Just some notes regarding Obama Care AKA as the ACA..... You know, sometimes the New Year brings with it a new appreciation for what is important.... Sometimes, it brings with it a pledge to change course from the destructive habits of the past.... And, sometimes, an individual learns nothing from the past and charges into the abyss anyhow. Lets consider two cases of Republican response to the ACA that made headlines this past week...
DATELINE: THE BELTWAY. Still wet behind the ears from his fast ascendancy to the Speakership of the House, former budget hawk and Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Paul Ryan - AGAIN - led an effort to repeal the ACA and deny health care to more than 14 million Americans who have joined the system since 2012. Remember that these - and many more - had NO ACCESS to health insurance before the ACA for a variety of reasons - pre-existing conditions, cost beyond means, etc. So, instead of putting forth some viable alternative or a set of proposals aimed at a "fix" for what the opponents believe is wrong with the system, Speaker Ryan's solution - once again - is to pull out the meat ax and chop away. No suggestions. No alternatives. No amendments or alyernatives. Just inflict pain on those who are barely hanging on by their fingernails..... no lifeline, no lubricant..... just throw them to the wolves.... Ryan knows, of course (doesn't everyone?), that the bill will be vetoed by President Obama.... but, he passes the repeal of the ACA anyway (Bronx cheer and all)... and, the Republican Senate follows along. You might think that this is an election year or something....... So, what did all of these Beltway Right-Wingers learn from 2015? Evidently, nothing. Same old tune while Congressional approval polls (House and Senate) continue to fall into record single digits). No New Year Resolutions for change.... no reform of the old ways dialogue.... Lets just repeat the mistakes of the past, continue to derail progress and oppose any reasonable proposals regardless of the source on say... common sense gun control or immigration policy or repair of infrastructure. Instead, let's investigate Benghazi for the 14th time (whatever happened to Howdy Gowdy anyhow?) And hold a weekly repeal of Obama Care over and over...... Maybe we can shut the government down again or default on the debt? Some folks never learn....
DATELINE: KENTUCKY. Seems that the state of Kentucky has a new Republican Governor. Matt Bevin is a Tea Party favorite who pledged all along the campaign trail to repeal Kentuckycare - Kynect. The programs is the state's version of Obamacare using their own exchange to sign up those in need, and, in fact, IS Obamacare... and is wildly popular in Kentucky. In spite of his position on this issue, Bevin won a close contest in November and announced that he would dismantle the health care program before the end of 2015. Of course, he doesn't take office until 2016.... but, hey, that small detail never stopped a Tea Party member in their tracks... Just dress like Indians and throw some health care in the harbor in the dead of night! Hmmmmm..... Now that we are getting closer to Bevin taking power.... it seems that he is having second thoughts.... Maybe Kynect isn't so bad after all.... Or, perhaps he saw that repeal of this program and throwing hundreds of thousands of Kentucky residents (and voters) off the health care rolls without some alternative just wasn't a really good political move to make in his first month in office...... In any case, he is re-thinking his position on the matter..... Meanwhile, our fearless Senate Majority Leader, Senator Mitch McConnell who supported Kynect and took some pride and credit for getting hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians health insurance, voted for the Repeal last week! Looks like a case of BELTWAY vs REALITY. So, maybe the new Governor of Kentucky had an epiphany last week while the Beltway crowd sank deeper into the abyss.... How all this plays out with be quite the play to follow in 2016..... As Shakespeare wrote, "the play is the thing." Oh,,, let's not forget that the ACA is modeled on the Romney Plan adopted in Massachusetts before he ran for president against Barack Obama.....
See you on the field of play..... Check in often for more info and comment on the nature of the 2016 race - the characters and issues that will make this the year that was......
Again, Happy New Year.
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