I had to go back to this after reading about it because I had clicked it off in disgust thinking it was an genuine effort to make a "sincere" apology.Against all odds, Joni Ernst has made it worse pic.twitter.com/aElIudNmZG
— Keith Edwards (@keithedwards) May 31, 2025
For background: "Joni Ernst posts sarcastic apology video following comments that 'we all are going to die'" (Des Moines Register): "The Iowa Republican's original comments came at a town hall in Parkersburg on Friday, May 30, while she was answering a question about cuts to Medicaid in President Donald Trump's tax package that the Senate is poised to consider. During Ernst's answer, someone in the audience interrupted her to shout, 'people will die!' Ernst replied by saying, 'People are not — well, we all are going to die. For heaven’s sakes, folks.'"
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59 comments:
We are all going to die.
Oh noes!
Anyway…
The better answer would have been, "Yes, we're all going to die, but will the changes make it happen sooner? Make your case!"
She’s a hoot!
"There's something out there waiting for us, and it ain't no man...
"We're all gonna die."
I'm still remembering the news segments about Medicaid becoming a scheme to score long term disability, because it was easier to qualify than Social Security. And that gaming this system was an endemic problem - about 10 years ago. And the reporting was complete with video anecdotes of 100% disability recipients play golf, riding jet skis, and so forth, with their new-found, underwritten free time.
Now, I'm sure these were extremes used for dramatic examples. But when somebody says "It's a budget cut, and people will die !" when they really mean 'it's a smaller increase than last year', without addressing fraud in any way, well..... it's tough to be sympathetic to such shameless prevaricating.
Medicare and medicaid have been looted by the assholes who are crying these crocodile tears.
"Good news everyone--we're all going to die!"
H/t Futurama
I don't even like Joni Ernst, but the wholesale freakout over Medicaid is shameless demagogy. I wouldn't be surprised to see the whole plan implode as fraud after fraud is investigated.
Famous story about Keynes. He was confident in predicting the short run and the medium run. What about the long run? "In the long run, we're dead."
Aggie your comment makes no sense. Are you talking about SSI disability? That's still run by the SSA.
And how would Medicaid get you SSI?
She's not wrong.
One CEO was deemed a life unworthy of life. Are there more Planned? Obamacares is a nonviable model. Let's see if Trump can Make medical care affordable, available, and Americans Healthy, Again. #HateLovesAbortion
Joni (from nearby Red Oak) is just channeling Marcus Aurelius. She's a Stoic and doesn't even know it!
The kleptocracy makes an em-pathetic appeal. How many Americans will take a knee to their progressive perfidity (PP)... no pun intended, maybe, baby.
If you are a working class person living in California dependent on Medical or Medicaid for your medical care, you are going to die sooner--rather than later. The influx of "undocumented migrants" has overwhelmed the system. Long lines and even longer waits for medical attention. Gruesome Newsom and Sacramento opened Medicaid to illegal aliens--and both the system and the state government are near bankruptcy. And if you are a third generation Californian named Joe Smith (your great grandparents came from Oklahoma in the Dust Bowl days) that's just too danged bad. Sorry Joe, hello Juan and Guillermo.
She's mocking Christians.
Life is cheap. Israel is leading us along the path...
Dead women, dead children.
Very few men left anymore. First you abandon your children and take another wife. Then she supports you. Then you laugh at the deaths of innocents. Then you mock Christian believers. It's good not to have children today... or grands. Imagine what their futures will be with so many Haters in the family. Have a good hike today, annie. (it's like ground hog day... you'll get it soon enough. For some of you, it just takes time...)
Your medical care is in that man's breast implants, in that woman's penis augmentation, in that fetus's oven, sequestered in a back... black hole... whore h/t NAACP. American Civil Liberties Unburdened by Special Peculiar Liberal Corporations.
MIC (Medical Industrial Complex)/PIC. Perhaps MAHA would be the better, more affordable choice.
Healthcare fraud is conservatively estimated to run in excess of $100 billion annually. But “people will die” so the Trump administration are allowed neither to investigate fraud nor attempt to claw any of the money back.
Eff you, Dumbocrats.
she is ew. Her little, pathetic, explanation just solidifies my belief that she has no soul or brain. Again, ew.
Joni seems to believe the teachings of Christian theology. I think that a very low percentage of Christians actually believe in Christian theology. This disconnect is a symptom of decadence.
"...I had clicked it off in disgust thinking it was a genuine effort to make a "sincere" apology."
Oh, brother. Please don't tell us you actually believe she needs to apologize.
