Labrador defends townhall comment as inelegant, taken out of context

Idaho Rep. Raul Labrador drew intense criticism over the weekend for suggesting at a town hall meeting in Lewiston on Friday that “nobody dies because they don’t have access to health care.”

In response, the Republican congressman said Saturday night that the comment “wasn’t very elegant” and was taken out of context.

“I was responding to a false notion that the Republican health care plan will cause people to die in the streets, which I completely reject,” Labrador said in a statement to the Statesman, which was also posted on his Facebook page .

Labrador said he had a lengthy exchange with the constituent “in which (he) explained to her that Obamacare has failed the vast majority of Americans.”

He said the media is focusing on “a five-second clip” in which he responded to the woman’s claims that he’s “mandating people on Medicaid accept dying” by saying: “That line is so indefensible. Nobody dies because they don’t have access to health care”/ Nicole Blanchard , Idaho Statesman. More here.

Question: Did you attend the Coeur d’Alene townhall meeting?