Now I know you were shocked by my little attempt at emulating Jonathan Swift, "Here's to more dead Republicans (a modest proposal)," which I published a few days ago - but consider this latest, my hyper-sensitive hublings! Gawker has reported that Ron Paul's former campaign manager, Kent Snyder, died of complications from pneumonia in 2008. He had actually brought in $19.5 million to the Paul campaign, according to the Wall Street Journal - but he didn't have health insurance. A sister has explained that a pre-existing condition made insurance "too expensive" for him - but as a result, by the time of his death, he had run up $400,000 in hospital bills (no, the emergency room didn't turn him away), a bill which his family was then saddled with.
The ironies here are just too devastating, frankly. You really can't make this stuff up. I suppose no one will know whether Snyder put off treatment because he lacked insurance - but it seems probable, doesn't it? I mean - not many 49-year-olds die of pneumonia without some sort of complicating factor. And honestly - he was running a $35 million campaign, but the people working for it didn't have health insurance?
And more importantly, Ron Paul could watch the man who put him on the political map die without insurance, and still the obvious message couldn't get through his thick skull? I mean, sometimes life's ironies and sad coincidences almost make you think that God is, indeed, some sort of sick satirist . . .
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