What I'd like to know is what was happening to old people and the poor for the roughly 190 years prior to the passage of Medicare and Medicaid? "People will die" say some. Were they dying before 1965? Did people walk by dead bodies on the street on a daily basis? I don't mean to be flip, but I would like to know what people did before the passage of these programs. What was life expectancy before these bills and did it increase after?
The non appropriate sarcastic answer back to the "people will die" heckler would have been "Look, we apparently have a volunteer."
Ernst is a retired Army officer with combat-zone service running convoys from Kuwait into Iraq. Not long ago the same libs heckling her were hoping she would, as a Protestant female veteran rape survivor, vote against that drinkin' whorin' harassin' Hegseth. So to hell with their insincere asses.
She's also not afraid to put herself on record as a believer in JC. Which can't help any national-level ambitions she may have. And might even get her into trouble at her ELCA parish...
JSM
Healthcare fraud is conservatively estimated to run in excess of $100 billion annually.
This number may have just been pulled out of your butt since you provide no link to your figure. But let's say your number is correct and includes only fraud against the government. Of course, the main beneficiaries of the fraud are the suppliers (just as Sen Rick Scott about that), not the consumers. Only about 8% of recipients are not working because they are unable to find a job or retired. 44% are working full time.
See how easy it is to call you on your bullshit if you can provide a link?
Ernst is a retired Army officer with combat-zone service running convoys from Kuwait into Iraq.
Which means that she, since she accepted her commission, has had lifetime, practically free, medical insurance.
Yah the criticism of this is more ‘we need to do a better job with messaging’ from the Democrats. More criticism of stuff like this is what they meant. Bless their hearts…
Freder Frederson said...
Ernst is a retired Army officer with combat-zone service running convoys from Kuwait into Iraq.
Which means that she, since she accepted her commission, has had lifetime, practically free, medical insurance.
And she knows why government provided health care is a really bad idea.
The government pretends they like veterans and the VA still treats us like crap. Just wait til they can treat you all the same way.
Freder Frederson said...
See how easy it is to call you on your bullshit if you can provide a link?
We need to let DOGE update the system and make it transparent so we can see where our money is spent.
But then again we know why you are against transparency in government now don't we.
What I'd like to know is what was happening to old people and the poor for the roughly 190 years prior to the passage of Medicare and Medicaid?
Sorry, screwed up the link.
1. Government should not be running ANY insurance program.
2. Someone who disrupts a public meeting by shouting "THE SUN COMES UP IN THE EAST EVERY MORNING. IT GETS DARK WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN" should be tied up, gagged, and tossed in the corner.
==========
People in government at all levels are largely decoupled from accountability for their decisions. Government at all levels is largely, and at the sovereign level absolutely, decoupled from fiscal responsibility. It is a situation ripe for waste and theft.
victoria said...
she is ew. Her little, pathetic, explanation just solidifies my belief that she has no soul or brain. Again, ew.
Which absolutely disgusting thing that vicki has run with should we bring up this time?
How about vivki supporting the assassination of Trump?
Maybe we should remember when vicki ran with the Brian Sicknick blood libel?
Vicki ran with the Russian collusion hoax for many years.
There are dozens of times where vicki has been an absolutely atrocious piece of crap and she has apologized for none of them.
Freder, I think a great many of them died. No?
FWIW, none of my veteran friends will use a VA hospital if they have a choice.
The fact that she thought it was a good idea to film it walking in a cemetery. The time and energy it takes to conceive plan and execute this just to mock and blame others proves the enjoyment. Against all odds, Ernst has made it worse.
Kakistocracy said...
The fact that she thought it was a good idea to film it walking in a cemetery. The time and energy it takes to conceive plan and execute this just to mock and blame others proves the enjoyment. Against all odds, Ernst has made it worse.
Actually, she is getting stupid vicious jerks who play insect politics to act up.
And stupid vicious jerks like you jump at every opportunity to be a stupid vicious jerk.
And look how well that is working out for you all.
Please don't change anything.
Achilles and Ernst thinks it’s hilarious that some people are worried that health care cuts will kill people. Anyway, a reminder: when people are proud to be a POS insist on treating them like a POS. You’ll get some hand-wringing about cancel culture but not from anyone worth listening to.
And she knows why government provided health care is a really bad idea.
As someone who had the choice between Tri-Care and Employer Provided Insurance (from Sprint when it was still a twenty billion dollar a year corporation) I chose Tri-Care. My ex-wife was active duty and after the third year of double digit increases in the insurance provided by Sprint, along with increased co-pays and deductibles, I dropped my private insurance and signed on to her Tri-Care. After my divorce, I hated go back on private insurance.
