Ryan confronted by cancer patient who says ObamaCare saved his life

[TomCADem]

Source: The Hill

Paul Ryan faced some tough questions from audience members at a CNN town hall Thursday night, starting with a cancer patient who said ObamaCare saved his life.

Jeff Jeans said he was a lifelong Republican and small business owner who had worked on the Reagan and Bush campaigns and was originally opposed to the Affordable Care Act.

But he said at 49 he was diagnosed with cancer and given six weeks to live.

"Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, I’m standing here today alive," he said. "I rely on the Affordable Care Act to be able to purchase my own insurance. Why would you repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement?"

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/314125-ryan-confronted-by-cancer-patient-who-says-obamacare-saved-his-life

[elleng]

1. 'We really want a replacement too,'

smirking ryan said.

[Zambero]

2. What "empathy"

This from someone who once had his staff commandeer a soup kitchen after it had closed, for the purpose of securing a photo op.

[madaboutharry]

15. And had photos of himself

and his family washing pots and pans that already been cleaned. The man is a phony.

[still_one]

4. I called his office today and suggested if he was sincere about a replacement to help people

why not Medicare for all.

Any bets that isn't what he had in mind?

[elleng]

12. Thanks for calling.

No bets.

[still_one]

17. I left a recorded message. Ironically, they didn't have a live person to take the call

[rpannier]

27. Give it time

Your call will be answered by someone in India

[still_one]

63. Wouldn't surprise me if that happened

[Dustlawyer]

62. The insurance lobby would stop giving them money if he did that!

Publicly Funded Elections!!!

[kimbutgar]

3. Paul Ryan," don't worry I'll give you a $259 voucher to cover your costs".

[Bengus81]

43. AND..I'll let you have your own Health savings account!!!

Yep...put $20 per week in--if you have that much and when that cancer returns you might have $300.00 bucks or so to pay for the treatments!!

[SummerSnow]

55. Maybe they will bring back the GOP chicken healthcare barter plan.

They are that disgusting.

[calimary]

68. Welcome to DU, Bengus81!

Remember how Alan Grayson cut through their bullshit.

The CONS' idea of affordable health care is -

#1: Don't get sick.

#2: If you do get sick, DIE QUICKLY.

[Flatpicker]

5. Why is it

"Jeff Jeans said he was a lifelong Republican and small business owner who had worked on the Reagan and Bush campaigns and was originally opposed to the Affordable Care Act.

But he said at 49 he was diagnosed with cancer and given six weeks to live. "

That only after it hits you, can you decide it's a good idea?

The whole care for your fellow man thing, never seems to work...

[Glitterati]

7. Because it simply does not occur to Republicans to care for other human beings.

In their world it's dog eat dog; every man for himself.

You can't afford medical care? Die. That's their answer.

[ffr]

19. And you will know them by their actions. You nailed it!

It's important to note for others who look upon this 'change-of-heart' gentleman as an inspiration to other republicans who might see the light.

Ha! Don't dilute yourselves! They see him as a turn-coat RINO. Fuck him! He's either with us or against us. And if he's for the ACA, like I am, they look down upon us as freeloaders. Their ideology is hypocritical, vain and vindictive. They got theirs, they want yours, and you aren't spit to them.

[MyOwnPeace]

58. OMG!!!

That is SO harsh............

and you are SO right.

What heartless MF'ers they are - until it happens to them!

[DonCoquixote]

8. many in my family were Republicans

however, there are made in America fairytales and Horatio Alger epics always in the end turned out sour, mainly because the people that they lionized turned on them. The right wing used to have a taunt for the left: "a liberal is just a conservative that hasn't been mugged yet." Well my friend a conservative is just a liberal that hasn't had their job downsized, nor their Medicare cut. We need to be prepared to take advantage of those moments. The ones my family that remain diehard Trumper's are all in their one these for the most part, and while I truly wish them well, when, not if when they get sold out by the same Devils that they sold their souls to, I am hoping that I can point them in the right direction, is frankly part of me will want to tell them to go straight to hell!

[Docreed2003]

9. Because for the last 40+ years...

Conservatives, have been inundated with the "pull yourself up by the bootstraps", why should my taxes go to that other guy, evangelical prosperity gospel bullshit at every single place they would go for information. We have an entire generation who believes in St Regan and capitalism all nourished on the teet of Ayn Randian malarkey. The idea of the general "commons" or helping others has been replaced by a self serving ideology that has mutated into the current GOP and, frankly, some "progressive" agendas. We are no longer a country that says if my neighbors house is on fire I would gladly use my water and hose to help put it out ala FDR...we question and gripe and bitch about taxes and how someone got a "refund they didn't deserve while I had to pay taxes". Most people today refuse to have a common empathy unless they end up faced with hardship and adversity in their own lives. It is a sad reflection on the change this country has taken in 40+ years but it is the truth. I applaud this man for speaking truth to the smug Randian acolyte that is Paul Ryan. What I wouldn't give to have a forum to speak to his nasty face and ask him such heartfelt poignant questions.

