It was the Founders Day Festival in Capon Bridge, West Virginia. And Independent Ed Rabel (WV-2) came across the Republican booth for Alex Mooney.
The staffers at the Mooney booth were Tom Kennedy, Dana Hudson and Alex Mooney’s mother — Eulalia (Lala) Mooney.
Alex Mooney was not at the Founders Day Festival in Capon Bridge.
Lala Mooney was born in Cuba. Lala Mooney said she wanted to talk to Rabel “off the record” about Cuba. Rabel covered Cuba extensively during his award winning career at CBS and NBC News.
Rabel asked Lala Mooney why her son wants to privatize social security.
Hudson interjected and said “that’s a question for the candidate to answer himself.”
“People believe that (Social Security) is not going to be in existence without some sort of reform,” Hudson said. “If you want it to be preserved at all, you have to look at some sort of reform.”
Rabel asked if Alex Mooney was going to be at the festival.
“No,” Hudson said. “We are here as his surrogates. And his mother is the best volunteer, the best spokesman we have.”
Lala Mooney told Rabel she wanted to talk about Cuba — “if you want to talk privately.”
Rabel pointed out that in Cuba, “education is free and so is health care.”
“Wouldn’t your son like to embrace the idea of free health care here?” Rabel asked.
At this point, Kennedy interjected — “that’s what Marxists do.”
“Marxists do that,” Kennedy said. “Communists do that.”
“They give you Medicare,” Kennedy said.
Medicare is Communist?
“Medicare is a socialist program,” Kennedy said.
Would you get rid of the socialist Medicare program?
“I didn’t say that,” Kennedy said. “Don’t put words in people’s mouths.”
“Social Security,” Kennedy said. “The word ‘social’ is in “Social Security.”
Would you get rid of the socialist program of Medicare?
“No,” Kennedy said.
Why not?
“Because it’s already established,” Kennedy said.
Socialist programs that are established are okay?
“You can’t undo them,” Kennedy said. “People established their lives around them.”
“But you can certainly reform them,” Hudson said.
Would Kennedy privatize Social Security?
“That might be the solution,” Kennedy said. “You would have to study it.”
Rabel asked Lala Mooney if her son supported the idea of repealing Obamacare.
“Absolutely,” Kennedy interjected. “If something is really, really bad, and is damaging the fabric of the country, you can go ahead and try to keep it together. But the thing is going to collapse. There is no doubt about it. It is going to collapse.”
“That’s odd,” Rabel said. “Here is West Virginia about 126,000 West Virginians have benefited from Medicaid — “
“They benefit today,” Kennedy said. “And they benefit tomorrow. But when the bubble busts – -and it is coming — when these programs keep piling on and piling on until finally there is no strength in the legs left to hold it and the thing collapses, because you didn’t do it right in the first place, these people are going to suffer terribly.”
One way to do it right is to get rid of the insurance companies. Obamacare was written by the insurance companies. Why not just get rid of the insurance companies and have a single payer system — Medicare for all?
“That is what a Marxist and a Communist would do,” Kennedy said. “Let the state come in and manage the complete and total control of all things that I need.”
“Tom you are fat,” Kennedy said. “And I’m not going to let you eat these foods anymore. You are going to cost me money. And I can’t afford you. Rahm Emanuel’s brother just said — when I’m 75, I need to go away. That’s what Communists and Marxists do. That’s what Cuba did.”
At this point, Hudson interjects and say — “If you want to debate further, we’ll refer you to the proper people with the campaign.”
“Are you pushing us away?” Rabel asked
“I’m saying that we are done with the camera,” Hudson said.
“Just cut off the camera?” Rabel asked.
“Yes sir,” Hudson said. “You are welcome to ask Alex for a debate. We will pass that along.”
“He didn’t show up for the editorial board meeting at the Charleston Gazette,” Rabel pointed out.
Why didn’t he show?
“Sir, we are done speaking with you,” Hudson said.