Well, We Found It: The Most Disingenuous Political Tweet of All Time
Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty
There are really no words I can say to introduce this, so I’m just going to let it fly. Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, take it away:
Tonight @SenSanders will host a conversation about #MedicareForAll. @SenSanders if #MedicareForAll is implemented, how many people will lose their current coverage? Answer: EVERYONE with private coverage.
— Sen. John Barrasso (@SenJohnBarrasso) January 23, 2018
So, okay…
Boy.
Boy.
Boy.
It’s been years since I’ve said the word “boy” in stunned reaction to some piece of stupidity, but I don’t know how to handle this any other way, so I’m just going to say it again:
BOY.
Now, as you’ve guessed, Barrasso is a Republican. Fine. We’re used to partisan warfare around these parts, and much of it is dishonest. But even by Republican standards, this is insane.
Do I have to answer this tweet? I guess I do. Deep breaths:
Yes, Sen. Barrasso. Yes, people will lose their current coverage. And they will gain government health insurance, you stupid $(%&$#$)#($ )#$#). It doesn’t matter that they lose whatever private insurance they have, because it would be redundant!
That’s the point of it! That’s the point of Medicare for all! Everyone will have health insurance that is free at point of service! It will be paid for by taxes! There are about 44 million people in this country with no insurance, and 38 million with inadequate insurance, so the net gain will be 82 million people getting better insurance!
THIS IS SUCH A DUMB, BAD, DUMB-BAD TWEET.
Barrasso moved on to safer turf for a while, doing the whole “healthcare is bad in Canada and the UK” thing, which is more typical of your average Republican attack on universal care. It’s nonsense, in its own way, but at least it’s nonsense tethered to the usual bad-faith logic. But even that detour into normal talking points couldn’t erase the bad taste from his original terrible tweet. And then, just when we thought we might be safe, he came out with this:
The Sanders plan would get rid of the #MedicareAdvantage plans that more than 17 million seniors have today. #AARP
— Sen. John Barrasso (@SenJohnBarrasso) January 23, 2018
THEY WILL HAVE GOVERNMENT COVERAGE. THEY WILL NOT NEED ANYTHING ELSE. GODDDD.
As one user on Twitter noted—and this is the least surprising news ever—Barrasso gets a ton of money from the insurance and pharmaceutical industries. That explains the propaganda…but again, it doesn’t explain the sheer dishonest idiocy of the tweet.
Below, you can watch Bernie Sanders’ town hall from Tuesday night on the concept of Medicare for all. Catch a few minutes, at least—after consuming the tweets above, you need a palate cleanser.