"Obamacare" repeal- can ya justify it?

[Velokid1]

OK, I think donkeys and elephants are both silly, but it just so happens that the elephants tend to baffle me more often, so I have a question about them.

They just rallied to vote on a repeal of "Obamacare." (Gotta love the Rush-isms that have become their new language.)
These same people have latched onto the "no government spending!" war cry in the last few years and have proceeded to beat the damn thing to death.
And yet, this "repeal" is seen by them as doomed and was a symbolic gesture only.

Now... HOW much taxpayer money has been spent on organizing this repeal, and how are they trying to justify it?

It's okay to waste money for symbolic purposes and political gain. It's only bad to waste money when you're trying to put actual programs into action on the ground, I guess?

I'm guessing they would choose to not feed a hungry man a hot meal for $3 and would instead prefer to instead dress his empty plate up with gold-plated feathers?

[turk]

No Einstein, it's now going to be debated for real, what this bill should have, rather than crammed down the nation's collective throat in a jiffy for political reasons. Remember how it was a crisis and had to be done that year, before the holiday recess, because the economy was gonna tank if not, and blah, blah, blah Now hopefully, this will be seriously debated over the next year or two and a sensible long-term plan for reform passed.

[hambone]

Knock it off, Richard. You should run for office: "A bowl of puke in every IAC thread".

[Velokid1]

No Einstein, it's now going to be debated for real, what this bill should have, rather than crammed down the nation's collective throat in a jiffy for political reasons. Remember how it was a crisis and had to be done that year, before the holiday recess, because the economy was gonna tank if not, and blah, blah, blah Now hopefully, this will be seriously debated over the next year or two and a sensible long-term plan for reform passed.

Thanks for the reply and the compliment.

That would be a good point if it weren't so glaringly disingenuous on the GOP's part. I don't believe they don't want to reform healthcare in the way that most Americans want and need. What they want is for healthcare to be 100% privatized and for everyone to pay their own way. They say so explicitly and often. And there's no room there for compassion; only accusatory, self-righteous lip service about "the American way." They don't want to alter Obama's plan to "make it reasonable.". What they want is to stop it completely and protect the current privatized healthcare system, "tweaking" it only insofar as removing "socialist" programs like Medicare.

[Sylvester]

Dear God, please repeal this bill so more people will die needless deaths. I know in 10, yea 20 years I shall not need it, for I will be forever employed and in good heath until I just collapse in a heap at a ripe old age. And I am firmly convinced those that speak the loudest for it's downfall will never need it either, or their children or loved ones. Please God strike this damned bill from the law books so that I can watch those without health-care insurance writhe in agony when they cannot afford it, and despair when they cannot repay it and carry that debt for years and years in toil and grief. Take it away because we know not what we deserve, or need, perhaps we will get nothing and like it. Reminds me of the war prayer:

For our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimmage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet!

We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.

[vdubyah73]

Thats how politics work. compare to negotiating the price to buy a nice bus. not real nice just nice. The seller is going to ask a for a big price, the buyer offers less. They try to meet somewhere toward the middle. Learned that one in kindergarten too. The wings of both parties are howling the loudest right now. Joe Lieberman has announced he retiring at the end of his term. Harry Ried has said he won't even let it go to vote, stall it in committee..........How come he won't let it go to a vote??? Afraid that a few skittish dems, worried about their re-election bid already, will follow Lieberman and vote with the reps on this?

[airkooledchris]

No Einstein, it's now going to be debated for real, what this bill should have, rather than crammed down the nation's collective throat in a jiffy for political reasons. Remember how it was a crisis and had to be done that year, before the holiday recess, because the economy was gonna tank if not, and blah, blah, blah Now hopefully, this will be seriously debated over the next year or two and a sensible long-term plan for reform passed.

there sure are a lot of uncomfortable throats in today's political arena

when your side does it, it's been seriously debated and makes sense.
when the other side does it, it was crammed/rammed/jammed down someone's throat.

wash, rinse, repeat.

