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Subscribe to RSSTAMPA, FL -- The morning after a sometimes-rocky appearance in front of a Tea Party debate audience, Gov. Rick Perry said he was "taken aback" by cheers from some crowd members on a hypothetical question of whether a young man who decides not to buy health insurance should be refused care if he develops a life-threatening illness and be left to die.
"I was a bit taken aback by that myself," Perry told NBC News and the Miami Herald after appearing at a breakfast fundraiser in Tampa.
"We're the party of life. We ought to be coming up with ways to save lives."
Perry distinguished from that the issue of "justice," reiterating his strong support and "respect" for the death penalty on a state-by-state basis. "But the Republican party ought to be about life and protecting, particularly, innocent life," he added.
Perry also responded to the crowd's negative reaction to his support for allowing in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, saying his campaign has "the right message" on opportunities for children who were brought to the United States illegally "by no fault of their own."
"This issue is about education, it's not about immigration," he said.
"These kids showed up in our state by no fault of their own, some 2-3 years of age. And they've been in our schools, they've done their work, they've prepared themselves good, they want to be contributing members of society. So it would be I think the wrong message to say somehow or another that you can't go to our colleges, or we've going to punish you because of the sound of your last name."
"When people really think about it, I think they'll understand what we did in Texas was the right thing for Texas," he said.
Last night's debate also featured shots at Perry from both Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum on the issue of Gardasil, a vaccine that Perry mandated to be given to 12-year-old girls to prevent HPV - a disease linked to cervical cancer.
Bachmann said on NBC's TODAY Show this morning that she was approached by a woman after the debate whose daughter had suffered mental retardation as a result of getting the vaccine.
Perry dismissed that idea as similar to debunked theories linking vaccinations to autism.
"You heard the same arguments about giving our children protections from some of the childhood diseases, and they were, autism was part of that. Now we've subsequently found out that was generated and not true."
"I would suggest to you that this issue about Gardasil and making it available was about saving people's lives," he added.
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So everyone on that stage disagreed with the audience's response. My question, then why didn't they say so right then and there? Real leadership would have stepped in and said "Excuse me, but that response was uncalled for and unethical, that is not who we are" Real leadership would have outed the people who clapped, and shouted Yes!, that's what real leadership would have done, not stayed silent and made a comment the next day. If you were taken aback, or dismayed, why didn't you say so right then and there.
As for the Tea Party audience members who did that, heartless,mean, evil and very scary!
Mr. Paul's comment bring to mind the parable Jesus used to describe a good neighbor, the Good Samaritan.
A Tea Party member, a Republican, a Libertarian and a Democrat.
A man was going down the street, he fell and hit his head leaving him almost dead. A Tea Party member was going down the road and when he saw him he passed him on the other side of the road saying as he passed, "Let him die". Likewise a Republican, when they came to the same place did the same, saying "I'm taken aback by what the Tea Party member said, but I'm late for my next business merger meeting. Next a Libertarian came along, looked at the man and said "He should have taken better care of him self" and walked on. A Democrat came upon the man, stopped and was moved with pity. He went to him, bandaged him wounds, put him in his car and drove him to the local hospital. He discovered that the man had Universal Health Care thanks to the Presidents health care program, and the man was nursed back to health, and did not loose all that he had because he was covered.
Who was the better neighbor?
What the @!$%# is wrong with my party when RICK PERRY thinks we're too extreme? -___-;
Ok, we all know and understand the TEA Party's and the Libertarian's basic underlying beliefs of "smaller government" and "less regulation".
But none of them have specified exactly, um... how small?
I mean, how much "Government" is just enough?
Liberia has a very "decentralized system" with very few government regulations on citizens, commerce or murder.... IT AIN'T WORKING TOO WELL FOR THEM!!!
That's the problem. They also don't really make it clear what goes and what stays.
However, you can see what will happen if they win. They will cut government more and more, and then argue amongst themselves about who cut more government. They'll never stop until they get voted out of office.
Lets clear this up:
Democrat = Extreme Left Big Government
Republican = Center, Small Government
Libertarian = Extreme Right, No Government
Tea Party = a leaderless grassroots movement of average fiscally conservative citizens.
Willing Sniper, (Not the most PC handle btw.)
