
  • Conniepae
    • 0
      Conniepae  

    • Death and health care should not be a political tool. We all must face the end of life decisions for our selves and our family members. Our political beliefs should not be part of the discussion.

      The fact that everyone is not given the opportunity to have quality care choices is a travesty, which should be dealt with today. Republicans and Democrats should not use fear of death and illness as a means to motivate their bases. That's just sad!

      We will all become ill and die, regardless of party affiliation. None of us can live forever. Using spin and fear to make people afraid of affordable health care is shameful. It would be much better if Democrats and Republicans would work together to design a health care system, which works for everyone. This partisanship is shameful.

    • 2 years ago
  • 1realone
  • Daubview
    • 0
      Daubview  

    • Everytime I see opinions on Obama I cannot help but feel like people are showing total bias towards him.
      As long as people are concerned he can do no wrong, so much so that when politicians who are opposed to Obama's plan regardless of what they have to say, they are given a mouthful by these "liberal free-thinking" types who pretend that everyone is entitled to an opinion. Just because he is republican, right-wing and christian doesn't make his opinion null and void!

    • 2 years ago
  • wielandla
  • libertyforall
    • 0
      libertyforall  
    • Daubview:

      You are somewhat correct about the small business tax but miss the purpose.

      The small business tax is put there to make all small businesses drop private healthcare and go with the public option.

      The tax is much cheaper than providing all their employees with health care so the incentive is to drop the health care, let your employees go on the public option, and just pay the tax.

      It is a back door method to create completely government ran health care. Don't let the sheeple know about this though. They will just call you a racist.

    • 2 years ago
  • cztheday
    • 0
      cztheday  
    • Daubview:

      IMHO you have stated the problem exactly backwards. No Democrat I know thinks that President Obama can do no wrong. But we are ALL reacting against the absurdity of this tidal wave of sentiment coming from the conservatives that President Obama can do nothing RIGHT -- and that he has not been able to do so since literally SECONDS after he was elected.

      I understand that a lot of that sentiment stems from the frustration many conservatives felt that they had to simply "sit and take a beating" during the last two years of the Bush Adminstration. He was awful, and everybody from across the political spectrum knew he was awful, so there was literally nothing even the most stout-hearted Republican could say in his defense. So, human nature being what it is, they were poised to jump on the incoming Democratic President with both feet not matter who that turned out to be.

      But from OUR perspective, hurt feelings about Bush are no excuse for the silliness we have seen from the right such as saying that President Obama was the worst President in American history...before January and the first 10 DAYS of his Presidency had concluded. After racking up idiotic statement after idiotic statement along those lines...none of the criticisms from the right have any credibility any longer.

    • 2 years ago
  • libertyforall
    • 0
      libertyforall  
    • Daubview:

      Let's be honest, all politicians use fear tactics. Obama scared us into the bailouts, stimulus bills, and now the health care reform. He is using the same exact fear tactics.

      Bush used them to scare us into the Patriot Act and other unconstitutional measures.

      Fear tactics are useful to get the sheeple from both sides all into a frenzy.

    • 2 years ago
  • WakeUpPeople
    • 0
      WakeUpPeople  
    • Daubview:

      @clayjj

      Your small business tax claim is only partly true. Most of the attacks on health care reform are either partly true, misleading, or lies.

      http://www.factcheck.org/2009/08/twenty-six-lies-about-hr-3200/

      Claim: Page 149: Any employer with a payroll of $400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays an 8% tax on payroll / Claim: Page 150: Any employer with a payroll of $250K-400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays a 2 to 6% tax on payroll.

      Both Partly True. The bill requires employers either to offer private health insurance coverage or pay a percentage of their payroll expenses to help finance a public plan. The 8 percent payment would indeed apply to employers with payrolls over $400,000 in the previous year, and lesser amounts would apply to smaller firms. Those with payrolls of $250,000 or less would pay nothing. But the penalty isn’t incurred if an employer "does not offer the public option," as the e-mail claims. Rather, it’s a penalty for not offering health insurance to employees.

    • 2 years ago
  • libertyforall
    • 0
      libertyforall  
    • Daubview:

      Slarabee,

      I know what would have happened had we not bailed out the banks. The free market would have recovered and we wouldn't have added trillions in debt.

      Sorry, you are wrong. These are all statements made by Obama....

      “Doing nothing means that you’re going to lose what you have . . . Because on the current trajectory, your premiums are going to double again over the next five to 10 years.”

      "Without swift passage of his stimulus bill, Obama said, "an economy that is already in crisis will be faced with catastrophe."

      "the recovery plan and the financial stability plan are the immediate steps we're taking to revive our economy in the short-term."

      "if we don't move swiftly to put this plan in motion, our economic crisis could become a national catastrophe. Millions of Americans will lose their jobs, their homes, and their health care"

      Don't forget the scare tactics used by Johnson which is probably the most famous campaign ad of all time...

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er5h_TXun6o

      So your claim taht Republicans do it more simply isn't true. It is just partisan hackiness and an inability to recognize your party is no better than the Republicans. They are exactly the same.

