Cruz hits The Donald on 'TrumpCare'

Politico ^ | February 1, 2016 | Dan Diamond with Joanne Kenen

[Cincinatus' Wife]

CRUZ HITS TRUMP ON HEALTH CARE - AND HE'S KIND OF RIGHT - Locked in a close battle in Iowa, Ted Cruz is turning to health care in an attempt to separate himself from rival Donald Trump. A brutal ad airing in Iowa links "HillaryCare" and "ObamaCare" with "TrumpCare" - and uses Trump's own words against him.

"Everybody's got to be covered, this is an un-Republican thing for me to say," the ad quotes Trump saying on 60 Minutes last fall. "[And] the government's gonna pay for it."

Cruz pushed this message further on several Sunday shows. "A vote for Donald Trump is a vote for ObamaCare," Cruz claimed on Meet The Press. "Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have the identical position on health care. Which is they want to put the government in charge of you and your doctor. Now my views are polar opposites."

- TrumpCare remains vaguely defined. Trump called Cruz a "total liar" and declared, "I am so against Obamacare." But the thing is, Trump has repeatedly reiterated his commitment to some form of universal coverage - just as Cruz suggests. However, we still don't know any specifics of a Trump health plan, or how he'd pay for it.

Pressed again on Sunday, he still refused to offer details. "We'll work something out," Trump said on ABC's This Week. "Nobody knows health care better than Donald Trump."

[mkjessup]

While you're recuperating, perhaps you might enjoy this Blu-Ray upload to YouTube of a film I'm sure you'll approve of? (I know I do ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8yWuYMkhfQ

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

They weren't just means tested. As I pointed out, adult men and women without children were not eligible regardless of income. Therefore, everyone was not covered.

Furthermore, the "means-test" is so low that millions and millions of people are not covered by any kind of health insurance. Are you still saying that is false, or do you now agree that is, in fact, the case.

Also, you didn't address my other point. If there will be no individual mandate, and no single payer, then what mechanism will be used to ensure that "everyone" is covered, as Trump said?

[GeaugaRepublican]

I will agree with you on one thing. Trump needs to get his A game together on some of these messages. His plan was to run on a very limited platform, that if successful would restore America.

Trump would be better off stating that he is looking forward to working with our Republican legislature, of course no one likes them either!

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

He is for repealing OC, lowering premiums through competition....

Selling policies across state lines is something a bunch of candidates support -- it's been part of Republican plans for years now, so you're not going to get any argument from that on the right. The left, though, hates it.

....and having a safety net for the truly destitute which we already have in Medicaid.

As has been pointed out previously, the Medicaid thresholds even under ObamaCare are so low that even if you make less than $9/hr., working 2000 hrs/yr, you won't qualify. And as I pointed out, pre-Obamacare Medicaid doesn't cover single adults no matter how little they make.

So there's the point -- you guys just can't wave away what Trump said with the facile explanation that "Medicaid already covers it." It does not. I mean, common sense should tell you that if Medicaid already covered everyone who couldn't afford health insurance, Obamacare would never have gotten any traction at all.

Health care is a massive issue, and while I don't expect a candidate to have drafted out an entire bill, a promise like "everyone will be covered" triggers a natural question of "how"? What's the mechanism? Is he going to raise the Medicaid threshold up to the point where everyone is covered? And how do you ensure that the people who "could" afford insurance actually buy it if there isn't a mandate?"

[one Lord one faith one baptism]

Hmm, could it be Jim Robinson by any chance??

[one Lord one faith one baptism]

I see Trump as a very wealthy man who is used to people kissing his butt because they want to do business with him. He has a magnetic personality that translates very well on TV, especially in comparison to your average politician.
None of the above makes him a conservative.
That said, if he is the R nominee, he of course will have my vote over Hillary or any other D.

[FreeReign]

You do realize that Trump has given a grand total of 1.3 million over the last 20 years to over 350 candidates, while Teddy is receiving over 30 million from 3 families, in one cycle. You DO understand the difference, right?

You do realize that many of those pols that Donny gave money to are leftists who are destroying our country, while Cruz has taken money from three patriotic families plus many grassroots patriots.