How about this:
Democrat = Pragmatic ideas and well spoken, but too willing to trade honesty for campaign funds and/or a piece of A$$. Motto, "We can Fix that"
Republican = Whats good for Big oil and Tobacco is good for the US. Gets plenty of corporate campaign funds; you can't buy whats already been sold. Motto, "I've got mine Fk-U"
Tea Party = We love NASCAR but gave up on the Crony-corp-backed Republicans. However, they are still much better than those Hippy-libertards. Note: (We secretly envy hippies because they were the "cool kids" in high school.) Motto, "Don't trust the Government, trust Me"
Libertarians = Know absolutely everything there is to know. Common (non) sense ideas that would never really work in the real world. Motto, "Get y'er guns ready, the s!ts gonna hit the fan"
Should I go on???
My point is most Democrats are NOT extreme left. Most Republicans are no where near center, and the Tea Party is nothing but a media catch phrase of the 2010's.
I may not agree with the gov on other issues, but feel he is correct on these two. At least this shows he CAN distance himself from Tea Party zealots.
This hits at the core of the healthcare problem. At least one aspect of it, anyway.
As a society, we aren't willing to let people die who aren't able to buy care. We even won't let people die who just don't bother to get care or are too irresponsible to do it, even when they have the money to do it. Then, the rest of us pay for that. Society pays for it. The insurance plan that my employer gives me costs more because of the uninsured, which means less money my employer has to give to me.
That is one aspect of the Affordable Health Care Act that certainly makes sense, and has been proposed by Republicans in the past. If people are required to buy coverage, with subsidies for the poor, then at least we have a rational way to pay for health care.
It forces people to be responsible citizens. Most of us already are, but those who are not cost the rest of us billions.
Most who use emergency rooms at taxpayer cost happen to be illegal aliens. If we don't pay, they will stop using it. Saving $$$$ right there.
Citizens can be taken care of by charities like we used to do. The charities would just become larger organizations.
Sniper, I don't see charities rushing to pay medical bills. What is stopping them from doing that now? Nothing. It seems a little unrealistic to assume "charities" will just take up the slack. Right now, the people who don't pay, and it is not mostly illegal aliens, that's BS, are paid for by high insurance premiums and increased medicare costs.
What do you have against making people who can afford to have insurance to get insurance? That seems like the responsible thing to do, doesn't it? We currently require people to get insurance when they drive a car. I don't see how this is really different, it's just taking responsibility.
The largest group who doesn't get insurance who could afford it is the young, 20-30 somethings.
Charity might work for cases where large cost is involved, for example in the case of a surgery or a long-term treatment.
But for the ER visit that never gets paid, it seems silly to imagine paying the bill using charity since they typically just never get paid to the loss of the hospital. The hospital just turns around and charges exorbitant rates to the people who can pay and do have insurance. Or Medicare.
And by the way, are we prepared as a society to let illegal aliens be turned away at the ER to die? How about the children of illegal aliens? I can't see us as a society doing that.
Gov. Perry should not be taken aback. There are loons in every group left or right including the Tea Party. Of course, society would not let that happen. What we would do is create way to recoup the money spent on these types of folks. For example. if a person refuses to buy insurance and needs care...they would have to repay the government or the provider who paid the bill. How you ask..there are ways. This would be an incentive for folks to buy insurance. You pay one way or the other.
Obama already signed into law a plan to get people to buy insurance.
I don't see what you post is a realistic plan at all.
Either it is my age, or I'm really getting confused. We are the party that claims to believe in the sanctity of life, yet we are the party big on the death penalty. Ok the death penalty is for those whom we despise, the rapist, the murderer, the pedophile, and other villains we can no longer control. But the other night, I was surprised. The 30 year old kid who has no insurance should die? Everybody can't afford insurance. We don't want Obama care because the political whore of Wasilla, Alaska said Obama was setting up death panels for people like me.
What could be any worse than a death panel other than sentencing a person to death because he or she has no health insurance. We are suppose to be the christian conservatives. I am starting to understand my grandson who said we were Tea Baggers. Something is going wrong and I'm beginning to understand more of what some of you have been saying. We are slowly becoming the party of hate. Suppose this 30 year old kid were white? Suppose he was involved in an accident that was not of his own doing? Suppose his paperwork got messed up? Suppose he was my son? Should he be sentenced to death because he had no insurance?
