Why should Republicans try to rescue Obamacare?
Why should the Republicans try to pull Obamacare’s fat out of the fire?
The GOP has to be seen doing something. That’s just reality. Millions of people who played by the rules are losing their insurance and quite possibly their doctors as well. It’s simply not an option for a political party to say, “Wow, that sucks for you. Should have voted for us, huh?”. Campaigns are about generating future support, not punishing voters for past lack of support.
The upside is that the GOP is doing this in a way that panders completely to the people who just, “want something done” but is also a poison pill to the Democrats. Obama doesn’t want to “fix” what isn’t a bug in the system but from his point of view, a necessary feature.
The risk in all of this is that the Democrats say “yes”. I have my doubts that the Senate will take up the Landrieu bill let alone pass Upton’s. And the odds of Obama signing any of them are zero (he never has to face voters and he cares more about his plan than some random Democrats).
Could this all go south and wind up with the GOP sharing blame for Obama’s failure? Theoretically, yes. But doing nothing isn’t risk free either.
I’ve thought about this question ever since I heard that Republicans had suggested a “Keep Your Health Plan” act. Why interrupt your enemy when he might already be occupied in destroying himself? Then again, people are suffering, and failing to help them will not endear Republicans to anyone except the most die-hard tough-love advocates. And most of those people didn’t support Obamacare in the first place.
[ADDENDUM: A political party is having a civil war, and for a change it’s not the Republicans.
Actually, it seems to be less a civil war than the venting of long-pent-up anger at the president on the part of Democrats who feel they’ve been burned by him. Obama has never been known for his good relationships with those on Capitol Hill, even the Democrats there. He’s been arrogant to them, too, as well as to the Republicans.
Wonder whether he’ll cave at all to his party’s demands, given he really doesn’t give a hoot about them, and no longer needs them in order to get re-elected. Of course, he can’t get more legislation passed without the support of Democratic members of Congress. But perhaps he’s content to rest on his laurels in terms of legislative accomplishments, and just continue to go around Congress by executive order in the future. Members of Congress: who needs ’em?]
It’s OK to take the moral high ground. Not only is it morally right to seek relief from Obamacare, it is good policy.
The only thing that matters (and is verifiable) are results. Obama could openly call himself a Communist, but if his policies were those of a conservative (i.e., they worked) who would care?
Of course, he will veto anything that short-circuits his plans. Then we get to look righteous, and he looks like a dick.
I am so-o-o tempted to write . . .
Republicans should respond to any Democrat plan (scheme) to rescue the ACA by voting “present”. Democrats own it, they called us racist and other uncomplimentary things when we dared to raise objections: they can eat it now . . . after reading it to find out what was *really* in it.
. . . but my better side tells me to write . . .
We may as well be on the side of those trying to rescue all those millions of policyholders whose policies were CANCELLED (*not* “transitioned to”, you sunzabitches). We’ll not get credit, we’ll get blamed for anything they can blame us for, but we can’t stand by and let it all happen. Those are innocent people out there.
If *only* there were a way to just rescue *non*-Democrats [there goes my not-better side again . . .].
This is all for show. The policies can’t be dragged back into existence. So they’ll get to claim they tried to save us, without actually having to do it.
So there’s that.
They will of course blame the evil Insurance Companies for the impossibility of salvaging the Titanic.
New meme: “The Obamacare plan is in its current warped form because it’s the Republicans’ plan. This is how the Republicans wanted it. We wanted single payer!”
BTW: no one who’s not a politics nerd even knows what the term “single payer” means. A Republican friend asked me just last night, “What is ‘single payer,’ anyway?” And she listens to Mark Levin.
So, it would be a really good idea if we stopped using the Left’s euphemism and started calling it, relentlessly, ‘socialized medicine.’
The GOP should stick to pure repeal because the absolute worst aspect of 0-care is the destruction of privacy, of hacking going wild, of politicalised distribution of health services ( witness the unions and the government sector ) — this is simply the hill to die on.
Like Stalingrad, you really can’t take a step back.
The economic fallout is going to be horrific. Even the GOP as it exists will have a mind-boggling victory in twelve months.
They will gain the Senate — probably with 60+ seats in hand.
Barry’s international exploits should be in full flower by that time.
The disruption will ruin tax collections — expect QE to be doubled.
Such is the TYPICAL end game for a Gonnabee. You’ll see.
For me, it’s an old, old, old story.
You can be sure he’s hitting the bong. Hiding personal stresses behind the curtain ALWAYS happens with a Gonnabee.
Management Style: Angry Autocrat
All hat and no cattle: image is all
A truly high order Gonnabee can take in millions.
There is NO WAY he’s not going down hard. It’s the only end game they know… sort of a Macbeth climax.
And, they CAN’T be rescued. It just doesn’t happen.
Such is their life ‘plan.’
The Democrats are only now realizing what I’ve posted for months: Barry is destroying the Democrat party — not the GOP.
He’s going after complete destruction of FDR thru LBJ’s legacy.
Medicare can’t survive 0-care. Period, stop. He’s already gutting it — to divert mega-funding to HIS new shock troops.
