Wait, so "Gift-gate" is no longer a trending meme? Well, you heard it here first (as you, our faithful readers, usually do).
All of a sudden, Adam Laxalt (R) is searching for a new "political issue" to run on. So now, he's actually taking to the airwaves to outright lie about Ross Miller (D), his oppoent in the Attorney General race.
Believe it or not, Adam Laxalt is now claiming Ross Miller leaked the scathing legal evaluations from Laxalt's law firm. The trouble with Laxalt's claim is that there's no truth to it. Jon Ralston actually made the documents public, someone at Lewis & Roca leaked the documents to him, and Ross Miller's campaign had nothing to do with that.
It's funny that Laxalt wants to talk about those documents again. After all, those documents revealed to everyone exactly why Adam Laxalt (R) is woefully unprepared to serve as Nevada's top "legal eagle". So why does he want to remind us of the (lack of) qualifications he has for the office he's running for?
And why again is Adam Laxalt (again) refusing to run on his own "political issues"? Considering what's making headlines today, why won't Laxalt talk about his ongoing crusade against marriage equality and the overall Constitutional rights of LGBTQ Nevadans?
Doesn't he want to further explain his "most flawed case against Obamacare? And why wouldn't he want to impress us with his depth of knowledge on the state's open meeting laws?
Poor (little rich guy) Adam Laxalt. He just can't get over his many "political issues". But sadly for him, a whole lot of Nevadans are so over his campaign.
Showing posts with label Affordable Care Act. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Affordable Care Act. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Qualified?
Who could have guessed? Who could have guessed he would go there?
Oh, yes. That's right. We did.
Back in February, outgoing State Assembly Member and current NV-04 candidate Cresent Hardy (R) decided to expound on his philosophy of "segreation laws". According to Hardy, ENDA, civil marriage equality, and other policies aimed at ending wrongful discrimination are somehow "segregation laws". And "by continuing to create these laws that are what I call segregation laws, it puts one class of a person over another".
Yep, we also have trouble following his logic (or lack thereof) there. However, we had a feeling that wouldn't be the last time Cresent Hardy would try to explain his philosophy of "segregation laws". Oh, no. He went there again last Thursday at Falcon Ridge Golf Club in Mesquite.
Oh, really. So now, "women, minorities, and young voters" are the reason why everything has gone wrong? And they're the reason why the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) is destroying the country?
Here's a news flash for Cresent Hardy: Obamacare is actually helping the country. As of September 18, 7.3 million Americans have enrolled in health insurance plans through the Obamacare exchanges. The rate of uninsured Americans has dropped precipitously since Obamacare implementation began. And another 8 million Americans have obtained health insurance coverage through the Medicaid/CHIP expansion that Obamacare made possible.
Last Thursday, Hardy tried to blame President Obama and the Members of Congress who voted for the Affordable Care Act for Nevada's exchange problems. Here's another news flash for Cresent Hardy: He was one of the state legislators who voted to approve Governor Brian Sandoval's (R) plan. And now that we've all had to learn the hard way that outsourcing doesn't always work out the way we wanted, Governor Sandoval has agreed to move Nevada onto the very federal Obamacare exchange that Hardy's fellow G-O-TEA Culture Warriors were screaming about last fall.
Ironically, Cresent Hardy chided others over financial woes last Thursday at his Falcon Ridge Golf Club fundraiser... While refusing to take responsibility for his own financial woes. Even though Hardy was the one in charge when Legacy Construction & Development filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, he spoke as if bankruptcy court was somehow a blessing for everyone. Perhaps Hardy hit the jackpot when his partner bought him out, but we doubt others affected by Hardy's mismanagement of Legacy were as happy about that.
Yet while Cresent Hardy spoke about Legacy's little bankruptcy issue, he didn't speak about the other issue that's launched his former company back into the news: Highland Hills. People have become ill as they've discovered their homes lie on top of an unsealed landfill. And many of these Highland Hills houses are actually sinking as their foundations are coming apart.
Last May, Cresent Hardy provided a rare candid moment when he admitted, "The reason that I feel qualified to do this is I don't." (See the video above.) That truly says it all. And perhaps he should have cut himself off right there. After all, his "segregation laws" philosophy, his continued refusal to take any responsibility for the Highland Hills fiasco, his continued refusal to take any responsibility for the Legacy bankruptcy, and his blatant dishonesty over Obamacare really prove his point.
Oh, yes. That's right. We did.
Back in February, outgoing State Assembly Member and current NV-04 candidate Cresent Hardy (R) decided to expound on his philosophy of "segreation laws". According to Hardy, ENDA, civil marriage equality, and other policies aimed at ending wrongful discrimination are somehow "segregation laws". And "by continuing to create these laws that are what I call segregation laws, it puts one class of a person over another".
Yep, we also have trouble following his logic (or lack thereof) there. However, we had a feeling that wouldn't be the last time Cresent Hardy would try to explain his philosophy of "segregation laws". Oh, no. He went there again last Thursday at Falcon Ridge Golf Club in Mesquite.
Women, minorities and young voters are the reason the country is in trouble, according to Nevada Assemblyman Cresent Hardy, who is running for 4th District Congressional seat.
Hardy said they were the ones who elected President Barack Obama, which led to the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act, among other things.
Oh, really. So now, "women, minorities, and young voters" are the reason why everything has gone wrong? And they're the reason why the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) is destroying the country?
Here's a news flash for Cresent Hardy: Obamacare is actually helping the country. As of September 18, 7.3 million Americans have enrolled in health insurance plans through the Obamacare exchanges. The rate of uninsured Americans has dropped precipitously since Obamacare implementation began. And another 8 million Americans have obtained health insurance coverage through the Medicaid/CHIP expansion that Obamacare made possible.
Last Thursday, Hardy tried to blame President Obama and the Members of Congress who voted for the Affordable Care Act for Nevada's exchange problems. Here's another news flash for Cresent Hardy: He was one of the state legislators who voted to approve Governor Brian Sandoval's (R) plan. And now that we've all had to learn the hard way that outsourcing doesn't always work out the way we wanted, Governor Sandoval has agreed to move Nevada onto the very federal Obamacare exchange that Hardy's fellow G-O-TEA Culture Warriors were screaming about last fall.
Ironically, Cresent Hardy chided others over financial woes last Thursday at his Falcon Ridge Golf Club fundraiser... While refusing to take responsibility for his own financial woes. Even though Hardy was the one in charge when Legacy Construction & Development filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, he spoke as if bankruptcy court was somehow a blessing for everyone. Perhaps Hardy hit the jackpot when his partner bought him out, but we doubt others affected by Hardy's mismanagement of Legacy were as happy about that.
Yet while Cresent Hardy spoke about Legacy's little bankruptcy issue, he didn't speak about the other issue that's launched his former company back into the news: Highland Hills. People have become ill as they've discovered their homes lie on top of an unsealed landfill. And many of these Highland Hills houses are actually sinking as their foundations are coming apart.
Last May, Cresent Hardy provided a rare candid moment when he admitted, "The reason that I feel qualified to do this is I don't." (See the video above.) That truly says it all. And perhaps he should have cut himself off right there. After all, his "segregation laws" philosophy, his continued refusal to take any responsibility for the Highland Hills fiasco, his continued refusal to take any responsibility for the Legacy bankruptcy, and his blatant dishonesty over Obamacare really prove his point.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Unhealthful Hot Air
Last week, we had the tale of the dueling appellate court rulings. This week, we just have a whole lot of hot air.
G-O-TEA media spinners had seized on comments made by Obamacare/Affordable Care Act (ACA) architect Jonathan Gruber suggesting that health insurance tax credits truly are supposed to be denied to consumers in the 36 states operating in the federal health insurance exchange. They figured this was their "smoking gun". But then, Jonathan Gruber himself refuted their misinterpretation of something he said 2 years ago.
And then, there's this. Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant (R) blamed President Obama and the ACA for what may be a growing number of uninsured Mississippi residents. He also declined to admit he refused to allow ACA Medicaid expansion in Mississippi, and that he's taken additional steps to disrupt ACA implementation in his state. Whoops.
Oh, and let's not forget House Speaker John Boehner (R-Courvoisier) and his incredibly confusing USA Today op-ed. He declared he's as fervently opposed to Obamacare as ever... And that's why he'spreparing to impeach suing President Obama to implement Obamacare more quickly?! Oops?
Thanks to Obamacare, more Americans have health insurance. And Medicare is more solvent. And the federal budget dedicit is dropping. And states not run by G-O-TEA radicals (including Nevada) want to keep those lower insurance rates. And all this success is making G-O-TEA politicians livid.
So they're suing. And they're whining. And they're complaining. And of course, they're spinning.
They just fail to recognize all this toxic hot air isn't healthful. Really, they need to step back. Oh, and they should see how Obamacare gives them better options in treating what we hope isn't a preexisting condition.
G-O-TEA media spinners had seized on comments made by Obamacare/Affordable Care Act (ACA) architect Jonathan Gruber suggesting that health insurance tax credits truly are supposed to be denied to consumers in the 36 states operating in the federal health insurance exchange. They figured this was their "smoking gun". But then, Jonathan Gruber himself refuted their misinterpretation of something he said 2 years ago.
