“Greedy Old Psychopaths”

[Alan Grayson]

Here at the Grayson High Command, one of the best parts of our job is listening to what you have to say. Because we are always impressed, and often moved, by the eloquence of ordinary people.

Charlene Dill, a hardworking young woman with three children and three jobs, lost her life because Florida Republicans chose to turn down $60,000,000,000.00 in federal aid that would have paid for her healthcare, and the healthcare of one million other Floridians who comprise the working poor. After Congressman Grayson told her sad story in a Tampa newspaper, our Facebook page was inundated with over 600 comments. We’d like to share some of them with you:

Tom Odom: It's more than sad. It's shameful, reprehensible and immoral. Those legislators responsible for blocking Medicaid expansion should be brought up on manslaughter charges, at the very least.

Linda Weiner Seligson: I still remember the GOP presidential debate when there was a question about the lack of health insurance, and the audience shouted "let 'em die," and then cheered!

Cathryn Sykes: Killing people to make a “point.” Monsters!

Taft Chatham: The GOP Congress is one big Death Panel.

Fernando A. Ojeda: The GOP doesn't really care about people who might or might not be able to afford healthcare . . . . They only seem to care about their billionaire sugar-daddies!

Dave Kisor: If you don't have a million to donate to the gangrenous obsolete party [GOP], you simply do not matter.

Lala Jaymes: Please continue to highlight the people in the state that die UNNECESSARILY, because of inhumane cruelty wrapped up in fake conservative politics. Give them a VOICE, so that the voters will have a CHOICE!!!!

Pat Evans: Most Republicans don't care if people die because of lack of health care. In their minds, if you don't have the money to pay for health care, you deserve to die. And then they go to church and praise God for all of HIS goodness, just to them. Strange people and [their] strange religion.

Dick Olsen: Republicans want 47% of Americans to die. They see Poor People as Surplus Humanity. Affordable Health Insurance is the last thing they want for Americans.

Michael Durham: Time and time again, the GOP proves that they view the less affluent among us as eminently expendable cows, to be mercilessly milked for all we're worth. Cattle have to be culled once in a while, you know.

Dave Hayes: [It’s] survival of the fittest. The GOP views people as animals. No one cries if the squirrel dies because it forgot to gather nuts, or ran in front of the car.

Walter T. Kuebler: They believe in Darwinian values, and they want the poor [and] sick enslaved, incarcerated or dead. Or better still . . . pregnant.

Harvey Anderson: GOP mantra: The poor, ill, disabled, and unemployed are solely responsible for their own and all of America's problems and ills. Solution: eliminate all the poor, disabled, and unemployed; but it must be done quietly and without fanfare or publicity, lest the backlash destroy the Republican Party. Therefore, it must seem natural and inevitable when a poor person dies, preferably in obscurity, just one person at a time over a long period of time. Then the GOP can crow about how right they are.

James M. Wardell: The GOP and their belief in unregulated capitalism always put profits or the bottom line above people. It’s a flawed economic system when profits matter more than the people and the planet. It’s not sustainable, as we are starting to see.

Richard Schroeder: The GOP believes life begins at conception and ends at birth. A 32-year-old woman dying doesn't matter to them as much as a 32-week-fetus.

Gregory Gadow: According to GOP dogma, people die for lack of basic medical care because they *want* to die for lack of basic medical care. If they wanted to live long, healthy lives, they wouldn't have been poor in the first place.

Chris Reulbach: They are betting that the majority of people [who] will die will be those who can't afford individual insurance – a/k/a Democratic Voters.

Jamie Dallas: They know exactly what they're doing: killing off the Democratic voters. What better way is there to prevent us from voting?

Chester Prusaczyk: It's tragic that so many will suffer and die because the conservatives hate the President.

Melissa Maino: What Republicans lack is empathy. If it doesn't [a]ffect them personally, they are incapable of understanding [that] someone could be hurt. I believe that is a major difference between the parties, [and] between the people who choose one party or the other.

