From The Huffington Post -- March 23, 2010:
By Robert J. Elisberg -- Columnist and screenwriter
GOP Applies for Health Care for Self-Inflicted Wounds
Putting all your eggs in one basket is a good thing when it's Easter. In politics, though? Not so much.
The Republican Party put all its eggs in the "Tear Down President Barack Obama and Defeat Health Care Reform" basket. This was a questionable action at best. At worst, they could end up breaking their own kneecaps.
Unanimously fighting health care reform was questionable at best because few in America didn't think the health care system had to be fixed in at least some way.
But at worst - yipes.
Yipes, because the President of the United States won the election campaigning on it. Both houses of Congress won majorities campaigning on it. And from the start, polls showed that the majority of the public wanted some kind of health care reform. Including a public option.
Yet in the face of all this, the Republican Party in Congress put every single one of its fragile eggs in a single basket and chose to unanimously fight health care reform.
The bill contained over 200 Republican proposals, and Republicans still unanimously voted against it.
The GOP was simply going to do whatever they could - unanimously - to defeat health care reform and bring down President Obama. Turn "Yes, We Can" into "No, He Can't." Republicans didn't just want the seats a party out of power traditionally picks up in an off-year election. They wanted it all. Majorities in 2010. The White House in 2012. At any cost. They got greedy. They were going all in - holding just a lowly pair of threes. Everything in one basket, no matter how flimsy that basket was.
Blinded by hatred, fear and pure politics, Republicans saw only their improbable reward. They ignored the profound risk.
No doubt the Republican Party thought things were going well. They had road blocks all over health care reform. They broke the Democrats' 60-vote super majority. Polls showed the American public unhappy with gridlock in Washington, unhappy too with the health care bill - as presented to them by the GOP Message Machine.
All the eggs were in one basket.
And the basket crumbled. And all the eggs crashed.
The problem is that Republican leadership believed their own lies. They forgot that they knew there weren't actually Death Panels in the bill, that it was still illegal to get federally-funded abortions, that everyone can really keep their private insurance, that the new proposals actually brought deficit down - by eventually trillions of dollars. And forgot that the public was, in fact, for health care reform. And for the public option.
When polls showed that Americans were unhappy with the health care reform bill, GOP leadership forgot that some were unhappy because It Didn't Go Far Enough. And others were unhappy because they simply didn't understand the bill. When similar polls explained the bill, the results showed that the public was... in favor of it! Just like at the beginning.
But more, Republicans thought they had an ace up their sleeve. They ignored that they didn't even have a sleeve.
Republicans thought that once the health care reform bill passed, they could campaign on repealing it. "It" being a bill the American public supported. Because it improved their health care. Republicans thought this plan was A Winner.
Winner?
Imagine giving a new kidney to someone, and then later saying, "We'd like it back."
Campaigning on repealing health care reform would be like campaigning to repeal Social Security, Medicare or Civil Rights. Even the most radically-reactionary Republicans aren't foolish enough to do that.
Once people have health care reform - even many who were against the bill - they will be loathe to give it up. Benefits will be seen immediately. Like reduced costs of prescription medication. Like small businesses getting tax credit. Covering all children. Not allowing insurance companies to drop you because you got sick. Like letting young people stay on their parent's policy until they're 26. Right now, this year. Give that up? Take back health care reform, once someone has it? Republicans actually, really, seriously want to campaign on this.
And so they may well have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
Where once the GOP saw dreams of a majority in November, they may be lucky now to squeak by with that traditional handful of new seats.
You see, that whole "gridlocked Congress" and "Democrats had a majority and couldn't get anything done" thing - it's now gone. Out the window. The Democrats broke the Republican-forced gridlock. They passed the first-ever, comprehensive health care reform bill. By themselves. With no Republican support.
Republicans had a chance to claim a share of the reform. But they cut themselves out. By choice. They never even offered an alternate bill! Because they were putting all their eggs in one basket.
And the basket crumbled.
The public will now see the Democrats as alone being able to provide deeply-needed reform. And the public will now see the Republicans as the block that wants to take it away.
While Republicans are campaigning to repeal health care reform, Democrats will make the case, "Yes, the bill isn't perfect. So, elect more Democrats to get the improvements and also get the public option. That you want. If you elect Republicans, they will take away what you now have - they've told you so!"
