Last week, Democrats made sure the public and media got a look at video of Sharron Angle speaking to a Tea Party Rally in August 2009, where Angle told Tea Partiers she would oppose mandates for things like, and note the airquote fingers, "Autism" and "Maternity Leave".
"They just passed the latest one. Everything they want to throw at us is covered under ‘autism’ so that's a mandate that you have to pay for," she continued. "How about maternity leave? I'm not going to have any more babies but I sure get to pay for it on my insurance. Those are the kinds of things we want to get rid of."
But, you say, that was 2009. Perhaps, in the intervening year, Sharron Angle has reconsidered her position. Perhaps she now recognizes that ensuring coverage could avert tragedy and a lifetime of financial pain for some families, or that preventative care and effective treatment programs are an investment that pays back the Nevada general public with lower costs and more healthy, productive citizens.
Not a chance.
Jon Ralston, Las Vegas Sun politics blogger, brings fresh audio from a speech Angle gave last month to the Association For Health Underwriters. In it, she sticks to her guns on mandates and "politically correct special interests".
That would be you: autistic children and their families, and you, women of child-bearing age. I’m sure there are others out there who should know to buy their own coverage in advance for that stroke they plan to have, or the cervical cancer they could have assumed would appear. Comprehensive, or collision only? It’s just like buying car insurance, after all. It would be so obvious if it weren’t for those darn families of autism who’ve banded together to rob taxpayers of their money.
As Andrew Davey called it on his Nevada Progressive blogpost today:
"Hey, Mrs. Angle. Perhaps your callousness, your heartlessness, your cruelty, your lack of knowledge on sound health care policy, and your stunning lack of interest in good medical practices are all "things we don't even really need"! Maybe instead of calling us and our health "special interests", maybe you should stop trying to subject us to all of your real "special interest" corporate buddies."
Those families in Nevada who have had enough of Sharron Angle and her willingness to toss them aside and treat them like the enemy need to stand up and be heard. Or this woman will have the power to choose for them.
Update: One more note - if you want to hear the voice of a family who are NOT a "politically correct special interest", and you really should, please see Willnel's very personal take on this: "My son is autistic, not 'autistic'" http://t.co/...