Posted on 11/16/2013 6:53:21 PM PST by markomalley
One of the leading critics of Michigan Republican Rep. Fred Upton’s effort to delay the onset of certain provisions of Obamacare has been conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh.
“This would be a tone-deaf disaster if the Republican leadership lets Fred Upton ascend to the chairmanship of the House energy committee,” Limbaugh said on his radio show earlier this week. “This is exactly the kind of nannyism, statism, what have you, that was voted against and was defeated last week. No Republican complicit in nannyism, statism, can be rewarded this way.”
On Hugh Hewitt’s radio show on Friday night, Upton suggested Limbaugh check with him before launching into his criticism, pointing to the reactions from conservative groups and the media to dispute Limbaugh’s notion.
Partial transcript as follows:
HEWITT: OK, now you have tempted me into breaking my no first name rule, because I’m going to use two of them. So Fred, yesterday, Rush urged the House not to touch this, because it in essence, it’s throwing a lifeline to the President and saving a bill that’s collapsing, don’t get near it, don’t ruin the brand, go for full repeal. What’s your response to that?
UPTON: Well, a couple of things, and you know, it would have been nice if he had maybe checked in with us and gotten information. We had a lot of groups, Club for Growth and others endorse our bill. A couple of things — first of all, what do you say to those millions of people that are all of a sudden out of luck come January 1? That’s not what we ought to be doing. We ought to be thinking about those people. The other thing is I’m just looking at the headlines today, Hugh. And in The Wall Street Journal, I mean, these are headlines that are like war is over. ‘Obama Retreats On Health Rules,’ left to right, right underneath the banner. New York Times: ‘In A Reversal, Obama Moves To Avert The Cancellation Of Health Policies,’ and it’s got a pretty sour face in his picture right underneath it, right underneath the banner. USA Today: ‘Health Law Shakes Presidency,’ left to right. Washington Times: Same picture of the president, ‘The Obamacare Retreat.’ Washington Post: Picture of a — not very flattering pictures of the president, ‘Obama Offers a Insurance Fix,’ ‘And you know, that’s on me. I mean, we fumbled the rollout on this health care law.’
HEWITT: Yeah.
UPTON: We’ve done in a week’s time what a shutdown and everything else, where we didn’t have the numbers, let’s face it, to try and reverse the fix that we’re in.
As for why Upton put the delay at just a year, Upton said that was the best way to ensure it got passed.
“We wanted to pass it,” he said. “That was our objective. We wanted to provide some immediate relief to the people that were bitterly concerned about the prospects of their own plan. We thought a one year was good enough that we would not only keep most of the Republicans, and we did, but have a good chance of getting a number of Democrats as well, which we did. Remember, we won by more than 100 votes. Had we done a longer period, it might have been more of a showpiece than an actual piece that you could actually get done, and we wanted to, again, two days ago, before the president undercut us with what is in essence his executive order. We had more than 300 votes for this.”
“everyone here is ranting against it... why?”
Everyone wants the demise of this horrible o care and horrible situation it has caused for millions of people with harm for tens and hundreds of millions to come.
Opinions regarding tactics may differ.
The Upton bill accomplished the following:
1. Caused panic amongst a significant number of Democrats in the House who would have to vote for it, or go on record as opposing “if you like your policy you can keep it”.
2. Led O to conclude he had to do something, hence his “painful to watch” press conference.
3. The press has even come to point out that “if you like it you can keep it” was a conscious lie and political decision to get the bill passed and o reelected.
4. That exposes the truth that o care was built on purpose to take away plans people like, which has made people angry and angrier. Contributing to the Democrat panic.
5. If it became law it would ALLOW policies to be issued which are now illegal. That is the American way, isn’t it? No it would not FORCE such policies to be issued, but ALLOWING them would be a repeal of the heart of The Heart of Darkness (keeping plans and docs you like), at least for a year, when more horrors will be exposed building more cries for “fixes” which fixes can only be fixes if they are partial or total repeal.
The end game is: with the continuing horror show and disaster, more Democrats will join (as 39 did this time) in legislation to gut o care.
Reid has a strangle hold over Dems in the Senate, but some of those are making noises too. How long can o and Ried hold off the tide?
ANYWAY these are thoughts and I don’t pretend to know how it will all play out. Will pray for guidance for all, and those who can take legislative action.
