Rob Woodall (R-GA) Won't Give Up Government Health Care 'Because It's Free'

[brentspeak]

Run time: 01:35 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3ewtMeAdKk   Posted on YouTube: May 25, 2011 By YouTube Member: ajcjgalloway Views on YouTube: 231   Posted on DU: May 25, 2011 By DU Member: brentspeak Views on DU: 4475

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/25/rob-woodall-health-care_n_866859.html

First Posted: 05/25/11 01:23 PM ET Updated: 05/25/11 03:33 PM ET

WASHINGTON -- Moments after preaching extreme self-reliance to one of his constituents, a Georgia Republican told a gathering in his district that he will continue to rely on government-subsidized health care "because it's free."

Freshman Rep. Rob Woodall, who served as chief of staff to his predecessor, made national news earlier this week for comments he made, captured on video by Patch.com, to a retired constituent who told him her company does not provide retiree benefits.

"Hear yourself, ma'am. Hear yourself," http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/23/rob-woodall-on-medicare-take-care-of-me_n_865724.html">Woodall told the woman. "You want the government to take care of you, because your employer decided not to take care of you. My question is, 'When do I decide I'm going to take care of me?'"

When pressed by his constituent why he did not decline his taxpayer-funded Congressional health plan and instead purchase his own private health insurance program out of his own pocket, Woodall responded:

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought I did. It's because it's free. It's because it's free," he said. "The same reason I went out to Walgreen's and bought ActivOn and I don't have any arthritis pain: Because it's free. Folks, if you give people things for free, don't blame them for taking them."

[Proud Liberal Dem]

1. Government health care is FREE???

:wtf:

Then, WTF are the rest of us paying through the nose for health care when we could get it free from the government??? Why do they want to cut Medicare if it's free?????

:crazy:

[Plucketeer]

2. Wholly Crap!

I thought you'd have to be AT LEAST an elementary school graduate to get elected to federal congress! (I think state houses ARE more lenient, give what we've seen from some state congresspersosn of late!)

This Georgia rep is one shining rube! :dunce: The sad thing is, there's alotsa folks what prollee agrees wit him!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. I imagine that it's the same group of people

whom go to Tea Party rallies waving signs demanding that the government keep it's hands off their Medicare. :crazy:

[russspeakeasy]

25. Florida has a whole state full of them...

[Plucketeer]

32. The whole south

seems to be rife with them!

[ThatsMyBarack]

18. FAIL!

That is all.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

36. Huh?

:wtf:

[CurtEastPoint]

3. What a typical, smug, selfish, self-absorbed, uncaring Republican asshole. God damn them all.

and this MF is from my state.

[tomm2thumbs]

10. with a brain like his, I guess he was!

damned, that is

[TxVietVet]

4. I pay out the nose for my medical insurance

so I can subsidize a conservanazi prick who wants to take my health care plan away and enjoy his FREE plan.

The audacity of conservanazis is unbelievable. He can live off the government tit and my tax dollars while condemning the rest of us to his "free market" bu$hit.

[mysuzuki2]

5. he's not only an ass but is stupid

his government healthcare is NOT free, nor is it to any federal employee. Apparently he hasn't noticed the deduction from his pay stub. The typical deduction is about $199 per biweekly family coverage per biweekly pay period.

[BREMPRO]

7. epitomizes the R attitude "i got mine" take care of yourself....

astounding comment considering he's asking everyone else to go out on the privatized open market (something he supports) and is willing to stand there and obnoxiously and hypocritically take the govt. health care he's offered "because it's FREE" even though it goes against his principles. OMG these guys are unbelievable..!!!

[colorado_ufo]

28. And he says this without shame.

:grr:

[suzanner]

8. We're paying his health insurance. He thinks it's free?!!

I think there should be a new word for this kind of mental malady.

[pepperbear]

27. +1

[OwnedByFerrets]

9. The crazy thing is that he got APPLAUDED for this shit.

[XanaDUer]

12. Not in GA

I used to live there.

