Posted on 10/16/2017 1:51:37 PM PDT by Kaslin
RUSH: Trump continues Last week I mentioned this on Friday. And, you know, I didnt spend enough time on it. I mentioned it in the last half hour of the program. Trumps week last week was precisely why he was elected, and his week last week, not just in blowing up all of the Obama legacy and the Drive-Bys are caterwauling about this. Obamacare, the subsidies to the insurance companies. The left is predictably outraged, claiming, President Trump is going to kill people! People are going to die, even though all thats happened here is that Trump has inserted the rule of law in this.
Obamas executive action ordering federal government subsidies and paybacks to insurance companies for paying for premiums for poor people was unconstitutional. It is illegal. All Trump did was say so. He simply said (paraphrased), Its unconstitutional, and I am issuing an executive order here that removes these subsidies, and now were back within the confines of the Constitution. You know what the key element of this is? The Democrats passed Obamacare knowing full well that it could not sustain itself as written. So Obama immediately began issuing executive orders that consisted of waivers for donors and other Democrats fundraisers and bundlers.
They were waived, they were given waivers from the stifling circumstances imposed by Obamacare, and the second thing, these subsidies that the insurance companies were offered, which Both of these things Obama did were unconstitutional, but thats not the point. Well, it is the point. But the primary point is that the law as written could not sustain itself. The law as written doomed Obamacare financially, politically. It did not have legs. There was no solid foundation. So here came the waivers and here came the executive order authorizing subsidies to insurance companies.
What Trump has done has taken Obamacare now back within the confines of the rule of law, whereby and wherein it will implode. My buddy Andy McCarthy had a great place at National Review Saturday pointing out, essentially, that this is how you kill Obamacare. You keep it within the confines of the law. A lawful enforcement and interpretation of Obamacare dooms it. It cant survive without Obamas executive actions and orders which set the law and the Constitution aside. So what Trump is actually done here Now Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats are running around screaming bloody murder that this is gonna be cold-hearted and mean-spirited to the poor and everything.
(laughing) Over the insurance company bailouts. But, anyway, simply by making it legal we dont need the Republicans to pass legislation; we dont need the Senate to pass legislation, House or Senate the law itself will implode and crater simply because its exemptions from the law have been eliminated. Isnt that fascinating? Thats all it ever took. But Trump decided that he would try to work with the House and the Senate, Republicans and Democrats Chuck and Nancy and Mitch and Paul to see if they can come up with a compromise legislatively that would do all this. But they couldnt.
Now, people are also caterwauling, Trump cant do this! He cant do this! Its Obamas. Yes, he can. He can dismantle everything Obama did by virtue of executive order. Obama You know, people talk about how much popularity he had, how loved he was. Obama couldnt get, probably, 75% of his agenda, if it requires legislation. Thats why so much was done with executive orders and executive action. But it wasnt just Obamacare. Trump has totally blown up the Obama legacy on climate change and environmentalism. Hes blown up the Obama legacy on the Iran deal. In one week, folks!
It was profound. It was exactly why Trump was elected, and weve been bombarded all weekend with all the pundits complaining about it Trump undoing Obamas legacy because in their mind whatever Obama did, legal or not, was good and was supportive and should have never been challenged. And whatever Trump is doing is absolutely wrong and incorrect. By the way, I finally heard and I cant remember who it is. But I felt so validated because I saw somebody I really wish I could remember who it was. It might have been this morning; it might have been sometime last night.
But somebody pointed out It was Michael Goodwin (thats who it was) at the New York Post. He was on Fox & Friends today and was talking to Steve Doocy. He pointed out something that I have been saying for months now that we dont get news anymore, that what the media is is nothing other than the advancement of the Obama agenda, the protection of the Obama agenda, or the destruction of Trump. A combination of those things. But there isnt any news anymore. Goodwin made the point Now, he was talking about it within the context of the only thing news media is doing is criticizing Trump.
They are not analyzing any Trump proposal, any Trump policy. They are not saying one thing good about anything Trump is doing, and, as such, there is no news anymore. Right on! There isnt any news, and there hasnt been any news, and it predates the way the media has been dealing with Trump. But I felt really validated by that. Now, theres one other thing here that Trump has undone, if you will. Weve had Obamacare, the Iran deal, climate change, a couple of other things and now another aspect of Obamas legacy is being undone with Bowe Bergdahl pleading guilty to desertion. Now, I know some of you remember this.
