Thursday, March 27, 2014

Chris Hayes does his best to have a reasonable conversation about the ACA with a Koch brother funded crazy person. Does not go well.

Click exasperated expression to play video.
I watched this last night with my jaw hanging open.

It was like watching somebody try to chase down a greased pig and explain Obamacare to it.

Here let Raw Story give you the highlights:  

MSNBC host Chris Hayes clashed with a state official for the Koch Brothers-funded group Americans for Prosperity (AFP) on Wednesday after she claimed that extending the deadline to sign up for the Affordable Care Act by two weeks would have a negative impact on her childrens’ health care. 

“It continues to not allow people to go back and change this law,” AFP Pennsylvania State Director Jennifer Stefano told Hayes. “This law has made seven million people lose their insurance.” 

As Reuters reported earlier in the day, the deadline to sign up for Obamacare, as the law is commonly known, was extended until April 15 for people who have already begun the subscription process through the healthcare.gov website. As of March 17, more than 5 million people had signed up for coverage. 

“People without health care right now, who don’t have health care for their children, don’t want this law, Chris,” Stefano said. 

She did not mention that, in several instances, people who were refused coverage by their providers because their plans did not meet the minimum requirements set by the new law have in fact been eligible for coverage at a lower cost after factoring in government subsidies. 

“As a mother, I take real offense that women are being forced to have no choices to cover their children,” Stefano continued. 

“What are you talking about?” an incredulous Hayes responded, before arguing that much of the “heavy lifting” under the law would be accomplished by expansion of state Medicare programs, which have been frequently been opposed by conservatives. 

“Throw out the mandate, throw out the exchange,” Hayes then told her. “Bumping up Medicaid eligibility from 100 percent of poverty line to 133 percent of poverty line so that some working poor people can get some health insurance — what is the objection to that? Why does every conservative Republican governor oppose that? Explain that to me.” 

“Number one, not true,” Stefano answered. “Plenty of Republican governors, including Tom Corbett in Pennsylvania, including [Ohio Gov. John Kasich], there are Republican governors that have expanded Medicaid. Please, please, please, spare me that this is a Republican-Democrat thing.”

Well of course it IS a "Republican-Democrat thing" because though there have been some Republican governors who have seen the  writing on the wall and expanded Medicaid, ALL of those who have not are in the Republican party.

At one point a little later in the conversation (Which was actually more like an air raid siren going off and one poor slob trying to find the off button.), Stefano actually claimed that raising the poverty level would mean that people making $94,000 a year would be considered to be living in poverty. And she repeated that multiple times.

Then when Hayes tried to reason with her, she took a comment he made COMPLETELY out of context and then raged that he was insulting her as a mother, and in fact was insulting all mothers.

Apparently this woman is from the Sarah Palin school of debate in which you misunderstand the conversation and then throw your children out in front of you like information deflecting sandbags while using white noise to pummel your opponent into submission.

I will hand it to Chris Hayes for at least trying to have a rational conversation with an irrational Koch supported Teabagger, but perhaps now he understand why others may not be quite as willing to do so.

38 comments:

  1. Anonymous2:46 PM

    Go to the right-wing sites where folks are commenting about this interview, and you'll think you've entered a parallel universe. Just amazing! They're claiming she took Chris Hayes to the wood-shed. Words mean nothing anymore.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Anonymous3:04 PM

      Neither do facts to these people.

      Delete
    2. All my right wing friends foam at the mouth just like her when ever Obama's name come up. I have to tread egg shells around them.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous3:47 PM

      Friends with people who "foam at the mouth" due to their hatred of a President who has:
      Kept our economy from collapsing
      Gotten is out of a decade of war
      Promoted health care for all
      Promoted equal pay for women

      If they hate President Obama, They hate America.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous7:25 PM

      I would rather have no friends at all than rabid right wing assholes.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous8:19 PM

      7:25 PM

      Same here. There is no basis for my personal interaction with folks of that nature. I will not suffer rabid brainwashed ignorant (and more often than not... bigoted) fools in close proximity.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous2:51 PM

    Stefano was there to keeps shouting her talking points. She was not interested in listening or answering questions. She just kept repeating herself over and over and over, getting angrier and angrier. Great idea putting another crazy lady out there to advance their serious cause.

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    Replies
    1. Chris Hayes wasn't on at his usual time tonight on MSNBC. He recovered pretty well for the remainder of the hour last night after this display of RW insanity, but I wonder if he has PTSD today.

