Rick Perlstein
said it best, “I believe politics is a team sport. That, for awful and unfortunate reasons beyond any of our control, the American system only allows, effectively, for two teams.”Posted on 09/22/2017 8:13:53 AM PDT by NaturalBornConservative
Rick Perlstein
Is politics a team sport? The question resurfaced recently when Senator Rand Paul referred to the Graham-Cassidy Health Care Plan as — “Amnesty for Obamacare.”
Rand Paul Gives Graham/Cassidy a New Name: 'Amnesty for ObamaCare' - Big League Politics https://t.co/0RN6K9g6TG — Rand Paul (@DrRandPaul) September 19, 2017
When I saw this, I immediately fired off a tweet to Senator Paul stating, “Not again! It's a team sport. Time is up. If you are not Republican, then get off the team and go join the Democrats.”
Not again! It's a team sport. Time is up. If you are not Republican, then get off the team and go join the Democrats. — Larry (@larrymwalkerjr) September 20, 2017
An unidentified third party then replied, “Wrong - it's absolutely NOT a team sport. Members must represent their constituents' wishes - not follow some pigheaded slogan.”
In reality, it’s Senator Paul who’s following a self-contrived “pigheaded slogan”, while most Republicans in the House, 90%+ of those in the Senate, and the Trump Administration are in support of a “bill”, which repeals the main provisions of Obamacare, and takes power away from the District of Columbia, handing it back to the states.
If politics isn’t a team sport, then why do political parties exist? And, what is the purpose of winning the majority in both houses and the White House if the party in control isn’t going to stick together on major legislation? Of course, politics is a team sport.
Yet there always seems to be at least one grandstanding maverick, almost always a Republican, who wants to make a name for himself rather than play his position. Face it, Rand Paul doesn’t represent any constituents. Like John McCain and a few others, he merely represents himself.
If Senator Paul represents anyone, it should be the party he belongs to, whichever that may be. At this point, he represents constituents of the Democratic Party, who oppose the bill at all costs, and cares nothing for Republicans, the majority of whom favor some measure of victory.
Under the Graham-Cassidy plan a Federal block grant is given annually to states to help individuals pay for health care, Planned Parenthood is defunded, and the individual mandate, employer mandate, and medical device tax are completely repealed, to name a few. But even better, it’s supported by most Republicans in the House, 90%+ of those in the Senate, and the Trump Administration. So, what’s Rand Paul’s problem?
If Senator Paul can’t get 90%+ of Republican Senators to go along with his proposal, which he can’t, then perhaps he should dismount from his high horse and support the 90%+ of his party who see merit in Graham-Cassidy. If that’s not good enough for Senator Paul, then only one choice remains.
Stop calling yourself a Republican, and go team up with those more in line with your views. At this point in time that would be none other than the Democratic Party, which stands firm, in unison, against every proposal favored by the President and the majority of Republicans.
Gramnesty’s bill rearranges the Obamacare deck chairs. If it get’s passed they’ll say they repealed and replaced and we’ll be stuck with it forever.
No, it moves the ball down the field in the right position. Paul is letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. If the GOP gets more senators in 2018, they can revisit health care and improve it. Passing this bill improves the possibility of getting more senators. Failing to do something decreases the possibility of getting more senators.
Right “direction.”
I like Rand Paul, Roy Moore and Ted Cruz. This applies to Cruz moreso in the past, Cruz has become a team player; but the problem with the “opinionated” type of Senators is sure, they say good things but, it’s now becoming apparent to me, they often don’t accomplish that much.
I commend Cruz, Lee, Rubio, Graham, Cotton, they are voting to defund Planned Parenthood, abortion being one of the great evils facing America.
There is absolutely NO repeal in this bill.
Replacing parts of Obamacare leaves most of the structure intact.
The goal of the GOP is retaining as much of Obamacare as they can.
If Rand is the one that ends up killing this then he needn’t ever run for President again.
More Democrats in R jerseys gains us nothing.
Alexander, Corker, Flake, Graham, Hatch, Heller, Hoeven, Murkowsky, McCain, Rubio, Gardner, Burr, Tillis, Portman, McConnell, Thune, Cornyn, Cochran, Isackson, Blunt, Johnson, Toomey, Capito, Rounds, Fischer, Collins, Wicker, Sasse, Ernst, Young, Boozman and Shelby are all undocumented Democrats in R jerseys
The Founders never intended that political parties would be ruling the nation, because they were incredibly wise after seeing the bad results of such factions in England.
If Obamacare can survive until October 1st, we’re virtually certain of being stuck with it forever. Which suits Rand Paul to a T. He and his family are exempt from Obamacare. He has the luxury of imposing it on others without incurring any personal discomfiture.
At least Rand Paul is a natural born citizen and eligible to be President, unlike Cruz, Rubio, Jindal, George P. Bush and Nikki Haley.
All born to foreign national parents with divided loyalties and one born in a foreign country.
We were stuck with it once it passed.
The GOP has never had any intention of repealing it.
If it get’s passed they’ll say they repealed and replaced and we’ll be stuck with it forever.
The point is that fast-track/easy repeal ends on September 30. If Graham-Cassidy passes, then a new window of opportunity for repeal opens up. If Obamacare remains the law of the land until October 1st, there’s no realistic path to or hope of repeal.
Good points!
Yes, but how about REAL conservatives that could replace RATS in Missouri, North Dakota, West Virginia, and some other states in 2018?
Because he will have done the American people a greater service than many actual presidents accomplish spread out across two terms.
Also, he’s an anti military twerp like his dad. He is just having a blind squirrel moment here. He need never run anyway.
Democrats aren’t pro-life, most of those you name are. Maybe you aren’t the one who is Republican. Or try another angle.
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Rand Paul is right.
He is an established medical professional, and knows what he is talking about.
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You have to be the most willfully ignorant Noob we have here.
Chimpanzees have better cognition than you.
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