As to tyranny, what to say of Digital Green Shirts — the Green Police — larded up with criminals and low-lifes.
In a strange twist of history, the Nazis used Green Police to round up the Jews. Anne Frank — she lived in terror of the Green Police, who eventually bagged her and kin, to be consumed.
High and low, Barry just doesn’t follow custom, tradition — or the statutes!
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neo…
There is now absolute proof that Frank Marshall Davis was Barry’s biological father.
For FMD took nude photographs of his lover, Stanley Ann, bent over by the Christmas tree in 1960. Barry was already in gestation.
FMD ultimately published these snaps — and they’ve made their way to the WWW.
With a birth date of August 4, 1961 — conception had to occur election night/morning 1960 — virtually to the hour.
These two hyper-leftists would’ve been celebrating the defeat of Richard M. Nixon — the nemesis of FMD. The election of JFK would’ve been merely incidental to his joy.
And FMD ultimately wrote up his history of bedding young White girls — in three-ways with is wife!
Obama, Sr. simply was not in the picture to impregnate Stanley Ann.
BTW, the pictures are NSFW — and FMD was plainly a butt-man. His lover is wearing two shoes — and a smile.
The Obama angle came by way of her father — who’d brought him and other Kenyans into Hawaii — as part of a CIA influence operation.
Which explains why the Dunhams didn’t hesitate to ship their daughter off to Nairobi — they had direct access to CIA funding! No one was looking over their shoulder — for Obama, Sr. WAS part of the CIA campaign.
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And so, we know that FMD utterly indoctrinated Barry with all of his hate for Republicans, tradition, and the US Constitution. Which then explains why Barry became a ‘Constitutional Expert.’
He REALLY was carrying on the “Dreams FROM My Father” — then and now.
The case is closed.
Barry’s troubled childhood was NOT due to abandonment issues. It ENTIRELY turns on his extraordinarily difficult teen years — under his GRANDMOTHER. This is the gal that NO ONE wants to write about. She not only raised him in infancy — she raised him as a teenager — right on through his college years.
Trust me, psychological pain can be extremely scarring.
Barry’s tied up in issues of “mimetic desire: all of our desires are borrowed from other people;” (FMD)
“mimetic rivalry: all conflict originates in mimetic desire;” (tutu)
“the scapegoat mechanism” (GOP- Tea Party)
The tyrant is living the same kind of pathos as Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin — both of whom had horrific childhoods. (Napoleon’s was no picnic, either.) Note the results.
c.f. Rene Girard
America is about to feel the lash of one extremely disturbed childhood. Beware.
Of course, with BOTH of his biological parents being American citizens — Barry’s status was no different than John McCain.
Barry’s real embarrassment turns on FMD and those dangerous pictures and ‘fictional’ porno tales — by a card carrying member of the CPUSA! That’d be too much for many Democrats — the Cold War and all.
Poor bastard.
The conservatives should stick to repeal attempts. Make the Liberals keep voting for it.
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Thus making sure the Liberals take ownership of Obamacare constantly.
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Even the brain dead will figure it out, if you hit them over the head with it enough.
As Frederic Bastiat pointed out about 2 centuries ago, socialism is theft. Socialists rob Peter and give the money to paul. Then they proudly tell us how wonderful they are for helping Paul with other peoples money. You can’t rescue Obamacare because you are trying to rescue theft. Republicans should keep hands off.
I have to agree with all above that for the GOP pressing the “repeal” button seems to be the best strategy. Going along with band-aid fixes is not going to work, though I’m sure McCain would disagree 😉
In a few weeks there may be enough Dems who are scared enough to jump on the repeal bandwagon.
A “Keep Your Health Plan” act will not help the people who are losing their insurance. Those plans are GONE. The insurers can’t put them back now, beyond maybe some short extension of a few months – it’s too late. The business plans have been being made for years, the regulatory approvals have been obtained from all those state commissions, the notifications have been sent to the insureds — it can’t all be unwound now or at least, not quickly.
All that act will do is help DEMOCRATS. It will give them somebody to blame besides themselves — they’ll point at the insurers and say, “See how greedy they are? We said they can give your plan back and they won’t!” Nobody will understand that it’s can’t, not won’t.
So, I don’t know why Republicans are doing this.
What’s needed is a proposal for an alternative way: repeal the ACA, then do tort reform, interstate portability, and no more kitchen-sink coverage. Maybe offer states incentives to come up with programs of their own to cover the uninsured. Or maybe look at some kind of subsidized catastrophic coverage for those in need, with incentives for health savings accounts for everyday costs. Whatever: offer a meaningful alternative and explain why it would be better. This is a rare moment where people might actually listen. But will it happen? Well, what is that bumper sticker of vanderleun’s? “Republicans: they thirst for death!”
Polls continue to show a majority does not now and did not back when approve of the unaffordable care act. That majority grows by the hour. Total repeal should be the GOP position coupled with a proposal that allows insurance companies to sell their product in all 50 states and a voucher system for those (10, 20, 30 million? … excluding illegals) who are truly in need to purchase catastrophic care policies.
