There Is No Compromise on ObamaCare

American Thinker ^ | September 20, 2013 | William Sullivan

[Qbert]

Republicans oppose ObamaCare.  That's no secret.  But there seems to be some conflicting ideas among Republicans about how that opposition should be played out on Capitol Hill.

For example, the House GOP establishment had, until this week, wanted to hold votes on ...[Snip] a separate bill that would keep the government funded after this month.  This was the expected path, the path of GOP reason and "compromise" according to the media and Democrats. 

[Snip]

Conservatives less interested in pre-emptive capitulation to Democrats, however, have suggested there be a vote on a single bill which would both defund ObamaCare and provide the stopgap spending to keep the government funded.  

[Snip]

This is an "undoubtedly risky" strategy, says Fox News...[Snip]

Yes, yes, we've heard it before.  If Republicans don't consent to raising the limit on the national credit card, the world will end and all that.  

[Snip]

...why might conservatives deride such efforts to defund ObamaCare, and prefer the path of "compromise"?  

[Snip]

Because it's an unwinnable fight, venerable conservative pundit Charles Krauthammer posits...

[Snip]

And if Krauthammer is also right in his hopeful prediction that ObamaCare will be crushed by its own immense size and economically destructive makeup, what harm is there, then, in being among the voices that have been heralding that horrible outcome while fighting to protect Americans from it?  

[Snip]

But the real reason ObamaCare must be fought at every turn is that Krauthammer is probably wrong.  

[Snip]

With each day passing, with each new provision carefully selected for implementation, ObamaCare becomes more and more a staple in American life.  Barack Obama is counting on that.  Because time normalizes even the most malignant social entitlement program.  

[Qbert]

Good article- read the whole thing.

[Rennes Templar]

It has to be defunded like the Secure Fence Act was. If not, it’s here to stay, and privacy becomes a thing of the past.

[Travis McGee]

[nathanbedford]

I have just listened to the most infuriating 40 min. on Laura Ingraham starting with her introductory monologue and extending through an interview with Byron York. York has long been writing articles to the effect that the conservative initiative to defund Obamacare is wrongheaded and in any case cannot succeed.

Those who oppose the initiative always revert to the idea that the Republicans do not have control of the Senate or of the White House, both of which, they say, are necessary to repeal Obamacare. That is to misconceive the power structure.

By defunding Obamacare in the House, conservatives have seized the initiative. The Democrats cannot regain the initiative even though they control the Senate and the White House, they can only fight for some sort of parity. In other words, heretofore the Democrats have been having their way without paying a political price. Now they must pay.

The danger for the Republicans is not that they will not succeed in forcing the Senate and the White House to repeal Obamacare, it is that the Senate will strip the defunding provisions of the continuing resolution and send it back to the house. At that point the Democrats will not have regained the initiative-contrary to the assumptions tacit and otherwise of the Rinos-they will have at best placed themselves in the debate on equal terms with Republicans. But for the first time Republicans will have some sort of parity.

Just because the Republicans have now gained ground which they can defend and even use as a launching pad for attack, does not mean they will win, it means they have to fight to win. It is always been known by conservatives, Rinos and Democrats alike that if and when it comes to a shutdown it will be a fight for public opinion. At this point the Republicans will be able to say:

The Republicans want to keep the government open and shut down Obamacare.

The Democrats want to shut down the government to keep Obamacare open.

That is a political battle we can win. But we cannot win it if sellouts like Laura Ingraham and Byron York oh so piously cluck their tongues and pronounce the effort to defund stillborn.

[exit82]

http://www.house.gov/representatives/#state_ca

Make the call now to your reps. Today is the day.

Even if you are in a Dem district.

they need to know that you wanted this montrosity defunded.

The life you save may be your own.

[oldbrowser]

The Republicans want to keep the government open and shut down Obamacare.

I am so disappointed with the conservatives that fail to understand this point.

In my mind I visualize these same people at a meeting among the founding fathers trying to tell them that this will never work. That we should try to compromise with the British or we will all be ruined.

