The Washington Redskins’ name and mascot have come under fire from a number of prominent liberals in recent months, including President Obama himself. So it should come as no surprise that Organizing for Action’s pro-Obamacare photo, which included a 17-year-old boy wearing a dreaded Washington Redskins t-shirt, raised some eyebrows yesterday.
I thought "Redskins" is racist. MT @BarackObama For Holly, relief of knowing she's covered is priceless #ThisIsWhy pic.twitter.com/kGYAWDyJHk
— Kim Jong-unthony Bialy (@AnthonyBialy) February 12, 2014
https://twitter.com/UO_Kwade/status/433383607348895745
@BarackObama but the kid is wearing a #redskins shirt. Oh the humanity!
— Jon Murray (@murraj213) February 12, 2014
https://twitter.com/MKivland/status/433388285268729856
https://twitter.com/JonathanGrocott/status/433384491835748352
https://twitter.com/pricygoldnikes/status/433385675887362048
https://twitter.com/EvanSchrage/status/433385878551932928
@BarackObama @WhiteHouse @Nike Bad choice to show Holly's son wearing a Redskins shirt. #NotYourMascot
— Catherine Johnston (@mscathyanne) February 11, 2014
@BarackObama Sheesh! Could you not find a shot of her without a guy in a Red Skins shirt. #awkward
— Mr. Walters? (@nerfect) February 11, 2014
It's messed up @BarackObama actually tweeted #Redskins #racist logo #Merica #NotYourMascot @TODAYshow @USIndianAffairs @SecretaryJewell @hrw
— EthanKeller (@EthanKeller) February 12, 2014
@BarackObama Wow really you got him wearing a redskins shirt?
— Courtney (@courtneychelene) February 12, 2014
We can’t imagine OFA was too happy about this tweet from the Redskins’ official account:
Great shirt! #HTTR “@BarackObama: For Holly, the relief of knowing she's covered is priceless: #ThisIsWhy pic.twitter.com/UgIbMHNZWD”
— Washington Redskins (@Redskins) February 12, 2014
Note that the Redskins praised the t-shirt, not Obamacare.
The purpose of OFA’s controversial tweet was to publicize the happy experience of an Indiana melanoma survivor named Holly Kunze who says she was able to obtain affordable health insurance as a result of Obamacare. Prior to implementation of Obamacare, Indiana had a high-risk pool that covered 6,800 people who had been denied coverage by private health insurance plans due to pre-existing conditions. For some reason, Ms. Kunze’s article failed to mention the existence of this state-run program.
Commenter Mary Ann Everett noticed the omission:
Did Indiana not have a state plan for those who were denied b/c of pre-existing conditions? NC had a great program that has since been eliminated. And of course it was less expensive than an ACA plan. People always say they were denied coverage when in fact they did not exhaust their resources.
In any case, we’re glad Holly will be able to keep her “wonderful oncology doctors.” We wish cancer survivor Edie Sundby and countless others could say the same.
Related:
Priorities: Obama takes time to urge the Washington Redskins to get a new nickname
Washington Post says Redskins’ name should ‘no longer be tolerated,’ keeps using it
Wild and crazy suggestion: Steve Martin proposes PC-friendly nickname for DC’s NFL team
Sorry, Slate: President uses R-word in reference to Washington’s football team
Mayor of Minneapolis gives Washington DC’s NFL team a new nickname
Dana Loesch defends Washington Redskins’ name: ‘Mascots are tributes’
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