It seems like it was only yesterday that Susan Rice in the Obama Regime was hailing Bergdahl as a hero and attacking anybody who would dare question his record or complain about the lives lost trying to recover him or even complain about giving back to the Taliban 5 of their top leaders for a deserter. Obama had seen parents to the White House, and they were singing the praises the Obama administration was singing the praises of a military deserter. And Trump, while this was happening, was blasting Bergdahl, blasting Obamas comments about Bergdahl, who, once again, Trump is turning out to have been right from the start.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: By the way, speaking of late-night comedians, grab What is this? Jimmy Kimmel. Kimmel, number 12. Grab know grab number 11 and 12. I want to go back Jimmy Kimmel has lost 30% of his audience ever since he started becoming the mouthpiece for Chuck You Schumer on health care, and thats exactly whats happened. Jimmy Kimmel, left to his own devices, doesnt know what hes talking about when it comes to public policy on anything. Be it Obamacare, be it tax reform, be it climate change, Jimmy Kimmel doesnt know anything.
Hes a jokester. He had to get help, and he got it from Chuck Schumers office. So when he goes on his program to start talking about the unfairness and the inequality of the American health care system, he got his numbers, he got his stats, he got his talking points from the office of Chuck Schumer. Pure and simple. Now hes become noted and hes being heralded in the Drive-By Media as the sensible voice against Trump and whatever hes doing to Obamacare. In the process, Jimmy Kimmel has become a smaller version of the NFL.
He has lost 30% of his audience. Jimmy Kimmel says, I dont care. Im not in this for numbers, which is a crock. Its a total crock. Dont believe anybody in media who tells you that the ratings dont matter, either to them or to their network or to their bosses or to their advertising sales team. To say that is sophistry and its a poor excuse. Jimmy Kimmel has lost 30% of his audience. It is assumed that the 30% hes lost is Republicans. Jimmy Kimmel says (paraphrased), Thats fine with me. I dont care. I would never have a conversation with those people anyway.
Now, if Im an old schooler when it comes to broadcasting, and one of the things that I grew up knowing instinctively and learning is that youre never proud losing audience. And your bosses are never gonna pat you on the back for it. Now, publicly, as partisan as our politics have become, that might be a public pose. But believe me: Where the bean counters live, this is not cool. If youre gonna have an audience where some of the people dont like you or dislike you, youve gotta find a way to keep them watching or keep them listening.
But to say you dont care and that youre not interested, because those people you couldnt talk to anyway? You may as well be admitting that whatever business youre in, it isnt a mass-appeal business. And when did late-night comedy become so niche? I want to remind you of something. Lets go back. This is last Wednesday. I made a point. We had a caller who suggested that if you really want to damage these guys, then conservatives ought to stop watching, and that would teach em a lesson.
RUSH ARCHIVE: Those audiences are tuning in for what those hosts are providing. The people that watch Real Time or that tune into these late-night shows have a certain expectation that theyre gonna have their anger validated. Because I submit to you that left-wing comedy today is not funny. Its rooted in anger and rage and, if I dare say, hatred. And theyve built their audiences on that basis. So you thinking, Well, Im not gonna watch, theyre happy. It not gonna bother them at all. They wish you would watch so that they could offend you but the fact that they think theyre hurting you by not watching? No.
RUSH: Now, that them. But their bosses? Thats an entirely different thing. Dont think for a moment that when the overnights come in, theyre not comparing Kimmel to the CBS show and to the NBC show at the same time. Theyre comparing Kimmel to everything thats on, and they dont want to be in fourth place! No matter what they tell you, they dont want to be in fourth place. Now, in the news business, its a little bit different.
CNNs happy to be in the cellar if it means they got there being loyal to the cause. The cocktail invitations will continue and theyll get all kinds of awards, but they still wont have any audience. Now, given what you just were reminded what I said last week, here is Tracy Smith on CBS Sunday Morning interviewing Kimmel about his recent rants about Republican politicians and health care reform. The question: Its a bit of a risk that youre talking about that stuff, Jimmy. You might lose the audience, dont you think?
