Twenty-Two And Three And The C.B.O.
That title is not a weak attempt to make a pun on the genetics company "23andMe." It is not a throwback to "23-skidoo." And it's definitely not an attempt to sound like a quarterback calling signals at the line (besides, it's the wrong season for football metaphors). Instead, it represents the three biggest hurdles that Republicans now face in their efforts to dismantle Obamacare.
The first two are actual numbers, unlike (for the moment) the last one. Twenty-two is the number of votes Republicans cannot afford to lose in the House. Likewise, if they lose only three senators, the bill will also fail. So far, Paul Ryan should be worried about both of those numbers. But the biggest headache is going to arrive for Ryan next Monday, when the Congressional Budget Office is slated to release its "score" of the GOP health bill. Because the C.B.O. numbers might just push both the House and the Senate Republicans into open revolt over what was supposed to be their party's signature issue.
It should be noted that some Republicans are already revolting. OK, I freely admit that that previous sentence was just too tempting to pass up, because it really should be followed by a rimshot (ba-dum-DUM). But putting aside cheap humor, Ryan may already be in trouble within his own house's Republican caucus. He was able to shove the measure through two committees in the middle of the night, but few Tea Partiers were on those committees to gum up the works. He faces a much bigger challenge when the bill gets to the floor.
As I wrote earlier this week, Ryan's bill (dubbed "Ryancare" by waggish Republicans opposed to it) is already being attacked from both the center and the far right -- and that's within the Republican Party alone. This standoff is between those who think Ryancare is too Draconian, and those who think it is not Draconian enough. Powerful conservative groups are lining up on the "not Draconian enough" side, although a few establishment Republican groups (such as the Chamber of Commerce) are supporting it. Virtually everyone with an interest in the entire health care industry -- doctors, hospitals, insurance companies, seniors' groups, etc. -- have lined up against the bill. Democrats seem pretty united against it as well, but that should have been expected.
The problem is that any bill acceptable to either the Tea Partiers or the moderates likely couldn't pass both houses of Congress. It's hard to imagine any sort of compromise being reached by these two groups, since any movement towards one of them is necessarily a movement away from the other. They're playing a zero-sum game, in other words. One wins, the other loses. There is one interesting dynamic which may come into play, which is the relative strength of both groups in the two houses. In the House, the Tea Party may be stronger (and more unified) than the moderates. The "House Freedom Caucus" (as they're calling themselves these days) has enough votes to sink any bill Republicans are trying to pass without Democratic support -- far more than the 22 which are necessary. The moderates are not as well organized in the House, and might be convinced to vote for anything just so they can go back and campaign on "I voted to kill Obamacare." So the Tea Party could force Ryan into drastic changes in the bill as the only path to getting it passed.
The Senate, however, is another story. With such a small margin, any three Republicans can band together to stop the bill in its tracks. And there are already two distinct groups which seem to have met this bar. At least three hardliners (led by Rand Paul) have already strongly come out against the bill because it gives any assistance to poor people to buy health insurance. Which means nothing short of cutting off all tax credits and other subsidies is going to change their minds about the bill. But the opposition (again, just within the Republican caucus) seems even stronger, as the number of Republican senators coming out against the bill because it slashes Medicaid so much continues to rise (I should mention that the Washington Post put up a "whip count" of skeptical Republicans, if you're interested to see the individual names and what they've been saying so far).
The relative strength of the hotheads and the centrists is part of the American system, of course. You can win re-election in a rabidly Republican House district by taking the position that Ryancare doesn't go far enough, in other words, but senators have to appeal to a broader audience and they also have to deal with governors who will feel the pinch if the Medicaid expansion funds are cut off.
Where does this leave Paul Ryan? Well, it's really too early to tell. This early in the legislative process, a lot of people say a lot of things only to walk them back later. Strong opposition can sometimes turn into grudging acceptance, with a few tweaks to the bill. The White House is mounting a full-court press on the issue, trying to sway Tea Partiers to support Ryancare. Trump himself is not only issuing stark warnings of what will happen to Republicans in the 2018 midterms if they don't pass Ryan's bill (notably using the term "a bloodbath"), but he's also personally threatening to hold rallies in recalcitrant Republicans' home districts, to whip up the voters and provide more pressure to fall in line. This, if it happens, will be an interesting experiment into what Republican voters really believe. If the Tea Party is calling the bill "Obamacare-Lite" and refusing to support it, can Trump change these voters' minds? That's unknown, at this point, but it certainly will be interesting to see, one way or another.
