Last night, Stephen Colbert helped debunk some Obamacare horror stories with a special guest who was very definitely not a paid actor.
REP. CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS, R-WA (1/28/2014): Not long ago, I got a letter from Bette in Spokane, who had hoped the President's health care law would save her money, but found out instead her premiums were going up nearly $700 dollars a month.
$700 dollars a month. At that rate, Bette in Spokane is never going to be able to afford that last name transplant. And when the Spokane Spokesman-Review tracked Bette down, the paper revealed that Bette refused to look for a less expensive option because, "I wouldn't go on that Obama website at all". (surprised audience laughter)
Well there's another flaw of the Obamacare website. You have to go on it to use it! (audience laughter) That's how they get ya. (audience cheering and applause)
And folks, poor Bette is not alone. In fact, so many Obamacare horror stories have been debunked at this point, that the Los Angeles Times speculated that "maybe there are no genuine Obamacare horror stories". Yeah, or maybe there were, until the death panels got them.
....
CHUCK DUPREY: Sadly, the brisk and mighty salty air has struck me with a severe case of fisherman's foot, for which there is no cure.
STEPHEN COLBERT: But Chuck, surely you have insurance.
CHUCK DUPREY: I did, Stephen, until recently. (lights dim as spotlight shines on Mr. Duprey) I should've known, comin' home from the workplace, my foot was throbbin', which is a portend of ill news. Peerin' into the postbox, I discovered a letter revealin' the terrible truth. My monthly payments, once lower than a well-digger's heel, had suddenly risen up like the rogue wave which claimed the life of my brother Jacob! It was his 8th birthday. Was he the lucky one? And it's all because of the Affordable Care.... Line! (audience laughter) Line!
STEPHEN COLBERT: Act!
CHUCK DUPREY: I AM TRYING, DAMNIT!! (massive audience laughter and applause) Oh, yes! The Affordable Care Act!
Full transcript and video below the fold.
Nation, check your calendars, we're only 250 days away from the midterm elections, which are going to be a referendum on the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. This is going to be great for Republicans, cuz we've all heard about the lives the Affordable Care Act has ruined. Like the story Republican Den mother Cathy McMorris Rodgers told during her response to the State of the Union.
REP. CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS, R-WA (1/28/2014): Not long ago, I got a letter from Bette in Spokane, who had hoped the President's health care law would save her money, but found out instead her premiums were going up nearly $700 dollars a month.
$700 dollars a month. At that rate, Bette in Spokane is never going to be able to afford that last name transplant. And when the Spokane Spokesman-Review tracked Bette down, the paper revealed that Bette refused to look for a less expensive option because, "I wouldn't go on that Obama website at all". (surprised audience laughter)
Well there's another flaw of the Obamacare website. You have to go on it to use it! (audience laughter) That's how they get ya. (audience cheering and applause)
And folks, poor Bette is not alone. In fact, so many Obamacare horror stories have been debunked at this point, that the Los Angeles Times speculated that "maybe there are no genuine Obamacare horror stories". Yeah, or maybe there were, until the death panels got them.
Now luckily, Americans for Prosperity has a new anti-Obamacare ad with heart-wrenching personal stories.
ACTRESS #1: Dear Mrs. Kelly, your family plan is no longer available under the Affordable Care Act.
ACTRESS #2: Dear Ms. Davis, we can no longer offer you the same policy. Your doctor is no longer in the network due to the Affordable Care Act.
ACTOR: Due to the Affordable Care Act, your monthly premium has increased.
Folks, I wish these stories weren't true. And MSNBC is trying to grant my wish.
REV. AL SHARPTON (2/13/2014): They're really trying to show you real images of real people losing their insurance. Just one problem. All these people you see in the ad are paid actors. They're just pretending to be victims.
And Al Sharpton should know, because he's just pretending to be a journalist. (audience cheering and applause)
OK, so those are actors, and those letters they're reading are works of fiction. But as an Americans for Prosperity spokesman told ABC News, "in contrast to... the story of a real voter, [this ad is] meant to be 'representative of Americans from all walks of life'."
