Missouri GOP Picks Guy Who Thinks Medicare Is Unconstitutional For U.S. Senate [View all]

[SunsetDreams]

Yesterday, Missouri Republicans selected Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) as their candidate to oppose Sen. Claire McCaskill’s (D-MO) bid for reelection. Akin, who like nearly every Republican in Congress voted for Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) plan to phase out Medicare, is a staunch opponent of Medicare in general. Indeed, he told a Tea Party group last year that he believes the program is unconstitutional:

U.S. Rep. Todd Akin said he has doubts about the constitutionality of Medicare and thinks global warming “is highly suspect.” [...]

Akin’s remarks questioning the constitutionality of Medicare came as he was explaining his vote against prescription coverage under the medical plan for seniors and people with disabilities. He said it was too expensive, and “it was expanding an entitlement I wasn’t too comfortable with to begin with.”

Asked about the remarks after the meeting, Akin said, “I don’t find in the Constitution that it is the job of the government to provide health care.”

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/08/08/656071/missouri-gop-picks-guy-who-thinks-medicare-is-unconstitutional-for-us-senate/

I'm sure this will go over well

Thanks Ruby the Liberal

Will someone please give these GOP Idiots a history lesson?

But there’s a major problem with this line of argument: It just isn’t true. The founding fathers, it turns out, passed several mandates of their own. In 1790, the very first Congress—which incidentally included 20 framers—passed a law that included a mandate: namely, a requirement that ship owners buy medical insurance for their seamen. This law was then signed by another framer: President George Washington. That’s right, the father of our country had no difficulty imposing a health insurance mandate.

http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/102620/individual-mandate-history-affordable-care-act