Steve Scalise Stole A Disabled Man's Voice

.@SteveScalise tried to steal @AdyBarkan’s health care with more than 60 votes to repeal or undermine Americans’ health care.

Now, he’s trying to steal Ady’s words by lying.

Congressman Scalise must take his doctored video down and apologize immediately. https://t.co/sWlufPsazf

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 30, 2020

One of the sickest things about this is that Ady Barkan is a very capable speaker on the behalf of people who like himself, really need access to healthcare, so the idea that some political figure would take advantage of the reality that ALS stole Ady's voice and left him with an electrically assisted vocalization to use that substitution to put words in his mouth is appalling. It is not weakness to need an electric voice. It is weakness to need to lie about others to create a false narrative. It isn't enough that Scalise takes down his poorly-orchestrated lie (as if a dedicated activist could not or would not refute this lie on his own behalf, or that many others would not recognize that this was an utter lie). Scalise needs to retire himself. He should altogether resign, because he prefers to do harm than correct it, and doesn't understand the issues at hand.

The harm done to Ady Barkan by putting words in his mouth is something you might think Scalise would give some reasonable consideration to.

And you would be entirely overestimating him. He is not that guy.