Donald Trump -- very obviously -- doesn't really care exactly what is in the bill. He cares (as he always does) more about the optics. As long as a Republican Congress can pass something they can reasonably label "repeal and replace" and put it on his desk, Trump will sign just about anything, without batting an eye. Trump also knows that if Ryancare fails to pass, it will be an enormous black eye not only for him but for the whole Republican Party. They will have failed to achieve the biggest promise they made to their voters, right out of the gate. If the whole effort falls apart, Republicans are going to be seen as a party which cannot govern even when given the House, the Senate, and the White House. That's going to be brutal, politically.
Can Paul Ryan get enough of his own Republicans on board to even get his bill passed by the House? That's a real question, at this point. If he manages this feat somehow, he's going to have even more problems over in the Senate. If the Senate refuses to pass the House bill, and perhaps passes a bill of its own, the two versions will have to be reconciled -- and Tea Partiers hate compromising on anything (even with their fellow Republicans).
The math required to beat the numbers 23 and 3, however, may get a lot worse come Monday. Ryancare is almost guaranteed to leave millions (perhaps more than 10 million) without the health insurance they finally gained under Obamacare. It's designed that way, after all. But the C.B.O. report also may have some other shocking numbers contained within it. The two biggest of these will be what Ryancare does to the deficit and national debt, and how Ryancare changes the strength of the Medicaid system. Because Ryan is insistent on handing out enormous tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans in his bill, Ryancare could wind up actually costing more than Obamacare -- even though it will cover far fewer people. If Ryancare adds a big chunk to yearly deficits over the next 10 years, even more Republicans may revolt. Fiscal hawks will be outraged -- at least, those fiscal hawks that honestly believe in fiscal hawkery, as opposed to those who just use it as an occasional handy political bludgeon to use against Democrats. And if the Medicaid system is projected to have financial problems years earlier than under Obamacare, it may cause even more Republicans to balk. This is one of Obamacare's underappreciated benefits -- since passed, the projections have gotten a lot better than they used to be.
Those are just the most-predictable numbers from the upcoming C.B.O. report. There may be other surprises as well, in unexpected places. But overall, if the C.B.O. predicts that Ryancare will be more expensive, cover far fewer people, and have a much worse outcome for millions of people, it's going to be a hard enough sell for Ryan and Trump. So far, that's what everyone is expecting from the C.B.O., so it won't come as any surprise to those paying attention.
Politically, this may be an impossible lift. Let's see... more expensive... millions lose their coverage... and a worse outcome... yeah, that'll play in Peoria. "We want to spend more money for less!" is hardly a traditional Republican talking point, after all. In fact, both sides of the Republican debate may find numbers in the C.B.O. report to strengthen their anti-Ryancare position. This is the main reason why Republicans have talked a lot about replacing Obamacare but until this week have never brought a bill to the floor of either chamber of Congress. They've been afraid of the C.B.O. numbers all along, and for good reason. Speaking in vague generalities about how wonderful the GOP replacement plan will be works great when campaigning to a conservative crowd, but to actually pass any bill requires a score from the C.B.O. And those numbers are pretty much guaranteed to disprove many (if not all) of the claims the Republican politicians have had lots of fun making for the past seven years.
No wonder Paul Ryan is trying to hustle the bill through the House before anyone can figure out what's in it. Just like Republicans falsely accused the Democrats of doing. Next Monday, America will get to see the real GOP healthcare numbers for the first time. If those numbers add up to 22 House Republicans or three GOP senators against the bill, then Paul Ryan is going to have to head back to the drawing board.
Trump's right. This health care reform stuff is a lot harder than it looks.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Nice summation as usual CW.
I was somewhat surprised that you didn't mention the whole "dynamic scoring" that I am sure the GOP will use as it will undoubtedly soften the reality of the bills impact.
To bring forward from yesterday's column...
On the things that make you go Hmmm front...
So assuming that the GOP gets this turd called health care "reform" pushed out, it will mean that a bunch of regulations will get repealed, BUT, it also means that new regulations will get implemented.
When one takes into account EO 13771 requiring the removal of two regulations for each new one, the picture gets a whole lot more interesting as there is no requirement for the regulations to be related. I.E. the BLM wants to set a new regulation for mining on federal lands the regulations they remove do not have to be related to mining, they just have to come from that department and result in a "cost savings" to the private party that would have to comply with those regulations. In otherwords when they implement a regulation reducing and simplifying mining inspections, they have to get rid of two other regulations so it is feasible that they could eliminate regulations for oil drilling on federal lands.