[airkooledchris]

Thats how politics work. compare to negotiating the price to buy a nice bus. not real nice just nice. The seller is going to ask a for a big price, the buyer offers less. They try to meet somewhere toward the middle. Learned that one in kindergarten too. The wings of both parties are howling the loudest right now. Joe Lieberman has announced he retiring at the end of his term. Harry Ried has said he won't even let it go to vote, stall it in committee..........How come he won't let it go to a vote??? Afraid that a few skittish dems, worried about their re-election bid already, will follow Lieberman and vote with the reps on this?

yea, what are ya, YELLA?

[turk]

What's my side? Not your side? Who says that? Everyone gets health care at some point. I agree, from reading this blog and others it needs reform. I don't know the technical ins and outs, but last year's bill didn't help me understand it any better that's for sure. So, a public forum, taken in ample time to make the project better understood and agreeable seems like a better way to go than what was. Remember, "We'll find out what's in the bill after we pass it"? Okaaaay.

[RussellK]

Repeal is not the answer. Tweak it. That was the plan all along wasn't it? Why can't the Republicans come to the table with a plan ready to work like adults instead of puffing up their chests like little schoolboys trying to impress themselves? Because the only plan they have is to return to status quo.

[locoqueso]

I believe very little of "healthcare reform" had to do with real reform: it was more about who was goimg to pay for what, rather than reducing the cost of healthcare to make it affordable: I doubt anyone really understood what they were voting for at the time: It was pushed through way too fast. Real healthcare reform will have to come from health insurance companies, healthcare providers, drug companies, and the people. Everyone will have to contribute in order to reform the beast.

[turk]

Repeal is not the answer. Tweak it. That was the plan all along wasn't it? Why can't the Republicans come to the table with a plan ready to work like adults instead of puffing up their chests like little schoolboys trying to impress themselves? Because the only plan they have is to return to status quo.

There ya' go. Now they must come up with something. I agree. Politics are not pretty. Until the due process is truly completed and something reasonable everyone can live with is done. That's democracy.

[Amskeptic]

I cannot stand by while my friends on this forum parrot the Fox News puke.
This health care bill was not "crammed down our throats" in some crazy hurry. It was exhaustively worked on for over eight months! It was claimed at the time, that the Congress wasted a whole year debating the healthcare bill when it should have been about jobs. So who the fuck is claiming that it was some rushed crammed bill? Please. Not here.

Please note that Obama's approval ratings are going up while the Republican approval rating is already diving down into unheard-of lows. This symbolic stupidity vote, this colossal blundering blustery ego-fest is likely to backfire big-time. And the most recent tactic is going to be to attempt to starve the funding of implementation. Good luck with that, Boehner.
Colin

[RussellK]

I cannot stand by while my friends on this forum parrot the Fox News puke.

Colin

Who do you hear parroting that. Look this bill is not great. I'm not even thoroughly convinced its good. Yes, at least its something. Listen. I've been waiting since Hillary had her stab at reform. After that long wait this is what we came up with? A gift to the insurance companies? A gift to the providers? This bill needed more work. Much more. The process was derailed by politics and gamesmanship from both sides of the aisle. OK that's how the process works. Lawmaking is ugly. Big lawmaking is even uglier. The public acting like spoiled children waiting for their cookie grew weary of the subject. A product had to be produced and this was the end result. I applaud President Obama for pushing through something he could actually put ink to. That's farther than anyone before him got. But lets not kid ourselves. There's more work that needs to be done. So forgive me if I'm not doing backflips and handsprings.

[hambone]

Yeah the bill was watered down, horrible. And blocked, repeatedly.
Meanwhile people are getting filthy rich from other's suffering and death. That is FUCKED UP.
What makes people so cold? It's a scary country we live in. Nukes, crack babies, starvation. All in the name of freedom? That's not freedom.