Limbaugh Vows to Leave US Over Health Care

[zenaxe 22]

(March 9) -- Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has thrown down the gauntlet. If the U.S. Congress passes health care reform, Limbaugh will leave the country to receive his medical treatment.

Specifically, Limbaugh told a caller that he envisions traveling to Costa Rica should the government, through a federal program costing upwards of $1 trillion, expand health care coverage to approximately 30 million Americans who are currently uninsured.

Ironically, Costa Rica offers universal heath care to all of its residents.

The caller asked Limbaugh where he would go for health care if Congress were to enact reform.

"I don't know," Limbaugh responded. "I'll just tell you this, if this passes and it's five years from now and all that stuff gets implemented, I am leaving the country. I'll go to Costa Rica."

Limbaugh's guarantee is but the latest variation of what has come to be known as "Baldwin's wager," after actor Alec Baldwin was said to have threatened to expatriate himself should George W. Bush defeat Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election. Bush won, of course, and Baldwin did not end up relocating to foreign shores.

Other celebrities who have promised the equivalent of "going Galt" provided that political events did not turn out to their liking include director Robert Altman and actress Kim Basinger, who also threatened to pack up and go should Bush defeat Gore.

Poking fun at his own brother, in 2008, actor Stephen Baldwin said he'd leave the U.S. should Barack Obama be nominated to run for president for the Democrats. And, like his brother, he remains in the U.S.

Susan Sarandon, Heidi Klum and husband, Seal, meanwhile promised to join the ranks of ex-pats should John McCain best Obama.

Not to be outdone, however, actress Tina Fey raised the bar further still. Fed up with having to impersonate Sarah Palin, Fey shuddered at the thought a McCain/Palin future.

"If she wins, I'm done," Fey told TV Guide. "I can't do that for four years. And by 'I'm done,' I mean I'm leaving Earth."

Whether Limbaugh, who is 59, will actually follow through with his on-air promise to seek medical care in Costa Rica should health care reform be implemented in the U.S. over the next few years remains unclear. Anyone care for a wager?

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/rush...passed/19389808

AWESOME news !!! hahaha in Canada he'd be seen by a vet, not a doctor hahaha

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

you still have to pay tax if you move abroad

Unless you move to Mexico. Expats living in Mexico can avoid paying any taxes at all.

[Dan J 277]

Hey, I have a better shot of not being denied with a private carrier vs. the current government sham we have going today....

With a private carrier, there is a real incentive to deny coverage or claims. It increases profitability. With a public system, that sort of incentive is not there. The income of the health system is more or less fixed as its often politically difficult to keep raising premiums. The incentive for private companies operating in this model is to cut costs. Often costs can be reduced while not reducing quality, but that depends on the leadership of that particular company.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Rush knows that if health care reform passes, it will become popular and a lot of the Right Wing scare tactics will become even more silly and irrelevant. The political dialogue will then slowly become less polarized by the RWN's and the Republican Party will start to welcome more moderates. Rush in turn will become irrelevant.

Rush already is irrelevant. If the left would just ignore him, then he will fade to obscurity in Rio Lindo, California again.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

With a private carrier, there is a real incentive to deny coverage or claims. It increases profitability. With a public system, that sort of incentive is not there. The income of the health system is more or less fixed as its often politically difficult to keep raising premiums. The incentive for private companies operating in this model is to cut costs. Often costs can be reduced while not reducing quality, but that depends on the leadership of that particular company.

Have you not seen our government.....

Profit might not be their motive, but if the money isn't there, they're going to have to continue (yes, I said continue) to make cuts where needed.

Edited March 10, 2010 by Paul and Vanessa

[alienlovechild 75]

Rush knows that if health care reform passes, it will become popular and a lot of the Right Wing scare tactics will become even more silly and irrelevant. The political dialogue will then slowly become less polarized by the RWN's and the Republican Party will start to welcome more moderates. Rush in turn will become irrelevant.

If you think healthcare is the sole issue, you're not looking at the larger issues on spending and taxes among others. It's odd to hear secular people speak like millenarians.

Edited March 10, 2010 by alienlovechild

[alienlovechild 75]

Rush already is irrelevant. If the left would just ignore him, then he will fade to obscurity in Rio Lindo, California again.

The Left blamed Rush for hoping Obama would fail. He almost single-handedly killed the economy according to the Left by not believing in Obama.

I expect the attacks on the usual rightwing types to escalate as Obama and the Democrats desperately need someone to blame. Hard to find a thread on here that doesn't change the subject from Obama's economic policies to blaming Fox News or Rush et al as if they are running the government and the economy.

[Dan J 277]

The Left blamed Rush for hoping Obama would fail. He almost single-handedly killed the economy according to the Left by not believing in Obama.

I expect the attacks on the usual rightwing types to escalate as Obama and the Democrats desperately need someone to blame. Hard to find a thread on here that doesn't change the subject from Obama's economic policies to blaming Fox News or Rush et al as if they are running the government and the economy.

You need your tinfoil hat, Rush is frying your brain again.

[alienlovechild 75]

You need your tinfoil hat, Rush is frying your brain again.

You forgot a whole lot of Leftwingers were furious at Rush for saying he hoped Obama would fail. Look it up.

In Obama's America the only industry that may flourish would be the tin foil manufacturers.

[Dan J 277]

You forgot a whole lot of Leftwingers were furious at Rush for saying he hoped Obama would fail. Look it up.

In Obama's America the only industry that may flourish would be the tin foil manufacturers.

Yes of course, the right wingers need to keep their pea sized brain safe from the Obama mind control machine.

[alienlovechild 75]

Yes of course, the right wingers need to keep their pea sized brain safe from the Obama mind control machine.

Obama's mind control machine did a great job on you. You guys fall for the Democrats slight-of-hand every time.

Keep blaming the out of power party for everything with your rose-colored glasses squarely in place.

Try reading this article which backs Obama in the end but it's going to a bumpy ride for years to come.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archiv...e-america/7293/

[chri'stina 190]

to Rush.

But true, there are tinfoil hat wearers on both sides no matter what they say!(they who? I don't know!)

[Dan J 277]

Obama's mind control machine did a great job on you. You guys fall for the Democrats slight-of-hand every time.

Keep blaming the out of power party for everything with your rose-colored glasses squarely in place.

Try reading this article which backs Obama in the end but it's going to a bumpy ride for years to come.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archiv...e-america/7293/

Who did I blame? The Republican approach to fiscal responsibility certainly contributed to the problem. Deficit spending in a growth economy. Lax enforcement of financial regulations. There are certainly not really offering any alternative solutions other than playing the obstruction game and hoping to trip of up the Democrats enough so that we can go back into the status quo and back into another economic bubble.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Limbaugh is such is dickheaded douchebag. Maybe he can get a job in PR for Toyota.

[Dan J 277]

Limbaugh is such is dickheaded douchebag. Maybe he can get a job in PR for Toyota.

I would like to see him as PR for Wellpoint. Trying to explain why rates need to increase by 39%.