      Delete
    2. Ailsa5:19 PM

      His wife and he had a little baby boy last night.
      That would push all the stress of the crazy woman right out the window.

      Delete
  3. Caroll Thompson2:57 PM

    I think Democratic candidates need to take a page from those nasty Republicans. By that I mean they should run very negative campaigns against their opponents. Something like this:

    Republicans want to take away your health insurance. Republicans are coming after your birth control. Republicans want to bring back discrimination and tell you that it is what Jesus would have wanted. Republicans want to help the wealthy become richer while the rest of nation eats beans and rice (if they can even afford that). Republicans want to keep the majority of Americans impoverished and refuse to raise the minimum wage. I could go on and on......

    Sadly, all of the above is 100% true.

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    1. Anonymous3:18 PM

      Right on. I have long thought that a simple message similar to those above might get through! Considering the numbers of those lacking basic literacy the KISS principle would seem to apply!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous6:47 PM

      Fantastic idea! Unfortunately, the Democrats usually take the high road (and I appreciate that) and don't slam the opposition. However, after the last few years of dirty politics, I'm thinking your idea makes a lot of sense. Of course, the Repubs would say that we are playing dirty - IMO that is still way less dirty that the Repubs play daily!

      Delete
    3. SHARON8:03 PM

      One of the best comments said by mistake by the turtleman McConnell was "These times make it harder for the rich to become poor and the poor to become rich." Of course he realized what he said and took it back, but oh ain't it true.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous9:41 PM

      Agree 100%

      Delete
  4. Anonymous3:06 PM

    so stefano's lips are permanently pursed in the suk koch pose ?

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  5. Anonymous3:13 PM

    I watched the interview and seriously doubt she'll be put out there again to speak publically about the issue (from her point of view)! She was a total disaster!

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    1. Anonymous7:29 PM

      The right wing blogosphere begs to differ. Reading those folk's comments, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous6:14 AM

      True, but in a sense, they're irrelevant. What good is preaching to the choir, when either party needs A LOT of independents and minorities to win any kind of national election?

      Delete
  6. Anonymous3:22 PM

    I am kind of glad she was put on the show. It gives the sane conservatives (oxymoron?) a good look at how bat shit crazy cousins have become.It won't change the insane ones minds, but this shows how desperate the AFP has become. Couldn't they have found a somewhat rational spokesperson?

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  7. Anonymous3:24 PM

    Someone get that woman some valium. What was she so angry about. Wow talk about a lousy way to make your case.

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  8. Anonymous3:26 PM

    I heard this "interview" from the other room. Man! She went full on rabid and wouldn't let him get a word in edge wise. One crazy twisted mouthpiece she was. The Koch brothers must have been so proud of her.
    M from MD

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  9. Anonymous3:28 PM

    I'd still like to know how ACA is keeping mothers from having medical insurance for their kids..

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  10. Anonymous3:34 PM

    New Koch brothers ad in MI against Gary Peters- this time the liar in Shannon Wendt.

    Washington Post gave it TWO Pinnochio

    :..."In light of the fact that the family had an option to choose a less expensive plan, we are changing the rating to Two Pinocchios. Clearly the family may not have been happy with the children going on Medicaid, and it is their right to choose a more expensive plan. But it makes her claim of “unaffordable” harder to swallow."

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2014/03/26/big-claims-few-details-in-anti-obamacare-ad-alleging-soaring-costs/

    The Dems need to fight back and put out an ad that it was the INSURANCE COMPANIES that canceled the policies.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous3:48 PM

    It's hopeless. Right-leaning sites are accusing Hayes of attacking her and insisting that she won the 'debate.'

    I'd also hand the win to Stefano in the sense that she got me to turn off the show. I religiously watch Chris Hayes' All In but am unwilling to subject my senses to the stupidity, belligerence, and noise level of what passes for giving a platform to the tea party.

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    1. Anonymous7:18 AM

      It just occurred to me that Chris should have written in big letters NOT TRUE on a piece of paper and held it up every time she lied. That would have been perfect. Just shook his head and held up a sign.
      M from MD

      Delete
  12. Anonymous3:52 PM

    One cannot be rational with these right-wing idiots.
    Beaglemom

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    1. Anonymous6:27 PM

      Beaglemom I always enjoy your posts. I almost always agree with you and you're right.these people just seem to want to vent their anger and can't be reasoned with.Wish I could figure why they are so angry.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous7:30 PM

      They are angry because a black man is in their white house. Also, Jesus is late. Snort.

