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Really, it doesn’t get much worse than this: a man injured on the job whose injury resulted in his leg being amputated below the knee. He can’t get a prosthetic leg from the manufacturer because he has no health insurance. And since he can’t work without a leg, he can’t get a job that might offer health insurance.
Bill Clinton and Blanche Lincoln need to explain to Keith Hitchcock why they aren’t at the Little Rock health fair, despite its having been "politicized" by Keith Olbermann, whose MSNBC viewers raised more than $1.7 million for this and other free clinics.
Why can’t Keith Hitchcock get a prosthetic leg? Is this the kind of health care your constituents deserve, Senator Lincoln? Is this the kind of health care your donors offer your constituents? Say it ain’t so, Blanche, say it ain’t so!
7 Comments
I hope this man gets help today, it’s an outrage that someone hurt at work can’t get help and is now confined to a wheelchair.
Say, Teddy, why don’t you go ahead and tell us about how he was hurt “on the job”?
I see. So dude loses his leg while doing his normal job with a buddy, and someone with a heart like a lump of coal opines?
You should be so lucky.
Mac, in countries with single payer, it does not matter how one is unfortunate enough to lose a limb. There is no need for free clinics where one has to beg and hope for help. The tension on that man’s face, his inability to work or to walk anywhere; this man’s suffering is not overshadowed by whether or not Teddy misunderstood his employment status.
I don’t know. Why does it matter? Do you disbelieve his story, and how could be so callous?
Why is it necessary for Bill Clinton to be at the health clinic?
Did Bill vote against health care?
Is getting that prosthesis dependent on Bill being there?
Bill donates and raises money for people all over the world.
An organisation called RAM has been conducting free health fairs in the U.S. for years, I didn’t see anyone reporting on it before this.
Insisting Clinton be at the clinic does not even make sense.
Good for Olbermann for doing this, but he is not the first, nor the last – he just can put his efforts on TV.
The current bill in the senate is nothing but a bailout for insurance and Big Pharma, they are not getting as much bloated profit because people are losing jobs and can’t afford insurance. They have denied as many people and as much care as they can get away with – now we are filling their coffers – tithing to a private, for-profit corporate entity – and people are hailing this.
Single payer is what is right – cut the insurance company out of the picture except for extras – they do not add anything to health care except cost.
newtonusr: “someone with a heart like a lump of coal opines?”
I didn’t opine, I asked a question. As you can see, questioning a Lib is considered grounds for personal attacks.
bluebutterfly: “his man’s suffering is not overshadowed by whether or not Teddy misunderstood his employment status”
You’re right, his condition is an entirely separate issue from Teddy’s credibility. Thank you for not being insulting when someone questions the accuracy of a story; I take it you also think facts are kinda important?
Teddy Partridge: “Do you disbelieve his story, and how could be so callous?”
I would like to verify the story since it doesn’t sound like he was “hurt at work.” Why is that important? Two reasons: first to establish your credibility (how callous of me!), second because if it’s true then the Arkansas system of worker’s compensation has screwed up and needs to be put right so they stop shafting people (how callous of me to want that!).
If he was hurt on the job then where’s the Workers’ Comp? That’s the issue that needs to be addressed if you really want to help this man and others in his situation. Do you? Or are you just “callously” using this poor guy for propaganda purposes?