[GeaugaRepublican]

He gave donations to pols in the New York City corridor.

Those three families all have ulterior motives, sorry, they are not being charitable. They are not building children’s hospitals with the money.

Grown up.

[FreeReign]

Trump has not said one thing about Cruz's policies

Trump doesn't talk about policies. Period.

[GeaugaRepublican]

They are not patriotic and I believe some of these folks are money laundering if you look at the legitimacy of the payees.

We’ve got one guy who bilked the IRS out of 6 billion.

This does not pass the smell test. Sorry.

[Jim Robinson]

It’s called rebellion. And it’s on!

[QuigleyDU]

I don’t disagree with you.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

Fair enough. I actually worked on one of the cases challenging Obamacare, so that whole subject kind of gets me interested. I know the country has a lot of issues, but one that is not going away is entitlements. As bad as they have been, they are much worse now that Obama has basically done nothing to shore them up. So when I hear Trump opposing entitlement reform, and also saying things that sound suspiciously like making health care an entitlement for everyone...I get nervous.

So you're right. He needs to clean this up if he didn't speak as clearly as he would have liked.

For the record, I'm honestly undecided. I think they're all flawed candidates, and am still trying to figure out who is the least flawed.

[FreeReign]

They are not patriotic and I believe some of these folks are money laundering if you look at the legitimacy of the payees.

The three families are some combination of evangelical, energy and anti illegal immigration. They fund patriotic causes.

We've got one guy who bilked the IRS out of 6 billion.

No, not at all. The IRS has nothing on Mercer. I suspect that they are harassing him similar to the way the IRS targets the tea party, because he is the number one funder of conservative causes, and because he doesn't give to Democrats like Trump does.

This does not pass the smell test. Sorry

Sorry, you're wrong.

[mkjessup]

Hmm, could it be Jim Robinson by any chance??

*** DING DING!! *** looks like we have a winner.

Congratulations.

[Heart-Rest]

Excellent points, with outstanding precision and accuracy!

(An old saying says, "There are none so blind as those who will not see", and some of these anti-Trump posters here have really illustrated that point quite clearly.)

On a separate track, I couldn't help but notice that there haven't been too many posts lately with the candidates green-ball analysis included in the posts.   (My guess is that that is because it became obvious over time that certain "Canadian" candidates display green-ball views in front of one group, yellow-ball views when they're in front of another group, and red-ball views when they are in front of yet another group.)

I decided (for old times sake) to include one last "green-ball analysis" in this healthcare discussion.   I hope it is helpful here to all voters (especially Iowa ones today), so they can make their important decisions with at least a faint ghost of a smile on their cold caucus lips.   Hope it is helpful.

The Green Balls



Green Ball - 1

Green Ball - 2

(I'm going to check back in later, to see how the voting is going in Iowa.   Keep up the great work with your posting!)

[GeaugaRepublican]

No, not at all. The IRS has nothing on Mercer.
_____________________________________

Mercer’s Hedge fund, Renaissance Technology

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/09/business/dealbook/irs-cracks-down-on-hedge-fund-tax-strategy.html?_r=0

The “basket options strategy” used the dubious financial structure costing the treasury Billions, yes Billions.

Please spare us from arguing the ethics of some of these people. The Wilkes brothers are trying to get the federal government to do a BLM land exchange with them, which they want very much.

They have their own interests at heart, not ours.

[GeaugaRepublican]

By the way, Mercer has just been funding conservative causes in the last two cycles. He does not have that long of a track record.

Mercer does have a relatively new venture; he started Cambridge Analytica. Keep the Promise 2, his Super Pac, the largest payee? Cambridge Analytica.

Its the equivalent of Mercer taking money from one pocket and putting it in his other pocket. I believe, the govt. should be investigating this Super Pac for money laundering.
Take a look at the other payees.

[MeanWestTexan]

“What private non govt organization have they run? Castro like his fellow Cubans Cruz and Rubio have been lifelong govt employees.”

True. Trump does run at least one strip club.

Managing titty dancers is probably difficult.

[Trumpinator]

That gets my vote. Trump 2016 - If I could vote twice I would.