[H]ere’s a story of someone facing bankruptcy owing to medical costs. The twist is he’s Canadian. From the Toronto Sun:

Now, with the Mayo Clinic having done what the Alberta Cancer Board wouldn’t authorize or even explain, but with the tumour unable to be totally removed, the province will now not fund the expensive drug, Avastin, that the Mayo prescribed to keep him alive and keep the remaining tumour from increasing in size–despite the costs of the drug being totally funded by the province for other forms of cancer.

Had he lung cancer, breast cancer, or colon cancer, then the cost of the drug–$4,555 per treatment, two times a month–would be totally covered by Alberta’s version of OHIP [Ontario Health Insurance Plan].

Suffering from brain cancer, Kent Pankow was literally forced to go to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. for lifesaving surgery–at a cost to family and friends of $106,000–after the health-care system in Alberta left him hanging in bureaucratic limbo for 16 crucial days, his tumour meanwhile migrating to an unreachable part of the brain, while it dithered over his case file, ultimately deciding he was not surgery worthy.

And so he is not only a victim of brain cancer, he is also a victim of arbitrary discrimination.

But he doesn’t.

Kent Pankow, as it turns out, has the right disease but he has it in the wrong place.

The good news is that President Obama remains committed to bringing U.S. health care into line with Canadian standards. If he succeeds, sick Canadians will eventually be set free from the ruinous temptations of places like the Mayo Clinic.

For some reason, Tim Walz hasn’t shared Mr. Pankow’s story with us.

1. Walz feels that Minnesota should be open to holding suspected terrorists in Minnesota.
   (Walz: Minnesota should be open to holding Gitmo detainees -MPR 6/3/09)
2. Walz supports government run health care, and votes in favor of the Pelosi health care bill.
   (HR 3962 – 11/7/09)
3. Walz votes against making it illegal to use taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions.
   (HR 3962 H Amdt 509 – 11/7/09)
4. Walz votes for the cap-and-trade energy tax, adding an estimated $2,000 a year tax on the average American family. He says the CBO says it will only add $175 per year per family but the CBO also said that figure was for managing the program, not the economic impact of having the program.
   (Energy Law Amendments – HR 2454 – 6/26/09)
5. Walz co-authors the Card-Check bill, placing Union Bosses over Employees in denying them the right to vote by secret ballot.
   ( HR 1409 – 3/10/2009)
6. Walz wants to help pay for out-of-control health care bill with a “soda-pop” tax.
   (Walz: “Open” to Soda-Pop Tax Rochester Post-Bulletin, Oct. 8, 2009)
7. Walz voted for the 2009 economic stimulus plan that did not lower unemployment and provided groups like ACORN surplus funding.
   (HR 1 – 2/13/09)
8. Walz Supports Cash for Clunkers, and then MORE cash for MORE clunkers.
   (HR2751-6/9/09 & HR3435 – 7/31/09)
9. Walz votes himself the ability to continue spending, by raising the national debt ceiling to $12,394,000,000,000
   (HR 4314 – 12/16/09)
10. Walz votes to take funds from stabilizing the economy to create more government jobs.
    (HR 2847 12/16/09)

Honorable Mentions:

• Walz holds only two town hall meetings on healthcare during the entire August recess, spending more time hobnobbing at fundraisers. Afterward, he sent his staff through the district to hear from the voters.
  Albert Lea Tribune | Walz staff makes office stops through southern Minnesota
  The Free Press, Mankato | Walz to hold town hall in Mankato
  KTTC | Walz holds town hall style meeting in Rochester
• Walz helps reduce the $12 trillion national debt (which he also voted to raise) by returning $2,196 of his office supply budget to the U.S. Treasury. This $2,196 was returned out of the over $300,000 budgeted to him.
  MinnPost – D.C. Dispatch | Rep. Walz uses $2,196 from pay hike to pay down national debt
• The Cook Political Report downgrades Walz’s chances of re-election. If you’re wondering why, see above.
  The Cook Political Report | Rep. Tim Walz

Perkins concludes, “In 2009 we were represented by an extreme liberal agenda, and the voters will remember that on November 2, 2010. Instead of re-electing someone who will grow increasingly liberal in voting habits, we need a Congressman who will be responsible with taxpayer money, allow for a choice in health care, and be pro-jobs, pro-agriculture, and pro-small business. With every vote it becomes increasingly clear that we need to dump Tim Walz.”

Some of them are mentioned in an article at the Olmsted GOP’s site.