    • 2 years ago
  • macfan
    • 0
      macfan  
    • Daubview:

      one Johnson did that more than 40 years ago
      second the corporations pay the congress
      to get what they want and don't to
      free market third the bank bail out
      happend under Bush fourth Obama was being reallistic
      five Bush deregulated the banks making the market
      so free that people could what ever they want which
      destroyed are economy and six gopers are calling every ist under the sun.

    • 2 years ago
  • slarabee
  • wielandla
  • wielandla
  • wielandla
    • 0
      wielandla  
    • Image
    • slarabee:

      Slarabee- I took the time to read he section of the 1018 page bill that was being reffered to by Huckabee and I read it several times. Please explain to me why this isn't a valid criticism of huckabee's? How do you interpret the Government run healthcare?It is to say the least disconserting to have a panel including government officials , helping to decide what are the best life sustaining measures and in any way connecting that to monetary value. End of life issues in regards to healthcare is a very personal decision that the government having any part in is ominous.
      I am trying to read the bill and I have to tell you it is complicated and very difficult to interpret. Far more difficult than my Health care benefit plan. I can interpret that easily and I have control over what I chose to pursue in regards to my wellness. I see people who don't have health coverage being helpe by clinics anf volunteers in the private sector far better than any government. Look all I am saying is this try this: Be slow to speak, quick to listen and slow to anger.
      I have attached the Healthcare bill for your reading if you so desire.

      Peace be with you

      well said quote from a fellow truth seeker in this debate:
      "A quick note: We Americans like change. “Change is good”, or so the adage says, right? But isn’t it more true that Change is neither good nor bad? Change can happen for better or for worse, and it takes a discerning eye to tell the difference between the two – not a passing glance at some text and trust in other’s opinions. You have to look at the stuff yourself, or risk adding to the problem."

    • 2 years ago
  • hammywill
    • 0
      hammywill  
    • slarabee:

      Post Office efficiency! As Jon Stewart pointed out..'You mean that agency that for 44 cents will drive to your house and take your shitty letter and fly it in a PLANE to Nebrasks and drive it out to someone's house?" Seeme to me they do better than ANY private sector could. Oooh, and before you even try, it is a LIE to say the Post Office loses money.

    • 2 years ago
  • biggranny
  • libertyforall
    • 0
      libertyforall  

    • Can anyone explain how he was wrong? Kennedy was going to die, so the government wouldn't have paid to extend his life because the costs were too high.

      Obama said he even thought the operation for his own grandmother shouldn't have been done because it was too expensive for end of life treament.

      Do the sheeple not read the news or do they just go baaaa and defend the Chosen One every time a story appears in the news?

    • 2 years ago
  • current89
  • cmdinc
  • wielandla
    • 0
      wielandla  
    • libertyforall:

      Instead of calling Huckabee a moron and idiot and getting all huffy about it , why not debate about health care. According to the Healthcare bill are we disallowed extreme measures in long shot cases? I don't think we need to resort to personal attacks.

    • 2 years ago
  • rumorville
    • 0
      rumorville  
    • libertyforall:

      OK, here is how Huckabee was wrong...

      Kennedy had health care insurance that he liked and made use of. The same kind of health care coverage and choice that is available to every employee of the Federal government. There is no mandate in the currently proposed health care reform that he would have had to have changed his insurance. None.

      The change would have been that IF he had no health insurance at all, he would have been eligible for government sponsored health care, rather than having ZERO coverage and probably landing in an Emergency Room where a huge amount of money would have been spent to slow his disease, or ease his pain while his condition inevitably worsened, because he had received no earlier treatment.

      What Huckabee (and his ilk) are preying on is the concept that no one ever wants to face--which is that while we all want to live as long a life as we can, there are real issues about "end of life care" that the terminally ill face. Does that mean that there will be "government death panels"? No more than there are already "insurance company reviews" that determine each and every day what treatment that will and won't be paid for.

      Ted Kennedy was a flawed man and a life long politician. Even those on the far right fringe have said that though they disagreed with his politics, they knew him to be a decent and caring man who tried to work towards compromise when he could. That is what is missing in politics today, there is no middle ground, only polarized sides that can call names and parrot talking points laden with distortions and character attacks.

      And that is exactly where Mike Huckabee, politician/pastor, is wrong in that he believes that is what America needs.

    • 2 years ago
  • kennymotown
  • cmdinc
  • JanforGore
    • 0
      JanforGore  

    • Scott_Moody:

      I agree. And that does go for both parties. Those who now will use his death to scare people, and those who will use it to guilt people to accept it. I am sick of all of the partisan political back and forth that does NOTHING to bring us progress.

    • 2 years ago
  • Scott_Moody
    • 0
      Scott_Moody  

    • I don't care which party affiliation they belong to; anyone who takes a mans death and tries to use it politically is not going to get my vote next time.