Kakistocracy said...
Achilles and Ernst thinks it’s hilarious that some people are worried that health care cuts will kill people. Anyway, a reminder: when people are proud to be a POS insist on treating them like a POS. You’ll get some hand-wringing about cancel culture but not from anyone worth listening to.
No. She finds it hilarious that douchebags like you are lying about what the cuts are actually cutting and you are lying to people and telling them they are going to die because of these "cuts."
Which they aren't cuts because the budget is actually larger than last year but why wouldn't you be a dishonest piece of shit right?
You are out there saying that if we slow the growth of a government program people will die.
It is hilarious in a god damn what a piece of shit Rich is how can anyone take these dishonest shitheads seriously sort of way.
I think the sarcasm in her remark and using the tooth fairy reference was spot on. But when she brought Jesus into it, I think the sarcasm fell flat, and probably offended some Christians.
She'll attempt another apology, and this time it will be at a crematorium.
The best part of Elon buying X is we all know there aren't any real cuts. There are only reductions in growth so these dishonest losers crying about people dying from government cuts can't get away with the old shell game of calling them cuts anymore.
Have fun trying to shame people with this stupidity.
We are just laughing at you dishonest losers crying about people dying due to government growing more slowly.
Back in the day, I lived in Iowa. I have mixed feelings about Sen. Ernst.
However, originally she was a long shot running to fill Tom Harkin's seat. Not an easy task for anyone then. She made a semi-famous "pig castration" advertisement. that got a lot of laughs and drew a lot of attention. I'll give her credit for that and for this too.
A lot of our political thought would benefit from the reminder that we will all die. So many are in thrall of the cult of "if it saves just one life..." Even when the thing that saves just one life is incredibly onerous to the rest of the living. We should not measure success in the total number of human years lived, but in the quality of our lives.
@Freder, I don’t have a link because prior to my retirement ten years ago I worked for a government contractor, and the information I presented was from my experience as a consultant on a contract at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Since the CMS payment model calls for paying the bill unless there’s something obviously hinky in the paperwork, then (try to) claw the money back if fraud is discovered, there is a “notch” where the fraud is not pursued because the cost of the clawback (employee time, lawyers) exceeds the cost of the fraud.
$100 billion estimate covers the total cost of Medicare and Medicaid fraud. Back in the day Medicare was the bigger issue but with the relatively recent rise in Medicaid for “undocumented” (illegal) immigrants that’s probably shifted.
Democrats need to start asking Gavin Newsome about Medicaid. He's going to charge illegals $100 / month, and have a $2,000 asset check for it, plus no longer enroll new illegal aliens.
So, let's hear the Democrats criticism of Newsome.
$2,000 asset limit might even include the value of a car. Its also a 1 month emergency fund if the person makes $24,000 per year.
So there will be REAL cuts to Medicaid, and they will be happening in California, a blue state fully run by Democrats.
It's hard to think on your feet when someone hits you with an emotional appeal like "people are going to die!". But if you offer the reflex response "well, yes, they will", and have time later to return to the topic, the return should not be an apology - it should be a thought-through statement of what you should have said the first time, had you been quick enough on your feet.
For instance: "well yes, some people will die, but other lives will be saved". Every alternative use of the funds, notably including leaving it in taxpayer's wallets, results in marginal lives saved. The tradeoff is not between saving lives and having people die, it is between saving one group of people and saving another.
Achilles, your comments alone give me proof that you know NOTHING.
victoria said...
"Achilles, your comments alone give me proof that you know NOTHING"
This is dumbest thing I have read on this thread.
The second dumbest was your first post.
Obamacares follows with albinophobia, Levine's Dreams of Herr Mengele, ethnic/Slavic Springs, American Civil Liberties Unburdened, etc. A second Iraq war that ended with a well vectored missile up an Iranian proxy, and Hamasidol-adjacent.
She isn't a good politician if she didn't have a decent answer in the can for such an obvious question. Or she's trying to sabotage the BBB, a distinct possibility.
victoria said...
Achilles, your comments alone give me proof that you know NOTHING.
So I would challenge you to step back and look at your posts on this thread.
From another person's point of view try to guess the IQ of the person who wrote your posts.
This is a test of your self awareness. It might help you to know just how stupid your posts look.
"Which means that she, since she accepted her commission, has had lifetime, practically free, medical insurance."
If you're a retired member of the National Guard or Reserve under age 60, you can purchase TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR), a premium-based health plan.
2025 TRICARE Retired Reserve Monthly Premiums
Individual (Member Only): $631.26
Family (Member + Family): $1,513.04
Practically Free!
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