Why Obamacare is different.
The essay here is focused on what makes Obamacare politically different — and quite deadly for its supporters.
Tag: Democrats
A Republican bill to allow insurance companies to continue to offer their old policies is gaining Democratic support.
A Republican bill to allow insurance companies to continue to offer their old policies is gaining Democratic support.
This bill once again proves that the Republicans are the stupid party. This bill is a travesty. It will not solve any problems, but will transfer the disaster to the federal budget. Under Obamacare the insurance companies can’t afford those old health plans since Obamacare now requires them to give insurance to everyone, even the sick who do not have insurance. Thus, they need to charge more to pay for those sick customers. If the old plans are forced on them, they will need significant subsidies from somewhere to stay in business, and this bill gives it to them out of the U.S. treasury. Moreover, the bill only adds more complexity and confusion to the whole mess.
If the Republicans had any brains, they would simply demand repeal at this moment. Repeal is the only real solution, so that we can start over and deal intelligently with the problems of the health insurance industry. It is also the smart political move. If the Democrats refuse to cooperate, they once again will be forced to endorse Obamacare as it collapses. If they go along, the Republicans get what the country needs, while winning politically.
And there’s this: It’s a trap!
In his weekly radio address today, President Obama called for new taxes and increased spending.
Broken record: In his weekly radio address today, President Obama called for new taxes and increased spending.
It is always the same. No matter what happens, Obama calls for more spending and higher taxes. It seems quite unimaginative on his part to never propose some other ideas for solving the federal deficit and the government’s other problems.
In 2010 the Democrats unanimously voted in support of the regulations that are now forcing the cancellation of millions of health insurance plans.
Owning it: In 2010 the Democrats unanimously voted in support of the regulations that are now forcing the cancellation of millions of health insurance plans.
The Democrats voted for Obamacare. They then voted for the regulations that are wiping out health plans nationwide. And they voted to shut the government down to support Obamacare only one month ago.
I would say this indicates pretty strongly that they are responsible for this law.
The president and the Democrats lied us into a bad law.
“The president and the Democrats lied us into a bad law.”
The Right opposed the law on principle. A single party — the Democrats — own this law in a way that no party has had complete ownership of any major social legislation in a century. They bought this legislation with deceit and the GOP said so. Now that it is going into effect, the facts on the ground are confirming that deceit. Moreover, the same haughty condescending bureaucrats and politicians who told us they were smart enough and tech-savvy enough to do just about anything are being exposed as incompetent political hacks.
And remember: This same President and those same Democrats re-affirmed their support of Obamacare less than one month ago by insisting on shutting the government down rather than agree to even the slightest revision of this disaster of a law.
Thirteen Democratic senators who told the same lies as Obama.
Thirteen Democratic senators who told the same lies as Obama about Obamacare.
The 13 Democratic Senators up for re-election in 2014 who voted for Obamacare, both in 2009 and last month.
The 13 Democratic senators up for re-election in 2014 who voted for Obamacare, both in 2009 and last month.
Here are the Dirty Baker’s Dozen:
- Mark Begich (Alaska)
- Mark Pryor (Arkansas)
- Mark Udall (Colorado)
- Mary Landrieu (Louisiana)
- Al Franken (Minnesota)
- Max “Trainwreck” Baucus (Montana)
- Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire)
- Tom Udall (New Mexico)
- Kay Hagan (North Carolina)
- Jeff Merkeley (Oregon)
- Tim Johnson (South Dakota)
- Mark Warner (Virginia)
- Jay Rockefeller (West Virginia)
It is time for these politicians to find other work.
House Republicans plan to pass more narrow funding bills in an effort to get some of the government running again.
House Republicans plan to pass more narrow funding bills in an effort to get some of the government running again.
In recent days, House Republicans have advanced several bills targeting high-profile areas of the government impacted by the shutdown, such as national parks, veterans’ benefits and the National Institutes of Health. In turn, they have pressed Senate Democrats to take up the measures and ensure that at least some portions of the government can be funded while the two sides search for a broader compromise. Thus far, Senate Democrats and the White House have rejected that approach, pushing back on Republicans to accept a plan to fund the entire government at sequester levels.