But it's actually worse than that for Republicans. Because Republicans, who are usually so good at coming up with fake catch-phrases like "Death Taxes" made their biggest gaffe of all. Gargantuan.
You see...for the past year, Republicans have called this bill (say it all together now) - "ObamaCare."
Health care reform is now known to everyone - thanks to Republican Talking Points - forevermore as ObamaCare.
They gave President Barack Obama full name credit.
ObamaCare. ObamaCare. ObamaCare. ObamaCare.
Care.
President Barack Obama - cares.
And the Republican Party is the one who told you, who drilled it deep into your consciousness.
And the Republican Party in its blocking unanimity released Barack Obama. Faced with the reality of zero Republican support, the president finally took to the road and energized the Democratic Party. And energized himself. He kept his word to the public. He got a health care bill. And "Yes, we can" was proven. His Gallup poll numbers have already improved seven points.
The Republicans did it all to themselves. They put all their eggs in one basket. And in the end, the eggs were rotten. And the basket crumbled.
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28 comments:
I hope you develope cancer and die a slow and painful death!!!!!!!!!!!
Look what Palin is suggesting for others to do!! She's a ranting dangerous lunatic, wanting other to do the (criminal) insinuating jobs for her! Any lunatic CON with a gun would take her advice to the letter and actually pull the trigger.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/24/sarah-palins-pac-puts-gun_n_511433.html
Sarah Palin's PAC Puts GUN SIGHTS On Democrats She's Targeting In 2010
Excellent but long article by Jim Wallis about Glenn Beck. Worth reading how on the mark he is.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-wallis/what-glenn-beck-doesnt-un_b_511362.html
"What Glenn Beck Doesn't Understand About Biblical Social Justice"
That would count for CONS as well.
"We were sharing our conversion stories from secular radicalism and Marxism to Jesus Christ and his gospel of love and justice. Glenn Beck just left that part out, as he often leaves stuff out or just makes up stuff and puts it in. Here's the full audio of that interview:"
A common con trait.
Wow, David sounds like another sane rational con.
"And the behavior from certain elements of the far-right can be defined as such. It's terrorism. No gray area here. Right-wing terrorism."
Cesca
And some of you thought I was crazy for arming myself for defensive purposes.
"Like Blackwater rebranding itself as Xe, the Republican Party is now Terror Incorporated. And everything they have accused everyone opposing them of being is, as in the case of all bullies, the very things they themselves are."
Link
All I can say is GD..., CJP called this one a long time ago.
oh, and the Left has never done ANYTHING violent or stupid, right? Where were you guys when people actually said outright and publically that Bush should be killed, he was hung in effigy, and compared to Hitler? Where were your voices of condemnation at the G12 Summit when windows were broken and cars set on fire? Where are all of these voices of outrage when the enviromentalist set fires to new construction, attack ships, and set pipe bombs?
You are all a bunch of hypocrites.
Ann Coulter can't speak at a college in Canada and that is just fine, but if the shoe is on the other foot you are the first to scream about censorship. Hate speach?? She doesn't use a fraction of the hate speach that our lovely friend Anon2 uses on a dailey basis! (And those cute little college cherubs showed up with rocks and sticks!) Hate speach? Bullshit! You just want to shut the people up that don't agree with you. You are truly scary.
Correction: That would have been the G8 Summit. My bad.
"You are truly scary. "
Cases time of month again, here we go.
And I would like to add: I have personally heard worse things out of the mouth of Bill Maher than just about anyone else, Ann Coulter included.
Talk about hate speach. Have you listened to Keith Olbermann lately? Oh. I forgot. No one listens to him...
And Anon2, Jim Wallis is a self avowed Socialist and has even discribed himself as a Marixt on several occasions. Is that your new "spiritual advisor"? Sure he knows TONS about Christianity, as Marxism is hostile to religion. Sure he doesn't prevert it at all.
In the wake of their health care defeat, Republicans in Washington would be wise to remember one famous definition of insanity as repeating the same behavior again and again but expecting different results. After all, there's hardly a politico in Washington, Republican or Democrat, who thinks Senator Jim Bunning's one-man filibuster of unemployment benefits last month reflected well on the GOP. So why are Senate Republicans doing it again?"
