2013
Does the title of this blog post need any additional comment?
If Republicans think they will ever repeal Obamacare or if they do, Americans will vote for them, they are nuts … but given they are politicians, where is the big revelation?
I don’t care what the polls say, every day that goes by more Americans like what they get from Obamacare. They are not asking what it costs, what massive bureaucracy is being created or what new taxes others will pay. These Americans both Republican and Democrat know they get this or that “free”,they know they don’t have to pay for their 25 year olds coverage or as much for prescriptions under Medicare. They know in a few months the government will pay part of their premiums, COBRA costs will go away and they believe the government has stuck it to those bad insurance and drug companies.
If politicians looked and listened to more than polls of likely voters, they would know how people really feel. I recall back in 1965 the vehement opposition to Medicare. My own boss, a benefits manager for a large employer, testified in Congress on behalf of the chamber of commerce opposing Medicare. Can you imagine any employer opposing Medicare today?
Find me people who want Obamacare repealed in total and I will show you seriously misinformed Americans, both as to the law and the alternatives. There is no question a lot needs to be fixed and simplified, but that needs to be done in conjunction with serious thought and understanding of the issues, not knee jerk reaction to voter opinions based on little more than rhetoric.
Seriously, you guys in the House look like fools. Do some serious thinking and stop with the political nonsense. The fact is Republican game playing is preventing serious reflection on the desirable changes to the law while each day the regulatory burden grows and the situation becomes worse.
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
And, of course you are right. People who get free stuff, or subsidies, paid by others won’t complain. Today’ s average worker often pays more for other people’s Medicare part a, other people’s Medicaid, other people’s Medicare part b & d, and soon, other people’s exchange coverage, pay more for each, than they pay for their own coverage. PPACA continues and feeds the long sought solution favored by most Americans … As I once heard a person in a focus group exclaim: I want the best coverage YOUR money will buy.
You are probably right that without specific price tags, and with the shift of costs to future generations, by running deficits and under funding Medicare, that PPACA is safe from full repeal after 1/1/14 – even if the house, senate and White House are all controlled by r’s at some future date – once the status quo is destroyed… You can’t go back.
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The reason to keep offering this is simple – some r’s and d’s are new to the congress and they get to vote and register their position. And for d’s, they have the added bonus of a Kerry position 180 degrees out … I was for it before I was against it … Now that the senate and white house have their backs they can vote to overturn safely as a tactic to get re-elected Else, good luck in the 2014 mid terms in contested races. No, I am not a cynic … Just a realist.
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This post makes a lot of sense. I wish congress would get the message.
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Amen to that, Mr. Quinn! It’s difficult to believe that the constituents of the House Republican obstructionists will return them to office because they don’t want anything to get done in Congress.
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Nailed this one on the head.
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