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MIT Professor Jonathan Gruber's gaffes could derail Obamacare
Boston Herald ^ | November 15, 2014 | Chris Cassidy

Posted on 11/15/2014 5:48:59 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

The weeklong #GruberGate, as it has been dubbed on Twitter, comes just as the Massachusetts Health Connector prepares to relaunch its website today for open enrollment after a devastating year that saw residents struggling to sign up for health plans.

Gruber, a Connector board member, told Bay Staters on Thursday to “give us another chance,” but Archambault said the professor is the last thing the embattled panel needs as it seeks credibility.

“It does raise big questions about his ongoing involvement in Massachusetts, sitting on the board,” Archambault said.

Gruber did not return an email seeking comment yesterday and there was no answer at his Massachusetts Institute of Technology office. He has declined multiple requests for interviews this week with the Herald.

Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber — the MIT brainiac caught on video admitting the law’s “lack of transparency” was meant to dupe a gullible American public — could end up becoming Obamacare’s demolition man, with congressional Republicans threatening to hold hearings and experts saying his bombshell comments could impact the Supreme Court case challenging the Affordable Care Act.

“They can subpoena him and call him to testify about the way he used federal money because he got an awful lot of it,” said Dennis Hale, a Boston College political science professor, referring to reports yesterday that Gruber received hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal grants to help states implement Obamacare. “If he shows up to testify, it’s going to be pretty ugly.”

“This is the gift that keeps on giving,” Hale said. “If you’re selling a product that people don’t want to buy and then tell them they’re stupid because they don’t want to buy it, you get into trouble.”

Gleeful Republicans, who will dominate the House and Senate come January, have pounced on Gruber’s comments that the Obamacare law “passed because the American voters are too stupid to understand the difference.”

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) told The Washington Post, “We may want to have hearings on this.” And Arizona Sen. John McCain said the controversy “gives us ammunition to make fundamental changes to the law.”

The Gruber firestorm comes just a week after the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case challenging whether states enrolled in the federal HealthCare.gov portal — rather than creating their own exchanges — can dole out Obamacare subsidies.

In the latest video to be released — the fourth this week — Gruber appears to make the case against the subsidies, telling an audience that if states don’t set up their own exchanges, they won’t receive tax credits.

“Justices and their clerks read the news like everybody else does,” said Joshua Archambault, a health care expert at the Pioneer Institute. “I think it will be in the back of their minds.”

In the same video, Gruber bluntly suggests the implementation of Romneycare involved Bay State bureaucrats sneakily plundering from Washington.

“The dirty secret in Massachusetts is the feds pay for our bill,” Gruber said in a Jan. 18, 2012, video. “In Massachusetts, we had a very powerful senator you may know named Ted Kennedy. Ted Kennedy ... and smart people in Massachusetts had basically figured out a way to sort of rip off the feds for about $400 million a year.”

Later in the video, he suggests small-business tax credits — another component of Obamacare — were crafted mainly to duck public criticism.

“That, to be honest, is political,” Gruber said. “You got to say you like small businesses in America or you’re Communist.”

The weeklong #GruberGate, as it has been dubbed on Twitter, comes just as the Massachusetts Health Connector prepares to relaunch its website today for open enrollment after a devastating year that saw residents struggling to sign up for health plans.

Gruber, a Connector board member, told Bay Staters on Thursday to “give us another chance,” but Archambault said the professor is the last thing the embattled panel needs as it seeks credibility.

“It does raise big questions about his ongoing involvement in Massachusetts, sitting on the board,” Archambault said.

Gruber did not return an email seeking comment yesterday and there was no answer at his Massachusetts Institute of Technology office. He has declined multiple requests for interviews this week with the Herald.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Government; US: California
KEYWORDS: aca; california; gruber; grubergate; grubergraft; grubering; jonathangruber; nancypelosi; obamacare; obamasgruberboy
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Gaffes?
1 posted on 11/15/2014 5:48:59 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Flora Duh posting at Hot Air found this gem:

http://www.nber.org/papers/w6034.pdf


2 posted on 11/15/2014 5:51:24 AM PST by MustKnowHistory
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
“The dirty secret in Massachusetts is the feds pay for our bill,” Gruber said in a Jan. 18, 2012, video. “In Massachusetts, we had a very powerful senator you may know named Ted Kennedy. Ted Kennedy ... and smart people in Massachusetts had basically figured out a way to sort of rip off the feds for about $400 million a year.”

Do it for Teddy!

3 posted on 11/15/2014 5:52:40 AM PST by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
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To: Timber Rattler
Ted "The Swimmer" was a liar and cheat from his earliest days.