I think the GOP should do what it can to save the American people, and say so, loudly. Which should pretty much ensure the Dems vote down any GOP plans.
They should not because
1) It’s a hopeless incoherent mishmash thrown together without being read – much less understood by the people voting on it.
2) It’s an inherently flawed top down centralized attempt to nationalize healthcare worthy of the Soviet Union at its best.
3) We need a market based system with public subsidies of basic insurance (against insurable unforeseen accidents and diseases) vs the current system which is partly an attempt at extending redistribution of incomes and partly a scheme to impose the left’s social values by force on the wider population.
These “Keep Your Healthcare Plans” are not legal and are only window dressing for those who see their voters stampeding away from them.
The best thing to do is to propose a straight repeal of the ACA. This will do nothing for those who have lost their plans and will be returned to the marketplace to make the best of things. The upside to that is those customers could afford their plans and should be able to find something comparable. Folks who were already on public assistance will not feel the pain.
Doctors and hospitals are talking about quitting and shuttering facilities. The plan as it stands is unworkable and has no legal or logical solutions.
There is no reason for the GOP to “help” the Dems. I say to hand them some more gasoline and stand back. They own this crummy plan and they need to burn to the ground with it.
The GOP needs to talk up tort reform and portability of insurance, as well as the ability to purchase insurances across state lines.
They need to tell the Dems to “talk to the hand”, take care of housekeeping and prepare the ground for 2014 and 2016.
leigh…
I do NOT know why the doctor’s strike is not getting more play.
The very best American talent is revolting — not over money — but over professional ethics.
They can’t live with themselves — and 0-care.
“Toni Townes-Whitley, Princeton class of ’85, is senior vice president at CGI Federal, which earned the no-bid contract to build the $678 million Obamacare enrollment website at Healthcare.gov. CGI Federal is the U.S. arm of a Canadian company. Townes-Whitley and her Princeton classmate Michelle Obama are both members of the Association of Black Princeton Alumni.”
http://dailycaller.com/2013/10/25/michelle-obamas-princeton-classmate-is-executive-at-company-that-built-obamacare-website/
blert,
It’s probably not being covered (except by FOX) because it would scare the pants off of everyone.
Obama treats doctors like they are television repairmen, not healers. So, yes, they are not going to go against their ethics and will quit.
For those who don’t know, the ACA doesn’t indemnify doctors or hospitals against lawsuits. So not only will they be making crappy wages and working longer hours, they will still be paying malpractice insurance.
leigh:
Obama spoke of doctors as though they were money-grubbing butchers, a darn sight worse than television repairmen.
He sure did. I had forgotten that business about lopping off limbs and yanking out tonsils.
I wouldn’t give him the time of day, either.
I remember that stumbling, slanderous diatribe. One of the messiah’s more bland diatribes btw. At least he called them butchers instead of terrorists, arsonists, kidnappers, hostage takes, etc. I never thought I would live to see the day when the POTUS would speak so visciously and disrespectfully of those who disagree with his policies/agenda.
I never thought I’d live to see the day that I actively hated the POTUS. But, he brought it on himself.
Ray, that’s what Socialists do. What Democrats do is rob Peter to have Paul administer a department that hires Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to run a program to help Mary.
But, of course, it doesn’t.
I want the Pubbies to push a ‘Shyt Sandwich’ Bill which would enforce all parts of the Unaffordable Health Insurance and Patient Denied Care Act NOW! No waivers or any other illegal bullshyt. Let the Dems squirm out of that ‘Republican obstructionism’. On top of that, the people will see that the bill as passed and signed into law really is a shyt sandwich which the Dems forced down their throats. Barring that, keep passing repeal bills and keep having Dems veto it. They already own this shyt sandwich, let them keep owning it. But whatever the Stupid Party does, helping the Dems to ‘fix’ this shyt sandwich will be a losing strategy; you can’t polish this turd of a law.
I never thought I vociferously root for a president to go tits up by whatever means necessary. I’d even send whatever I could to the defense fund of whoever took his ass out.
But then, we’ve never had a commie government openly declare war on the American people before, so we’re in totally uncharted territory. Today, with the military purges and the militarization of not only police departments but many departments in the government going on a war footing, the commies have made plain who their enemies are, and they is us.
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Repeal, Repeal, Repeal. No fixes. Hope the Pugs are smart enough to figure this out.
If we can take the Senate in 2014 with good conservative candidates, and keep the House, we may just be able to impeach this POS and get on with out lives.
I would say they should not.
Tough Love. They should say, “We told you. We tried to warn you. This is going to hurt me more than it will hurt you, but…”
The GOP needs to be the good parent and teach the vicious kiddies known as Democrat Voters a lesson. Otherwise the monsters will never learn.
Judging by the divided views here, I doubt the Republicans will have enough counter espionage to stop Democrat blackmail and threats from making them change certain details in whatever bill comes forward.
The old Judas goat still exists.
Hate is a nice tool and weapon in the coming war. But be mindful that you control it, and not the other way around. The greater the love, the greater the hate for the enemies of one’s love. The greater the hate, the greater one’s self control must be to master the fury.