And then, there's this. Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant (R) blamed President Obama and the ACA for what may be a growing number of uninsured Mississippi residents. He also declined to admit he refused to allow ACA Medicaid expansion in Mississippi, and that he's taken additional steps to disrupt ACA implementation in his state. Whoops.
Oh, and let's not forget House Speaker John Boehner (R-Courvoisier) and his incredibly confusing USA Today op-ed. He declared he's as fervently opposed to Obamacare as ever... And that's why he's
Thanks to Obamacare, more Americans have health insurance. And Medicare is more solvent. And the federal budget dedicit is dropping. And states not run by G-O-TEA radicals (including Nevada) want to keep those lower insurance rates. And all this success is making G-O-TEA politicians livid.
So they're suing. And they're whining. And they're complaining. And of course, they're spinning.
They just fail to recognize all this toxic hot air isn't healthful. Really, they need to step back. Oh, and they should see how Obamacare gives them better options in treating what we hope isn't a preexisting condition.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Ironic
Yesterday, we witnessed the tale of the conflicting appellate court rulings. While a 3 judge panel of the DC Circuit Federal Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to strike down Obamacare health insurance tax credits for working class families in 36 states, a 3 judge panel of the nearby Fourth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals voted unanimously to uphold the Obamacare/Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits. Of course, the usual G-O-TEA suspects cheered on the DC Circuit ruling. And of course, that means the usual G-O-TEA suspects want to raise taxes on the middle class & working poor.
Wait, what?! Oh, yes. That's right. 87% of Obamacare enrollees in the 36 states under the federal health insurance exchange would lose their tax credits if the plaintiffs succeed in Halbig v. Burwell. So essentially, they'd have to pay higher taxes. And health insurance premiums for all consumers in these 36 states would rise by an average of 76%. Oh, and some 6.5 million Americans would lose insurance coverage. So basically, G-O-TEA politicians are cheering on a health insurance "death spiral" that would result in higher taxes and less health care for many millions of Americans. (Just don't tell them they lost in King v. Burwell, and their chances of killing Obamacare in court don't look good going forward.)
Where's Grover Norquist? Where are the "TEA" fueled purists? We thought they were against raising taxes. And we thought they didn't want consumers hit with higher costs.
Perhaps they were too busy demanding the arrests (and firings) of working mothers? Debra Harrell was just fired by McDonald's after she was arrested for letting her daughter play in a park. No really, she was arrested for letting her 9 year old daughter play outside. And she was essentially arrested for being too poor to afford day care.
But wait, whatever happened to "LIBERTY!!!" Whatever happened to "FREEDOM!!!"? Whatever happened to "DON'T TREAD ON ME!!!"? Apparently for the usual G-O-TEA suspects, it's perfectly OK for "BIG GUV'MINT!!!" to arrest working parents for letting their kids play outside because they're too poor to afford summer camp.
Isn't it ironic? For all the G-O-TEA talk of "low taxes" and "limited government", they want the working poor to pay higher taxes and face police state style oversight simply because they work at or near minimum wage level pay? Why is this? Might it be due to their desire for "low taxes" and "limited government" only for those who can afford it?
Might we possibly be witnessing a tale of a party spouting an ideology rooted in paradox? Or do these "TEA" powered politicians just detest the middle class and working poor so much that they just don't care about their nonsensical "philosophy of governance"?
Wait, what?! Oh, yes. That's right. 87% of Obamacare enrollees in the 36 states under the federal health insurance exchange would lose their tax credits if the plaintiffs succeed in Halbig v. Burwell. So essentially, they'd have to pay higher taxes. And health insurance premiums for all consumers in these 36 states would rise by an average of 76%. Oh, and some 6.5 million Americans would lose insurance coverage. So basically, G-O-TEA politicians are cheering on a health insurance "death spiral" that would result in higher taxes and less health care for many millions of Americans. (Just don't tell them they lost in King v. Burwell, and their chances of killing Obamacare in court don't look good going forward.)
Where's Grover Norquist? Where are the "TEA" fueled purists? We thought they were against raising taxes. And we thought they didn't want consumers hit with higher costs.
Perhaps they were too busy demanding the arrests (and firings) of working mothers? Debra Harrell was just fired by McDonald's after she was arrested for letting her daughter play in a park. No really, she was arrested for letting her 9 year old daughter play outside. And she was essentially arrested for being too poor to afford day care.
But wait, whatever happened to "LIBERTY!!!" Whatever happened to "FREEDOM!!!"? Whatever happened to "DON'T TREAD ON ME!!!"? Apparently for the usual G-O-TEA suspects, it's perfectly OK for "BIG GUV'MINT!!!" to arrest working parents for letting their kids play outside because they're too poor to afford summer camp.
Isn't it ironic? For all the G-O-TEA talk of "low taxes" and "limited government", they want the working poor to pay higher taxes and face police state style oversight simply because they work at or near minimum wage level pay? Why is this? Might it be due to their desire for "low taxes" and "limited government" only for those who can afford it?
Might we possibly be witnessing a tale of a party spouting an ideology rooted in paradox? Or do these "TEA" powered politicians just detest the middle class and working poor so much that they just don't care about their nonsensical "philosophy of governance"?
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Frivolous Law Suit
They couldn't stop it when it was originally in Congress. They couldn't gather enough votes to repeal it thereafter. They couldn't get it completely overturned in court. And they couldn't defeat the President who fought for the bill and signed it into law.
So now, they're doing whatever they can to undermine it. And if that means striking a painful blow to working families, so be it. If that means making health insurance unaffordable for 6.5 million Americans, so be it.
Earlier today, a 3 judge panel on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in Halbig v. Burwell. It just so happens that 2 of those judges are Republican appointees, and 1 in particular has been notorious for his ideological tirades from the bench. So of course, it was a 2-1 vote to essentially blow up Obamacare by removing health insurance tax credits from the 36 states on the federal health insurance exchange. (And now that Nevada's exchange is a state/federal partnership, we may be affected by this ruling.)
This ruling isn't the end of this story, far from it. The Obama Administration will request an en banc hearing of the full court. And since the full DC Circuit Court now has an 8-5 Democratic/Republican composition, there's more than a decent chance this 3 judge panel decision will be overturned by the full court.
And then, there's this. At the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, a 3 judge panel ruled in favor of the defendants in King v. Burwell. And that ruling was unanimous. Here's what Senior Judge Andre Davis wrote in the unanimous panel decision.
So now, we have 2 competing 3 judge panel decisions. And both look set to receive en banc reviews. And both may end up at the door of the US Supreme Court (where the majority already upheld the foundation of the Affordable Care Act in June 2012).
They couldn't stop it in 2010. They couldn't repeal it in 2011. They couldn't sue it to death or defeat the President who championed it in 2012. And they couldn't even shut down the government to defund it to death in 2013. So now, the usual G-O-TEA suspects are back in court in yet another last ditch effort to sue it to death today. They don't mind hurting millions of Americans just to score political points... And they still don't realize the futility of their frivolous law suits and careless obstruction.
So now, they're doing whatever they can to undermine it. And if that means striking a painful blow to working families, so be it. If that means making health insurance unaffordable for 6.5 million Americans, so be it.
Earlier today, a 3 judge panel on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in Halbig v. Burwell. It just so happens that 2 of those judges are Republican appointees, and 1 in particular has been notorious for his ideological tirades from the bench. So of course, it was a 2-1 vote to essentially blow up Obamacare by removing health insurance tax credits from the 36 states on the federal health insurance exchange. (And now that Nevada's exchange is a state/federal partnership, we may be affected by this ruling.)
This ruling isn't the end of this story, far from it. The Obama Administration will request an en banc hearing of the full court. And since the full DC Circuit Court now has an 8-5 Democratic/Republican composition, there's more than a decent chance this 3 judge panel decision will be overturned by the full court.
And then, there's this. At the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, a 3 judge panel ruled in favor of the defendants in King v. Burwell. And that ruling was unanimous. Here's what Senior Judge Andre Davis wrote in the unanimous panel decision.
"I am pleased to join in full the majority’s holding that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act “permits” the Internal Revenue Service to decide whether premium tax credits should be available to consumers who purchase health insurance coverage on federally-run Exchanges. But I am also persuaded that, even if one takes the view that the Act is not ambiguous in the manner and for the reasons described, the necessary outcome of this case is precisely the same. That is, I would hold that Congress has mandated in the Act that the IRS provide tax credits to all consumers regardless of whether the Exchange on which they purchased their health insurance coverage is a creature of the state or the federal bureaucracy."
So now, we have 2 competing 3 judge panel decisions. And both look set to receive en banc reviews. And both may end up at the door of the US Supreme Court (where the majority already upheld the foundation of the Affordable Care Act in June 2012).
They couldn't stop it in 2010. They couldn't repeal it in 2011. They couldn't sue it to death or defeat the President who championed it in 2012. And they couldn't even shut down the government to defund it to death in 2013. So now, the usual G-O-TEA suspects are back in court in yet another last ditch effort to sue it to death today. They don't mind hurting millions of Americans just to score political points... And they still don't realize the futility of their frivolous law suits and careless obstruction.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Overdue
So it finally happened. The Senate finally passed it. And the suspense should be over by now.
Of course, we're talking about the Medicare "Doc Fix". Because Congress hasn't been able to agree to permanently fix a glitch in the Medicare reimbursement law that was first passed in 1997, it's gone through this bizarre ritual of passing temporary "Doc Fix" bills to ensure doctors' compensation for treating Medicare patients doesn't plummet. But unlike previous times, this latest "Doc Fix" became the newest victim of...
