The lack of enthusiasm, drive and willingness to do anything more on ObamaCare is the result of political malpractice on the part of the White House, the Speaker and Senator Reid.
For all their deal making and arm twisting, the public, the interest groups, the staff and Members of Congress are displaying passive-aggressive behavior towards health care reform.
It’s everywhere, but no one sees it. Especially the aforementioned delusionals who refuse to face reality — which is that everyone would rather do nothing at all.
The political liabilities and the policy liabilities for Democratic interest groups are devastating. For example, unions get their health plans taxes and abortion gets restricted, and there is no public option or Medicare buy-in for the progressives — not to mention the fact the public HATES ObamaCare.
Everyone knows the opponents are at NYET. So while the entire world inside the beltway responds with heel-digging-in and blown deadlines, endless and circular “strategy” sessions on ObamaCare, the delusionals see an opportunity to keep bringing it up, feeding the fires of the passive-aggressive behavior all around them.
Who brings up the most hated policy and the single, one thing most responsible for their political losses — in a Superbowl pre-game show? Delusionals, thats who.
Obviously, they don’t get it. They will never get it. They will not stop wrapping themselves in the 30 million uninsured flag, and will be buried with it. Muffled words float upwards, urging their allies they have knifed in the back to reconsider as the last shovel of dirt is patted down, and the rolled strips of grass are placed over the grave site.
And now that the media, who did more to elect the Trillion Dollar President than any other institution, can see (?) the irrational and delusional behavior of the One — they too sit silently, not being able to say or do anything.
It is in their interest to be pounding the President until he stops, because every cycle of his chest-beating on health care ends with the One being worse off than he was before, and with the Dems — the media’s pals and fellow travelers — taking another round to their chest.
The destructive cycle of lower poll numbers — now lower than ever — worse election prospects and tanking trust in the Democratic Party on all issues comes from the media’s inability to tell the Trillion Dollar President to shut up about health care.
And the benefits accrue to the GOP and those who have been at NYET from the beginning — all because the media will not stop the delusionals from destroying their pals, their party and their precious moral authority on health care. (The longer this goes on, the stronger opponents become.)
Really, it is very funny when you think about it. The One is destroying everything the MSN thinks is right and good in the world, and they will not make him shut up because he is the One (or was.)
The media, too, are in the passive-aggressive mode and don’t even know it. What they should be doing is taking the health care keys away from the driver. He keeps crashing.
Steve Maley
KnightsofMalta
Dan Spencer
Moe Lane
Dan McLaughlin
Sen. DeMint said this would be their Waterloo
peg_c (Diary) Tuesday, February 9th at 2:52PM EST (link)He said it LAST JULY. No delusional, that senator.
Government cannot be the solution when government is the problem.
"Come, Let Us Talk"
spinoneone Tuesday, February 9th at 3:03PM EST (link)The One wants to talk. To the GOP? No, he wants to talk to “the people” so he can try to tell them the GOP has no plan, no program, no future. And, he expects the GOP to be complicit by talking. Yes, and he hopes and prays that the GOP continues to say “No” so that the One can tell the American people what a bunch of bad guys the GOP harbors. Uh huh, exactly the folks who refuse, refuse I tell you, to do anything at all for “the people….my people, that is.”
The R-0-P economy is heading for a cliff. The 0′s health care program is skidding into a wall. By the time we get to 11/2010 both may well have cratered. The 0 and company will get more and more into whine mode – “Oh, its all the Republicans fault” “Oh, I inherited this from Bush” “Oh, if only those bad Republicans hadn’t stopped me” ‘OH, why or why couldn’t the GOP support my fabulous plans and dreams for you the American people?” “Can’t you see how great I am?’
MSM will play first fiddle while this goes down. Let’s make sure the American people see, hear, and understand our side.
No talk and no meetings with 0. That way lies perdition.
Money!!!!
AceInTX (Diary) Tuesday, February 9th at 3:04PM EST (link):)
Dan Perrin (Diary) Tuesday, February 9th at 3:15PM EST (link)n/t
i.e., the Once (nt)
Return to Revolution (Diary) Tuesday, February 9th at 3:29PM EST (link)Out of hand Constitutional fetishist
I like that
Dan Perrin (Diary) Wednesday, February 10th at 6:19AM EST (link)chuckling here
Flexible Spending Accounts -> Medical Savings Account
loganyung (Diary) Tuesday, February 9th at 3:49PM EST (link)Republicans need to push for something that is meaningful to all taxpaying Americans, and it has to be a topic that will highlight the line between healthcare proposals for the people, and proposals for the power hungry.
Republicans should loudly push for the end of the use-it-or-lose-it requirements for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). People probably think that it is their company that mandates this, but people need to be educated that it is the government’s fear of consumers having more power and flexibility with their medical needs.