Guess that about sums up the cons, insane. And they do keep trying RayGuns tired and proven wrong philosophy of tax cuts for the rich, regulations are evil, again and again. I knew the cons were not quite right in the head all along.
This sure is not Faux News
ERIC CANTOR LIED ABOUT BEING SHOT AT! IT WASNT HIS OFFICE, IT WAS RANDOM GUN FIRE, THE OFFICE ISNT EVEN IN HIS DISTRICT!! SEE IT HERE at http://everydaywithkeller.weebly.com/
PS DAVID SEEMS LIKE ONE OF THOSE RIGHT WING LUNATICS BECAREFUL
Tim Keller said...
"ERIC CANTOR LIED ABOUT BEING SHOT AT! IT WASNT HIS OFFICE, IT WAS RANDOM GUN FIRE, THE OFFICE ISNT EVEN IN HIS DISTRICT!!"
That was my feeling about it when the story came out. He doesn't even want to publish the nasty emails he gets (mainly anti-Jewish) That sounds suspicious to me.
He is doing this to distract everyone from the criminally active CONS who threatened Dems families and to attract attention to himself.
Far more than 10 Dems were targeted with death threats etc.
2 doubtful stories from the Repugnicans so far.
Boehner really showed a typical CON streak with his displayed anger last Sunday. Must be angry re taxing of tanning salons. Hypocrites!!!
Sarah Palin campaigns for McCain for re-election.
Upon request by McCain.
haha, the one who brought him down now comes to the rescue?
Palin said in her speech in Tucson:
"WE ARE ALL A PART OF THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT."
"WE ARE THE PARTY OF HELL-NO"!!
Conclusions:
1. Palin admits Repugnicans/Cons and tea baggers are one of the same stock. They all are one big extremist fringe party.
2. Lots of anger in her second phrase, her quoting part of Boehner's speech on Sunday.
She is like most CONS incendiary and entices emotionally unstable wingnuts to commit violence.
Casetboy, you must be beside yourself because your spelling in so many posts really stinks. :)
I bring out the best in you don't I? ;)
"Conservatives Are America's Real Terrorists"
Never was this blog's name so true as in the past few days.
As said by a known person: That's Domestic Terrorism.
CJP, you selected the correct name. :)
:) Great article Bill Maher!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-maher/new-rule-you-cant-use-the_b_515354.html
Excerpts:
New Rule: You can't use the statement "there will be no cooperation for the rest of the year" as a threat if there was no cooperation in the first half of the year. Here's a word the president should take out of his teleprompter: bipartisanship. People only care about that in theory, not in practice. The best thing that's happened this year is when President Obama finally realized this and said, "Kiss my black ass, we're going it alone, George W. Bush style."
"Democrats should not listen to the people who are now saying they shouldn't attempt anything else big for a while because health care was such a bruising battle. Wrong -- because I learned something watching the lying bullies of the Right lose this one: when they're losing, they squeal like a pig. They kept saying things like, the bill was being "shoved down our throats" or the Democrats were "ramming it through." The bill was so big they couldn't take it all at once!"
"The Democrats need to push the rest of their agenda while their boot is on the neck of the greedy, poisonous old reptile. Who cares if a cap-and-trade bill isn't popular, neither was health care. Your poll numbers may have descended a bit, but so did your testicles.
So don't stop: we need to regulate the banks, we need to overhaul immigration, we need to end corporate welfare including at the Pentagon, we need to bring troops home from... everywhere, we need to end the drug war, and we need to put terrorists and other human rights violators on trial in civilian courts, starting with Dick Cheney.
Democrats in America were put on earth to do one thing: drag the ignorant hillbilly half of this country into the next century, which in their case is the 19th -- and by passing health care, the Democrats saved their brand. A few months ago, Sarah Palin mockingly asked them, "How's that hopey-changey thing working out for ya?" Great, actually. Thanks for asking. And how's that whole Hooked on Phonics thing working out for you?"
Anon 2:
Conservatives have always been America's Real Terrorists.
Destroying the US financial system, bringing down the banks and investment companies, re-distributing the wealth so that everything flows to the top and nothing trickles down to the bottom, denying health care coverage to 50 million Americans, foreclosing on thousands of homeowners and throwing them into the streets to swell the ranks of the homeless, keeping minimum wages as low as possible, destroying unions, cutting off unemployment benefits, turning the USA into a third world Banana Republic, unanimously voting against every single thing Obama is trying to do, hoping that "America Will Fail" and doing everything they can to ensure that failure.
