Tuesday, November 04, 2014

Even if the Republicans win big, Obamacare is safe.

Courtesy of Politico:

By now, most of us are expecting widespread GOP victories in the midterm elections that will give Republicans complete control of Capitol Hill come January. But Tuesday will also deliver an inconvenient truth: The single item at the top of the Republican legislative agenda, the signature talking point of the last four years, is likely to go nowhere. 

Even Mitch McConnell admits it. After six years of railing against Obamacare, here’s the sum total of what Republicans are likely to do if they win control of the Senate: Little, if anything. 

Obamacare has been Republicans’ favorite whipping boy even before it became law in 2010. They’ve used it time and again on the campaign trail to fire up voters against the White House and Democrats in Congress. But now that they seem poised to begin doing something about it, they will have to face a new reality: The Affordable Care Act is here to stay and Republicans will be political losers if they mess with it too much. 

This week McConnell admitted that repealing Obamacare is impossible, in the face of a likely Democratic filibuster and a certain presidential veto. But McConnell didn’t tell the whole story. That was left to Ohio’s Republican Governor John Kasich, when he pointed out last week that the “political and ideological opposition” to the ACA won’t hold water “against real flesh and blood and real improvements in people’s lives.” 

Kasich insists that he was just talking about Medicaid expansion, but the same political logic applies to the ACA as a whole. With millions of people newly covered, and with major industries including insurance and hospitals benefitting, the ACA will not be repealed, dismantled, defunded or defanged. Any changes will be around the margins and even these will be complicated to pull off. 

Feel Better?

Interestingly enough Jim Wright, a fellow Alaskan blogger, said much the same thing yesterday.

So what WILL the Republicans do if they manage to win control of both the Senate and the House?

Well if past is prologue nothing of any real benefit to their constituents that's for damn sure.

And I also agree that they will be unable to do anything about repealing Obamacare, and as for impeaching the President, well I am sure that there are many of them who remember how well that worked out for their party with Bill Clinton.

I actually think that after making halfhearted attempts to derail Obamacare, and undo some of Obama's policies, that the Republicans will then turn to what is really important to the future of their party.

Benghazi.

But not to hurt President Obama, he is yesterday's news. No they want to use it to damage somebody much more threatening to them.

Hillary Clinton.

In fact I would be willing to bet that a number of agenda items will be barely concealed attempts to damage her reputation, to question her ability to lead the country, and to dredge up old news about Bill Clinton's sexual peccadilloes.

Yes if the Republicans get control of both houses it will be all about bashing Hillary Clinton 24/7. And I will guarantee you that before they are finished they will have managed to cut her favorability ratings in half. If not having derailed her candidacy altogether.

Keep that in mind as you head out to the polls today.

28 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:15 AM

    I feel pretty confident we can expect a government shut down & impeachment proceedings to be things we will see happen if the republican can control the legislative branch of our government.

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    1. Anonymous11:22 AM

      The RW 1% and the RW 99% (AKA plebeian bible/gun clingers whose noodles have been scrambled by the propaganda put out by the 1%) pine for a theocratic oligarchy ... the 1% so they can enrich themselves ... the RW 99% because they don't know any better and hate 'Big Gubmint' (it's that 'Keep the Gubmint's hands off my Medicare' crowd. The RW 99% suffer from a form of cretinism. They 'think' corporatists have their interests in mind. Dumb f...kers.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous5:09 PM

      Tom Wolfe wins over Corbett in PA!!!
      Fucking drilling Corbett!

      Delete
    3. Anonymous5:15 PM

      Is that good or bad 509?

      Delete
    4. Anita Winecooler5:55 PM

      It's excellent news. Tom Wolfe had the balls and cajones to get President Obama to stump with him, Corbett got Chris Christie in a weak moment after sending a truck of Crispie Creme Donuts with a hallmark card that said "PLEASE, I'm begging you, come say nice things about me"
      Corbett is all for business, and not for the working class nor schools. He got his, everyone else can screw themselves.

      This is a HUGE win for the state.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous8:51 PM

      I'm sorry. Did I miss something? Oh, yes. Elections have consequences. That was it.

      Delete
  2. I think you're right. I work for an organization that gets a lot of funding through Health and Human services. The local folks in charge of the grant have said for more than a year now that "the ACA is so interwoven into the health care mechanism in this country now that there is no way to pull it out without shredding the whole system."

    I think there could be some symbolic act to repeal some part of it if there were a a Republican president, but I just can't imagine that the Cruz mantra of "Repeal every letter of it!" could happen...

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  3. hedgewytch9:33 AM

    So did Rachel Maddow.

    Here's my prediction. This is going to be very close - but it's tilting in the Dems favor. I don't think there will be "a huge Republican majority" in the Senate. There may not even be a majority. The GOP may even loose the House too. But in every single race where it is even marginally "close" the Republican candidate will NOT concede gracefully - they will drag it out in recounts, law suits, appeals, etc. for as long as they can.