[herding cats]

13. I think the point is, there are Republicans who've come to embrace the ACA.

Granted, many if not most, because they discovered they needed it, which isn't very empathetic of them, but that's supposed to be the takeaway here. Even some Republicans have learned how the ACA benefits them more than the previous system of "you're on your own".

It's not dissimilar to how Republicans liked SS and Medicare once they realized it helped them and not just the "other" people.

[Pachamama]

30. I believe it's not just republicans who were helped, but their family members who were helped etc

I believe that other than the frothing at the mouth Comrade Trumpski supporters that the GOP seems to think is a majority of their voters, they will quickly realize how this hits their real base hard and that real base will soon realize it too...

I cried watching last night the vote to repeal the ACA. I am a beneficiary of that program and I am now not sure what to do because I am a cancer survivor and and a divorced woman who after being a homemaker and raising my children, lost my coverage under my husbands plan when we divorced and because of ACA with a pre-existing condition was able to get affordable healthcare.

I cried knowing what this means to me and millions of others, especially those who have less than me or are currently fighting cancer. I watched the silent vote by the Republicans repealing it....then watched them try to "silence" the Democrats voting NO to its repeal.

It was sickening....literally...the GOP sickening our country...

[Fast Walker 52]

42. I'm not sure what's more sickening-- how evil the GOP is or how many people keep voting for them

[mnhtnbb]

33. Republicans only care about something that affects them personally.

Then they get it.

Years ago--in the late 80's early 90's--we lived in St. Joseph, MO (which had one of the few newspapers in the country
to endorse Trump last year) which is a very right wing town. I was very vocal as one of the few pro-choice
people in town--writing letters to the editor--and in fact, it got so reporters who covered abortion/ anti choice/ pro choice
stories would call me for comments!

One time not long after I'd been quoted in a story, I had taken one of my boys to the doc. We used a family
practitioner rather than a pediatrician when we lived there. We were chatting and he told me that he had more
than a few anti-choice families--well known in town--show up in his office asking for names of docs who did abortions
when their teenage daughters got pregnant. They had no problem with all of a sudden changing their tune when
the need for abortion services was experienced in their own families. The doc didn't hesitate to call them hypocrites
and he identified the fact that when it hit them personally, they realized the benefit of the concept of being pro-choice.

[raccoon]

34. Thanks for posting. That kind of anti-choice people are the worse type.

They are so hypocritical. They make me sick.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

35. That's how many people behave.

Healthy people tend to be less concerned about the unhealthy.

People without college degrees are more likely to support Sanders' "free college" idea.

Retired people are more likely to be concerned about Social Security and Medicare, but not other social programs.

Young people are more likely to support raising the minimum wage.

African Americans are more likely to be concerned about police abuses, prison sentences, reparations for slavery, etc. Reparations is an idea that has extremely low support among whites.

And so on.

I'm speaking in general terms, of course. There are many altruistic "angels" in this country too, and they're more likely to be Democrats!

[IronLionZion]

50. Same reasons for the decline of unions and socialism

people are increasingly focused on the individual and their families/friends and less on the collective/community.

The republican repeal is among many reasons why health reform needs to happen at the state or local level so that liberal states can have more progressive systems and innovative states can experiment.

[Skittles]

56. repukes only care about themselves

[DonCoquixote]

6. I am not surprised

there is a lot of talk about religious fundamentalism: the Isis style one associate of Islam, Christian fundamentalism, but there is one fundamentalism that can and should be attacked, but it won't be.

Objectivism: a.k.a. for writings and philosophy of one Ayn Rand. All you have to do is Google her and you will find a lot of explanation of what that philosophy is. Indeed, if you want to look: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectivism_(Ayn_Rand)

However, let's be simple about what it is, it is belief that the selfish impulses of individuals are not only permissible, but the only morality that should be, in short the idea of taking people's things, dominating them, and being a sociopath are not considered evil, not considered good, but the only good that there is. It is no accident that one of the people Ms. Rand held up as an ideal was a serial rapist and murderer who later became the inspiration for the character in her novel "the Fountainhead." That's right kids, the character that Gary Cooper played in that 1950s movie was based on her rapist, and when you see that movie again, it's no accident that the rich girl that becomes his love interest seems to enjoy the parts of that character that are selfish and violent. Of course, there is another person who also illustrates a more honest description of objectivism. When Anton LeVay was interviewed about founding the church of Satan, he said "all we are his and ran with trappings!" Indeed go ahead if you dare compare some of the beliefs that are stated as the core tenets of objectivism and then compare them to the writings of Anton LeVay about Satanism. The symmetry is almost perfect, say that objectivism does not believe in mysticism for anything of her than the power of the dollar.

