It’s domestic terrorism. The tea party republicans are spiritual brethren to Timothy McVeigh.
They couldn’t achieve their goals legislatively, so they’ve resorted to blackmail instead. It’s the tyranny of a gerrymandered minority. They all belong in jail.
In 2004 Howard Dean was adamant that health care could not be reformed, presumably because as a physician he was aware of how much influence the medical industry wields.
I presume there must be many concessions made, not just a law that states, “Insurance companies may only charge x amount for health insurance, and may refuse no one.”
As a big fat lefty liberal, I agree with the spirit (but not necessarily every single sentence) of that very well thought out post by Spice Weasel.
The way that obamacare was passed and voted on was not optimal. And they should have done a better job educating people what it was all about. Obama ran his 2008 campaign on a promise of UHC with NO individual mandate, and he buckled on that. The public was right to be upset with him.
Obamacare was a mistake and I wouldn’t be broken hearted to see it repealed and replaced with a better UHC option (single payer, public option, or socialized medicine).
But the way the republicans are acting is ridiculously evil. And I hope it destroys them.
Just revisiting to say that now that the House Republicans actually went over the cliff, I’m really pissed off at them.
Make a note:
If the country is still around long enough to once again have an intelligent, rational government, amend Constitution to either:
Allow either House or Senate to introduce budget and related legislation
Require all budgets to be solely about budgets, including funding for all lawfully functions of the Government with no amendments or “riders”. Anyone attempting to use the budget to subvert legislation is guilty of Treason.
We could, alternately, re-define Treason as "attempt to prevent the normal operation of the Government.
We might hit an innocent or two the first time out, but the prospect of public hanging on the Capitol Building steps will maybe make those asshats in OK who proudly voted to “shut down the Government” unless a law is repealed (yes, really, they said that) maybe rent a second brain cell.
Which requires more brain power:
realizing that defaulting on the public debt is NOT a good way to balance the budget (I’ve heard that from putative adults)
-OR-
shutting down the government and forcing a default on the public debt is not a good way to win a vote you lost 44 times in a row?
So the party in the minority can oppose without compromise, and the party in the majority is expected to compromise.
Odd take on democracy.
Especially when the majority party already compromised on UHC, which is what many of us actually wanted.
Close. Peter Stone’s script begins
"One useless man is called a disgrace. Two are called a law firm. And three or more become a Congress. And by god I have had THIS Congress. "
That well-known left-wing magazine Forbes reports only 1/3 of those polled support repealing, defunding, or delaying Obamacare.
CNBC polled two different groups, using “ObamaCare” for one and “Affordable Care Act” for the other. Forty-six percent of the group asked about “ObamaCare” opposed it. But only 37% of those asked about the health law opposed it. That should tell you a lot about the polls and those polled.
Nitpick. It passed with one Republican house vote not zero. But the reason it got almost no Republican votes was not a lack of support, but enforced party unity. Many of the ideas in the law like the individual mandate were originally Republican ideas. It was the explicitly-stated Republican attempt to ensure that Obama was a one-term president which led to a great-deal of the voting opposition.
I think Obamacare is a dangerous piece of legislation. I have long been a supporter of universal healthcare, because I think a prosperous country should take care of its citizens. But Obamacare is a train wreck. NO ONE understands it, including the people who authored it. It’s still more of an idea than an action plan. And if the democrats had any sense, they’d voluntarily delay its implementation so that they can work out the details and present a fully-baked plan to the country. They should take their time to get it done RIGHT because learning as we go along is far too expensive, especially with our tenuous economy. That includes getting input from citizens, the medical field, the insurance field, small businesses, large businesses, etc. And if the Republicans refuse to participate in that process, because they still haven’t gotten over the fact that it passed, then so be it.
So while I want my Congressmen to fight tooth and nail to delay it, I still want them to work within the framework of the Constitution to make that happen. Our forefathers created this great system to force us to compromise and work together. Packing up your marbles and going home in a snit is immature, imbecilic, and counter-productive to GOVERNING.
The medical and insurance fields like things just the way they are.
They make a lot of money.
I’m sure that the big oil companies liked the way things were, too. That doesn’t mean you fail to engage them in alternative energy discussions. Quite the contrary. Who better to ask? They’re the experts, and they wield a lot of power. Let them be a part of the dialogue, so that they are a part of the solution instead of a bitter opponent of it.
Were I a big oil guy and asked to consult, I should lie through my teeth to keep making money.
So would John D. Rockefeller. 
I’d talk to some engineers that they fired. 