January 14, 2017

Not one of the conservative fat cats on Fox News’ The Five had a problem with the prospect of millions of Americans losing health insurance after Republican repeal Obamacare. In the words of cohost Greg Gutfeld, “You gotta just respond with ‘So what?’”

Predictably, the Republican cheering squad on The Five couldn’t have been more delighted that their guys in Congress have passed a budget resolution that provides a pathway to repeal Obamacare and strip health insurance from millions of Americans. As Vox explains, Republican plans generally make coverage better for younger, healthier people and worse for older, sicker ones. Also, millions would lose health insurance coverage altogether.

The discussion on Thursday’s The Five began with a clip showing Senate Democrats protesting the Republican resolution. Cohost Kimberly Guilfoyle cackled with delight offscreen.

Gutfeld and Guilfoyle sounded giddy at the prospect of millions losing health insurance (transcript partially via Media Matters):

GUTFELD: The hope on the left is that when you are demonized, you will lose your nerve. The moment that the left calls you "mean" then you go, “Oh wait a minute, maybe we should just keep things the way they are,” but you gotta—you gotta just respond with “So what?”

Do not feel guilty about burning this crap to the ground, destroying this entire thing, because you have one thing to remember. It was a 2,700 page bill, no one read it. They didn’t give you the time, the respect to read the bill, you don’t owe them the restraint when you destroy this thing. They took your doctor, they took your healthcare, they took your money, it was a redistribution plan. These politicians spend more time vetting their hotel rooms, checking their mini bars, than they did on on this bill, so screw them.

You should feel no shame burning this bill to the ground. Sorry.

[…] So, repeal or replace, don’t worry about it. Just destroy it.

GUILFOYLE: That was so exhilarating.

Later in the discussion, Gutfeld pretended that supporting a health care free market would “out-compassion” those who support Obamacare.

GUTFELD (smirking): The question is, how do you counter the stereotypical counterpunch – you know, “Republicans are harming people” by taking something away? You have to out-compassion them. You have to say, “You know? What system has worked with every commodity, from technology to food to transportation? The free market. The invisible hand of the free market, free enterprise, beats the gnawing hand of government.”

Obviously, Gutfeld is clueless about what it was like to get health insurance under the free market. Juan Williams, the lone liberal on the totally fair and balanced five-person panel, was also the only one to express concern for people not quite as lucky as they were.

"Previously, before Obamacare, we had a competitive marketplace," Williams pointed out. "And what did it do? It left so many people without insurance."

Not a single one of these “I got mine, why should I worry about you?” conservatives disagreed.

However, when cohost Eric Bolling suggested removing the mandate and offering cheaper insurance, cohost Dana Perino piped up with the suggestion of catastrophic insurance for younger people “and not have deductibles that are impossible for them to be able to use.”

Newsflash for Perino: catastrophic insurance by definition has high deductibles.

It just shows you how little these mouthpieces know what it’s like for the 99% to purchase health insurance and how little they care.

Watch this hideous display above, from the January 12, 2017 The Five.

And consider contacting your representative in Congress. You can look up him or her here or contact them via Democratic Coalition Against Trump. You can also contact Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell directly via webmail, by telephone at (202) 224-2541, by fax at (202) 224-2499 via Twitter and/or Facebook. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan doesn't appear to have webmail available for anyone not in his Wisconsin district. But you can call him at (202) 225-3031, fax him at (202) 225 3393, contact him via Twitter and/or Facebook.

Crossposted at Newshounds.us

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