KIMMEL: Three years ago, I was like equally liked by Republicans and Democrats, and then (snickering) the Republican numbers went way down like 30% or whatever and, you know, as a talk show host, thats not ideal, but I I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Kimmel: Losing Republican viewers isn't ideal
SMITH: So you dont mind if Republicans turn off your show? Theyre not watching anymore?
KIMMEL: If theyre so turned off about my opinion on health care and gun violence, then, I dont know. I probably wouldnt want to have a conversation with em anyway.
SMITH: Good riddance?
KIMMEL: Well, not good riddance, but riddance.
RUSH: Well, well, well. I thought we were talking about a comedy show here. But see, theyre not comedy shows anymore, folks. The left has politicized everything, and you cant escape it.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Now, the beginning of todays cabinet meeting Trump articulated some things. Let me see here if this bite (muttering) I dont know. Im speed reading this. I think he made the earth move because he also promised that the next thing his regimes gonna take on is welfare reform. Now, you have to realize that the left is reeling here, folks. I dont care if your opinion of that is at variance with mine because of the media coverage. The left is reeling! Obamaism is being dismantled. Im gonna run through all the details of that soon. But you know what Trump is doing?
Trump is doing what the left does: Hes not giving them a moment to react and fight be back. His continuing to mount his agenda. How many times have I said to you, It gets to be a drag to have to show up here every day and do nothing but defend the latest attack or the latest assault on somebody or something that I found valuable or worthwhile? Trump just every day is announcing a new salvo at these people and their sacred cows. Theyre not through reacting with the ones from Friday when they have to deal with this new one today.
And welfare reform? Welfare reform done the way Trump wants to do it will take away half of the reason people vote for Democrats! You know damn well theyre gonna be scared to death over this. I dont have any details of it yet. Dont misunderstand. Im just telling you that Trump just saying that theyre gonna tackle welfare reform (interruption) A question from the program observer. What is it? (interruption) Right. (interruption) The Official Program .. By the way, many people have applied for this job since Ive announced that it exists.
Ive had people ask, What do you mean program observer? I said, Its kind of like an archivist. Its kind of like having our own archivist to document and authenticate everything that happens, a living witness to the profundities and the brilliance and the hilarity that happens here. Somebody has to observe it and note it and record it, and thats what the Official Program Observer does. Sometimes the observer gets brave and wants something explained, such as now. The question from the Official Program Observer is:
You say Trumps not ideological, but everything he does is right out of the ideological conservative playbook. I stand by my comment that hes not ideological, because hes (interruption) Look, heres the difference. Trump is not targeting any of these things climate change, welfare reform, getting rid of Obamacare because hes opposed to liberalism, and hes not taking shots here now at welfare reform because he thinks its a lousy liberal idea.
I have often told you that conservatism, in its base form, is simple common sense and that it is the way most people actually live their lives. Now, they may not always vote that way because of the way conservatism has been debauched and stigmatized and ruined and assaulted, PR-wise. But you look at the way most people try to raise their kids, for example. Look at the way most people go about improving their standard of living. If you go out looking at people who appreciate the traditions and institutions
Patriots! If you go out and you look at the way most people are reacting to this NFL thing, thats not conservative-liberal for a lot of people. This is just pro-America, anti-America, and they dont associate ideology with it at all. In Trumps case, I think his instincts tend toward common sense, and to the extent that conservatism at its base level is just common sense. Now, Ive often said which you might find a bit contradictory that conservatism is also an intellectual pursuit. The reason I say that is because of the OSullivan First Law:
Anything that is not expressly conservative, day in and day out, will become liberal. Because so much of the opinion-making apparatus in America is liberal, and its emotion based, that fighting it quite naturally occurs from the intellectual side. Conservatism, when you get right down to it, should not require a lot of intellect at all because it is just common sense. Its good manners. Its respect for others. Its colorblind in terms of peoples skin color.
Bias and prejudice? These are things weve been tagged with that we are not. They are. Theyre the ones that look at people and make judgments on skin color. Theyre the ones that look at people and make judgments on gender or sexual orientation or sexual proclivity on a particular day. Which bathroom do you want to use? We prescribe to simple traditional values that consist of those that founded the country, and because of the onslaught of liberalism and its massive emotional push, Ive often said that conservatism is an intellectual pursuit in the process of trying to persuade people to it.