It is unconstitutional for the state to mandate that you carry insurance? I'll think about that next time I pay my car insurance. I'm beginning to hear what I sound like, and I don't like it. We hate anything this boy puts out. I thought my daughter had been listening to the colored people she is living with and attending church with. In reality she has been listening to me. Are we really that mean? This is why I'm standing with Rick Perry. He may have looked dumber than the Bush boy the other night, but he thinks more like I do. I thought the Tea Party was just to take our country back from Obama and reduce spending. We are slowly becoming the rogue party of hatred. This is what is confusing people.
We are slowly attracting those dumb rednecks that wouldn't mind wearing those damned ghost hoods. Maybe FOX News and CBN are leading us in the wrong direction. I would hate to think some white kid is riding a motorbike and slides off the road and because he has no insurance we leave him alone to slowly die. I love the flag, but I'm getting an odd look at our people. Either we are becoming mean or the liberals planted some people in the audience to make the Tea Party look bad. Yet, Ron Paul was leading the way. As a doctor I think he may be an evil little man. Diabolical. Damnable! Un- American. Christian conservative? We believe in the sanctity of life? God help America.
I thought that Mitt Romney won that debate. With Newt Gingrich coming in second.
Rick Perry obviously doesn't have the debate experience he needs yet. As far as this debate went I think he was the worst in his stumbling answers.
And big TIP to Perry: Don't.........don't choose a pro-illegal alien side of anything. We have 14 million citizens out of work.
One life is not more valuable than another regardless of age, but my stance is that I will be a voice for the voicless, the most vulnerable among us, that are at risk of being allowed (by their own mothers) to be murdered by horrific monsters aka abortionists. You pro-murdering the defenseless aka pro-choice people; aren't you thankful your mothers made the decision not to have you murdered by one of these satanic monsters called abortionists? Â
I'm a Democrat, and as much as I wouldn't want Perry to be elected, at least I believe that he believes the things he says. Bachmann doesn't believe what she says. She doesn't believe for one moment that Gardasil causes mental retardation, but she sure is willing to give the impression it does, if she thinks it will hurt her opponent and help her. Truth is a very flexible commodity to such as Bachmann.
What's also comical about Bachmann is when you hear her bash Washington, which is something she's been a part of for nearly 10 years. Obviously she doesn't support the idea of "term limits" either. I wonder why?
If he wins Perry will be the worst thing since Bush for America but the best thing since Bush for the Democrats.
Is about time to stop discrinating againt any foreigners - yust go to southamerica, per example Argentina, you can go to any school, university or hospital you are not to be denied or deported if your visa expired and they don't have the wealth we do have in USA.
Ryan in Texas gives a litany of praise to Perry who is courting the Baggers and wants to run as the Candidate for life in the party for life. I don't know whether to roll on the floor laughing or break down and cry over such insanity. Baggers cheer as they support we NOT help some one without insurance and simply let them die . . but they are pro-life. He is concerned about illegals coming in and educating them and yet would let the party of life slash education spending ( Republicans are doing it at national, state, county and local levels - check it out). Social Security is essential - its what provides a safety net to seniors when Republicans dump all regulation on bankers and business and the market collapses and there is nothing left in their savings - or maybe we let the seniors go homeless and starve and decrease the surplus population - Come join the Party for Life. Ryan in Texas - and the rest of you free market fliers - you better smell what your shoveling. Business is out to make money anyway they can and they take your savings, your home, your kids, your future. American business is about greed not freedom with responsibility in the market place. And now comes Perry - the James Watt of Texas who said it does not matter what we do with forests and Alaskan wilderness, because Jesus is coming back. Vote Perry or any republican in and it will be burn, baby burn; drill baby drill and a future on poverty, war, and death - afterall - if Perry is president he gets define "evil" just like Ronnie "Super tax raiser" Reagan and George W. "let's tell lies and go to war" Bush.
All Republicans and Tea Bags don't give a Damn about the poor. disadvantaged, elderly, workers in need of help! Hells Bells the Tea Bags and Republicans would probably like to open a few concentration camps for the poor of America!
Where's Jessie Jackson when we need him.......run Jessie run
Limbaugh has provided the simple solution time and again. Medical insurance is unnecessary. Just become a mutimillionaire and pay cash for medical services. The providers will even help you with cash discounts.
