Posted on 10/24/2013 11:56:54 AM PDT by Servant of the Cross
The Obamacare recriminations are underway. Stuck with an unpopular law whose launch has been an unmitigated disaster, the Democratic Party has morphed from a ruthless, unified political machine to a frantic, zig-zagging tornado of blame. The White House would like you to know that the Department of Health and Human Services was chiefly responsible for the implementation process. HHS counters that the White House ultimately runs the show, and that Sec. Kathleen Sebelius' hands were effectively tied by her relative lack of power. Some Democrats are blaming the private sector contractors who were brought in to help craft healthcare.gov (conveniently ignoring the facts that the Obama administration hand-selected each contractor, and that the administration foolishly chose to appoint itself head contractor). Not so fast, say the private sector firms, refusing to be scapegoated. Indeed, at Congressional hearings today, representatives from one such company swore an oath to tell the truth, then proceeded to lay waste to the White House's blame shift:
[Four separate tweets at the link]
Members of the administration will testify next week. Buy your popcorn now. Meanwhile, Congressional Democrats are splintering off into various camps. Some want an open enrollment extension fix. Others agree with Marco Rubio, who's calling for a lengthy delay of the individual mandate tax. (Both of these "solutions" would actually make things worseif other major provisions of the law aren't simultaneously delayed). Several elected Democrats and former Obama administration figures are calling for heads to roll over the meltdown. Vulnerable 2014 Democrats are frenetically searching for ways to distance themselves from their party's signature law, as "frustrations" mount over its "screwed up" carousel of failures. Nice work, guys. But when all else fails, Lefties' inevitable, reactionary, catch-all response never changes: Blame Republicans. Juan Williams took a stab at it earlier in the week, now Howard Dean (of "repeal Obamacare's rationing board" fame) is getting in on the action:
[Howard "Scream" Dean video at the link]
I've been on a Megan McArdle kick recently -- the woman has simply been en fuego in her analysis of the Obamacare trainwreck -- so I'll let her take the wheel for a few sentences:
Nor can you really blame the Republicans -- an argument that makes sense only if you don’t examine it very closely. It starts by assuming (but never stating) that the administration passed a law that didn't work as written, and then posits a civic duty for the opposition not to oppose laws that they oppose, but instead to help the majority party turn an unworkable law into something more to said party’s liking. This is absurd. Moreover, it’s not even a very good explanation for most of these problems. Maybe CMS turned lead contractor because they couldn’t get more funds to hire private help, but lack of funds does not explain why HHS took so long to write regulations and specifications, keeping insurers at loose ends until as late as this summer, and preventing their biggest contractor from writing code until spring. It does not explain why officials decided to launch a system that was so badly behind schedule, or to keep insisting, against all evidence, that it wasn’t broken.
Republicans in Congress voted unanimously against this law. Republican governors who chose not to set up their own state exchange were exercising their prerogative under the law, which was written and passed exclusively by Democrats. That the administration was "caught off guard" or whatever when Republicans chose not to cooperate with the unpopular law is also their own damn fault. Beyond that, those GOP governors who declined to expand Medicaid under Obamacare were both looking after their state's bottom line, and following the Supreme Court's Obamacare ruling. Seven justices declared that forcing states to expand Medicaid was unconstitutional. Blaming Republicans may be a path to knee-jerk catharsis for some liberals, but it's a totally unconvincing argument to even remotely independent-minded observers.
Yes he will....
Don’t allow Obama to repeatedly alter the law. Today he decreed that there will be a six week delay. This is completely beyond his power.
But I don’t expect a peep out of the Republicans. Do you?
Yes they will...
When Democrats are calling for that they really mean Republican heads.
It was Bush’s fault!!!!!!!
:0 :) :)
While this sideshow has everyone’s attention the Republican Establishment is going to force through Amnesty.
Suggest you re-read the thread. You injected your comment about locked doors after my comment.
There must be a great one for this.
"Blaming the GOP for 0bamacare is like blaming ______________ for ______________."
Pro-Lifers for Planned Parenthood.
The Jewish People for Hitler.
Betty White for Miley Cyrus
CSM, that might be just a smile if, like all things that arise from that party it has a definite possibility of being true....
I caught this but I don't remember offhand which lackey was trying to impose
it on the Conservatives. I think it was McCain or Rubio who was denigrating the
Conservatives for not helping find a solution to help the RATs fix it by saying
that the opposition to Zerocare was not helping our country or some such BS.
Don't be so upset!
All communist systems require the identification and punishment of wreckers. After all, if the five year plan goes awry, what other explanation could there be?
According to Obama's friends, there are at least 25 million capitalist roaders who must be eliminated in order for the Revolution to succeed. If you paid attention to the White House Christmas tree, you would know that a revolution is not a dinner party.
The Republican leadership has been selected to play the role of Emmanuel Goldstein.
It's really a shame people don't study communism anymore.
Liberalism is a mental disease; proof positive.
I suggest you get a grip.
I responded to post 3 not your later post. #3 was about Democrats blaming Repubs and getting away with it because Democrat supporters are dumb. My response was that Repubs will do nothing and will actually help Democrats. Then to answer your question I posted #22. Will the Repubs speak up against Obama’s illegal decree, or will they do nothing? They’ve done nothing so far. They have run diversion by bringing up Amnesty.
There’s plenty Repubs can do here and now. They’re not doing it.
Now quit being a troll.
Dems are filth. Make you feel better? It’s a given.
I’m conservative not Republican - they sell out over and over and over and over and over.
“Factual history of the era”? Look buddy, the facts are that I was responding to a specific post that had nothing to do with past history. Save the lecture.
Go away.
LOL
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