Cathy McCarthy: Why isn't this story all over the [mainstream media]? The GOP manages to go national with stories about people who have not benefitted from the ACA -- and they have all turned out to be lies. But the story of a woman who collapses and dies because Florida refused the Medicaid expansion doesn't even make the local news.

Eddie Schmidt: Go search Fox News for this story; [it’s] nowhere to be found . . . .

Stefanie Krantz: [This is happening] in the wealthiest country in the world. We are not broke, we are greedy. There is a difference. Not providing decent medical care to all residents is a moral outrage, in a country literally overflowing with wealth. Charlene would have been better off sweeping the streets in Greece or Cuba. So much for “family values”! My family values are equality, generosity, concern for the sick, the poor, and the downtrodden. Thanks, Republicans! What the hell is wrong with these people?

Mercedes Arguello Aguirre: So much for the "pro-life" party. Hypocrites, all!

Robert Quisenberry: How long will it take before even Republicans realize that their elective[d official]s care nothing about America and Americans?

Donna Bergman: The GOP & the Tea Party are proving that they are the most hateful, hate-filled, spiteful, mean bunch that has EVER been in our Congress, in the history of America!!!! It's VERY evident that Satan has these people in a choke hold, and he isn't about to let go! He's certainly USING them to his advantage, that's for sure!

Robert Nordgren: Just remember this, people: More people have died [at] the hands of GOP anti-Obama actions than have died [at the hands of] Muslim terrorists worldwide. So ask yourself: Who is the real threat to America? It is the GOP.

Alexis J. Richard: [The GOP:] Greedy Old Psychopaths.

Vox populi (the voice of the people): We’re listening. And Charlene Dill, R.I.P. We hope that the world learns something from your suffering, and it was not in vain.

[Cooley Hurd]

1. Kicked and Recommended!

[nashville_brook]

2. this is a really cool piece from the awesomest Congressman in the country

Love seeing the reactions of us plain folk.

Dick Olsen has it exactly right --> Republicans want 47% of Americans to die. They see Poor People as Surplus Humanity. Affordable Health Insurance is the last thing they want for Americans.

[Triana]

3. Damn right!

Damn right. Our congressman with guts @AlanGrayson is calling the GOP what it is: Greedy Old Psychopaths. I've always called them that, too.

https://twitter.com/sevenbowie/status/458326094958313472

[DeSwiss]

4. K&R

[center][/center]

[geretogo]

5. Wonderful !!!!

[Augiedog]

6. Gov Scott Walker historical legacy, possibly 17,000 will die unnecessarily

Won't be long before we can add Scott walkers name to the "hands dripping with blood" club. Between 7,000 and 17000 human beings (although no corporations who have been declared "People" are expected to suffer the least under these circumstances) are expected to die because republican governors refused to accept federal dollars to provide health insurance for people who fall into a particular income group. These are real people who belong to real families. Mothers, sons, fathers and daughters, aunts, uncles and cousins, grandparents and grandchildren, neighbors and acquaintances and people you have never talked to but have no wish to see you or your family come to harm. These murderous republican governors are going to answer for their depraved actions sooner or later. They all, every single one, profess to believe in an angry vengeful god who will brook no failure to breaking his commandments, one of which is tho shall not kill! In the meantime while we are waiting for the heavens to rain down hell fire or whatever is popular there these days, we here on planet earth can vote these assholes into oblivion, making sure that history records their evil deeds for all time.

[ErikJ]

7. Pro-life? Why dnt they expand Medicaid?

[Bortman33]

8. CONservatives, rethugliCONs,

teabaggers, libercarelessians, and cwhorepoRATes, oh my!

[SmittynMo]

9. Get the republicant's out of power

These idiots. It makes me sick that she died needlessly. Its their own version of death panels, except this time, it's true, and it's for real.

[Rhiannon12866]

10. K&R! Thank you, Congressman, for all you do!

Long time supporter here...

[UCmeNdc]

12. The GOP know exactly what they are doing.

Watch the Florida voters will still vote them back into office!

[SmittynMo]

14. You might be right

I can only hope that EVERY news channel in Florida covered this as much as it did on the net. Only then will we have a chance to get these idiots out of power. The public needs to know how the republicants have created their own death panels.