Having insurance only works if there are VERY few people drawing out. That is why MediCare will quickly be gone. You have 80 million drawing out and less than 50 million putting in. That 50 million also have to pay for their families medical bills too.
You do the math. The boomers will be a 80 million collecting for between 20 and 30 years. We have over 50 million wage earners who pay zero federal taxes and get all their SS/Medicare deductions refunded back with Earned Income Tax Credits. Not to mention most are currently using MediCal insurance for free until they get to MediCare age. So you have this small group actually paying for all these people.
We have to resolve ourselves to the fact healthcare costs a lot of money and most people flat don't have it and never will. Most people will live with real crummy healthcare because that is all their employment efforts will produce. It is no longer a few pills and send you home. It is extremely expensive high tech devices and pharmaceuticals that have billions invested in R&D to recover. This is all primarily run by highly educated specialized medical employees that deserve high incomes for their work.
It is neither mathematically possible for others to support all the liabilities nor should they be obligated by extortion to try. Most of this has to be moved to churches, communities and immediate family to carry what burdens can be managed. Just because expensive high tech medical care is available does not mean taxpayers are liable to provide it regardless of the patients ability to pay for it.
There will be a great sobering going on in the US as the boomers move out of supporting this system into being liabilities.
These days young people who HAVE jobs can barely afford to buy health care and start saving for retirement (IRA) and pay off the college tuition. Those that do not have jobs certainly cannot. How is this in any way shape or form considered "irresponsible"??
And they call themselves Christians...How about when the audience said"let him die"when talking about the young man in a coma with no insurance....
Perry has failed the litmus test by even pretending to care about a living person. The TP-GOP don't care about the living, only the unborn. To heck with a sick child or person, their christianity ends with the fetus exits the birth canal.
The millisecond it took Perry to step onstage at Liberty University was the millisecond before I decided he was another George W. Bush with an even worse GPA than W., and equally TOTALLY UNQUALIFIED for the highest office in the land....remember people... that is why we were listening. Ok it took longer than 2 milliseconds....
K. "Wart on the left testicle of Satan" Rove, now that's funny, right thar. ROFLMAO. Also its true. Well maybe its more likely to be on the right!
I actually think that Perry makes Bush look intelligent and humane.
Yes the republicans are the party of life. However, their belief is predominantly that your rights to life should in no way shape or form involve any responsibilities that impinge on your neighbor and vice verse.
Sadly, the very act of forming a society and a nation invokes some shared rights that require the actions of the citizens to uphold.
A true libertarian would espouse the loosest form of society that is theoretically capable of existing. This is where the tea party has stolen many of its ideas and the font that many of today's republicans drink from.
What they won't tell you is that in the end they simply have a different list of whose right to life should impinge on whom. Whether you agree with the Republican or the Democratic views neither truly wants nor would practically enact a true libertarian philosophy.
excerpts from the libertarian party platform.
1.3 Personal Relationships
Sexual orientation, preference, gender, or gender identity should have no impact on the
government's treatment of individuals, such as in current marriage, child custody, adoption,
immigration or military service laws. Government does not have the authority to define, license or
restrict personal relationships. Consenting adults should be free to choose their own sexual practices
and personal relationships.
1.4 Abortion
Recognizing that abortion is a sensitive issue and that people can hold good-faith views on all sides, we believe that government should be kept out of the matter, leaving the question to each person for their conscientious consideration.
2.6 Monopolies and Corporations
We defend the right of individuals to form corporations, cooperatives and other types of companies based on voluntary association. We seek to divest government of all functions that can be provided by non-governmental organizations or private individuals. We oppose government subsidies to business, labor, or any other special interest. Industries should be governed by free markets.
I don't necessarily agree with the parties views but when it really comes down to it the Tea Party and the Republican conservatives pick and choose what they want. That is like being an Anarchist who occasionally prank calls the local fire dept.
Lawrence O'Donnel proposed an interesting thought tonight. Jesus was executed by his government leaders. What if Jesus had lived in Perry's state, would the outcome have been any different? Think we all know the answer to that. And I'm pretty sure there would not have been a lack of citizens in Texas cheering that he was sentenced to die and lining up to watch his execution.