You guessed it, the G-O-TEA's latest & greatest manufactured crisis! And surprise, surprise, Congressional Republican "leaders" tried to hold the Medicare "Doc Fix" hostage and demand ransom in the form of Obamacare repeal. Queue the eye rolls and guffaws.
As usual, G-O-TEA Senators attempted to cover their tracks by sharing "Obamacare HORROR STORIES!!!" Clearly, that blew up in their faces. And now that the Obamacare exchange is on track to meet its goals for the first quarter of 2014, enough Republican Senators agreed to let it go so Congress can finally pass a "Doc Fix" for this year.
To his credit, Dean Heller was one of the Republican Senators to break the logjam on the "Doc Fix". Also to his credit, Senator Heller has been one of the Republican Senators working on breaking the logjam on extending federal unemployment insurance (UI). Over 26,000 Nevadans & 2,000,000 other Americans have been left in a dangerous state of financial limbo for over 3 months. And these 2,000,000+ Americans have been left to suffer because of "TEA" tinged political games.
But now, the Senate finally looks set to pass a long overdue federal UI extension. Both Senator Heller & Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) support the bill, and it's expected to win at least 60 Senate votes this week. Yet even as the Senate inches closer to final passage, no one knows yet if UI extension will even have a House floor vote.
Even when House Speaker John Boehner (R) flew into town for a high dollar Wynn fundraiser last week, he refused to take any questions on UI (or anything else, for that matter). And even when Speaker Boehner has spoken up, only to say he wants to see more job creation, he's still standing in the way of legislation that can help create at least 200,000 jobs. And now that the Senate is on track to pass UI extension, neither Boehner nor his local lackey, Rep. Joe Heck (R-____), has uttered a peep about how they will respond in the House... If at all.
Why is this? Deep down, they and other House Republicans know that federal UI extension is just as overdue as the Medicare "Doc Fix". They must also realize that federal UI extension is just as overdue as that long ago promised "Republican alternative to Obamacare". Yet even as House Republicans look set to swallow the latest "Doc Fix", and even as they attempt to spin away the latest Obamacare news, they remain silent as over 2,000,000 Americans suffer.
UI extension is long overdue. Several Republican Senators know it. A host of economists know it. And far too many American families know it all too well. What will it take for House Republicans to accept this reality and end this unnecessary hardship?
Of course, we're talking about the Medicare "Doc Fix". Because Congress hasn't been able to agree to permanently fix a glitch in the Medicare reimbursement law that was first passed in 1997, it's gone through this bizarre ritual of passing temporary "Doc Fix" bills to ensure doctors' compensation for treating Medicare patients doesn't plummet. But unlike previous times, this latest "Doc Fix" became the newest victim of...
You guessed it, the G-O-TEA's latest & greatest manufactured crisis! And surprise, surprise, Congressional Republican "leaders" tried to hold the Medicare "Doc Fix" hostage and demand ransom in the form of Obamacare repeal. Queue the eye rolls and guffaws.
As usual, G-O-TEA Senators attempted to cover their tracks by sharing "Obamacare HORROR STORIES!!!" Clearly, that blew up in their faces. And now that the Obamacare exchange is on track to meet its goals for the first quarter of 2014, enough Republican Senators agreed to let it go so Congress can finally pass a "Doc Fix" for this year.
To his credit, Dean Heller was one of the Republican Senators to break the logjam on the "Doc Fix". Also to his credit, Senator Heller has been one of the Republican Senators working on breaking the logjam on extending federal unemployment insurance (UI). Over 26,000 Nevadans & 2,000,000 other Americans have been left in a dangerous state of financial limbo for over 3 months. And these 2,000,000+ Americans have been left to suffer because of "TEA" tinged political games.
But now, the Senate finally looks set to pass a long overdue federal UI extension. Both Senator Heller & Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) support the bill, and it's expected to win at least 60 Senate votes this week. Yet even as the Senate inches closer to final passage, no one knows yet if UI extension will even have a House floor vote.
Even when House Speaker John Boehner (R) flew into town for a high dollar Wynn fundraiser last week, he refused to take any questions on UI (or anything else, for that matter). And even when Speaker Boehner has spoken up, only to say he wants to see more job creation, he's still standing in the way of legislation that can help create at least 200,000 jobs. And now that the Senate is on track to pass UI extension, neither Boehner nor his local lackey, Rep. Joe Heck (R-____), has uttered a peep about how they will respond in the House... If at all.
Why is this? Deep down, they and other House Republicans know that federal UI extension is just as overdue as the Medicare "Doc Fix". They must also realize that federal UI extension is just as overdue as that long ago promised "Republican alternative to Obamacare". Yet even as House Republicans look set to swallow the latest "Doc Fix", and even as they attempt to spin away the latest Obamacare news, they remain silent as over 2,000,000 Americans suffer.
UI extension is long overdue. Several Republican Senators know it. A host of economists know it. And far too many American families know it all too well. What will it take for House Republicans to accept this reality and end this unnecessary hardship?
Monday, March 17, 2014
No Sympathy
Last month, we saw a local media pundit get awfully butthurt express strong "OUTRAGE!!!" But why? Why all the outrage? Oh, that wily Senator Harry Reid (D) didn't hold back when he called out the Koch Brothers' campaign of deceit.
But why did he lash out at Senator Reid? Why didn't he last out at the shady billionaire brothers behind the nefarious front groups using deceitful campaign ads to buy more seats in Congress?
Alas, it's no longer just a local media pundit chiding Senator Reid for daring to speak the truth. Now, the Beltway pundits are catching up with their own tears shed for the poor lil' rich Kochs.
But why? Why is it "wrong" to fire back after the Kochs' front groups have repeatedly lied about Obamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act, or ACA)? And why is it "wrong" to reveal the truth about the Kochs, their lying ads, and their extreme ideological agenda?
Think about it. Their ads are false. They have been spending a ton of money promoting their preferred candidates & ideology. And their ideology happens to be quite extreme in its rejection of pretty much everything that's made America strong.
So please excuse us for showing "The Koch-topus" no sympathy. Unlike certain local & national media pundits, we care more about the truth than Beltway cocktail party protocol. And since the Kochs show their political opponents no sympathy, we don't understand why anyone has to show them any.
But why did he lash out at Senator Reid? Why didn't he last out at the shady billionaire brothers behind the nefarious front groups using deceitful campaign ads to buy more seats in Congress?
Alas, it's no longer just a local media pundit chiding Senator Reid for daring to speak the truth. Now, the Beltway pundits are catching up with their own tears shed for the poor lil' rich Kochs.
But why? Why is it "wrong" to fire back after the Kochs' front groups have repeatedly lied about Obamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act, or ACA)? And why is it "wrong" to reveal the truth about the Kochs, their lying ads, and their extreme ideological agenda?
Think about it. Their ads are false. They have been spending a ton of money promoting their preferred candidates & ideology. And their ideology happens to be quite extreme in its rejection of pretty much everything that's made America strong.
So please excuse us for showing "The Koch-topus" no sympathy. Unlike certain local & national media pundits, we care more about the truth than Beltway cocktail party protocol. And since the Kochs show their political opponents no sympathy, we don't understand why anyone has to show them any.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Most Flawed?
What comes to mind when we say "most flawed"? Perhaps something horrible. Perhaps something awful. Perhaps something incredibly busted.
So what came to Nevada Attorney General candidate Adam Laxalt's (R) mind when he declared Obamacare (aka the ACA, or the Affordable Care Act) to be "the most flawed piece of major legislation America has ever endured"? It certainly couldn't have been the US Supreme Court determining that the statute indeed passes Constitutional muster. It couldn't have been the growing number of Americans who are finally finding affordable health insurance thanks to ACA. And it couldn't be the actual content of the law, as that's allowed real people to access better health care.
So what is it? Oh wait, Rep. Joe Heck (R-Henderson) has said Obamacare has a lot of pages and Republicans "never had the chance to offer an alternative". It's true that Obamacare has a lot of pages, as it contains plenty of long awaited reforms to America's health care system. However, it's not true that Republicans never had an opportunity to offer alternatives. They did... They just never bothered to offer any.
Oh, and let's not forget that Obamacare is largely based on Romneycare, the Massachusetts health care reform plan that was advocated and signed into law by Republicans' 2012 Presidential Nominee. And that drew plenty of ideas from the Heritage Foundation, the very "conservative brain trust" that's now allegedly leading the "TEA" fueled charge against ACA.
So what does Adam Laxalt find "most flawed" about Obamacare? The fact that it's helping more Americans access better health care? The fact that it's based on policies that his fellow Republicans once embraced? The fact that fellow Nevada Republican Brian Sandoval has helped implement Obamacare here? Or is there something we're missing? Could it be that what's actually "most flawed" is the G-O-TEA's campaign of lies against ACA?
Maybe we're just reading too much into this. Maybe Adam Laxalt is just taking fellow Nevada Republican Pat Hickey's "helpful advice on minority outreach". But if that's the case, he needs to look for a new source for "helpful advice". If there's anything that's "most flawed"...