Bills to fund the government have been passed by the House, controlled by Republicans. The Senate, controlled by Democrats, refuses to even look at them, even though those bills contain nothing in them that the Democrats specifically disagree with. Whose causing this shutdown then?
“It’s day two of health care reform, and we have yet to have someone successfully register on the marketplace.”
Not finding out what’s in it: “It’s day two of health care reform, and we have yet to have someone successfully register on the marketplace.”
The story is only one of many, all of which have found that no one has successfully been able to register for Obamacare on the government-run websites.
But don’t worry: President Obama and the Democrats are willing to shut down everything rather than have the disaster of Obamacare delayed for even one second!
Even as the Republicans in the House continue to pass budget bills for funding the government — with some Democratic support — Obama and the Democratic leadership continue to refuse to negotiate.
Even as the Republicans in the House continue to pass budget bills for funding the government — with some Democratic support — Obama and the Democratic leadership continue to refuse to negotiate.
I find it revealing that the author of the article above claims that “Republican unity is beginning to fray” when it is the Democrats who are beginning to vote with the Republicans. For example, in the very next paragraph after making this claim the article states that
The bill to fund the national parks passed on a 252-173 vote, while the measure to fund NIH cleared on a 254-171 vote. In both cases, about two dozen Democrats joined with the GOP. [emphasis mine]
On all these votes it is the Republicans in the House who have been united, while the Democrats unity is failing. It seems to me that if the Republicans keep submitting these bills, the Democrats will eventually fold. For example, today Harry Reid was asked why he has even blocked a funding bill that would fund children’s cancer research and answered most awkwardly, “Why would I do that?”
Politically, the Democrats cannot survive more of these kinds of embarrassments.
The House Republicans plan to offer separate funding bills to the Democrats in an effort to get parts of the government back in operation.
The House Republicans plan to offer separate funding bills to the Democrats in an effort to get parts of the government back in operation.
This is about the fifth proposal the Republicans have offered to fund the government, all of which have been rejected by the Democrats without even the courtesy of polite conversation. And it appears that the Democrats are already saying they will reject these bills as well.
In straight party line votes, the Democrats in Congress once again voted for Obamacare, refusing to even consider a one year delay in some of its provisions in order to keep the government running.
In straight party line votes, the Democrats in Congress today once again voted for Obamacare, refusing to even consider a one year delay in some of its provisions in order to keep the government running.
The Senate voted for the second time Monday to kill a Republican counter-offer that would rein in ObamaCare while funding the government, kicking the bill back to the House with only a couple hours left on the clock before the government begins to shut down. Lawmakers are facing a midnight deadline to reach an agreement on a government spending bill. Senate Democrats vow they will not accept any proposal that targets ObamaCare. The latest House bill would have delayed the law’s individual mandate while prohibiting lawmakers, their staff and top administration officials from getting government subsidies for their health care.
The Senate voted 54-46 along party lines to reject it. [emphasis mine]
My description of this story above is not how most news outlets are covering the story, since it spins the story in favor of the Republicans. However, the fact remains that the Democrats continue to demand that Obamacare be enforced, come hell or high water. No compromise, no negotiation, no discussion will be allowed, even if that means the entire federal government will go down in flames.
Personally, I am not worried about a government shutdown. It will be generally as harmless as sequestration was, especially since both parties came to an agreement to fund the military, which will not shutdown. Stories like this, about how NASA will be shutdown almost entirely, are mostly repeating overstatements and lies by the administration. Some projects will get delayed, others stalled, but nothing important will likely be lost.
And yes, we still intend to hike tomorrow in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, even if the Park Service tells us it is closed.
Why the House should stand firm.
Why the House should stand firm.
When President Barack Obama is willing to negotiate with Russian, Syrian and Iranian leaders but unwilling to negotiate with the U.S. House of Representatives, it is time for the House to stand firm. When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says, according to unnamed sources quoted in Politico, that he will refuse to attend a negotiation at the White House because House Republicans have to cave and surrender to his terms, it is time to stand firm. When a senior, unnamed Democratic official is quoted Monday morning calling for no negotiations and saying “it’s time to punch the bully in the nose,” it is time to stand firm. When Obama spends a week making three partisan speeches attacking Republicans and then calls House Speaker John Boehner to tell him, “I will not negotiate,” it is time to stand firm.