What are a few gunshots, criminal attacks, threats against Congressmen, Oklahoma City Bombings, and Holocaust Museum shootings compared to all this? Conservatives will destroy this country any which way they can unless the top one percent of the population can walk away with 90% of the pie. It's either Reagan-Bush tax cuts for the top one percentile --- or the Highway. Are these Conservatives "Patriots" or are they "Spoiled Brats"?
Democrats in America were put on earth to do one thing: drag the ignorant hillbilly half of this country into the next century, which in their case is the 19th --
GD that is funny. And true. The guy is dead on.
Great post CJP!! Touche! I agree with all you wrote.
Sorry to say that currently I don't know of any other civilized country that has a Conservative Party bent on to destroy their own country as much as in the USA. But then I'm also sorry to say that I can't count the USA as one of the civilized countries in the world until it starts to take care about its own citizens.
Seems to be a lot of self hatred going on.
I truly feel sorry for the folks who have to put up with the kind of CONS you have amongst your midst.
Our Conservative Party is quite a lot more liberal compared with yours.
Raygun said...
"GD that is funny. And true. The guy is dead on."
Yep and he's usually dead on. :)
"Conservatives have always been America's Real Terrorists. "
Yes, and the true communists, since they know history so well, and insist on repeating it.
Just heard that 6 thousand troops commit suicide each year.
So sad and awful!!
That's on top of the ones who die in battle or accidents.
That happens once they face too many combat battles for too many years. Battles with the other side wearing no uniforms.
Cons want war to enrich the manufacturers of war supplies. Those are the ones who laugh all the way to the bank wading through a pool of fallen soldiers' blood. They call the soldiers heroes but don't care a stitch about them.
Where is the Pentagon budget publicized?
Hey check out where I posted Mayers quote Perfect timing. And its coming from me RayGun. I am an ironic fellow.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mona-gable/why-sarah-palin-is-not-on_b_515428.html
Excerpts:
Why Sarah Palin Is Not Only an Airhead But a Dangerous One
"Beyond semantics, what were the folks at Discovery Channel thinking? Did anyone there consider the irony of hiring a woman to host a "nature" show who disdains nature? I mean, before she fleeced you for more than $1 million an episode, (for that matter, John McPhee would have been excellent, and I'm sure he'd have done it for much less), that maybe it wasn't the smartest choice given her strange relationship to the truth and her polarizing politics? Did you forget that in her brief and erratic tenure as governor, Palin had a dreadful environmental record, championing such animal-friendly policies as the aerial shooting of wolves? Or refusing to give protected status to such endangered species as the beluga whale? Even now, Palin proudly and avidly flaunts her ignorance about climate change."
"But my real problem with Palin this week is not her reality show, absurd as it is. But her refusal to take responsibility for stirring up violence on the right with her incendiary rhetoric.
Palin has done this before, of course. Most notably when she accused Obama of "paling around with terrorists" when she was running for vice president. Or claimed that the president had inserted "death panels" in the health care bill, precisely so they could kill her Down syndrome infant and her aging parents. Palin was lying, of course, but being the devout Christian that she is, she didn't let that interfere with her quest for prosperity and fame. Or the anger and ignorance she was encouraging with her repeated attacks on our first African-American president.
After the landmark health care vote on Sunday, Palin promptly posted a map of the U.S. targeting vulnerable Democratic members of Congress. To highlight their districts, she didn't use something all Alaska and folksy like a smiley face or a grizzly bear. No, she marked them with rifle cross-hairs. But I guess she didn't think the message was explicit enough. So she exhorted her gun-loving followers with this: "Don't Retreat--Reload." Cute.
"With thousands of angry followers on Facebook and Twitter, Palin might no longer hold office, but she's still holding court. And that combined with her almost gleeful ignorance makes her dangerous. It's time to call Palin out and hold her accountable."
Regarding Palin and Discovery, only one thing to do. Write the Discovery channel to inform them that I will no longer watch any of their shows.
Terrific, A2. Thank you for sending it in. I've posted the whole Bill Maher article.
Let's let those Con bastards know what Americans really think of them.
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