      Delete
  13. As I watched this interview last night, I kept saying to myself "wait for it, wait for it" then BAMM! the $94,000 comment was made, WTF? seems to me what made her fill with rage, is when he basically was saying, (where the fuck was you when Americans didn't have any Health Insurance)

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  14. Anonymous6:11 PM

    What a noxious, ignorant bitch.

    She must be related to Scarah - the Koch Sisters.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous6:17 PM

    O/T but a great little segment if you missed it:

    Rachel Maddow Highlights How President Obama’s Sharp Wit Hurt Putin’s Fragile Ego

    ...While President Obama’s biggest critics back at home have taken aim at him regarding this crisis in Ukraine, stating that he is weak and timid and that his foreign policy is the cause of Russia invading and taking over Crimea, the President showed the world that it is really Putin that is in the position of weakness. Knowing that Vladimir Putin is a vain man of the highest degree, Obama attacked him where it would hurt the most — Putin’s ego. Essentially, President Obama brushed off his shoulder and said that Putin is a nobody.

    Once again, the President is two steps ahead of everybody here. While conservatives in his home country are criticizing him for not considering military action against Russia, and referring to Putin as a true leader and figure of strength, Obama goes in front of the international community and calmly dismisses Russia as a ‘regional power’ of no real consequence. In one fell swoop, he hurts Putin to the core while making his critics look like idiots for admiring a small, vain little man like Putin.

    http://www.politicususa.com/2014/03/27/rachel-maddow-highlights-obama-sharp-wit-hurt-putins-fragile-ego.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SHARON7:59 PM

      I agree, as always these knuckle draggers can not grasp the incredible grace Obama makes his point. He knows exactly who he is dealing with and announcing Russia is alone in every country press meeting was totally humiliating. Leaving them out of the international community in which Obama is the true leader must make Putin seethe with envy...he wants the old Russia back, the cold war. Then he would have power again...what a joke, maybe someone should remind him this is 2014 and all economies are global, digital and being isolated means death. Talking about energy security in Europe means bye bye Russia gas & oil...wonder how long he will remain in power then.

      Delete
  16. Anonymous6:19 PM

    What a fucking idiot! $94,000 is somehow linked to a poverty income threshold?

    Having this woman on your show is like releasing a rabid wolverine in your living room, and expecting it to behave in a civilized way.

    100% lunatic Koch sucker

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  17. Anita Winecooler8:24 PM

    They did a great job covering up the lobotomy scars on the assmonkey programmed to fling poo! Do they re program her or change her hard drive? I can stretch a dollar pretty far, but calling 94 grand "poverty income THRESHOLD" is unbelievable.
    The screen capture you got was perfect. The look on Chris's face and the eyes rolled up in the back say it all.

    This means one thing. Obamacare's going to work, and there's nothing the lunatics can do about it.

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  18. BlueDragon2:11 AM

    I watched this in disbelief also, too. She was truly rabid and bat-shit crazy, she had an agenda to push and had no idea (nor did she seem to care) how rude whe was. Then I saw a clip last night with some commentary. Two points: she had apparently gotten the $94,000 number conflated w/the subsidy cutoff - an entirely different issue than the medicaid expansion - therefore she was not only rabid but ignorant. Second point: it wasn't quite clear, but when Chris Hayes asked her why the ACA gave her no choices for her children I think she was trying to answer that when she said "we don't want this law". I think she was implying that those who don't want this law and who lost their previous crap insurance will go without rather than sign up for insurance through the ACA. I think that's what she said. So she would choose no insurance at all for her family rather than sign up for insurance through the ACA. She would accept only her old crap insurance that she could no longer have - because it was taken away - I mean didn't meet the new standards.
    Talk about biting off your own nose to spite your face. How freakin' adult, right? But reality really doesn't intrude upon the RWNJ's world. It really doesn't.

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  19. Anonymous6:54 AM

    Now that's a pitbull with lipstick! I dare say that if she was on Billo's show and he didn't agree with her he would have cut her to shreds. But of course it takes one to know one.

    Truly though, the best way to deal with someone as rabid as that is to just let them run their mouth, simply not respond to their idiocy during their diatribe and then calmly state "Thank you Ms_______for joining us on All In but none of what you've said makes sense" Cut to commercial or next story and cut off her mic.

    Sheesh

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  20. Anonymous8:23 PM

    These people do not believe in democracy.False patriots,all of them.How do we ostracize these people?Please VOTE.

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  21. Anonymous1:03 PM

    To be a female conservative pundit all is needed as a pulse.

    Jennifer K

    ReplyDelete

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