Why my going down this primrose path? Because Paul Ryan, Rand Paul, Alan Greenspan and so many others who are the founders of modern culture were involved in this faith, or shall we call it a cult? We're not just talking about people who feel that maybe the state needs to be reined in, or people who wonder why so many of her tax dollars have to go to social programs. When you hear that someone believes in Ayn Rand, you are dealing with somebody who believes that he has a right to be a social path,, and that sociopathy is the only known form of morality. In other words you are not just dealing with a jerk, you are not just dealing with the, you are not just dealing with the criminal, but you're dealing with somebody who combines all of those things with religious fervor.

And please spare me about what such a loyal Catholic Paul Ryan is supposed to be. We know that he was put in a room Pope Francisco, the good clerk would rip him to shreds. Granted we are a little bit annoyed at some of the hypocrisy coming from Pope Francisco, at least that those big consistent voice saying that the current form of capitalism is evil.

In other words, Paul Ryan is someone who believes selfishness is the only virtue, believes it is better to start people not just because he wants that extra bit of bread, but because it is an actual moral thing to do. In many many ways, as much of a disgusting fool as Trump is,, and he is,, Paul Ryan presidency could be 10 times worse because while Trump will not do anything that is not a lazy ego gratifying activity, Paul Ryan is a zealot.

[Docreed2003]

10. This x 1000

We are currently living in a Randian utopia. This trash novel bullshit was taken up by conservatives and libertarians and this selfish ideology has now become so engrained into much of the culture that many don't even question or realize from whence it came. I would argue that even the current evangelical prosperity gospel has Rand to thank for their success. Paul Ryan would never admit that he benefited from Social Security when his father died and most Randian acolytes ignore the fact that Ayn Rand herself used Social Security and Medicare. Thank you for your detailed, excellent post!

[HassleCat]

11. Sorry, Mr. Jeans but certain principles are sacrosanct.

Please read Atlas Shrugged and you will appreciate that we must sacrifice your life for the greater good.

[Justice]

14. Having ability to directly confront Ryan - whether on or off TV - fantastic.

Need to find more chances to do this.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

16. K&R nt

[ffr]

18. Why would you repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement?

More importantly when trying to improve something, the question should be:

"Why would you repeal the Affordable Care Act without a BETTER replacement?"

Don't just make a change or do away with it for the sake of ignorance. The change may not be better or may just be different. The GOAL should always be to make something BETTER.

I see this all too often when people rant about why something is the way it is, without offering substance for how to make that thing better. Often, they damn the torpedoes and change it anyway, but it's just different, not better.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

22. It pisses them off so much that President Obama gets credit for the ACA,

They'd rather cause countless Americans to die rather than to let Obama or the Democrats get that credit.

[madokie]

31. And that my Friend is it in a nutshell

to them the man after all is Black. Can't be having any of that. Gawd damn can't be having a Woman following the Black man into the oval office either. Its all misogynist and racism, pure and simple. What ever percentage of the people who voted for tRump is the percent of no good motherfuckers in this country, again pure and simple.

[cilla4progress]

47. It's all about

Their egos they are blinded by it.

Poor pathetic ones. When they awake and see that they can never achieve Obama's greatness, and that they are wicked and cruel, it will be so ugly!

[GeoWilliam750]

36. Because the "undeserving" do not deserve it in their minds

And the poor white blue collar working class will be perfectly happy if the "undeserving" (read, minorities&quot are hurt yet worse.

They would be happier with somebody stealing the ice cream factory where they work, taking away their pensions, cutting their wages, and doubling the price of ice cream, than they would be with an "undeserving" person getting an extra half scoop of ice cream on Christmas Eve.

President Lyndon B. Johnson once said, "If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you."

[Thinkingabout]

20. I am happy one of the early questions was from someone who was a republican, business owner and

found ACA was very good for him. I would hope more would speak up, we need to call our congressional members and tell them the importance of having health insurance and repealing without replacement is not acceptable.

