Atlas Cashed In

Being a self-described and self-defined libertarian means never having to say you're sorry:

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) may rail against Social Security insolvency in the public eye, but that hasn't stopped him from accepting the government checks... The Huffington Post's Sam Stein then asked Paul, "A bit of a personal question -- Are you on Social Security? Do you get social security checks?" Paul admitted he does

Obviously he needs it to supplement his meager salary of $174,000 and his Super Pac funds. But why should not the man so enthralled with Ayn Rand that he named his son after her be inspired by her example?

An interview with Evva Pryror, a social worker and consultant to Miss Rand's law firm of Ernst, Cane, Gitlin and Winick verified that on Miss Rand's behalf she secured Rand's Social Security and Medicare payments which Ayn received under the name of Ann O'Connor (husband Frank O'Connor). As Pryor said, "Doctors cost a lot more money than books earn and she could be totally wiped out" without the aid of these two government programs. Ayn took the bail out even though Ayn "despised government interference and felt that people should and could live independently... She didn't feel that an individual should take help."

If only there could be some sort of government sponsored universal health-care coverage Ayn Rand could have been a hypocrite without such a heavy financial burden. Y'know, like Ron Paul.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

(pic via monkey__bob99x at flickr.com)