But most people How many times have you met somebody or youve talked to somebody describing their family as, Theyre conservative in everything they do except the way they vote, and they dont vote Republican because, oh, those are racists! Those are Republicans. Theyre jerks! I mean, theyre mean-spirited and they hate people. Yet they live their lives in ways in which you cant understand why theyre voting, and youll find that guilt is present in a lot of voting. (stammering) Well, I I I I I want to be seen as as as caring for people.
And the way you do that is vote Democrat, simply because of the marketing or the PR thats been going on for 50 years that has shaped the definitions of Republicans, Democrats, conservatives and liberals. In Trumps case, I can tell you If you today, after listening to him say this next aspect of his agenda, Man, Mr. President, this conservatism youre doing, he would look at you like youre from Mars. To him, this is just nothing more than common sense. Now, hes also learned without a doubt what it is about his enemies that make them his enemies.
In the process, as a New Yawkah, he might be, at age 70, seeing liberalism for what it is up close and personal for the first time. Well, thatd be a stretch. Not the first time. Hes been around them. But in ways that literally affect him. Theyre not just esoteric talking points. You look at the judiciary, the judicial nominees. This is something thats not getting a lot of comment because the media is ignoring it because it is scaring the hell out of them. Donald Trumps judicial appointees are every bit and in some cases even better than those that we would have gotten from, say, Ronald Reagan.
His judicial nominees In fact, theres a story here in the Stack I have here that the judicial nominee aspect of what Trump is doing which is happening under the radar. This is one of the reasons why the confirmation process of these people is so slow is because the Democrats understand that even if Trump serves two terms, the judges that are going to be in place even after his first term are going to be sufficient to thwart many attempts to undermine the Trump agenda that the left would normally succeed at in the courts with their judges.
And this is right-on-the-money true. Judicial nominees
Not just the Supreme Court, but all the federal district courts and the appellate court nominees. This is the way the left has always had election insurance. Okay, so they lose a presidential election, or they lose control of the Senate. But theyve got their judges that will thwart every attempt by the newly empowered Republicans to implement theirs. Weve seen it with Trump and his travel ban, for example. But these judicial nominations that hes making are adding up, and theyre going to become even greater in number to the point that he will himself have Trump agenda insurance on the courts long after hes gone.
Now, you say, Rush, you still say hes not conservative. Hows he making the right judicial appointees? Well, I dont want to tell you that because I dont want to make a target of the people helping out here. But let me just assure you: He is relying and trusting the perfect people in selecting judges and judicial nominees. Now, is that conservative? Is it liberal? I will not change any assessment that Trump is not ideological. Let me modify it by saying thats not in the top three reasons why he decides to do something.
Is it conservative? Fine! Lets do it. If its not conservative, screw it. Im not gonna do it. Thats not how he thinks. Im just telling you, its not how he thinks. But his instincts are like the vast majority of the American peoples instincts and I mean the majority. They may not all vote that way. But they certainly live their lives on balance much more conservatively than liberally. No question about it. So heres the second Trump bite. I dont As I was scanning it quickly, I dont see if theres welfare reform mentioned in this particular bite. But he did mention it, and I will guarantee you its creating a palpable fear on the left.
Here is the comment beforehand.
PRESIDENT TRUMP, MITCH MCCONNELL PRESS CONFERENCE 10/16/17 TRUMP PRESS CONFERENCE
THE PRESIDENT: There is no such thing as Obamacare anymore. Were working on some kind of a short-term fix prior to the Republicans getting together, maybe with some Democrats. Well have a short-term fix with Republicans and Democrats getting together, and after that were going to have a successful vote. Sadly, the Democrats cant join us on that, which will be the long-term fix. But I do believe well have a short-term fix because I think the Democrats will be blamed for the mess. This is an Obamacare mess. Well have a short-term fix and then well have a long-term fix and that will take place probably in March or April. We will have a very solid vote.
RUSH: I he translate this. What Trump has said, The short-term fix sending the subsidies for the insurance companies. The insurance companies were essentially being paid to offer below-market rates and premiums on health insurance policies for the poor and the hungry and the thirsty. Now, the point about that is: Its unconstitutional! Obama did it with an executive order, and he cant. The president cannot authorize the spending of money. That must come If the money comes from the federal Treasury, it must come from and originate in the House of Representatives, and it didnt.
