Freshman GOPer Didn't Know Government Paid For Her Health Benefits

[RandySF]

A fun nugget buried in this story about Rep. Ann Buerkle's (R-NY) first town hall meeting as an elected member of Congress. Constituents repeatedly asked a puzzled Buerkle about her health benefits. She couldn't figure out why. But her staff sure could.


Buerkle, who voted to repeal the health care reform act, was twice asked about the health insurance she receives as a government employee. At first she said she couldn't understand why people were so interested in her health insurance, and that taxpayers didn't pay anything for it. She later corrected herself after being handed a note from a staffer. Like most employees, she pays for a portion of her insurance and her employer, the government, pays the rest, she said.



http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/02/freshman-goper-didnt-know-government-paid-for-her-health-benefit.php?ref=fpb

[Kennah]

1. Palin, O'Donnell, Bachmann, and now Buerkle

What are you people? On dope?

[elleng]

3. Just DOPES!

[louis-t]

2. I just keep imagining a bunch of wild-eyed, brain-damaged

tea crazies wandering aimlessly in the halls of Congress. Totally clueless.

[Ishoutandscream2]

4. LOL brilliant.

Stumbling around. Scratching their heads. Wondering where the hell they are. Yep, I can see that.

[louis-t]

5. Asking where the bathrooms are, losing their valet parking stub,

playing Solitaire on their computer.....

[RamboLiberal]

8. +1 IDIOTS!

[Horse with no Name]

9. But I bet a dime to a dollar that they are NEVER stopped by campus police--even if they don't have

their pins on.

http://www.democracynow.org/2006/4/4/cynthia_mckinney_accuses_capitol_police_of
>>>>snip
Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) has complained she was the victim of racial profiling when confronted by the officer last Wednesday in a House office building. The incident occurred when McKinney went around a metal detector—as lawmakers are permitted to do—while not wearing her congressional lapel pin.

McKinney said she was rushing to a meeting and that most members of Congress expect Capitol police to recognize them. She reportedly poked the officer with her cell phone when he stopped her.

[LonePirate]

6. The stupidity of right wingers never ceases to amaze me - and neither do the chumps who elect them

[NotThisTime]

7. That's perfect...

[bluerum]

10. The uninformed, leading the less uninformed. We are eff'd. eom

[butterfly77]

11. Kicked&Recommended...

[gratuitous]

12. Well now that Rep. Buerkle knows this

I'm sure she'll be giving up her socialistic health insurance, rugged individualist that she is. A rugged individualist who needs a multi-member support staff hawking her every move so that she doesn't come off as a totally clueless cupcake (although that has not previously been seen as an impediment to the furtherance of any Republican's career).

[tanyev]

13. I hope she was present and listening when they read the Constitution out loud.

Probably a lot of surprises for her in that document.

[eilen]

14. This was held in Wayne County-- a rural area

that overwhelmingly voted for her. She must have had a lot of GOTV there and they likely listen to lots of talk radio..... There were about 100 people there.

Newark, NY -- It was wedding-like in the Wayne County office building Thursday night as people waited for U.S. Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle’s first town hall meeting. They hugged and slapped backs as they looked toward the door.


Buerkle, who voted to repeal the health care reform act, was twice asked about the health insurance she receives as a government employee. At first she said she couldn’t understand why people were so interested in her health insurance, and that taxpayers didn’t pay anything for it. She later corrected herself after being handed a note from a staffer. Like most employees, she pays for a portion of her insurance and her employer, the government, pays the rest, she said.
There were questions about immigration reform. Wayne County relies heavily on farming and the migrant work force. Buerkle said she wanted to make it easier for migrant workers to come and go, but that she was not for amnesty. The process has to be legal and orderly, or it’s unfair to the people who waited their turn.
Lenore Youngman, from Williamson, told Buerkle that she was glad to see her. “But I miss Dan Maffei,” Youngman said. Then she pressed Buerkle on whether she felt the government should restrict the size of ammunition private citizens can buy. She wondered if that might have prevented some of the deaths in the Arizona shootings.
Buerkle said she did not support any restrictions on gun rights, and that the shooter was mentally ill and would have gotten a gun one way or another. “It’s a fact that Americans have the right to bear arms,” she said.

When one woman asked about restoring the provision in the health care bill that allowed grown kids to stay on their parents’ insurance longer, the crowd chimed in before Buerkle could speak. “Grow up,” they whisper-hissed.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/02/people_pack_buerkles_first_tow.html


The paper said her next meeting will be in Salina, which is in my county, near where I live. It will interesting to see the tenor there. I hope the SPC (Syracuse Peace Council) plans to demonstrate.