July 01, 2012 05:15 PM UTC

Sympathy For Jon Caldara?

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• by: Colorado Pols

Does Jon Caldara really believe it?

This weekend, reporter Tim Hoover of the Denver paper wrote an excellent recap of the “Hands Off My Healthcare” protest organized by Americans For Prosperity at the Colorado Capitol on Friday afternoon. In welcome contrast to some recent whitewashes of outlandish conservative antics on the steps of the Capitol by the Denver paper, Hoover faithfully reported the signage (“End Medical Licensing”), and some of the wacky things said by speakers at this rally.

There was one thing Hoover reported that particularly struck us, that we had missed in the report we got on this rally and we really wish Hoover had been able to follow up on. Speaking before a paltry crowd of 100-150, Independence Institute President Jon Caldara told the audience something rather shocking. Caldara has had several children, one of whom died at a young age, and another a victim of Downs Syndrome who has, according to Caldara, required ten surgeries in only eight years. It’s a legitimately sad story.

On Friday, Caldara flat-out told his audience, “If this law stands, I will lose another child.”

Folks, what could he possibly mean by this? Any theories based in reality?

It’s a serious question–our first instinct was to blow this off as typical Caldara bombast, but it occurred to us that a lot of the people in attendance are going to believe everything said from that podium without question. From there, we began to consider the possibility than Caldara might honestly believe this too. After all, he’s talking about his own children.

We’re not sure about that, though. We do think it would be quite appalling for Caldara to make such a statement about one’s own child knowing it’s not true. And if Caldara, who we believe to be an intelligent man not as given over to irrational ravings as some on the left might think, really does think that the Affordable Care Act will result in the death of his child, not “may” but “will,” reporters need to get over their squeamishness and ask him why he thinks that.

We’d say Caldara should either be called out for misusing this tragedy so crassly, or brought up to speed on what Obamacare actually does so he doesn’t go through life thinking Obama wants to kill his child. And perhaps to set the guy with the “death panel mentors” sign straight.