These subsidies are thus unconstitutional. That means illegal, and all Trump did was put Obamacare back under the rule of law, where it will implode. Thats the short-term fix. The short-term fix is Obamacare imploding. Trump has been consistent on this from the beginning. Its gonna implode. Hes often said, The politics are let it implode. The Democrats are gonna get the blame. Now, the Republicans have said, No, they wont! Not if we start tinkering with it and trying to fix it. You know what Colin Powell said: You break it; you own it.'
Trump is confident that when this all implodes because the insurance companies By the way, he did two things, dont forget. He ended the subsidies. But then he opened up all kinds of new opportunities for the insurance companies to create new plans that people actually want to buy that are not laid down with all kinds of stuff people dont want to buy. So theyll become more affordable. People can form new groups on their own, new associations, and get group rates this way.
Its throwing the onus back in the insurance companies corner, where they now will have to compete whereas Obama was subsidizing them. But the point of this is that with the rule of law now back in order, Obamacare as written could not survive because there isnt the proper mechanism. Its not related to anybodys ability to pay for it. So this is a good thing. Its a good thing to illustrate that Obamacare was phony and built on a balsawood foundation from the beginning.
Now, the short-term fix is the two things that happened last week: The opening up of competition of the changing definition of what constitutes a group or association, and the elimination of the subsidies. Now, Trumps calculation is the Democrats are gonna get blamed for it because its their mess. That remains to be seen. But I am telling you that with his base of voters, that will be the case. Obama is always gonna get the blame. The media is gonna try to blame Trump.
He knows this. The long-term fix is next March or April, as he said. Thats when theyre gonna try to get the House and the Senate back together to come up with legislation to actually repeal and get rid of it. Which is monumental! Just think back however many short months ago it was when the last vote failed and the media happily proclaimed, Obamacare is officially the law of the land! Trump and Republican efforts failed! Nobody told Trump. Hes still trying to get rid of it.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: You know, if Trump really wants to get this health care thing moving, take away the subsidy given to members of Congress. Ha! You want fast action on Obamacare repeal? Remove the subsidy to Congress. Here is Trump at the cabinet meeting with the welfare reform mention.
THE PRESIDENT: One thing were going to be looking at very strongly is welfare reform. Thats becoming a very, very big subject and people are taking advantage of the system and then other people arent receiving what they really need to live. And we think its very unfair to them. But some people are really taking advantage of our system from that standpoint. And we are going to be looking very, very strongly, therefore, at welfare reform. Its gonna be a very big topic under this administration.
RUSH: All right. Now, folks, how many times just in the last two to three days have you read, My God, this Trump guys out of his mind. Hes wandering the halls of the White House. Hes talking to himself! Hes looking at the portraits of past presidents saying, Oh, my God! What have I got myself into? Can you help me? Can you help me?' They try to portray Trump as losing his mind, going insane. Hes forever abandoned. Hes alone. He has no allies, no friends, no supporters. Everybody thinks hes nuts!
Yet every time you see him on TV or listen to him, he sounds fully composed, entirely coherent, properly motivated, and hes moving his agenda forward at a breakneck pace that we dont see normally from presidential administrations. I just
I think theyre flailing away now approaching a year, and nothing that theyve tried has even made a dent in stopping Trump. And theyre losing their minds is whats happening.
“Best eclipse ever.”
Later
Aww...
/S
Trump tried to get the GOP to cut Obamacare. They refused. So he cut it himself. He wanted them to gut the EPA. They refuse. So he gutted it himself.
Cute little ploy he’s doing now on taxes. He’s putting out two plans - one with a higher upper bracket and the other dropping the Death Tax. One party likes one idea, hates the other. The other party hates the other idea, loves the other. So he’s saying to the Dems, “i’ll let you have the higher bracket if you’re willing to drop the Death Tax.” and he’s saying to the Pubs “I’ll let you drop the Death Tax if you’re willing to add another bracket.” Then he’s going to work with the party that cuts a deal first.
THAT’s called triangulation, son. You know, the media thought it was great when Bubba did it.
We are not talking about that arrogant pos former occupant of 1600 Pennsysylvania Ave who deserved nothing but disrespect
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