Doug Holtz-Eakin, the former top health-care-reform advisor to John McCain during the presidential election is in an ironic position. After the election his job vanished, of course, and now his COBRA health coverage — for which he pays around $1000 a month — is about to expire. And an accident in 1990 left him with a damaged kidney, which means he has one of those pesky “preexisting conditions”. He jokes “My mother is deeply concerned that I don’t have a job.”
Of course, he doesn’t have to worry too much. Holtz-Eakin himself says “Let’s not whine too much about me. I’m a wealthy, affluent American in the big picture.” But an increasing number of Americans are finding themselves in similar situations, and they aren’t so well off. Is his experience giving him any empathy for those less fortunate?
Unfortunately, no. Holtz-Eakin says his conviction on the hot-button issue of health care is unchanged.
Sigh.
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Let’s see if he can afford a kidney transplant out of pocket. What a total hypocrite.
How is this ironic? John McCain supports reform to policies regarding pre-existing conditions. He just doesn’t support a public option.
As far as I can tell (since it keeps changing), McCain’s position (and that repeated by Holtz-Eakin) is that we should eliminate the tax exemption for company-paid health insurance, and give tax credits to individuals to buy their own coverage. And McCain voted against allowing debate on the Senate health care reform bill. It is pretty clear he wants to kill any reform, despite what he might say.
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