[area51]

21. Why would they repeal it w/o a replacement?

Because they want to cull the population. It's that simple. Republicans are psychopaths.

[pennylane100]

23. I always wonder if republicans in his situation

would ever plead so passionately for providing quality care for our homeless population.

While I wish Mr. Jeans no harm, I am not particularly moved by his message. A republican whose life was saved by the ACA and now is publicly pushing for its survival is not surprising. However, the majority of them do not care who lives or who dies when they are healthy, wealthy and usually very unwise. Their message is more like "I've got mine" and why should I pay the bill for others less worthy people.

[Kablooie]

24. They already have a replacement.

Limit lawsuits and sell insurance across state borders.
That will fix everything.

You know that's what it will be.
And for the 20 million that lose insurance, if they just vote Republican again everything will be better.
Why? Because Republicans will remain in control, obviously.

[Phoenix61]

26. About state lines

The idea that allowing medical insurance to sell across state lines will lower rates by increasing competition is a myth. Every insurance policy I've ever seen has in-network and out-of-network rates. A company in New York isn't going to try to build a network in Florida. Several states around New England, don't recall which ones, tried this and it didn't work. Providers are willing to accept lower payments when the insurance company can provide them with lots of clients. How many clients do you think a New York based company can provide a Florida doctor or hospital?

[Kablooie]

29. Of course it is. It's Republican logic.

Works as well as trickle down economics.

[world wide wally]

25. It's hard to imagine "WHY" these Republicans are so determined to deny our citizens health care

Just plain fucking evil if you ask me

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

28. Those who have never been hungry, those who have never

gone to school in yesterday's clothes, those who have never had to choose between paying the mortgage or paying the electric bill and buying food for their children, those people haven't a clue. If they haven't had to make those decisions, if they haven't actually gone hungry, if they haven't juggled bills, trying to figure out which to pay so that the lights or the heat won't be turned off, then they haven't a single clue what it's like.

I've been poor, although I've never had to decide which bills to pay. My experience of poverty was more of the deciding how much to pay for groceries compared to buying clothes for school. Yes, I have gone hungry on occasion, and I did get dental care through a Catholic charity, and since I had serious dental issues, I am forever grateful, and for years I directed my charitable contributions go to that specific charity. I've been poor enough that I've scraped up change to pay for three dollars worth of groceries. I've been poor enough that I couldn't afford a telephone. And even then, I had the good fortune to be young and healthy enough that I didn't really have to worry about health care. Plus, at the time, I had a job with health care coverage. I recall the time I did go to a doctor for some problem, and when I got the bill, a whopping $64 (a bit over $300 today) I was completely overwhelmed, but the secretary in my company's office helped me out, and I only needed to pay $16, an amount I could afford.

Here's the point: I personally have had various challenges, but I have never been unable to pay for whatever. I've never been so overwhelmed by expenses of any kind that I couldn't manage. But I've been close enough to the edge to have a lot of sympathy for those who are overwhelmed. I currently owe more on my Visa than I'm comfortable with, but I can still manage. It's easy for me to imagine having that exact same bill and not having a clue how I'd pay for it.

So, okay. We can't cover the Visa bills, but we sure as hell can collectively cover health care.

[WinkyDink]

32. OFGS, people. Why ask "Why?"? The answer is as it has ALWAYS been with Republicans: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

The subject matters not.
The program is immaterial.
The benefits vs. harm argument is a sham.
The sales pitch is always a lie.

Whenever the Republicans propose a plan, a program, a change, a law---regarding any realm, from education to business to health-care to war---it is because they, the proposers and their "sponsors" (Read: Owners) but definitely NOT their constituents no matter the Party, stand to profit mightily from said plan, program, change, or law.

It is simplicity itself.

[Vinca]

37. That smirk on Ryan's face made me furious.

Ryan doesn't give a shit about the guy or his cancer. All he knows is he is safe because he's been suckling off the government teat his entire life.

[Fast Walker 52]

41. it's freaking sickening... makes me wish for the days of the French Revolution

[Bengus81]

38. Nice article and no doubt thousands of others like it but....

fact is guys like Ryan and his ilk DO NOT CARE. They got theirs,it's affordable and we want a HUGE tax cut for guys like Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly, OURSELVES and the Koch brothers.

Does Ryan look like he gives a flying fvick in that vid??

[bucolic_frolic]

39. The expendables

will be hurt the most by ACA repeal

Wealthy capitalists view people as pawns to feed their greed

Quality of life is something to be preserved - for them!

[Fast Walker 52]

40. and I assume Ryan just laughed it off, like the psychopath he is?