    • 2 years ago
  • ozoneocean
    • 0
      ozoneocean  

    • What sort of moron believes this death list stuff? What SORT of moron? Maybe you need a real death list for them? It'd up the world IQ average.

    • 2 years ago
  • libertyforall
    • 0
      libertyforall  
    • ozoneocean:

      What sort of moron doesn't read the health care bill and realize that it was right there in black and white. It was on paper.

      Also, what sort of moron doesn't look at the British NHS and realize they have death panels. If it costs over 45,000 to extend your life by only 6 months they won't pay for it.

    • 2 years ago
  • bluestranger
  • macfan
    • 0
      macfan  
    • ozoneocean:

      what kind of moron doesn't know
      that we have death panels now
      there called health care companies
      think the that lose there health becuse
      they have pre-exsisting condition
      and what kind of moron dosen't know
      that Steven Hawking lives in the UK
      and gets health care from the nhs
      all the time.

    • 2 years ago
  • Darrin_Sher
    • 0
      Darrin_Sher  

    • Mike Huckabee is an imbecile. And rest of the scumbag politicians know that Medicaid and Medicare are one of the leading reasons that our country is in recession. They all must be smoking CRACK ,because they wanna get UNIVERSAL health care.We are wasting billions and billions of our tax dollars to bail out these scumbag corporations that are still giving out million dollars bonuses that are still coming up short. People better open their eyes and take good look around and see all the stores that are out of business and know this if we ever gonna make UNIVERSAL health care our country is gonna go in deep depression where a stick of gum is gonna cost $100. We better forget that idea and buy our GOLD and SILVER reserves back. Darrin, NYC

    • 2 years ago
  • Amber_Taylor
  • revolutioninamerica
  • imp_print
  • colleenc
  • hollyMiamiFla
  • H3ADLINE
  • wayseeker
    • 0
      wayseeker  

    • Huckabee isn't the only Republican jumping in to use Kennedy's death. Republican Senators McCain, Hatch, and Gregg have all stated that If Kennedy hadn't been sick he would have worked with them and compromised on the health care bill. These are blatant lies. These men have no shame.

    • 2 years ago
  • quitedandy
  • FallenMorgan
  • numinant
  • nodonjuan
  • lifestudentno83
    • 0
      lifestudentno83  

    • Kennedy was one of the BIGGEST supporters of single-payer health care. He's now rolling in his freshly dug grave at Huckabee said. I would say he should be ashamed of himself, but Republicans have no shame to begin with.

    • 2 years ago
  • cztheday
    • 0
      cztheday  

    • Huckabee is such a horrible, horrible man. Kennedy undoubtedly expected that his past issues like drinking and womanizing would be played up upon his death -- chatterers gotta chatter, after all, but everybody knew how important these healthcare reform bills were to him during the last days of his life...to use his death as a way of attacking the bills takes a special kind of vile. May I reintroduce to you the real Mike Huckabee? (in case you had forgotten). Mike, it's spelled P-R-O-P-R-I-E-T-Y... No, I KNOW it is not a word you use often...ever...

    • 2 years ago
  • jubal
  • kennymotown
    • 0
      kennymotown  

    • Just think how lucky we were to not have this fool represent the republican party for the final showdown. Don't forget Chuck Norris was his right hand buddy in the campaign. Now Chuckie is a birther and has a website about it. One nut attracting another nut.

    • 2 years ago
  • hammywill
    • 0
      hammywill  
    • kennymotown:

      So...all other controversy aside, I would like to correct you on one thing. I do this because I think the Truth is the most important commodity.

      Chuck Norris is NOT a birther. He has publicly stated the he believes Obama IS a citizen and that he finds it a bit of a "GROUNDLESS stretch" to believe the President is not from Hawaii. (Emphasis added)

    • 2 years ago
  • kennymotown
  • hammywill
    • 0
      hammywill  
    • kennymotown:

      It means he believes that Obama IS A CITIZEN. Did you read the same article? That is the same article I got my quotes from. He believes it is a GROUNDLESS stretch to believe Obama is not from Hawaii.

    • 2 years ago
  • hammywill
  • kennymotown
    • 0
      kennymotown  
    • kennymotown:

      hammy I read the article he believes in the Lou Dobbs thing that he wants to see the birth certificate. You can't have it both ways and stay untouched by the madness of the birther movement. So which is it? Chuck's acting like a crooked politician one foot here and the other there.

    • 2 years ago
  • numinant
    • 0
      numinant  

    • I was anticipating this sort of reaction from the right...

      These reactionaries are either sociopathic liars or deeply paranoid and delusional. Either way, they're mentally unfit to serve in office.

    • 2 years ago
  • clownpuncher
  • unimatrix0
  • clownpuncher
  • imp_print
  • quixotic12
  • wielandla
    • 0
      wielandla  
    • unimatrix0:

      Respect- everyone is cursing huckabee for having an opinion different than their own. If he mentioned kennedys death with a pro- healthcare reform slant would you still be accusing him?

    • 2 years ago
  • AswegoAsdego
  • kennymotown
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