Also I thought Nahhh should not be so isolated on this thread since people can have different takes on it. ; )
“Why is this so damn complicated?” – Mark Levin says NOW is the time to say Obamacare has to be repealed…
Mark Levin called the vote on Fred Upton’s bill today a show vote, arguing that instead Republicans should be telling the American people that repealing Obamacare is the way to get their health care back.
He explains below:
39 Dems should send him Thank You notes. 39 you abysmal nitwit.
This is where my head is spinning even more than it was spinning. The HOR passed a bill that does what Obama did. It extends the old plans for a year, but people who don't already have them can buy them too. It seems that the HOR is pointing out that what's good for one is good for all; one thing everyone on FR was complaining about was special exemptions.
And Reid still refuses to let the Senate vote? I'd think this will have even more people disgusted with the US Senate, and ready to get rid of the entrenched nobility there.
And the shutdown didn't do anything? Does anyone really think any of this would've happened if it weren't for Cruz's 21 hours and the budget delay? Because of that, Obama cannot get off the hook for the disaster that Obamacare is or blame it on the conservatives. Obama and his fellow travelers, both parties, own the blame.
And Upton's correct, apparantly for a change. The HOR is supposed to do what's best for their voters. At this point (where there are no good solutions) what's best is if they can at least keep the insurance they have or buy a policy they can stand, until maybe the mess can be sorted out.
Look what the Democrats have done.
They have everyone arguing about how/whether to fix a monstrosity of legislation they alone passed and are responsible for.
Let them have it.
The Republicans should give every appearance of caring, but plead helpless of any solution short of complete repeal.
The worst possible thing that can happen is that we will miss the opportunity to kill this thing, dead, forever.
“BE happy, we’ve postponed fundamentally changing America for ONE WHOLE YEAR”
-——The Republicans should give every appearance of caring, but plead helpless of any solution short of complete repeal.——
Actually, they have done much much better than what you suggest.
They have demonstrated over and over they are helpless to effect change. That helplessness is lack of power. Rather than just plead they have actually demonstrated they can not rid the Republic of the monster.
Anything coming from Hugh Hewitt and Salem Radio Network shows is not Conservative.
FR has a ban on Alex Jones....I could go for one on PhonyCons from Salem Radio. they harm Conservatives with the FauxCon nonsense
Rush is absolutely correct on this....the GOP right now has the opportunity to eliminate ObamaCare...and are showing their support of it instead
The Republican establishment is carrying the water for the big multinational corporations and Wall Street banks who want single payer federal government controlled medical care as fast as they can get it. It is all about money. The big corporations will save billions by eliminating the cost of employee health care premiums from their income statements.
1000% Correct
Multi National Corporations love Socialized Medicine because they do not have to provide insurance. MultiNats never complain about Socialized Medicine
The GOP Establishment supports ObamaCare. It is a Fact.
Cruz did not support the delay. He supported defunding Obamacare. The delay was offered as a last-ditch effort by Republicans. And no, conservatives did not support the delay.
yet a bill that would do just that while simultaneously destroying the exchanges gets offered and you all are venomously against it?
We don't need Upton's bill to do that. The exchanges, as well as the entire private health insurance market, is being destroyed on its own. All the Republicans have to do is stand back and let these cancellations commence.
Really, just think of how freakin dumb the position is though by seeing who is for/against it
You have no idea who were up against or what the Dems stand for. Delaying Obamacare still keeps in in effect and the Dems will use all kinds of trickery to keep it sustained. Kill the damn thing now, or implement it and it'll implode on its own.
That's Dingy Harry's Ace up his sleeve and that's what I'm afraid of. He's going to take out Upton's language and use Landrieu's bill.
Yeah, the Progressives are loudly bitching about Upton's bill - just like Bill Clinton loudly bitched about Ken Starr but was giving hi-fives to his cronies in private when he learned he was going to be the special prosecutor.
That bill is so much worse for the Democrats (and everybody). Legally forcing insurance companies and state exchanges to do something will be litigated until 2016 and beyond. You have a 3 way war with the administration, state insurance commissioners and state exchanges at war. It would virtually guarantee that registration at the exchanges would be mostly pre-existing conditions, pre-retirees and the working poor. Obama would have to veto it if the house would even bring it up let alone pass it.
Upton is a moron. The bill they passed is worthless. What a waste of time.
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