Tampa, Florida (CNN) - The woman working to ensure President Obama's re-election entered the political equivalent of the lion's den - and pounced on a debate moment to blast the Republican presidential candidates late Monday.
Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz stood in the "spin room" at the Florida State Fair Grounds in Tampa following the Republican Tea Party Debate broadcast by CNN and countered the Republican candidates' slams of President Obama with some aimed back at them.
Wasserman Schultz painted the GOP candidates as disciples of an extreme political movement. Saying the eight assembled candidates "worship at the altar of the tea party," Wasserman Schultz used an incident from the debate to underscore her point.
At one point, debate moderator and CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer asked Texas Rep. Ron Paul what should happen to an employed young man who chose not to buy health insurance and then suffered a terrible accident.
"Who's going to pay if he goes into a coma, for example? Who pays for that?" Blitzer asked Paul.
Part of Paul's response: "What he should do is whatever he wants to do, and assume responsibility for himself," adding, "That's what freedom is all about, taking your own risks."
"But Congressman, are you saying that society should just let him die?" Blitzer pressed.
Paul responded, "No." But some audience members cheered that idea.
Speaking to reporters after the debate, Wasserman Schultz said: "...Like the audience that shouted out "Yes!" to the question asked of Ron Paul - which was, would we let a 30 year old die if they were sick for six months and had no health insurance - that's how dramatically out of touch all of the Republican presidential candidates and the tea party are with what moderate mainstream Americans want."
From CNN Politics
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They should form a panel to decide what the 'appropriate level of care' should be.
This preceisely WHY the USA NEEDS universal healthcare. At some point everyone needs to use the healthcare system. Everyone needs to pay in to the insurance so when healthcare is needed anyone can use it.
Another point in favor of manditory healthcare coverage is to encourage people to get medical attention before a problem becomes catastraphic.
ONE QUESTION: What percentage of the jobs created in Texas, since 2009, were in the public sector, not private?
the idea of ron pauls statement on the particular healthcare issue is that without the government to force the taxpayers to cover another healthcare, without that forced responsibility from government, people will find alternatives in providing healthcare, a natural adaptation within human culture.
Good show! Fantastic job wolf. Main stream. No knock out punch. Except for paul; romney; huntsman, any of the others could be my choice for president. Newt was the most assured with the most satisfying answers. Perry will increase the latino votes. With so many issues to consider, security, economics, human resource, legal, borders, crime even politics and race, immigration is extremely difficult to fix. Obama will lose and its not because of racism but because his policies were wrong and so did not work nor he did he lead from the front.
Appears the tea party is mad at everyone not just Washington. In their eyes it's dog eat dog. Keep the unlucky ones down and fight fight fight for yourself. Hope, our returning veterans (especially the wounded) understand what they're in for.
As I sat and listened to the debate, I was saddened and sickened at the response of the audience when they shouted out "YES" to the question of if the young man in the example should be allowed to die because he did not have Health Insurance. Our society is quickly becoming a mass of animals with no compassion for others but much anger towards others when they need assistance and feel it is slow coming.
She is correct.
Unemployed man's family will make own decision. Paul is right that unemployed man's own choice, not Obama's forced choice. Great job
That's Wasserman's second question directed to Euthanasia issues, not health insurance issue.
There were so many things to question. It is so hard to figure out where to start. The idea that birth control for women is wrong from Bachmann. The idea that we aren't to be involved in world affairs from Paul given that we have been since the Spanish American war. Cain who wants the poluters in charge of the EPA is just laughable because that would result in no protection for air, water and land. I'll stop there because the list could go on for quite some time.
She looks a litle panicked in that photo.
My jaw hit the floor when I heard a few members of the audience yell "YES". My first thoughts were a few people voiced their thoughts so how many in the audience actually thought it and then how many watching at home thought the same thing? I do not believe that the lack of compassion for our fellow human beings has any place in a civilized society.
Lets see if sthe people who shouted yes say that when it is their family member. Oh. I forgot. Some animals eat their young.
Anybody surprised by this outburst from the crowd at the Tea Party debate apparently was not watching the last election and the antics of those nice Americans during the campaign. I think, in the interest of fairness and as a test, these people should be the first to lose ALL federal and state assistance. That means Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, fire and police protection, a free public education for their children and grand children, etc. They can see how that goes for a while and then let the rest of us know.