So what came to Nevada Attorney General candidate Adam Laxalt's (R) mind when he declared Obamacare (aka the ACA, or the Affordable Care Act) to be "the most flawed piece of major legislation America has ever endured"? It certainly couldn't have been the US Supreme Court determining that the statute indeed passes Constitutional muster. It couldn't have been the growing number of Americans who are finally finding affordable health insurance thanks to ACA. And it couldn't be the actual content of the law, as that's allowed real people to access better health care.
So what is it? Oh wait, Rep. Joe Heck (R-Henderson) has said Obamacare has a lot of pages and Republicans "never had the chance to offer an alternative". It's true that Obamacare has a lot of pages, as it contains plenty of long awaited reforms to America's health care system. However, it's not true that Republicans never had an opportunity to offer alternatives. They did... They just never bothered to offer any.
Oh, and let's not forget that Obamacare is largely based on Romneycare, the Massachusetts health care reform plan that was advocated and signed into law by Republicans' 2012 Presidential Nominee. And that drew plenty of ideas from the Heritage Foundation, the very "conservative brain trust" that's now allegedly leading the "TEA" fueled charge against ACA.
So what does Adam Laxalt find "most flawed" about Obamacare? The fact that it's helping more Americans access better health care? The fact that it's based on policies that his fellow Republicans once embraced? The fact that fellow Nevada Republican Brian Sandoval has helped implement Obamacare here? Or is there something we're missing? Could it be that what's actually "most flawed" is the G-O-TEA's campaign of lies against ACA?
Maybe we're just reading too much into this. Maybe Adam Laxalt is just taking fellow Nevada Republican Pat Hickey's "helpful advice on minority outreach". But if that's the case, he needs to look for a new source for "helpful advice". If there's anything that's "most flawed"...
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
The Shade of It All
There's only so much crap we can take. Once we reach a certain point, we can't take any more. And once we reach that certain point, we have had it.
So we totally understood why Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Fierce) spilled his righteous indignation onto America's TV's earlier today. He had it. And he knew he needed to read to filth some shady @ss boogers.
So why the need for this read? HouseShade-throwing Oversight Committee Chair Darrell Issa (R-@sshole) admitted that his scandalicious fishing expedition was reaching a "dead end". After all, "there is no there there".
Yet for some reason, Rep. Issa felt compelled to silence the ranking Democratic member of the committee when he dared to speak the truth that pretty much everyone knows.
How many times has Darrell Issa gone on purely political fishing expeditions? And how many times has he come up empty? Dude, give it up. There's clearly no there anywhere.
Unfortunately for all of America, Rep. Issa probably won't take our helpful advice. And why's that? He doesn't listen to us. Hell, he doesn't even listen to his own constituents. Rather, he serves the "TEA" tinged astroturf that sustains his vapid political career.
And this leads us back to Senator Harry Reid (D-Fierce) and his righteous indignation over the "Koch-topus" & its horrifying campaign of deceit. Since the Koch Brothers' dangerously radical agenda downright frightens most voters, they must resort to smoke & mirrors to hide it. And they hate that Senator Reid is fierce enough to reveal what's behind the Kochs' smoke & mirrors.
Surprise, there's nothing but shade! And the "TEA" we find there does not stand for truth... Far from it. No wonder why Senator Reid didn't wince as certain media pundits whined over his deeming "un-American" the Kochs' campaign of lies.
So now, we're coming full circle. And we return to Rep. Steven Horsford. In addition to calling out the G-O-TEA's scandalicious nothingburgers, he exposed the real scandal of the G-O-TEA's despicable obsession with repealing Obamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act). Yep, he's been on fire today.
But hey, who can blame him? After all, one needs light to expose the shade of it all.
So we totally understood why Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Fierce) spilled his righteous indignation onto America's TV's earlier today. He had it. And he knew he needed to read to filth some shady @ss boogers.
So why the need for this read? House
Yet for some reason, Rep. Issa felt compelled to silence the ranking Democratic member of the committee when he dared to speak the truth that pretty much everyone knows.
How many times has Darrell Issa gone on purely political fishing expeditions? And how many times has he come up empty? Dude, give it up. There's clearly no there anywhere.
Unfortunately for all of America, Rep. Issa probably won't take our helpful advice. And why's that? He doesn't listen to us. Hell, he doesn't even listen to his own constituents. Rather, he serves the "TEA" tinged astroturf that sustains his vapid political career.
And this leads us back to Senator Harry Reid (D-Fierce) and his righteous indignation over the "Koch-topus" & its horrifying campaign of deceit. Since the Koch Brothers' dangerously radical agenda downright frightens most voters, they must resort to smoke & mirrors to hide it. And they hate that Senator Reid is fierce enough to reveal what's behind the Kochs' smoke & mirrors.
Surprise, there's nothing but shade! And the "TEA" we find there does not stand for truth... Far from it. No wonder why Senator Reid didn't wince as certain media pundits whined over his deeming "un-American" the Kochs' campaign of lies.
So now, we're coming full circle. And we return to Rep. Steven Horsford. In addition to calling out the G-O-TEA's scandalicious nothingburgers, he exposed the real scandal of the G-O-TEA's despicable obsession with repealing Obamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act). Yep, he's been on fire today.
But hey, who can blame him? After all, one needs light to expose the shade of it all.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Harsh Language & Misplaced Outrage
It must be that time of the year again. The weather is not as cold outside. The days are starting to feel longer. And Jon Ralston goes off on bizarre tangents.
This time, Ralston is excoriating US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) for daring to speak the truth on the Senate floor.
Indeed, the Koch front groups' attack ads against Obamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act, or ACA) have been proven false. Their scare tactics are nothing more than air brushed lies. And the Kochs have spent millions of dollars airing these misleading ads in states where they hope to elect Republican US Senators.
So why is Ralston fuming over what Senator Reid said? Oh, that's right. Senator Reid dared to call "un-American" the use of shadowy front groups to pump millions of dollars worth of misleading ads into states where one hopes to buy (additional) seats in Congress.
Of course, we can see why the Kochs are dumping so much money into all these misleading ads. Most Americans still oppose the Koch approved agenda of manufacturing crises in order to find the "sweet spot" for their extreme ideological agenda. And since the Kochs' agenda of "license to discriminate", climate crisis, "Stand Your Ground" (to shoot to kill), privatization of public education, and voter suppression.
So why again are we supposed to be raging against Senator Reid for calling "un-American" the Kochs' underhanded plan to buy more power in government? How was Senator Reid wrong?
If anything, Jon Ralston's outrage seems awfully misplaced. Did Senator Reid use some harsh language in criticizing the latest Koch gambit? Perhaps... But then again, the Kochs ideological agenda is even harsher.
This time, Ralston is excoriating US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) for daring to speak the truth on the Senate floor.
Indeed, the Koch front groups' attack ads against Obamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act, or ACA) have been proven false. Their scare tactics are nothing more than air brushed lies. And the Kochs have spent millions of dollars airing these misleading ads in states where they hope to elect Republican US Senators.
So why is Ralston fuming over what Senator Reid said? Oh, that's right. Senator Reid dared to call "un-American" the use of shadowy front groups to pump millions of dollars worth of misleading ads into states where one hopes to buy (additional) seats in Congress.
Of course, we can see why the Kochs are dumping so much money into all these misleading ads. Most Americans still oppose the Koch approved agenda of manufacturing crises in order to find the "sweet spot" for their extreme ideological agenda. And since the Kochs' agenda of "license to discriminate", climate crisis, "Stand Your Ground" (to shoot to kill), privatization of public education, and voter suppression.
So why again are we supposed to be raging against Senator Reid for calling "un-American" the Kochs' underhanded plan to buy more power in government? How was Senator Reid wrong?
If anything, Jon Ralston's outrage seems awfully misplaced. Did Senator Reid use some harsh language in criticizing the latest Koch gambit? Perhaps... But then again, the Kochs ideological agenda is even harsher.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
The Spin Trap
Less than 24 hours ago, many media pundits (including that one) were salivating. And G-O-TEA politicians everywhere were licking their chops. Why?
"We wuz rite!!! OBAMACARE KILZ JOBZZZ!!!!"
And they were... As usual, wrong. And fortunately for us, the Los Angeles Times' Michael Hiltzik explains why.
So those who'd rather not work as many hours won't have to any more. And those who'd like to break away to start their own business now can. And those who felt trapped because of the need for health insurance no longer have to feel that way. What's the problem here?
The problem here doesn't lie with Obamacare. Rather, it lies with misleading G-O-TEA spin... And the willingness of far too many media pundits to go along for the ride.
Republican "leaders" on Capitol Hill have become increasingly desperate in their efforts to placate their base of G-O-TEA Culture Warriors hell bent on provoking Armageddon. That's why they're latching onto whatever they can spin as "OBAMA FAIL!!!!" Clearly, they were hoping that the new CBO report would provide just that. And once they started realizing it actually didn't, they proceeded to attack the CBO.
Apparently this morning, all the misleading spin finally proved to be too much for The New York Times Editorial Page.
It's just too bad that even The Times' own front page initially got caught in the spin trap. And it's too bad that certain media pundits are rewarding the spin rather than reporting the news. Oh, and this just serves as another reminder of why we need more independent media who are actually committed to reporting real news.
"We wuz rite!!! OBAMACARE KILZ JOBZZZ!!!!"
And they were... As usual, wrong. And fortunately for us, the Los Angeles Times' Michael Hiltzik explains why.