Considering that the incremental cost allowance for imposing new regulations is set at not greater than zero for this fiscal year,effectively making it so you do not get credit for any regulations you remove this year.
It begs the question of what else will get " De- Regulated" to allow for the implementation of this " landmark" legislation?
I wish I could have edited the comment I just left on yesterdays column....
Sobriety and jet lag don't help ones commenting clarity.
I like this one better...I had to add a graph to clarify where I was heading...
@CW,
whether or not it's the wrong season for football metaphors depends entirely on the variety of football. keep in mind, this is precisely when the home stretch begins for all the european football leagues, as well as the champions' cup. barcelona completed a miraculous comeback this week to beat paris 6-5 on aggregate, after losing the first leg of the tie 0-4. and if that can happen, perhaps the democrats in the senate can grow backbones and stage a filibuster... too much to hope for?
JL
It should be noted that some Republicans are already revolting.
All kidding aside, truer words were never spoken.
But, I'd like to talk about the real problem with healthcare in America.
Healthcare in America is infused with politics, problem number one. Healthcare should be a non-political issue. By that I mean that a healthcare system should be above politics, non-partisan and focus on how to provide Americans with the best healthcare, with the best possible health outcomes, all in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
Secondly, Americans must understand that everyone who is alive in America (read: citizens, landed immigrants, naturalized citizens, and, yes ... even illegal immigrants... because you are ALL in the same boat when it comes to health and healthcare) has healthcare needs, whether they are sick or well, male or female. Therefore, everyone who is alive in America and getting older with each passing day needs some form of healthcare insurance.
The most efficient and cost-effective way to insure everyone is through a single-payer system that covers everyone for everything. By everything, I mean starting from the point where in an ideal world EVERYTHING is covered. Now, we don't live in an ideal world so the next step might be to list those limited things that would not be covered. For example, a nation might decide to exclude dental care and/or eye care and/or physiotherapy etc. Or a nation might choose to have all of that covered.
Because, everyone is covered for everything, regardless of gender or state of health, costs are spread out over a deep and broadly based pool which keeps costs as low as is possible. Premiums would be paid for through income taxes and therefore based on ability to pay.
The final thing I would say is that Americans have to get away from thinking in terms of freedom of choice in healthcare because that dog won't hunt, as they say. It is also ludicrous to think that Americans should be free to opt out of healthcare insurance. Just as all drivers need vehicle insurance, all people who are alive need healthcare insurance, to put it in the simplest of terms.
Now, are there problems with such notions as outlined above? Of course! But, they can be solved and I have no doubt that Americans are capable of putting together a single-payer system that would be the envy of the industrialized world. They just have to accept that healthcare insurance is not like any other concept of insurance that they know of and understand that health cannot be insured like any other thing because it is fundamentally different from any other thing that requires insurance.
Questions, comments, insults?
There is no good way out for the Repubs on this one. If they manage to pass their atrocity they will certainly try to claim all "victory" but I think there's limits to what marketing/PR/disinformation can do when people are either staring at premiums that suddenly went UP while coverage went down, or people who were getting insurance can, once again, no longer afford it. That's just not the kind of thing people overlook.
Trump promised to make it all "beautiful" and to "cover everyone". Even FOX News fans can tell the difference between having insurance and not having insurance, especially seniors.
Well, people who voted for Trump wanted "change".
[4} Elizabeth: Yep.
Three caveats though: Americans have been sold a bill of good for years about how "socialized medicine" is bad and there is still a deep vein of suspicion and distrust in the concept among many.
Second, a good portion of America's economy is bound up in the for-profit medical industry. Everything about that presents problems both practical (economic) and philosophical.
Third: Americans are used to getting insurance through their employers. I personally favor decoupling insurance from employment, but, at least in 2009 when ACA was being worked on, majorities of Americans did not like that idea. It may be changing, partly because of the ACA, millions of people were able to get coverage through the Exchanges and people saw it was possible.
That is why my own view was that the ACA was a good starting point, but only a starting point, and that the adoption of a Public Option would help us transition, over time, to something much closer to Single Payer. (HRC favored the Public Option.)
But now, who knows? Repubs have ZERO interest in doing the right thing for American healthcare and wherever things end up, there is likely to be a good deal of turmoil in-between.