It is a sad commentary on Obama’s attitude toward the elected majority of the House of Representatives that he could have a more pleasant conversation with the head of the Iranian dictatorship than with the elected leader of the U.S. House.
Just once in my life I would like to see the conservatives stand firm and not back down. What the Republicans are demanding is not unreasonable, and considering the numerous problems being caused by Obamacare, quite relevant and appropriate. If the Democrats discover they can get their way in even these circumstances, then their behavior in the coming years will become far more intolerant and uncompromising.
“It is the Democrats who have taken an absolutist position.”
“It is the Democrats who have taken an absolutist position.”
The rest of the quote makes this point even clearer.
I’d like to repeal every word of the law. But that wasn’t my position even in this fight – my position in this fight was, we should defund it, which is different from repeal….Even now what the House of Representatives has done is a step removed from defunding – it’s delaying it. Now that’s the essence of a compromise. For all of us who want to see it repealed, simply delaying it for American families on the same terms as has been done for American corporations – that’s a compromise.
Guess who said it.
I repeat that this budget battle illustrates to everyone that the Democrats are willing to shut down the government rather than deal with the terrible problems their terrible law has caused. They imposed Obamcare on everyone without any negotiation or compromise, and remain unwilling to even consider any discussion or changes.
It is their baby, and since they are willing to practically die for it, maybe the voters should give them what they want.
Ten states where Obamacare has wiped out health insurance.
Finding out what’s in it: Ten states where Obamacare has wiped out health insurance.
Read it. The details are quite horrible.
But don’t worry. President Obama and the Democrats in Congress are willing to shut down the government rather than even simply delay the implementation of this law for one year. For them, this law must stand, and that’s all there is to it.
Republicans vent frustration over their internal battles over stopping Obamacare.
Republicans vent frustration over their internal battles over stopping Obamacare.
I link this article, describing the conflicts within the Republican Party over tactics, to note that while these idiots and the press (both liberal and conservative) are focusing on these minor differences, the main point is being completely missed: The Democrats just voted again to endorse Obamacare and make sure that horrible law stays in force.
We know that almost every Republican wants to stop and repeal this law. All they are arguing over is tactics. What counts here is that the Democrats still support Obamacare, and have just demonstrated this to every voter. If the Republican leadership had any brains (something I sincerely now doubt), they would be focusing on this fact in every conversation with the press, continually. Similarly, the conservative press is acting stupid as well, focusing on these minor tactical battles rather than the fact that the Democrats continue to support this disaster of a law, despite the harm it is doing to Americans.
All but two Democrats walk out of Benghazi hearing to avoid hearing testimony of victims’ families.
Leftwing open-mindedness: All but two Democrats walk out of Benghazi hearing to avoid hearing testimony from victims’ families.
“Democrats are just goddamned liars.”
“Democrats are just goddamned liars.”
He is referring to professional Democrats, not your typical Democrat voter. To continue:
The fact that one of their more politically useful falsehoods nowadays is telling black people that their problems are caused by white racism should not require us to treat that lie any more seriously than we do any other Democrat lie.
When Democrats say we need “a conversation on race,” what they really mean is they want to have a monologue, a tedious lecture about all the evils perpetrated against black people by those evil racist Republicans. Your part of the “conversation” is, shut up.
“Are these people [bloggers and tweeters] journalists and entitled to constitutional protection?”
A Democratic Senator analyzes the First Amendment: “Are these people [bloggers and tweeters] journalists and entitled to constitutional protection?”
Yeah, makes sense. Protect some people, but really, no one ever thought the first amendment applied to those people.
A dozen Democrats are calling for action on global warming because it might cause women to become hookers.
Is there nothing global warming can’t do? A dozen Democrats are calling for action on global warming because it might cause women to become hookers.
I shouldn’t be surprised by this idiocy. These are the same politicians that voted for Obamacare without even reading the bill.