The CBO [Congressional Budget Office] projects that the act will reduce the supply of labor, not the availability of jobs. There's a big difference. In fact, it suggests that aggregate demand for labor (that is, the number of jobs) will increase, not decrease; but that many workers or would-be workers will be prompted by the ACA [Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare] to leave the labor force, many of them voluntarily.
As economist Dean Baker points out, this is, in fact, a beneficial effect of the law, and a sign that it will achieve an important goal. It helps "older workers with serious health conditions who are working now because this is the only way to get health insurance. And (one for the family-values crowd) many young mothers who return to work earlier than they would like because they need health insurance. This is a huge plus."
The ACA will reduce the total hours worked by about 1.5% to 2% in 2017 to 2024, the CBO forecasts, "almost entirely because workers will choose to supply less labor — given the new taxes and other incentives they will face and the financial benefits some will receive." That translates into about 2.5 million full-time equivalents by 2024 — not the number of workers, because some will reduce their number of hours worked rather than leaving the workforce entirely.
So those who'd rather not work as many hours won't have to any more. And those who'd like to break away to start their own business now can. And those who felt trapped because of the need for health insurance no longer have to feel that way. What's the problem here?
The problem here doesn't lie with Obamacare. Rather, it lies with misleading G-O-TEA spin... And the willingness of far too many media pundits to go along for the ride.
Republican "leaders" on Capitol Hill have become increasingly desperate in their efforts to placate their base of G-O-TEA Culture Warriors hell bent on provoking Armageddon. That's why they're latching onto whatever they can spin as "OBAMA FAIL!!!!" Clearly, they were hoping that the new CBO report would provide just that. And once they started realizing it actually didn't, they proceeded to attack the CBO.
Apparently this morning, all the misleading spin finally proved to be too much for The New York Times Editorial Page.
Some workers may have had a pre-existing condition and will now be able to leave work because insurers must accept all applicants without regard to health status and charge premiums unrelated to health status. Some may have felt they needed to keep working to pay for health insurance, but now new government subsidies will help pay premiums, making it more possible for them to leave their jobs.
The report clearly stated that health reform would not produce an increase in unemployment (workers unable to find jobs) or underemployment (part-time workers who would prefer to work more hours per week). It also found “no compelling evidence” that, as of now, part-time employment has increased as a result of the reform law, a frequent claim of critics. [...]
The new law will free people, young and old, to pursue careers or retirement without having to worry about health coverage. Workers can seek positions they are most qualified for and will no longer need to feel locked into a job they don’t like because they need insurance for themselves or their families. It is hard to view this as any kind of disaster.
It's just too bad that even The Times' own front page initially got caught in the spin trap. And it's too bad that certain media pundits are rewarding the spin rather than reporting the news. Oh, and this just serves as another reminder of why we need more independent media who are actually committed to reporting real news.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
The (Not So) "Sweet Spot"
"Not again!" We can already hear the cries across the nation. Hell, we can hear the cries emerging in our own heads!
Why? It's manufactured crisis time again. No really, House Republican "leaders" are once again caving to the Crazy Caucus' demands for more unnecessary drama.
"The sweet spot?" Really? What's Tom Cole smoking?
Last time he & Speaker Boehner let their G-O-TEA Culture Warriors proceed with their beloved manufactured crisis, the nation endured a crippling government shutdown & Armageddon death threat that cost the nation's economy dearly. Must we all endure thatcomplete & utter bullshit again? And why on earth do Republican "leaders" think there's a "sweet spot" in any of that complete & utter bullshit?
Why on earth do they think there's a "sweet spot" in holding the nation hostage in order to guarantee completion of a massive fossil fuel pipeline that would only maximize a foreign corporation's profits at the expense of our own well being? And where's the "sweet spot" in holding the nation hostage in order to increase the federal budget deficit while also increasing health insurance costs? Weren't these very same G-O-TEA politicians demanding these ransoms for paying the nation's bills also denouncing "wasteful spending"?
If G-O-TEA politicians really care about cutting "wasteful spending", they can start by cutting the corporate welfare and dropping their insane ransom demands. In the mean time, they need to drop the "sweet spot" nonsense and pay for the spending they already passed.
Why? It's manufactured crisis time again. No really, House Republican "leaders" are once again caving to the Crazy Caucus' demands for more unnecessary drama.
In an interview, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) said [House Speaker John] Boehner [R-Ohio] would spend this week "looking for the sweet spot" as his colleagues mull how to proceed. "After the State Department's report on the pipeline, that becomes an easier pitch," he said. "But the risk corridors item was popular at the retreat and remains popular." [...]
"We're in the process of sorting it out," Cole said. "The number one question is: how do we get to 218 votes? We want to do this in a non-crisis atmosphere, so we have to move soon and work with the administration and see if they want to do anything."
Growing tension, however, is already apparent between the two strategies and their supporters. Some conservatives have said they would urge Boehner to link repeal of the risk corridors to any debt-limit demand, believing the federal health-care law must be part of the negotiations. Other Republicans have said tying the pipeline to the debt limit is a better play in an election year.
"The sweet spot?" Really? What's Tom Cole smoking?
Last time he & Speaker Boehner let their G-O-TEA Culture Warriors proceed with their beloved manufactured crisis, the nation endured a crippling government shutdown & Armageddon death threat that cost the nation's economy dearly. Must we all endure that
Why on earth do they think there's a "sweet spot" in holding the nation hostage in order to guarantee completion of a massive fossil fuel pipeline that would only maximize a foreign corporation's profits at the expense of our own well being? And where's the "sweet spot" in holding the nation hostage in order to increase the federal budget deficit while also increasing health insurance costs? Weren't these very same G-O-TEA politicians demanding these ransoms for paying the nation's bills also denouncing "wasteful spending"?
If G-O-TEA politicians really care about cutting "wasteful spending", they can start by cutting the corporate welfare and dropping their insane ransom demands. In the mean time, they need to drop the "sweet spot" nonsense and pay for the spending they already passed.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Manufacture This!
And we're back. No really, we're going back. We're going all the way back to last October. Remember when we were approaching the brink of Armageddon?
Apparently, Congressional Republicans have either forgotten their own manufactured crisis... Or they remember, and they already want a sequel. Oh, yes. That's right. They're going there (again).
But wait, there's more! Not only are Republican "leaders" caving into G-O-TEA Culture Warriors' demand for another manufactured crisis, but they're also launching yet another attempt to sabotage Obamacare (aka the ACA/Affordable Care Act). This time, they're demanding the repeal of a key provision of the ACA that stabilizes the insurance market and prevents health insurance premiums from skyrocketing. Oh, and this very risk corridor provision that G-O-TEA politicians now (falsely) decry as a "bailout" was actually originated by Republicans when they proposed Medicare Part D 11 years ago!
But wait, there's even more! In case this latest anti-Obamacare political stunt isn't enough hypocrisy for you, there's also this. Remember that Ryan-Murray Budget Deal that attracted plenty of Republican votes? And remember how "Ryan-Murray 2.0" had to include earmarks in order to pass (for real, this time!) earlier this month? So now, those very same Republicans who (twice) passed a budget, then added a little "pork" to make the second passage easier, now don't want to pay for their own spending? They don't even want to pay for their own beloved/hated earmarks?
How does any of this make any sense? Here's a clue: It doesn't. Congress can't pass a new budget and order new federal investment, then deny the very mechanism needed to pay for the investment. This would be like me going to the grocery store, filling my cart with all sorts of yummy goodies, then refusing to provide my credit/debit card at checkout because "I just can't afford all this." That wouldn't make sense, and neither would Congress refusing to pay for its own damned budget.
And that's why this latest & greatest G-O-TEA manufactured crisis is destined to end like the previous ones did. And we all remember those. Why is the G-O-TEA so hell-bent on losing more elections? And is this why House Speaker John Boehner (R-Sautéed to Golden) & Rep. Joe Heck (R-Known for His Constituent Service) refused to take questions from the constituents outside Las Vegas Country Club last Friday?
Apparently, Congressional Republicans have either forgotten their own manufactured crisis... Or they remember, and they already want a sequel. Oh, yes. That's right. They're going there (again).
The GOP's apparent desire for another debt ceiling fight is confounding after the party forced one last fall and surrendered one day before the deadline without extracting any concessions. President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders insist they won't negotiate or give up anything to raise the debt ceiling, and Republicans raised (or suspended) the borrowing limit twice last year without extracting any policy concessions -- after initially threatening not to both times.
It's also notable because Republicans and Democrats wrapped up a $1.012 trillion spending bill last week, which passed on an overwhelming bipartisan vote. The debt limit has to be raised in order to finance that spending.
The remarks from Boehner's office and other top Republicans suggest that leaders will have a hard time persuading their members not to pick another battle, even if it is futile. The Speaker said last year on Oct. 6 that the House was "not going to pass a clean debt limit increase" because there weren't enough votes to pass one. Ten days later, he brought up a clean debt limit hike and it easily passed the House, with mostly Democratic votes. Democrats don't take GOP threats of default seriously after they've proven they aren't willing to shoot the hostage.