Then Samuel Adams gets up and says:

“If you love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”

[Qbert]

"I have just listened to the most infuriating 40 min. on Laura Ingraham starting with her introductory monologue and extending through an interview with Byron York. York has long been writing articles to the effect that the conservative initiative to defund Obamacare is wrongheaded and in any case cannot succeed."

He may be right about the procedural obstacles... but that doesn't mean it isn't worth fighting the battle.

A lot of this reminds me of all the "experts" telling Reagan that there was simply nothing that could be done about the Soviet Union- they were a superpower, and we just had to live with that. Reagan's "We win, they lose" notions were "juvenile" and "anti-intellectual" (and his "Evil Empire" rhetoric only "hindered diplomacy"... and "turned off American independents"). Reagan did it his way- and who was laughing in the end?

[Night Hides Not]

But we cannot win it if sellouts like Laura Ingraham and Byron York oh so piously cluck their tongues and pronounce the effort to defund stillborn.

Add Turd Blossum, Bill O'Reilly, and Brad Blakemore to the list of sellouts.

[Gaffer]

This is an "undoubtedly risky" strategy, says Fox News...[Snip]

There is no RISK in doing what is right, the consequences of not acting are far worse than pissing off a bunch of RINO Republican elitists who covet their own power more than they do for the wishes of their constituents.

The 'risk' of doing what is right is pissing off Democrats and GOPe? Give me a frigging break! Who cares what they think; they are our enemies. To proclaim so and keep repeating is defeatism and acknowledgement that you're part of the problem. So on this, Fox News, I give you a big "f@ck you."

[itsahoot]

But we cannot win it if sellouts like Laura Ingraham and Byron York oh so piously cluck their tongues and pronounce the effort to defund stillborn.

No FOX elite has offered any support for defunding except Hannity and even he posits it is probably a loosing battle. He had Run Paul on last night declaring that the GOP would not win but they may force some sort of compromise.

Bill 0'Reilly has went ballistic lately on Syria and defunding, seems the entire FOX crew is talking from the same talking points list. Even the insiders on the Blaze Real News crew seem to be reading the same talking points.

That old Hymn " This World is Not My Home" means more every day.

[Lakeshark]

Does anyone know the official website for the petition to defund Bambicare? Cruz said he hopes we'll all get three others to sign in in the next few days, plus call the House leadesrhsip thanking them for their courage and exhort them to keep it up. I want to send this link out to my email list of friends and family.

[1035rep]

http://www.dontfundobamacare.com/?gclid=CPft6dfM2rkCFc01QgodrBkAIw

[exit82]

http://www.dontfundobamacare.com/

Lakeshark, I was just going to send you the link, but I see 1035rep already has.

Over 1.5 million have signed so far.

[Cheerio]

An excellent read by Andy McCarthy http://pjmedia.com/andrewmccarthy/2013/09/19/defund-obamacare/?singlepage=true

Exceprt...

The objections to the defunding strategy are as unconvincing as they are feckless. Naysayers argue that President Obama will never sign a bill to fund government operations that slashes his signature achievement. Thus, the argument goes, defunding can only result in a government shutdown for which, thanks to Obama’s slavish media, Republicans will be blamed. Also trotted out, of course, is the bromide the GOP establishment chants to rationalize its supine posture whenever opportunities arise to oppose Obama’s hard Left agenda: “We only control one-half of one-third of the government, so we cannot dictate policy.”

Resistance is futile, in other words, so why resist at all? It’s an ironic argument since it seems Republican leadership only resists when doing so is futile, when the resistance is token. Thus the prior votes to repeal Obamacare, all forty of them, taken in the comfortable knowledge that they had no chance of succeeding – just going through the motions in faux fulfillment of a commitment to the base to work tirelessly to undo the law. But when something might not be futile – when it could actually work, and therefore entails hard work and risk – we generally find leadership in folderoo mode, babbling its one-half-of-one-third mantra.