Ron Paul is a very hard man

No insurance? Dying? Go to Church
By Jen Sorenson

The Republican Presidential field of hopefuls includes some of the strangest people in politics. Even though this is the silly season early in the campaign when candidates try to pander to their base and do whatever it takes to get attention and stay alive in the polls, you've got to admit they've been putting some weird stuff out there.

Like the "Let him die" cries that cropped when Ron Paul (R-TX) answered a question about whether the government should help a dying man with no health insurance.

The weekly cartoon "Slowpoke" takes that on - click here for the full version.

But for Ron Paul, his answer wasn't simply a matter of abstract principle....




In 2008, his campaign chair Kent Snyder underwent a two-month hospitalization for viral pneumonia. He was uninsured and ran up bills of more than S400,000.

And died.

Snyder could not get medical insurance because he had a pre-existing condition.

His family and friends attempted to raise money to pay the bills, but this effort fizzled out before they could even raise $40,000, never mind $400,000.

"Too bad," say Paul and his followers.

Under what Republican foes, including Ron Paul, call "Obamacare," the new health care reform legislation enacted in the President's first term, Snyder would have been able to get affordable health insurance and it would have been illegal to deny him coverage due to a pre-existing condition.

Kiss all of that goodbye if the Republicans win in 2012. "Let him die" will be the Republican New Deal.