If the Republicans can push for a one-small-bill-at-a-time approach, the first one should be transforming FSAs into Medical Savings Accounts. It would be easy to produce great TV ads for this, and the Democrats will fight agressively against this. Democrats will show how they don’t care about taxpayers, and don’t really care about people’s health.
Couldn't agree more...
travelguy Tuesday, February 9th at 5:05PM EST (link)As structured today, FSA’s are a bonanza to the fashion eyewear industry.
Then stop blurring what is routine medical care and what is something that should be covered by insurance.
Yep, FSAs encourage and help health care inflation
Dan Perrin (Diary) Wednesday, February 10th at 6:20AM EST (link)by forcing you to spend money at the end of the year, instead of being able to save it for when you really need it, if you had an HSA instead.
Totally agree that HSAs are better than FSAs
JSobieski (Diary) Wednesday, February 10th at 7:47AM EST (link)However, I am not sure that FSAs are net contributors to healthcare inflation.
The “forced” spending aspect is negative, but introducing any consumer-based spending is positive, and many people use FSAs to purchase medications, Someone with routing ongoing health expenses who uses an FSA to pay for those expenses is not increasing health care inflation.
Eyeglass inflation is not the same thing as healthcare inflation.
My rules of the road for primary season.
Rule #1: Vote for YOUR first choice in the primaries
Rule #2: Vote for the R in the general.
Rule #3: Don’t let anyone convince you to violate Rule #1 or Rule #2
Rule #4: When in a center-right argument, reaffirm Rules #1-#3–it will help us all to get along better.
Rule #5: If you are using the language of the left, you probably aren’t furthering conservativism
Rule #6: The priority is issues first, candidates second, and supporters third. Nobody is bigger than the issues. Conversely, if you spend your time focusing on supporters, you are wasting everyone’s time.
STOP THE MADNESS!
A reduction in the rate of spending increases is NOT a cut!
In-state tuition for illegals is NOT amnesty!
Requiring someone to pay their medical bills is NOT an individual mandate!
Reducing tax rates is NOT a tax increase!
Cantor, et al, were smart to call Teh Won's bluff
Section9 Tuesday, February 9th at 4:27PM EST (link)And to insist that the debate would be on Republican terms.
No public option, no mandates.
DeMint was correct, and we have, just perhaps, “held this crossroads”, as one poster earlier put it.
“History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it”-Winston Churchill
Thank God the House and Senate leadership
Dan Perrin (Diary) Wednesday, February 10th at 6:22AM EST (link)are sticking with the de novo position — we need to start over and why are we discussing a bill that will not pass in the House or the Senate?
This summit is a really good idea, and that worries me
earlgrey (Diary) Tuesday, February 9th at 8:35PM EST (link)Obama is answering his critics about the lack of transparency while moving forward on a bill that was negotiated behind closed doors. No matter what the repubs do they will end up looking bad.
I think this will energize the dems and stengthen their resolve.
Any thoughts on the Wapo poll that indicates repubs aren’t doing enough to work with Obama according to public opinion.
Can anyone tell me if this bill is such a great idea than why did Scott Brown win? Shouldn’t that bug some freshmen dems?
I did not see the poll -- did it specifically ask about
Dan Perrin (Diary) Wednesday, February 10th at 6:25AM EST (link)health care, or not?
Good point
earlgrey (Diary) Wednesday, February 10th at 7:25AM EST (link)They said “key issues”. A big difference. They did find independents want repubs to continue to work with the pres on healthcare. The trends I mentioned in my comment above were key issues.
With the Independents giving Obama
Scope (Diary) Wednesday, February 10th at 8:58AM EST (link)an approval of 29%, I would think they would rather see the healthcare bills killed and started over, not to be tweaked only as much as Obama will allow, if at all.
Yeah,
Dan Perrin (Diary) Wednesday, February 10th at 10:08AM EST (link)Whose afraid of reconciliation — I’m not.
They will just drive their numbers down farther, and then fail (again).
My view, well do you feel lucky today punk, well do ya?
This reminds me of that recent poll
neyney Wednesday, February 10th at 1:12PM EST (link)There was a poll that showed that Dems are screwed in November whether or not they ride the HC train to destruction. I think the MSM is well aware that whether or not they actually start doing their job and calling out Obama and his minions their days are numbered as well. This creates the passive-agressive climate we are seeing, that and gutlessness. The MSM were up to their collective necks in the Obama tank and the American people know it. That’s why you are seeing the occasional MSM reporter (CBS’s Mark Knoller, ABC’s Jake Tapper) calling out Obama. I think they see the writing on the wall and want to have a job at Fox News when the MSM dies. Sadly Washington is full of weasels Dem, Rep, and MSM who are not willing to put their necks out and say that this emperor has no clothes. Sad times we live in.