That's right, the ad isn't based on anyone's real story, it's based on everyone's fake story. (audience laughter) But just because that ad uses actors, it doesn't mean there aren't real people suffering because of Obamacare. And I found one. Please welcome actual Louisiana resident, Chuck Duprey. Mr. Duprey, thank you so much for joining us.
(massive audience cheering and applause for "Mr. Duprey")
CHUCK DUPREY: Hello there!
STEPHEN COLBERT: Mr. Duprey, thank you so much for joining us.
CHUCK DUPREY: Well hello Stephen! Or as we like to say in N'Awlins, salutations!
STEPHEN COLBERT: Well thanks for being here, Chuck, but I have to ask you first, are you an actor?
CHUCK DUPREY: No, I have never tread the boards. I am the average American Joe, who prefers to crack open a domestic beer and watch the NASCARs. (audience laughter and applause)
STEPHEN COLBERT: OK, he's not an actor. He's not an actor. He would have to tell me, that's the law. OK. So Chuck, what is it you do down there in Louisiana?
CHUCK DUPREY: I'm employed as a workman down on the jobs side, which explains these hands, tough and gnarled, like my daddy's.
STEPHEN COLBERT: That's a good back story.
CHUCK DUPREY: (in British voice) Oh, thank you. (audience cheering and applause) Sadly, the brisk and mighty salty air has struck me with a severe case of fisherman's foot, for which there is no cure.
STEPHEN COLBERT: But Chuck, surely you have insurance.
CHUCK DUPREY: I did, Stephen, until recently. (lights dim as spotlight shines on Mr. Duprey) I should've known, comin' home from the workplace, my foot was throbbin', which is a portend of ill news. Peerin' into the postbox, I discovered a letter revealin' the terrible truth. My monthly payments, once lower than a well-digger's heel, had suddenly risen up like the rogue wave which claimed the life of my brother Jacob! It was his 8th birthday. Was he the lucky one? And it's all because of the Affordable Care.... Line! (audience laughter) Line!
STEPHEN COLBERT: Act!
CHUCK DUPREY: I AM TRYING, DAMNIT!! (massive audience laughter and applause) Oh, yes! The Affordable Care Act! Yes, I've got it now.
KIDS: Pa! Pa! Pa!
CHUCK DUPREY: Oh my boys! Let me embrace you! A'fore death embraces me!
STEPHEN COLBERT: Chuck, are these your sons?
CHUCK DUPREY: Yes sir, this is my son Thomas, and this is Thomas's understudy, Thomas. (audience laughter)
THOMAS: Papa, you look sick!
CHUCK DUPREY: What?! Your daddy is as strong as a bear! Now, you boys run along, and you help your mother dig the daddy hole. (boys run off) As for me, Stephen, my disease is advancing rapidly. This is where I say farewell.
STEPHEN COLBERT: No! Chuck! No! Are you in pain?
CHUCK DUPREY: The only thing that hurts me, Stephen, is knowing America will be living with a health care system based on state-run insurance exchanges! REPEAL!!! AND!!! REPLACE!!!!!!!!!
(massive audience cheering and applause)
STEPHEN COLBERT: Chuck Duprey, everybody!
CHUCK DUPREY: Thank you, thank you, thank you!
STEPHEN COLBERT: We'll be right back!
Stephen also briefly recapped the
86th Academy Awards.
Stephen then looked at the
controversy behind Barbie being on the cover of
Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition.
Last Thursday, Stephen covered Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's (R) veto of the
anti-gay bill, as well as
Black History Month and racial identity.
He then premiered his cartoon
Laser Klan, based on the news story about the KKK trying to build their own laser.
Meanwhile, Jon looked at the latest situation in
Ukraine with new correspondent
Jordan Klepper.
He then noted a
possible fix for CNN's ratings.
Last Thursday, Jon looked at financial scammers from
Mt. Gox ripping off Bitcoin users to the
big banks ripping off the rest of us.
Al Madrigal then looked at how some people in the states that are
rejecting Medicaid expansion are being affected by it.
Stephen talked with
Caitlin Flanagan, and Jon had on
Seth McFarlane. Last Thursday, Stephen had on actor
Jeff Goldblum, and Jon had on journalist
Kevin Roose, which went long. Here's the unedited interview in two parts.
Part 1
Part 2