But wait, there's more! Not only are Republican "leaders" caving into G-O-TEA Culture Warriors' demand for another manufactured crisis, but they're also launching yet another attempt to sabotage Obamacare (aka the ACA/Affordable Care Act). This time, they're demanding the repeal of a key provision of the ACA that stabilizes the insurance market and prevents health insurance premiums from skyrocketing. Oh, and this very risk corridor provision that G-O-TEA politicians now (falsely) decry as a "bailout" was actually originated by Republicans when they proposed Medicare Part D 11 years ago!
But wait, there's even more! In case this latest anti-Obamacare political stunt isn't enough hypocrisy for you, there's also this. Remember that Ryan-Murray Budget Deal that attracted plenty of Republican votes? And remember how "Ryan-Murray 2.0" had to include earmarks in order to pass (for real, this time!) earlier this month? So now, those very same Republicans who (twice) passed a budget, then added a little "pork" to make the second passage easier, now don't want to pay for their own spending? They don't even want to pay for their own beloved/hated earmarks?
How does any of this make any sense? Here's a clue: It doesn't. Congress can't pass a new budget and order new federal investment, then deny the very mechanism needed to pay for the investment. This would be like me going to the grocery store, filling my cart with all sorts of yummy goodies, then refusing to provide my credit/debit card at checkout because "I just can't afford all this." That wouldn't make sense, and neither would Congress refusing to pay for its own damned budget.
And that's why this latest & greatest G-O-TEA manufactured crisis is destined to end like the previous ones did. And we all remember those. Why is the G-O-TEA so hell-bent on losing more elections? And is this why House Speaker John Boehner (R-Sautéed to Golden) & Rep. Joe Heck (R-Known for His Constituent Service) refused to take questions from the constituents outside Las Vegas Country Club last Friday?
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
The Real Scandal
ZOMG!!! It's the biggest scandal ever! It's THE SCANDAL of 2013!!!! And ZOMG... It's working?!
Much has been said in recent weeks about Obamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act, or ACA) and its many (alleged) blunders. Here's what hasn't been bludgeoned to death in the media: The federal ACA Web site has improved dramatically since its initial glitchy debut on October 1. Oh, and 100,000 Americans were able to sign up for health insurance last month on that federal ACA web site. And we now know that the ACA's costs going forward will be even less than originally projected.
So how did a law that only became a law less than 4 years ago and was largely based on conservative health care policy proposals become the hallmark of "failed liberalism" and "Obama's failed presidency"? Think about it. As Desert Beacon noted yesterday, the bulk of the ACA's features have rolled out smoothly and are now much appreciated. Even the features (cough- the federal web site- cough) that didn't initially roll out smoothly are working better now. And the vast majority of Americans are still using private health insurance. So it's preposterous to call the ACA "failed" today, and it's quite a stretch to declare it "BIG GUV'MINT SOE'SHUL'IZM!!!"
While the usual G-O-TEA politicians and their favorite media pundits have been screaming about the latest and greatest haute faux scandal of the past month, they've been skillfully avoiding what's perhaps the real scandal of today. While Republican "leaders" have been complaining about a law that was passed during the 111th Congress, they've tried to avoid their own record of failure. The 112th Congress is now on record as the least productive session of Congress ever, and so far the 113th Congress is on track to match that record of FAIL. They even tried to (mis)use Obamacare as an excuse to shut down the government and threaten national default!
And now we're supposed to believe G-O-TEA politicians when they say they just want to "clean house"? They can't even agree on an alternative to a law that's based on what was originally their own alternative to "Hillarycare"! This makes absolutely no sense. They keep grinding government to a screeching halt, they fail to accomplish even the most basic tasks of governing, and they can't even come up with their own health care ideas (beyond empty platitudes that led us into trouble in the first place)... But now we're supposed to acknowledge they're "right about Obamacare"?
No, they're not. And really, all this "much ado about nothing" that's defined the 112th & 113th Sessions of Congress is the real scandal that we need to address.
Much has been said in recent weeks about Obamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act, or ACA) and its many (alleged) blunders. Here's what hasn't been bludgeoned to death in the media: The federal ACA Web site has improved dramatically since its initial glitchy debut on October 1. Oh, and 100,000 Americans were able to sign up for health insurance last month on that federal ACA web site. And we now know that the ACA's costs going forward will be even less than originally projected.
So how did a law that only became a law less than 4 years ago and was largely based on conservative health care policy proposals become the hallmark of "failed liberalism" and "Obama's failed presidency"? Think about it. As Desert Beacon noted yesterday, the bulk of the ACA's features have rolled out smoothly and are now much appreciated. Even the features (cough- the federal web site- cough) that didn't initially roll out smoothly are working better now. And the vast majority of Americans are still using private health insurance. So it's preposterous to call the ACA "failed" today, and it's quite a stretch to declare it "BIG GUV'MINT SOE'SHUL'IZM!!!"
While the usual G-O-TEA politicians and their favorite media pundits have been screaming about the latest and greatest haute faux scandal of the past month, they've been skillfully avoiding what's perhaps the real scandal of today. While Republican "leaders" have been complaining about a law that was passed during the 111th Congress, they've tried to avoid their own record of failure. The 112th Congress is now on record as the least productive session of Congress ever, and so far the 113th Congress is on track to match that record of FAIL. They even tried to (mis)use Obamacare as an excuse to shut down the government and threaten national default!
And now we're supposed to believe G-O-TEA politicians when they say they just want to "clean house"? They can't even agree on an alternative to a law that's based on what was originally their own alternative to "Hillarycare"! This makes absolutely no sense. They keep grinding government to a screeching halt, they fail to accomplish even the most basic tasks of governing, and they can't even come up with their own health care ideas (beyond empty platitudes that led us into trouble in the first place)... But now we're supposed to acknowledge they're "right about Obamacare"?
No, they're not. And really, all this "much ado about nothing" that's defined the 112th & 113th Sessions of Congress is the real scandal that we need to address.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Action v. Obstruction
It happened again today. President Obama called on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) and do so soon. After all, they've been talking about it for how many years?
This past summer, the Senate took action. But instead of following suit, the G-O-TEA led House instead manufactured a crisis in order to please their crazy, "TEA" powered base. And Congress had to waste an entire month on finding a solution to the unnecessary manufactured crisis.
But now, conservative and business groups are applying pressure to the House in a last ditch effort to get CIR moving there this year. A critical mass has already developed across the political spectrum for CIR's passage. So why isn't the House moving?
We got the answer back in August, when town hall attendees asked Rep. Joe Heck (R-??!!) on CIR. He hemmed and hawed and mentioned piecemeal bills that have gone nowhere fast. But when he was asked about fictional "OBAMA SCANDALZZZ!!!", he lit up and went into detail on the "accountability" he's been demanding.
It turns out Rep. Heck was just following the G-O-TEA lead. Take a look at what was happening in the House this morning while President Obama was asking them to finish the job on immigration reform.
Oh, yes. That's right. They're still trying to turn a glitchy web site into the "ZOMG!!! OBAMACARE SCANDAL!!!"
Yet while they're still trying to undo health care reform that's now taking effect, we've yet to see if any of their talk on (passing) immigration reform will translate into action. Again, all we've seen from Congressional Republicans so far is even more obstruction. It's up to them to prove to everyone they actually know how to share in the responsibility of governing.
This past summer, the Senate took action. But instead of following suit, the G-O-TEA led House instead manufactured a crisis in order to please their crazy, "TEA" powered base. And Congress had to waste an entire month on finding a solution to the unnecessary manufactured crisis.
But now, conservative and business groups are applying pressure to the House in a last ditch effort to get CIR moving there this year. A critical mass has already developed across the political spectrum for CIR's passage. So why isn't the House moving?
We got the answer back in August, when town hall attendees asked Rep. Joe Heck (R-??!!) on CIR. He hemmed and hawed and mentioned piecemeal bills that have gone nowhere fast. But when he was asked about fictional "OBAMA SCANDALZZZ!!!", he lit up and went into detail on the "accountability" he's been demanding.
It turns out Rep. Heck was just following the G-O-TEA lead. Take a look at what was happening in the House this morning while President Obama was asking them to finish the job on immigration reform.
Oh, yes. That's right. They're still trying to turn a glitchy web site into the "ZOMG!!! OBAMACARE SCANDAL!!!"
Yet while they're still trying to undo health care reform that's now taking effect, we've yet to see if any of their talk on (passing) immigration reform will translate into action. Again, all we've seen from Congressional Republicans so far is even more obstruction. It's up to them to prove to everyone they actually know how to share in the responsibility of governing.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Unaffordable Stupidi-TEA
Look who's talking now. Fresh off his big legislative victory, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) is now spilling some tea on what led to this week's series of surprising events. Who could have guessed that Congressional Republicans were so willing to throw their own staff under the bus?
At the very end, some Republicans were threatening Armageddon just so their staff could suffer. How on earth did that make any sense?
Oh, wait. That's right. We're talking about the Crazy Caucus (and its enablers).
How else can we explain why they're still denying their awful poll numbers? And how else can we explain why they're still denying the evidence that Obamacare (aka the ACA, or the Affordable Care Act) is working?
Of course, Congressional Republicans are now zeroing in on the ACA's glitchy web site and the company that built it (while donating to Republican campaigns). And yes, this is a problem that has to be fixed (and that's already in the works). Yet while the web site has had problems, the actual law has already been saving lives.