[SemperEadem]

11. So, why do we all have the government already forcing all of us

to buy insurance in other areas of our lives, yet when it comes to the ACA, we can't have the government forcing us to get coverage? My daughter, who lives in TX, told me that she is required to carry renters insurance. Why is it ok for the government to force that down the people's throats, yet when it comes to health care, it's a problem doing that? What kind of fucking sense does that make? This line of thinking totally blows a hole in mandatory insurance coverage. I can keep that $225/mo I pay in car insurance premiums, put it into my own savings account, get interest on it and save up for when/if the day comes that I need it.

[tclambert]

13. Love your sig line, Luke 12:48

Must be a verse missing from Republican bibles.

[GoCubsGo]

14. Glad that it's on video.

His opponent in 2012 should find it very useful.

[wilt the stilt]

15. This is my congressman

He didn't even live in our district. he is a frat boy from UGA and is a complete asshole. Doug Heckman has run for the seat the last two terms. Doug is a great guy and lives about 5 minutes from me. His eldest and my eldest have known each other since they were 5. Unfortunately , my district is full of assholes. He has always worked for government.

[Vinca]

16. My condolences. What a pig that guy is.

[Ganja Ninja]

17. It's not free, we pay for his health care.

And if this asshole wants to save some money by cutting peoples health care he should start by cutting his own.

[NickB79]

19. And the dumb bastard even admits to using ActivOn to boot

A homeopathic snake oil "treatment" that is nothing but a tube of wax sold to rubes and idiots as medicine.

[florida08]

20. thanks for posting the text

I think he's using sarcasm to duck the question. He's suggesting that's how Americans are.

Not all states pay for health insurance coverage but most do.

States provided coverage for about 3.4 million state government employees and retirees. When their covered dependents and family members are included, the total is about seven million people.

Elected state legislators naturally are state employees; however within state personnel definitions, some are considered part-time employees. The following states offer health insurance to legislators but describe it as "optional at legislator's expense" -- Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Vermont and West Virginia. In addition, South Dakota and Wyoming do not offer health benefits to legislators, but do cover legislative staff.
http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=14345

http://citizensvoice.com/news/state-legislature-is-among-nation-s-most-expensive-1.746065#axzz1NT6MqE9D">State legislature is among nation's most expensive

[Roci]

21. Is it any wonder

that democracy in this Nation is messed up?

It's because people elect nitwits like this to public office.

He doesn't know how the government works (Taxes)
He is in it "for the ride" ($173,000/year medical, travel and "free" office space)
He has absolutely no idea of what "leadership" is...
So let me ask the good people of Georgia one simple question?

Can someone in Georgia's 7th District represented by this pig, slopping himself at the public trough, tell me why in the world you would send a mess like him to "represent" YOU in Congress?

[chillspike]

22. This is awesome!

I was just going to post this but you beat me to it.

I think we are ready to route republicans into their own hypocritical corner.

[craigmatic]

23. Stupidity like this should be unsustainable but I bet he'll get re-elected by the same people he's

fucking over.

[proReality]

24. That man has a shorted-circuit in his brain!

And apparently his ears are not connected to his larynx.

[avebury]

26. Representatives and Senators in Washington should have

to go and find their own healthcare coverage and not get theirs paid for by the working class.

[ooglymoogly]

29. Pugs just don't get it....they live in glass houses whilst lobbing

boulders.

[wxgeek7]

30. Yes, they get it...

...and they know what they're doing. They basically just don't give much a damn about the rest of us. I believe they're all just "looking out for number one".

[dotymed]

31. This has to go viral.

how can anyone, anywhere, watch this video and not realize how sleazy "they" are. This ELECTED CONGRESSMAN shows his blatant ignorance, no... idiocy.

[MikeMc]

33. Thanks. + 100

[lumberjack_jeff]

34. There's the Republican world view in a nutshell.

I'm a douchebag who will exploit society for my own benefit, therefore everyone else does too, therefore society is bad.

[cascadiance]

35. F'ing PARASITE! There are chemicals that are used to get rid of them...

that should be used on him!