[Jughead]

44. You Know What?

We have the most powerful military the taxpayers can buy to protect our lives but the Republicans rip apart and eliminate a medical system that also protects our lives.
Whats wrong with them?
All for a government health care system.

[colsohlibgal]

45. He Could Not Care Less

Again, they are fiercely pro life only till you are born...after that they really do not care. They are there to stuff their wallets and the wallets of their benefactors.

They are hypocritical to the max, it is stunning, and stunning that more people are, for whatever reason, unable to grasp that.

I would guess the less dense of Trump voters are realizing they got played...again but with more dire consequences this time.

[denvine]

46. Typical Republican! No capacity for empathy.

I'm glad he spoke up but he is a typical Repug! He was against it until "HE" needed it. Now he's for it because it saved "HIS" life. He didn't care about anyone else's life before. Oh, and good luck Mr. Jeans with your party understanding your situation. Welcome to the real world.

[TexasBushwhacker]

48. I would think the lobbyists for the insurance and

pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and other health care providers would be all up in the GOP's face begging them to NOT repeal the ACA. Without the public option, they have all reaped BILLIONS of dollars in new profits. It may not be the same % profit as before, but they've made up for it in volume.

[Grins]

49. Jeans, a lifelong Republican who was originally opposed to Obamacare. Until he needed it.

Jeff Jeans, a lifelong Republican who was originally opposed to Obamacare. Until he needed it. Until he was told he had 6-weeks to live.

Fuck him. He's not stupid. He HAD to know the Republicans were going to kill the program that saved his ass if the Republicans took the Senate and the White House. Others won't be so lucky.

I hope he has nightmares for the rest of his life.

[underpants]

51. Yes sir but what about the tax break for the really really rich?

That's what their goal is here.

[ailsagirl]

52. Does anyone think he really even gives a damn??

That's a laugh

[George II]

53. No, no, you people have it all wrong. Listen to some rightwing nuts that voted for them say....

...."we want to get rid of Obamacare, but at least we'll still have the ACA"!!!

Really, that's what some of them are saying!

[SummerSnow]

54. Ryan doesn't give a rat's ass about this man. He is all for repealing it and not replacing it.

Ryan responded: "Oh, we wouldn’t do that. We want to replace it with something better. First of all, I'm glad you're standing here."


The liars and the lying lies that they tell

[smirkymonkey]

57. I hate Paul Ryan with a burning white hot passion.

That man has no soul. I can't even say what I would like to have happen to him.

[minstrel76]

59. Paul Ryan has the compassion of a crocodile and the empathy of a sea urchin

and he couldn't care less if Obamacare did save the life of Mr. Jeans of any other "takers" that happened to vote Republican. Ryan and his cronies demand repeal and don't care about replacement.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

60. Ryans little speech is completely fact-free AND plan-free

And look at that smooth *answer-free* boilerplate response on first hearing Jeans' question.

What a well practiced liar.

[SteamAddict]

61. Ryan is a snake

[moondust]

64. Jeff Jeans was on CNN w/Don Lemon Friday night.

He says he used to be a "libertarian-leaning Republican" before he got sick and now he humbly admits that he was wrong. He says he used to argue for the Republican position against Obamacare because he didn't like government being involved in things. He admits that he didn't really know what Obamacare was all about. Don asked him if he thinks many others who oppose it are similarly uninformed. Yep.

[knightmaar]

65. Jeff Jeans said he ... was originally opposed to the Affordable Care Act.

He was opposed to taking care of people ... right up until he was one of the people who needed taking care of.

I wonder how he feels about umemployment insurance, gay marriage, disability, etc. etc.

[xor]

66. That seems pretty typical

I'm sure he'll be against unemployment until it's needed by him. Be against gay marriage until someone close to him comes out as gay (at least I hope he would have a change of heart).

[flamingdem]

69. That was a critical thing for an ex-deplorable to admit

Now we see why they truly are deplorable. They don't give a shite. Hillary was correct

[War Horse]

67. This is why I'm a Leftist

Cancer kills. And if you survive it, it may kill your economy. And your ability to work, in many instances. Because if you're lucky enough to get chemo and radiation, the fight is far from over. The 'cure' can leave you severely disabled too.

I'm all for pulling yourself up by the bootstraps, I've done it several times.

But there comes a time when you can't anymore.

[Lanius]

70. That's good at least one Republican has seen the light

but it took a personal tragedy for Jeff Jeans to realize the importance of the programs like the ACA. It seems Republicans (at least most I know) lack basic empathy -- they can't see something from another's perspective until they or their family or friends are affected directly. It's very problematic for our county.