This is why even Republicans like Clint Murphy, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R), and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval (R) are asking their party to give Obamacare a chance to work. So why are the supposedly "moderate, post-partisan, No Labels" Republicans like Senator Dean Heller (R-What?) and Rep. Joe Heck (R-Why?) still trying to destroy health care reform? Why are they instead following the lead of Sharron Angle and some "schoolyard bully"?
Congressional Republicans shut down the government and threatened default over the ACA. And what did they get as a result? Nothing but higher poll numbers for Obamacare and lower poll numbers for themselves.
So why would they ever try this insani-TEA again? That's a good question. It probably depends on whether they can finally stop pandering to the 21st Century Know Nothings.
In this last attempt to pander to them, Republicans threatened to screw their own staff. And before that, they wanted to take health care away from millions of Americans. And look at where they've landed as a result. Just how affordable is this stupidi-TEA?
"They kept trying to legislate from hour to hour," Reid recalled in an interview with The Huffington Post on Thursday. "It wasn't even day to day."
With Democratic senators united behind him, Reid dispatched the patchwork legislative offers being tossed his way, setting the stage for a complete GOP capitulation. But Wednesday night's resolution didn't come without exasperating moments. In particular, Reid said he was incensed that House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) targeted health care subsidies given to congressional staffers who are required to buy insurance on the newly created Obamacare exchanges.
Weeks before the government shutdown, Boehner's office had privately worked with Reid's staff and the Obama administration to maintain the employer health care contribution. But as Boehner's negotiating position worsened, he publicly demanded that the contribution be ended.
"All of us who worked with him on this [were saying], 'John, what is the matter with you?'’' Reid said. “Okay. Go after members of Congress. But even doing that. Now, I can handle if I have to buy insurance without employer contribution. But some of my senators can’t. Forget about that. Forget about senators. They can do okay. But staff -- we have staff people of [Sen.] Susan Collins. She has people who work in Maine and make $25,000 a year. One of the reasons you can get somebody like that is that you give them health care. I don't mean to ramble on here, but I just can't imagine the thought process of John Boehner. ... How in good conscience could you do something like that?"
At the very end, some Republicans were threatening Armageddon just so their staff could suffer. How on earth did that make any sense?
Oh, wait. That's right. We're talking about the Crazy Caucus (and its enablers).
How else can we explain why they're still denying their awful poll numbers? And how else can we explain why they're still denying the evidence that Obamacare (aka the ACA, or the Affordable Care Act) is working?
Of course, Congressional Republicans are now zeroing in on the ACA's glitchy web site and the company that built it (while donating to Republican campaigns). And yes, this is a problem that has to be fixed (and that's already in the works). Yet while the web site has had problems, the actual law has already been saving lives.
This is why even Republicans like Clint Murphy, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R), and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval (R) are asking their party to give Obamacare a chance to work. So why are the supposedly "moderate, post-partisan, No Labels" Republicans like Senator Dean Heller (R-What?) and Rep. Joe Heck (R-Why?) still trying to destroy health care reform? Why are they instead following the lead of Sharron Angle and some "schoolyard bully"?
Congressional Republicans shut down the government and threatened default over the ACA. And what did they get as a result? Nothing but higher poll numbers for Obamacare and lower poll numbers for themselves.
So why would they ever try this insani-TEA again? That's a good question. It probably depends on whether they can finally stop pandering to the 21st Century Know Nothings.
In this last attempt to pander to them, Republicans threatened to screw their own staff. And before that, they wanted to take health care away from millions of Americans. And look at where they've landed as a result. Just how affordable is this stupidi-TEA?
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Crazy
She's back! What, you really thought she could stay away for long? Oh, no. Sharron Angle just couldn't help herself.
She's actually been praising the insani-TEA that nearly forced America into Armageddon. Never mind that Nevada's Republican Governor, Brian Sandoval, begged Congress to stop the insani-TEA. And never mind that their financial sugar daddies on Wall Street begged them to stop as well. The G-O-TEA took it all the way to the brink... Until Senator Harry Reid (D) finally saved the day and prevented Armageddon.
This unnecessary drama cost Nevada and the nation dearly. Yet when they were provided the opportunity to end the unnecessary drama and reopen government, both Dean Heller and Mark Amodei voted against reopening the government and paying the nation's bills. Why?
Sure, they tried to sound reasonable to the media. However, no amount of media spin can actually spin away the reality of their crazy gambit. Might this be why Joe Heck suddenlyflip-flopped changed his position at the last minute?
Yet until last night, none of the real world consequences of their insani-TEA mattered to any of Nevada's Republicans in DC. Why? They were only following Sharron Angle's lead.
We've said it before, but we must say it again today. Sharron Angle likely has more control over the Nevada Republican Party than anyone who's actually supposed to be a "leader" in Carson City or DC. As much as Brian Sandoval would like to deny it and John Boehner would like to hide it, that's the awful and crazy truth that we saw unfold over the course of this year.
Never mind that Sharron Angle currently holds no elected office and has no official position with the Nevada Republican Party. She and her "TEA Party, Inc." BFFs have provided the ideology that's now the heart and soul of today's Republican Party. And as a result, many Republicans are still defending their crazy actions.
Typically, we want logical, rational explanations for what happened. But today, we simply can't provide one. Rather, we can only point at the crazy of it all.
It doesn't matter that this whole Shutdown Shitfest made for absolutely awful economics. And it doesn't matter that it ultimately made for crappy politics. For today's G-O-TEA, all that matters is that crazy is in charge. And that's what caused this whole crazy fiasco in the first place.
So what will it take for (more of) us to realize just how crazy it is to allow so much crazy to amass so much power in our government? Who's crazy enough to want even more?
She's actually been praising the insani-TEA that nearly forced America into Armageddon. Never mind that Nevada's Republican Governor, Brian Sandoval, begged Congress to stop the insani-TEA. And never mind that their financial sugar daddies on Wall Street begged them to stop as well. The G-O-TEA took it all the way to the brink... Until Senator Harry Reid (D) finally saved the day and prevented Armageddon.
This unnecessary drama cost Nevada and the nation dearly. Yet when they were provided the opportunity to end the unnecessary drama and reopen government, both Dean Heller and Mark Amodei voted against reopening the government and paying the nation's bills. Why?
Sure, they tried to sound reasonable to the media. However, no amount of media spin can actually spin away the reality of their crazy gambit. Might this be why Joe Heck suddenly
Yet until last night, none of the real world consequences of their insani-TEA mattered to any of Nevada's Republicans in DC. Why? They were only following Sharron Angle's lead.
We've said it before, but we must say it again today. Sharron Angle likely has more control over the Nevada Republican Party than anyone who's actually supposed to be a "leader" in Carson City or DC. As much as Brian Sandoval would like to deny it and John Boehner would like to hide it, that's the awful and crazy truth that we saw unfold over the course of this year.
Never mind that Sharron Angle currently holds no elected office and has no official position with the Nevada Republican Party. She and her "TEA Party, Inc." BFFs have provided the ideology that's now the heart and soul of today's Republican Party. And as a result, many Republicans are still defending their crazy actions.
Typically, we want logical, rational explanations for what happened. But today, we simply can't provide one. Rather, we can only point at the crazy of it all.
It doesn't matter that this whole Shutdown Shitfest made for absolutely awful economics. And it doesn't matter that it ultimately made for crappy politics. For today's G-O-TEA, all that matters is that crazy is in charge. And that's what caused this whole crazy fiasco in the first place.
So what will it take for (more of) us to realize just how crazy it is to allow so much crazy to amass so much power in our government? Who's crazy enough to want even more?
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Are They Happy Now?
We told you so. It's over. No really, it's game over.
As expected, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) finally reached a deal. And here's what's in it.
So Congressional Republicans nearly forced America into Armageddon... To slightly tighten income verification rules that were already in the Affordable Care Act? Are they happy now? Their antics likely cost this nation far more than whatever we'll save under the new ACA subsidy rules.
Oh yes, and they get us more austerity. Never mind that it's led to less growth and more job losses. Republicans embraced austerity and declared it their "victory". And as a result, we're stuck with another three months of it.
So Republicans essentially shut down the federal government and threatened to turn America into a deadbeat nation over a nearly inconsequential tweak to the Affordable Care Act and continued government funding at austerity levels? They could have accomplished the same thing three weeks ago without a government shutdown and credit default scare!
Are they happy now? Are they happy about the lost jobs, lost economic growth, and lost credibility they forced upon this nation? Oh, and are they happy about their own mounting political losses?
We just have to wonder...
As expected, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) finally reached a deal. And here's what's in it.
Many concessions that tea partiers attempted to extract from the Obama administration in exchange for reopening the government and raising the debt ceiling are not expected to be included in the bill. Conservative Republicans had, over the course of the budget fight, demanded a one-year delay to Obamacare, a delay or repeal of the act's tax on medical-device manufacturers, and a "conscience clause," which would have allowed employers to block their employees from buying health insurance that covers birth control. None of those measures are expected to appear in the Senate's bill. The only concession Republicans seem to have won is a slightly stricter set of rules for verifying the incomes of Americans who are receiving subsidized health insurance under Obamacare.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the final bill won't include a GOP proposal that would stop the Treasury Department from using extraordinary measures to raise the debt ceiling. But it will include back pay for federal employees who missed paychecks during the shutdown and establish a committee taskedwith working out a longer deal ahead of the new January 15 and February 7 deadlines. The bill also reportedly includes a provision that could make it harder to use the debt ceiling as a bargaining chip: At the next deadline, Congress would be required to pass a bill if it wants to block the ceiling from increasing. Otherwise, the ceiling would go up automatically.