I'll bet they shared a lot of laughs about how stupid we are, while cashing in.


4 posted on 11/15/2014 5:53:48 AM PST by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: Travis McGee

I would have given a thousand bucks if Gruber had called him “the swimmer” in one of those videos... :)


5 posted on 11/15/2014 5:55:07 AM PST by kjam22 (my music video "If My People" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74b20RjILy4)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Gaffes... because all horrendous mistakes made by Lefties are mistakes... unintentional... they are misunderstood. They are all good people, innocent like Bambi, and the only times things like this happen are when evil folks on the Right set them up and smear them and attack them for their gender or skin color or just out of evil hate.


6 posted on 11/15/2014 5:56:00 AM PST by Teacher317 (We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men)
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To: Travis McGee
Image and video hosting by TinyPic
7 posted on 11/15/2014 5:57:54 AM PST by TurboZamboni (Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.-JFK)
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To: All
TAXPAYERS DEMAND CONGRESS GET ANSWERS WRT GRUBER'S CASHING-IN ON THE BACKS OF "STUPID" TAXPAYERS

Four U.S. states and the federal government (read taxpayers) have padded Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber's wallet to the tune of $5.9 million since 2000, including millions connected to his work on the Affordable Care Act.

We need investigations---to see how our tax dollars changed hands---and landed into Gruber's pockets. The disdainful, preening Gruber was paid tax dollars to spin his web of lies...and to reiterate his contempt for taxpayers who are footing the bills.

Even more disturbing is the massive, multi-billion-dollar slush fund the self-serving Gruber hid from "stupid" Americans in Obamacare. Gruber made dam sure it was kept hidden from us stupid taxpayers.

=========================================

The Untraceable $8 Billion ObamaCare PR Budget---truly govt fraud at its finest. Egged on by Pelosi, Democrats slavishly voted for Obamacare by an historic straignt-party line vote. But not one Democrat told Americans about Obamacare's Section 4002---which mandates an $8B untraceable fund to "promote" Obamacare (apparently b/c Boobamba had so little confidence in his signature legislation).

THE PAYOFF--WHO GETS THE MONEY? In 2010 Taxpayers are extorted $500 million, in 2011, $750 million, 2012, $1 billion, 2013, $1.25 billion, 2014, $1.5 billion, and, in 2015 and on, $2 billion

<><> Where is all that money going?

<><> Was cashing-in the incentive in getting the thing passed?

==================================================

Taxpayers demand to know ---- why Gruber/Obama/Pelosi didnt reveal that Obamacare contains a multi-billion dollar slush fund?

Exactly who is cashing in?

The sound of wire-transfers to offshore banks is almost palbable.

=========================================================

Maybe Gruber can write a new comic book entitled:

HOW TO BE A MILLIONAIRE BY HIDING A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR SLUSH FUND IN FEDERAL LEGISLATION

8 posted on 11/15/2014 5:58:19 AM PST by Liz (Another Clinton administration? Are you nuts?)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Captain Gruber goes down with the ship

9 posted on 11/15/2014 6:01:57 AM PST by JPG (The GOPe will always find a way to surrender)
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To: GOPJ; Grampa Dave; sickoflibs; Tennessee Nana; raybbr; TADSLOS; Jane Long; justiceseeker93; ...
Obamacare architect---the preening disdainful Jonathan Gruber---the MIT brainiac caught on video admitting the law’s “lack of transparency” was meant to dupe a gullible American public — could end up becoming Obamacare’s demolition man, with congressional Republicans threatening to hold hearings and experts saying his bombshell comments could impact the Supreme Court case challenging the Affordable Care Act.

“Congress can subpoena Gruber and call him to testify about the way he used federal money because he got an awful lot of it,” said Dennis Hale, a Boston College political science professor, referring to reports yesterday that Gruber received hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal grants to help states implement Obamacare.

“If he shows up to testify, it’s going to be pretty ugly.”

10 posted on 11/15/2014 6:02:11 AM PST by Liz (Another Clinton administration? Are you nuts?)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
some_text Now we know what's in it and we know about their lies to the American people.
11 posted on 11/15/2014 6:02:52 AM PST by boycott
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
"Ted Kennedy ... and smart people like minded crooks in Massachusetts had basically figured out a way to sort of rip off the feds for about $400 million a year.”

Fixed it


12 posted on 11/15/2014 6:04:50 AM PST by DAC21
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

This self-appointed genius is being paid MILLIONS by individual state exchanges and the federal government….and then he can’t keep from bragging about how brilliant he, Kennedy, Kerry and Obama were in hoodwinking the stupid American taxpayers…while being taped!!! Any two-bit scammer should have known better than that, but ego exceeds IQ.