Well, Paula, your caveats represent pretty high bars to get over, no doubt about it.
On the other hand, single-payer has one huge advantage - it's the only thing that will work!
I'm beginning to think that Ryancare or something like it must pass to prove that single-payer is the only way to go ...
Paula
6
Polling shows strong support for single payer despite the misinformation campaigns.
"Second, a good portion of America's economy is bound up in the for-profit medical industry"
Single payer still has everyone except insurance companies and the paper shufflers they necessitate getting paid or making a profit.
Insurers are only a portion of the portion, and there would be massive economic benefits to offset the economic ding.
Third, Medicare is overwhelmingly popular. Selling a few more Americans on cheaper insurance from a source other than their employers won't be difficult.
Finally, here's old Hillary vs presidential candidate Hillary on Single Payer... it's only 46 seconds long-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG7w3Oey3xs
Her winning slogan... no we can't!
A
But, But, But....
Ya'all said that Republicans WOULDN'T have ANY replacement for TrainWreckCare!!???
Were ya'all.... WRONG!!!???
AGAIN.... :D
On the other hand, single-payer has one huge advantage - it's the only thing that will work!
Assumes facts not in evidence...
Her winning slogan... no we can't!
Apparently, SHE couldn't!!! :D heh
Paula,
If they manage to pass their atrocity they will certainly try to claim all "victory" but I think there's limits to what marketing/PR/disinformation can do when people are either staring at premiums that suddenly went UP while coverage went down, or people who were getting insurance can, once again, no longer afford it. That's just not the kind of thing people overlook.
I don't know if you realise it or not, but you just described Democrats and TrainWreckCare perfectly!!! :D
He was able to shove the measure through two committees in the middle of the night,
And, of course, ya'all won't have ANY problem with that because ya'all applauded Democrats for doing the EXACT same thing..
So, no problem with that at all.. Right??
He cares (as he always does) more about the optics.
And, once again, the "HE" CAN refer to Obama and it fits!! :D
If the whole effort falls apart, Republicans are going to be seen as a party which cannot govern even when given the House, the Senate, and the White House. That's going to be brutal, politically.
Just like it was for Democrats when they proved that THEY couldn't govern...
Yep, yep, yep...
The math required to beat the numbers 23 and 3, however, may get a lot worse come Monday. Ryancare is almost guaranteed to leave millions (perhaps more than 10 million) without the health insurance they finally gained under Obamacare. It's designed that way, after all.
I thought it was 20 million!???
Jeeeze, I wish ya'all could make up yer minds... :^D
Those are just the most-predictable numbers from the upcoming C.B.O. report. There may be other surprises as well, in unexpected places. But overall, if the C.B.O. predicts that Ryancare will be more expensive, cover far fewer people, and have a much worse outcome for millions of people, it's going to be a hard enough sell for Ryan and Trump. So far, that's what everyone is expecting from the C.B.O., so it won't come as any surprise to those paying attention.
And, of course, the CBO has ALWAYS been dead on ballz accurate, right?? :^/
So far, that's what everyone is expecting from the C.B.O., so it won't come as any surprise to those paying attention.
So far, that's what everyone ON THE LEFT is expecting from the C.B.O., so it won't come as any surprise to those paying attention.
There... Fixed it for you.. :D
Politically, this may be an impossible lift.
IF....
If ya'all are correct in ya'all's assumptions and predictions..
But, let's look at reality of the accuracy of ya'all's predictions and assumptions.....
I ain't worried.. :D
But, then again, I have never really been interested about all the health care hysteria from both sides of the aisle..
Whatever happens, happens...
K sara connor, sara connor.... :D
Michale,
Oh, there are quite a few facts in evidence. It's just that, in this particular case, you must also look beyond your nose, so to speak. :)
But, let's see how Ryancare works. I suppose it is possible that it could prove me wrong ... stranger things have already happened, you know.
But, then again, I have never really been interested about all the health care hysteria from both sides of the aisle..Whatever happens, happens...
That explains a lot. :)
Oh, there are quite a few facts in evidence. It's just that, in this particular case, you must also look beyond your nose, so to speak. :)
I assume you mean other countries who have single payer..
A> Those other countries have a LOT of horror stories of the evils of their health care...
and
2> It's inarguable that, just because something works in places like Sweden or Norway doesn't mean it's going to work here in the US..
But, let's see how Ryancare works. I suppose it is possible that it could prove me wrong ... stranger things have already happened, you know.