The House is expected to vote on the proposed bill first, which would allow the Senate to skip some of its cumbersome procedures and quickly move to a final vote. Politico calls this "an extraordinarily risky play" because the majority of House Republicans are expected to oppose the bill. However, Robert Costa of the National Review reported that Boehner has agreed to pass the bill with mainly Democratic votes. There's still a chance that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) could go rogue and filibuster the bill in the Senate, dragging out the debate past the October 17 deadline, but his office has not said whether or not he will do so, according to the Wall Street Journal.
So Congressional Republicans nearly forced America into Armageddon... To slightly tighten income verification rules that were already in the Affordable Care Act? Are they happy now? Their antics likely cost this nation far more than whatever we'll save under the new ACA subsidy rules.
Oh yes, and they get us more austerity. Never mind that it's led to less growth and more job losses. Republicans embraced austerity and declared it their "victory". And as a result, we're stuck with another three months of it.
So Republicans essentially shut down the federal government and threatened to turn America into a deadbeat nation over a nearly inconsequential tweak to the Affordable Care Act and continued government funding at austerity levels? They could have accomplished the same thing three weeks ago without a government shutdown and credit default scare!
Are they happy now? Are they happy about the lost jobs, lost economic growth, and lost credibility they forced upon this nation? Oh, and are they happy about their own mounting political losses?
We just have to wonder...
Monday, October 14, 2013
Ryan's War
Perhaps the end is finally near. Yes, yes, I know you've been seeing that here since last week. But now, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) is signaling that an end to the Armageddon death threat is in sight.
Yet even with the encouraging signs from the Senate, President Obama is still warning the nation of the consequences of allowing Armageddon to commence. Perhaps he just wants to drive home the point in case the House G-O-TEA Crazy Caucus tries to force Republican "leaders" to derail any last-minute budget deal.
Of course, it doesn't help that the G-O-TEA Crazy Caucus is getting a boost from Rep. Paul Ryan (R-"TEA" Curious). Over the weekend, he threatened to blow up any budget deal if it doesn't deny women access to contraception. Oh, yes. That's right. He went there.
Salon's Joan Walsh noticed this... And she noted what we had discussed earlier on how this melee must be resolved.
They just couldn't help themselves. They had to go there. They just had an urge to slip another Culture War battle into the Shutdown Shitfest that they started.
Did they really think they could get away with this? Does Paul Ryan truly believe he has some special license to subject his extremist agenda on the nation, an extremist agenda that most Americans rejected last year?
We've said it before, but we'll have to say it again today: Contraception saves lives. And if Paul Ryan was serious about pursuing "pro-life" policies, he'd admit this.
While the G-O-TEA culture warriors may be thrilled about the prospect of another battle in their War on Women, everyone else just wants an end to both the Armageddon death threats and the nonsensical attacks on women's health care.
Guess what Americans now consider to be the nation's biggest problem? Hint: It's not contraception. It's also not abortion. And it isn't even women making their own health care decisions. Nope, it's actually government dysfunction (according to Gallup). So instead of threatening to force Armageddon upon America if we don't force more women into unwanted pregnancies, why can't Paul Ryan and his fellow Republicans agree to solve America's actual biggest problem?
Yet even with the encouraging signs from the Senate, President Obama is still warning the nation of the consequences of allowing Armageddon to commence. Perhaps he just wants to drive home the point in case the House G-O-TEA Crazy Caucus tries to force Republican "leaders" to derail any last-minute budget deal.
Of course, it doesn't help that the G-O-TEA Crazy Caucus is getting a boost from Rep. Paul Ryan (R-"TEA" Curious). Over the weekend, he threatened to blow up any budget deal if it doesn't deny women access to contraception. Oh, yes. That's right. He went there.
Salon's Joan Walsh noticed this... And she noted what we had discussed earlier on how this melee must be resolved.
Ryan, who was savaged by some on the right last week for seeming to trade the goal of repealing Obamacare in exchange for Obama embracing most of the infamous Ryan budget, is now back to Obamacare. In fact, he’s insisting the House GOP shouldn’t back any deal that opens the government or extends the debt ceiling deadline without major changes to the Affordable Care Act, including letting employers withhold birth-control coverage from insurance plans for religious reasons.
Get it? They’re back to their crusade against birth control access. If that doesn’t define delusional, I’m not sure what does. [...]
Now Ryan is really, really angry at Senate Republicans,according to NRO’s Jonathan Strong, and he’s going to take his ball and go home. “They’re trying to cut the House out, and trying to jam us with the Senate. We’re not going to roll over and take that,” Ryan told reporters on Saturday.
The only way this ends is the only way it ever was going to end: with House Speaker John Boehner, having let extremist GOP babies cry themselves out, finally passing a deal with the support of Democrats. And he shouldn’t count on them being the Democrats who approved the debt-ceiling “deal” that ultimately imposed sequester cuts, or the fiscal-cliff deal that compromised on tax rates and kicked those cuts down the road. On both the Senate and House side – where Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi openly frets that Democrats have “been enablers” of the “irresponsible” GOP – there’s a new tone of toughness. Let’s hope it holds.
They just couldn't help themselves. They had to go there. They just had an urge to slip another Culture War battle into the Shutdown Shitfest that they started.
Did they really think they could get away with this? Does Paul Ryan truly believe he has some special license to subject his extremist agenda on the nation, an extremist agenda that most Americans rejected last year?
We've said it before, but we'll have to say it again today: Contraception saves lives. And if Paul Ryan was serious about pursuing "pro-life" policies, he'd admit this.
While the G-O-TEA culture warriors may be thrilled about the prospect of another battle in their War on Women, everyone else just wants an end to both the Armageddon death threats and the nonsensical attacks on women's health care.
Guess what Americans now consider to be the nation's biggest problem? Hint: It's not contraception. It's also not abortion. And it isn't even women making their own health care decisions. Nope, it's actually government dysfunction (according to Gallup). So instead of threatening to force Armageddon upon America if we don't force more women into unwanted pregnancies, why can't Paul Ryan and his fellow Republicans agree to solve America's actual biggest problem?
Monday, October 7, 2013
No Way to Compromise
This morning, we examined the very real economic and geopolitical consequences of the manufactured crisis that's quickly becoming a politically induced disaster. Because some "TEA" powered Republicans insist on a ransom for simply reopening the federal government and paying the nation's bills, we're all feeling the pain as Capitol Hill is stuck in a dangerous stalemate.
But of course, Republican spinners in Washington keep trying to convince us otherwise. They claim "Democrats won't compromise". Of course, it's total hogwash.
Last week, Judd Legum perfectly summarized G-O-TEA calls for "compromise" in a single tweet.
Today, President Obama explained this in a more polite way. And not only did he do that, but he also explained how Democrats already compromised by agreeing to the very Republican-approved budget numbers that they were preparing to "declare victory" over last month!
Never before has Congress threatened a credit default to force unilateral concessions from the President. And never before has one party (guess which one) repeatedly denied requests for Conference Committee in order for both Houses of Congress to negotiate on the budget!
Yet now, we're supposed to believe Republicans just want to "compromise"? After denying requests to do just that for six months? And after shutting down the government and threatening default because they want to undo settled law?
It's no one's fault but their own that they refused to make a good faith effort to participate in health care reform four years ago. And Congressional Republicans can't keep holding the nation hostage because their policy proposals have cost them elections. At some point, they must realize that the "small d" democratic process can't work if it's always being held up by small factions making irrational ransom demands. And no, irrational ransom demands are not "calls for compromise".
If Republican "leaders" truly want to "negotiate", then they need to end the hostage crisis by allowing floor votes, actual budget negotiations, and the rest of what we associate with basic governance. What they're doing now is no way to "compromise".
But of course, Republican spinners in Washington keep trying to convince us otherwise. They claim "Democrats won't compromise". Of course, it's total hogwash.
Last week, Judd Legum perfectly summarized G-O-TEA calls for "compromise" in a single tweet.
Can I burn down your house?
No
Just the 2nd floor?
No
Garage?
No
Let's talk about what I can burn down.
No
YOU AREN'T COMPROMISING!
Today, President Obama explained this in a more polite way. And not only did he do that, but he also explained how Democrats already compromised by agreeing to the very Republican-approved budget numbers that they were preparing to "declare victory" over last month!
Never before has Congress threatened a credit default to force unilateral concessions from the President. And never before has one party (guess which one) repeatedly denied requests for Conference Committee in order for both Houses of Congress to negotiate on the budget!
Yet now, we're supposed to believe Republicans just want to "compromise"? After denying requests to do just that for six months? And after shutting down the government and threatening default because they want to undo settled law?
It's no one's fault but their own that they refused to make a good faith effort to participate in health care reform four years ago. And Congressional Republicans can't keep holding the nation hostage because their policy proposals have cost them elections. At some point, they must realize that the "small d" democratic process can't work if it's always being held up by small factions making irrational ransom demands. And no, irrational ransom demands are not "calls for compromise".
If Republican "leaders" truly want to "negotiate", then they need to end the hostage crisis by allowing floor votes, actual budget negotiations, and the rest of what we associate with basic governance. What they're doing now is no way to "compromise".
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