13 posted on 11/15/2014 6:05:59 AM PST by txrefugee
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Grubering is not Gaffing.

Gaffing is slip of the tongue

Grubering is letting the cat out of the bag, aka spillin’ the beans


14 posted on 11/15/2014 6:06:13 AM PST by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc.;+12, 73, ..... Obama is public enemy #1)
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To: All
WHAT DOES GRUBER KNOW ABOUT THIS?
ACA SEC. 4002. PREVENTION AND PUBLIC HEALTH FUND.

(a) PURPOSE. It is the purpose of this section of the ACA to establish a Prevention and Public Health Fund (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Fund’’), to be administered through the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary, to provide for expanded and sustained national investment in prevention and public health programs to improve health and help restrain the rate of growth in private and public sector health care costs.

(b) FUNDING.—There are hereby authorized to be appropriated, and appropriated, to the Fund, out of any monies in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated—

(1) for fiscal year 2010, $500,000,000;
(2) for fiscal year 2011, $750,000,000;
(3) for fiscal year 2012, $1,000,000,000;
(4) for fiscal year 2013, $1,250,000,000;
(5) for fiscal year 2014, $1,500,000,000; and
(6) for fiscal year 2015, and each fiscal year thereafter, $2,000,000,000.

(c) USE OF FUND.—The Secretary shall transfer amounts in the Fund to accounts within the Department of Health and Human Services to increase funding, over the fiscal year 2008 level, for programs authorized by the Public Health Service Act, for prevention, wellness, and public health activities including prevention research and health screenings, such as the Community Transformation grant program, the Education and Outreach Campaign for Preventive Benefits, and immunization programs.

(d) TRANSFER AUTHORITY.—The Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of may provide for the transfer of funds in the Fund to eligible activities under this section, subject to subsection (c).

15 posted on 11/15/2014 6:06:58 AM PST by Liz (Another Clinton administration? Are you nuts?)
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To: JPG

16 posted on 11/15/2014 6:07:27 AM PST by GraceG (Protect the Border from Illegal Aliens, Don't Protect Illegal Alien Boarders...)
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Donate

17 posted on 11/15/2014 6:08:26 AM PST by DJ MacWoW (The Fed Gov is not one ring to rule them all)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Jonathan Gruber, the Bay State ‘brainiac’ responsible for BOTH RomneyCare and ObamaCare is ‘gaffless’...not gaffs but intentional comments. All of this should be more than enough to shoot down any chance for another Romney run for the White Hut. Pay attention, Pubbies...we do not want Romney! Nor do we want any other RINO as a candidate. Are you listening GOPe? Time for a Cruz-ifiction!


18 posted on 11/15/2014 6:08:44 AM PST by GGpaX4DumpedTea (I am a Tea Party descendant...steeped in the Constitutional Republic given to us by the Founders)
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To: All
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS: NO MORE FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS TO MIT UNTIL GRUBER GOES

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a $2 billion non-profit corporation. The Institute’s revenue includes tuition and gifts, as well as a significant amount of funding from external research sponsors, including the federal government, industrial sponsors and foundations. .

The research enterprise can be characterized by a “cradle to grave” process. This process begins with a concept or idea that is turned into a proposal, followed by an award, the performance of the project, and several other steps that ultimately lead to the closeout process. Understanding the entire process will help you to become a more effective research administrator.

The Principal Investigator (PI) has overall responsibility for the technical and fiscal management of a sponsored project, including the management of the project within funding limitations, and assuring that the sponsor will be notified when significant conditions related to the project status change. While responsibility for the day to day management of project finances may be delegated to administrative or other staff, accountability for compliance with MIT policy and sponsor requirements ultimately rests with the PI.--snip--

MIT Office of Sponsored Programs
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Bldg. NE18-901
Cambridge, MA 02139

EMAIL osp@mit.e

WEB SITE http://osp.mit.edu/grant-and-contract-administration

19 posted on 11/15/2014 6:09:03 AM PST by Liz (Another Clinton administration? Are you nuts?)
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To: Liz

> He has admitted his guilt and this is faud and no one is arresting or seeking to prosecute

Trey Gowdy and Gruber in televised Senate hearings...mmm mmm good. Obama’s goons wouldn’t be able to work fast enough to ensure that he had a fatal accident or heart attack. Funny the very man Gruber made a deal with that made him rich may also be the cause of death. That’s what happens when you make deals with the devil.


20 posted on 11/15/2014 6:10:04 AM PST by jsanders2001
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