That's what I like about you.. YOU, at least, (for the most part) are willing to wait and see if there is actually something to bitch about.. :D
I'm nothing if not patient. Ahem.
i'm still focused on football metaphors.
But, then again, I have never really been interested about all the health care hysteria from both sides of the aisle..Whatever happens, happens...
That explains a lot. :)
I should hope so... :D
I'm nothing if not patient.
{{chortle, chortle}}
:D
and if that can happen, perhaps the democrats in the senate can grow backbones and stage a filibuster... too much to hope for?
Against what, exactly???
Are you advocating staging a filibuster JUST to stage a filibuster??
against the obamacare repeal.
essentially, obama saw that the republicans had parked the bus in front of their own net, and started shooting against his own side. obama managed to score a goal for the republicans, but they were so mad that he was able to score in ANY goal that they have been trying to undo that goal, even though it was scored for their side. however, the referees ruled that the goal, although ponderous and incomprehensible, was ultimately legit.
the spectators, while confused, seem to be generally happy that at least SOMEONE scored. however, the republicans refuse to score another goal without undoing the first. one referee died on the pitch, and if the goal is overruled some spectators will likely die as well.
JL
against the obamacare repeal.
It's my understanding that the ONLY route to a filibuster is thru SCOTUS nominees..
Am I in error??
the spectators, while confused, seem to be generally happy that at least SOMEONE scored. however, the republicans refuse to score another goal without undoing the first. one referee died on the pitch, and if the goal is overruled some spectators will likely die as well.
Yer absolutely right..
You ARE still focused on football metaphors :D heh
Am I in error??
perpetually. ;p
but in all seriousness, the filibuster is still in place for legislation as well as supreme court picks. the 2013 rules change only applied to lower court picks and cabinet members.
JL
but in all seriousness, the filibuster is still in place for legislation as well as supreme court picks. the 2013 rules change only applied to lower court picks and cabinet members.
Ahhhhhhh
Thank you....
"DICK!!! YOU'RE FIRED!!!"
"Thank you.."
-RoboCop
:D
"Donald Trump -- very obviously -- doesn't really care exactly what is in the bill. He cares (as he always does) more about the optics.
Let me play devils advocate with this. Suppose Ryan Care squeaks by. Vetoing the bill might be very good optics for Trump. Trump likes to be Boss, and he also likes to be unpredictable. Signing The Bill is a huge win for Ryan, which upstages Trump. Signing the bill will be dimly viewed by the Tea Party, whose foot soldiers are a big part of Trump's constituency. So Trump vetoes, and makes a few suggestions to the Ryan camp about how to make it Tea-rrific!!!
The vetoed Bill is slightly revised (wink, wink), and is quickly sent back to the Oval Office where the now Terrific!!!! product is immediately signed by the Great Man....Who now owns the win, breaking a cycle of POTUS ineptitude in the first 100 Days. Equally important, Ryan is put in his place.
I'm not saying this scenario is likely, but it is oh so Trumpy.
And the JOBS report is PHENOMENAL!!!!!
President Trump is da MAN!!!!!! :D
U.S. Jobs, Wages Show Solid Gains in Trump's First Full Month
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-10/u-s-jobs-wages-show-solid-gains-in-trump-s-first-full-month
Wages increased!! Number of Americans in the job market increased!! Unemployment went down!!!
EVERYTHING is awesome for JOBS in America!!
Way ta go, President Trump!!!!
Will the President get any credit around here?? :D
Only from me... :D
While I'm logged in, The New-Yorker has published an article about the Trump Tower Luxury Hotel/Condo in sunny Baku, Azerbaijan. This article seems to be gaining some traction with other news outlets.
Azerbaijan is the Disney World of Corruption (happiest place on Earth). The Trump organization has been deeply involved in the nuts and bolts of this project.
There are strict US legal requirements for due diligence against corrupt business practices in foreign countries. Most corporations follow legal best practices, Trump is alleged to have not. (If I don't take the job, some foreign firm gets the money says Trump).
Trump Inc. has partnered with corrupt politicians in Azerbaijan, as well as with elements of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (a terrorist organization). Failure to practice due diligence in foreign countries is illegal, American businessmen have gone to jail for this. Corrupt businesses are vehicles for bribery, money laundering, both used to finance foreign covert ops against US interests and US allies.
If Trump is worried about his name coming up in CIA transcripts, this business deal could be a good reason. Trump Inc. is communicating with folks who are very likely to be under surveillance. Some people have good reason to be paranoid.
While unseasonably warm weather may have boosted the payrolls count
45 gets boost from global warming. The irony is delicious. Warm weather (Spring is coming three weeks early across most of the South) allowed construction to start earlier than expected. The fun will happens when the seasonal adjustment for the expected boost in employment doesn't happen next month because it already happened in February.
Why is a 45 server linked to a server from a Russian bank?
http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/09/politics/fbi-investigation-continues-into-odd-computer-link-between-russian-bank-and-trump-organization/
From May 4 until September 23, the Russian bank looked up the address to this Trump corporate server 2,820 times -- more lookups than the Trump server received from any other source.
As noted, Alfa Bank alone represents 80% of the lookups, according to these leaked internet records.
Far back in second place, with 714 such lookups, was a company called Spectrum Health.
Spectrum is a medical facility chain led by Dick DeVos, the husband of Betsy DeVos, who was appointed by Trump as U.S. education secretary.
Together, Alfa and Spectrum accounted for 99% of the lookups.
The stench coming from 45 is getting really putrid.
Oh, and the name of the server the DNS lookups (the Internet equivalent of somebody looking up the telephone number for a business) was: mail1.trump-email.com
Hey Liz
You offered wise advice for a needed course correction in Hillary's campaign, and now you are literally paying for her failure.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/justin-trudeau-pledge-global-abortion_us_58c195d7e4b054a0ea68bf83?aq44e7b9&
It doesn't seem fair.
BTW, the article seems a little bit squishy on the details.
A
The stench coming from 45 is getting really putrid.
Only to those who have the stench from NOT-45's shitty campaign.. :D
neil
32, 33
That sounds like the same story that the article on Empty Wheel mentioned being mangled by Breitbart and leading to Trump's wiretap claims.
A
This guy gets it:
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/rural-america-understanding-isnt-problem
Hey Kick
Kids today!
This is kind of funny, and relates to your comment yesterday-
https://theintercept.com/2017/03/10/former-cia-director-michael-hayden-blames-millennials-for-government-leaks/
He was later seen yelling "get off my lawn" from a rocking chair on his porch.
A
While I'm logged in, The New-Yorker has published an article about the Trump Tower Luxury Hotel/Condo in sunny Baku, Azerbaijan. This article seems to be gaining some traction with other news outlets.
Azerbaijan is the Disney World of Corruption (happiest place on Earth). The Trump organization has been deeply involved in the nuts and bolts of this project.
There are strict US legal requirements for due diligence against corrupt business practices in foreign countries. Most corporations follow legal best practices, Trump is alleged to have not. (If I don't take the job, some foreign firm gets the money says Trump).
Trump Inc. has partnered with corrupt politicians in Azerbaijan, as well as with elements of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (a terrorist organization). Failure to practice due diligence in foreign countries is illegal, American businessmen have gone to jail for this. Corrupt businesses are vehicles for bribery, money laundering, both used to finance foreign covert ops against US interests and US allies.
If Trump is worried about his name coming up in CIA transcripts, this business deal could be a good reason. Trump Inc. is communicating with folks who are very likely to be under surveillance. Some people have good reason to be paranoid.
You people are just throwing ANYTHING you can up against the wall and praying something sticks..
It's hilarious that ya'all are acting EXACTLY like you accused Republicans of acting during the Obama years..
HAA LARRY ASS!! :D
And remember what I said at the time??
"That's just what Minority Partys do?? When there is a GOP'er in the White House ya'all are going to be acting EXACTLY the same way.."
And lo and behold...
I was dead on ballz accurate..
AGAIN!!!!! :D
I understand the RyanHealth plan encourages businesses to opt out of providing their employees with health insurance. I'm sure you'll agree, Michale, that no business should provide health insurance to workers. It takes away their workers' freedom and independence to choose for themselves. That's very anti-Republican. I'm surprised the GOP didn't put a stop to it years ago.
I understand the RyanHealth plan encourages businesses to opt out of providing their employees with health insurance. I'm sure you'll agree, Michale, that no business should provide health insurance to workers.
While I don't know enough to know whether or not it's a good thing, many Weigantians have stated that breaking the EMPLOYER/HEALTH INSURANCE connection is a GOOD thing..
Ergo, if the GOP is trying to break the Employer/Health Insurance lock, I would guess that would be a good thing..
Right??
Did someone tell you that life was fair, Al?
Al,
You offered wise advice for a needed course correction in Hillary's campaign, and now you are literally paying for her failure.
Not at all.
You see, Canada has been handed an excellent opportunity on a silver platter. We intend to take advantage of a US retreat from the world stage and replace the promise of America with our very own special version of global leadership.
Look for this new Canadian initiative to manifest itself on a number of domestic and international fronts.
You see, Canada has been handed an excellent opportunity on a silver platter. We intend to take advantage of a US retreat from the world stage and replace the promise of America with our very own special version of global leadership.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/courtenay-resident-deported-to-netherlands-1.4012844
And your point is ... ?
Says it all:
http://politicsthatwork.com/voting-record/
And your point is ... ?
Canada deports an old guy who has lived in Canada for 60 years, since he was 8 months old....
Sounds like something Trump would do, doesn't it??
Even Fox News is getting fed up with the lies from the White House.
You can't run a country as good as ours if you lie all the time.
Shepard Smith Is Fed Up: ‘It’s Too Much Lying, Too Much Russia, Too Much Smoke’
Liz
44
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ECUtkv2qV8
A little Python seemed appropriate.
A
Even Fox News is getting fed up with the lies from the White House.
You can't run a country as good as ours if you lie all the time.
Shepard Smith Is Fed Up: ‘It’s Too Much Lying, Too Much Russia, Too Much Smoke’
Of course, FNC is talking about all the lies from the Left Whinery...
But why let facts intrude on yer fantasy world..
How's that AG SESSIONS LIED bullshit workin' out for ya'all?? :D
How's that RUSSIANS HACKED THE ELECTION bullshit workin' out for ya'all???
:D
Of course, FNC is talking about all the lies from the Left Whinery. But why let facts intrude on yer fantasy world..
No, he was talking about Flynn, and the WH's persistent lying about contacts with the Russians. It's on tape - you can see the context for yourself.
Smith, you see, is still under the delusion that Faux is more than simply a public relations adjunct of the White House.
Apparently, some Faux folks went into the news business to report 'news', not rubber-stamp PR handouts. Surprise, surprise.
Will Smith be the next to jump ship and cross the street to MSNBC? Stay tuned...
No, he was talking about Flynn, and the WH's persistent lying about contacts with the Russians.
Obama's DNI Clapper stated unequivocally and for the record that there is absolutely NO EVIDENCE of any collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia...
You don't get it..
You lost...
Get over it..
AG Sessions didn't lie
Russia didn't hack the election
There was no collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign...
These are ALL facts.. Provable and inarguable FACTS...
The Left Whinery lost...
And, considering the current JOBS report that just came out..???
THANK GODS they DID lose...
No one wants to talk about the AWESOME JOBS report attributed to President Trump, eh? :D
"Gee! I wonder why that is!!!"
-Kevin Spacey, THE NEGOTIATOR
:D
Didn't ya'all claim over and over that President Trump would NOT be able to keep his promise on creating new jobs???
OK, OK... I am done gloating for the night.. :D
Gonna watch OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY :D
EM [4]
Questions, comments, insults?
At her request, I made a silent internal vow that I would not use this word when referring to Elizabeth, but I digress in my opinion of post #4 regarding single-payer healthcare for America.
GD... EM nailed it! Every. Single. Word.
{I could not bring myself to expand the expletive.}
When Republicans are drawing up healthcare plans and R-splainin' about insurance, that tells Democrats they've won Step 1... that there will indeed be insurance for Americans. Regardless of two steps forward and one step backward, eyes on the prize because single-payer insurance is where this ends, people. It's not a matter of "if" but "when." :)
CW: Trump's right. This health care reform stuff is a lot harder than it looks.
I know, right? His mouth was busy writing checks his ass couldn't keep, and one would think this issue is a prime example for the deluded sheeple that were conned by the fascist Cheeto. This is Trump's "read my lips, no new taxes" moment because newsflash, this plan isn't near what Trump promised.
Trump repeated over and over like a trained orangutan: Obama lied when he said "if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor."
So what did Don the Con promise?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPJfKdp3bDs
TRUMP HEALTHCARE CON
* There's many different ways to fix it.
* Everybody's got to be covered. I am going to take care of everybody. Everybody is going to be taken care of much better than they are taken care of now.
* I would make a deal with existing hospitals to take care of people. The government is going to pay for it, but we're going to save so much money on the other side.
* They can have their doctors. They can have their plans. They can have everything.
* I would make a deal with death, and nobody would die anymore because I have a very big brain and know how to make the bigliest deals.
Okay, I made a bunch of those up {lie}; to be truthful, I fabricated only that last one.
At what point do you realize you've been conned? At what point do you realize he was just sitting there in his ivory tower on his gold throne and making shit up, and now Democrats need to get out there and rub his orange face in it. :)
Is everyone ready for a little musical interlude?
Great! I thought so ...
I missed the Kennedy Centre Honors last December when the Eagles were honoured. Click on the link below to see a wonderful tribute to one of my all-time favourite bands.
And, be sure to keep watching through to the end as the credits roll!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIzB4CcMoLA
michale [9]
Ya'all said that Republicans WOULDN'T have ANY replacement for TrainWreckCare!!???
Have you even looked at it or did you just believe what you were told?
http://energycommerce.house.gov/sites/republicans.energycommerce.house.gov/files/documents/AmericanHealthCareAct.pdf
^^^^^^ WELL, GO ON... click, click ^^^^^^
Had you bothered to read it, even some of it, you would have soon discovered that the bill contains amendments to the ACA. So Sean Spicer standing up there on his podium bragging about how much smaller the "R" healthcare plan is... 'cause they're simply amendments to the ACA, and they're still busy conning the sheeple who believe the BS without question. :)
A01 [38]
He was later seen yelling "get off my lawn" from a rocking chair on his porch.
Well, he said he didn't want to jump to any conclusions... so he decided to dive in headfirst. LOL
michale [54]
And, considering the current JOBS report that just came out..???
THANK GODS they DID lose...
Did you get this excited about the February jobs reports for the last couple Obama years? I'm guessing "NO" because if you had actually bothered to check the most recent prior years' jobs reports for February, then you'd know how stupid you sound to the rest of us.
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_03062015.pdf
^^^^^ WELL, GO ON... click, click ^^^^^
Congratulations, snowflake... You are awarded today's living breathing walking talking "ignorance really is bliss" award. ROTFLMAO :)
michale [55]
No one wants to talk about the AWESOME JOBS report attributed to President Trump, eh? :D
"Gee! I wonder why that is!!!"
-Kevin Spacey, THE NEGOTIATOR
Oh, I'm guessing they're too busy laughing their asses off. Maybe somebody nice will come along and attempt to burst that bubble you're living in. {see above} LOL :)
Had you bothered to read it, even some of it, you would have soon discovered that the bill contains amendments to the ACA. So Sean Spicer standing up there on his podium bragging about how much smaller the "R" healthcare plan is... 'cause they're simply amendments to the ACA, and they're still busy conning the sheeple who believe the BS without question. :)
And yet, ya'all are calling it the GOP Replacement plan.
For ya'all, it's RYAN CARE...
http://www.chrisweigant.com/2017/03/07/ryancare-immediately-attacked-by-republicans/#comment-96434
^^^^ CLICK ON LINK I DARE YA!!! ^^^^^^
BBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Gods, yer so easy these days... :D
Oh, I'm guessing they're too busy laughing their asses off. Maybe somebody nice will come along and attempt to burst that bubble you're living in. {see above} LOL :)
Sorry, snowflake but yer BS smells..
This is the best jobs report overall than Obama ever had..
EVERYTHING is plus.. Not just JOBS creation, but also Americans in the workforce and unemployment..
Yer guy, Obama, would have KILLED for such an awesome JOBS report...
Again, you didn't used to be this stoopid... Blow to the head recently?? :D
But hay.. I am a fair guy... :D
I'll give you a chance to salvage your bruised and battered ego..
Find me an instance during yer guy Obama's years where Job Creation was so high, Americans in the workforce was so high and unemployment went down..
Go ahead.. Find it...
You can't because it doesn't exist..
You lose, snowflake...
What a shocker, eh! :D
Had you bothered to read it, even some of it, you would have soon discovered that the bill contains amendments to the ACA. So Sean Spicer standing up there on his podium bragging about how much smaller the "R" healthcare plan is... 'cause they're simply amendments to the ACA, and they're still busy conning the sheeple who believe the BS without question. :)
OH.... Oh..... what's this???
Oh, and that fever will not be covered by the new GOP Obamacare replacement plan, sorry.
-CW.COM
I guess yer claiming that CW is one of the "sheeple" that's been "conned", eh???
Jeesus, proving you wrong...??? It's like shooting fish in a barrel.. :D