    For our AK races I predict that Begich, Walker/Mallot will win. All ballot initiatives will pass, but they will be close.

    I've got a fat chocolate bar (stolen from kid's Halloween stash) saved for myself tonight - as well as adult treats - to celebrate if I'm right.

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  4. Anonymous9:34 AM

    "The Supremes upheld Obamacare, game over for naysayers", should have been Begich's response to Sullivan’s Koch-backed ads. I’m so tired of being a “nice” person when it comes to allowing false narratives, whether it be be religious proselytizers, climate deniers or closeted Koch Bros. republicans. It is time to step up and have a packet available of scientific facts when dealing with the loons.

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  5. I love this blog and usually agree, but not this time...while I do agree that this next cycle will be: Hillary Bashing 101, as a party winning a federal election the GOP is done, polish the fork, no way Jose...the come out in midterms, but general elections are another thing, and Clintons only problems will be facing Warren, much like what happened to her with Obama in 2008

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  6. Caroll Thompson9:56 AM

    Here in Maine, turnout is super heavy so far. Voters in some locales cannot find a parking spot at the polling place. But none are leaving. Hope this continues until 8 pm and everyone across this country gets out and votes.

    Heavy turnout historically favors the Democrats, so fingers crossed.

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  7. Anonymous10:21 AM

    How come so many are saying the Republicans are going to win today? Voting hasn't even been completed nor the votes counted for crying out loud! Drives me nuts!

    I truly believe there are many, many voters across the country that abhor the Republican party! Most especially those in the United States Congress.

    I know I've voted and didn't cast one mark on my ballot for a Republican!

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    1. Anonymous12:05 PM

      Agree with you Anonymous 10:21. Here in Michigan my husband and I voted by absentee ballot early last week. (I'm 66 and he's 70.) We both voted straight Democratic ticket plus I read and kept election information material to be sure he and I voted for the Democrats running for the non-partisan spots on the MI Supreme Court.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous10:34 AM

    If it's a Republican sweep today, there will certainly be gloating, then lots of shifting blame of every world catastrophe on Obama, then Congress vacation into the New Year.

    I can see tea party plunge, divisions in the Party, the GOP trying to redefine itse'f without success, lots of Hillary bashing, and less and less President Obama bashing. They may try to taint his legacy with more lies, but, at this point, the RNC want to concentrate on their new man. Jeb Bush.

    The old guard of ankle-biters, blame shifters and negativity pushers (ie. Palin) will be shunned.

    My 2 cents.

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    1. Anonymous11:40 AM

      I don't think they'll do the 'sweep' they are professing to have. Republicans and the media have done so much to make Americans mad as hell, that voter turnout is going to be outstanding.

      I suspect the Republicans across the nation are going to eat crow and I can hardly wait to watch them do so. Yea, President Obama!!!!

      Delete
  9. Anonymous10:47 AM

    Democrats should have run on IMPROVING and EXPANDING Obamacare, instead of running away from it. Cowards.

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  10. Anonymous11:10 AM

    Yup. Even if the GOP wins, they aren't going to be able to accomplish squat.

    I'm personally looking forward to Obama turning the tables and becoming the one who says no to everything they do. They'll never be able to override his veto.

    By the way, someone must've finally told Sarah Palin to shut up about impeachment. She hasnt bitched about that for months.

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  11. Anonymous11:17 AM

    Well now you've done it. I will always believe that she reads this blog. So now the impeachment screech will begin again. It's like throwing red meat to a pit bull . She will bite. SP is a gullible skank.

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    1. Anonymous1:22 PM

      Hey, I have a pit bull and his favorite treats are dehydrated sweet potato strips, that and the dehydrated chicken treats! He's also got a few IQ points on Mrs. Palin...

      Delete
  12. Anonymous11:37 AM

    The asshole Republicans in the U.S. Congress aren't going to do anything w/Obamacare. Millions are on it already and like it! They'd be kicking themselves in the shins if they continue their old montra!

    And, they won't impeach President Obama either! There are no reasons to do so and the two legal firms that have been hired to handle an impeachment have declined to do the dirty deed of Boehner, etc.

    I hope President Obama kicks them in their asses during the next two years. No 'do nothing' Congress deserves it more than this group of jerks!

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  13. Anonymous12:04 PM

    I wish the democrats had run more hard hitting ads in my state. Rick Synder lied and turn Mi into a Right to Work State- the dems did not remind anyone of it, the republican legislator voted to increase women's health insurance to cover abortions even in the case of incest or rape- nothing from democrats. Now I am reading Synder has destroyed records that were requested under FOIA.

    If the Republicans take the senate-they will waste more time and money trying to impeach President Obama and who know invade a few countries. But nothing good will get done. "Obamacare" maybe here to stay, but they will chip away at it until we are back to square one.

    I just hope that with all the "news" that it will be a rethug take over, many rethugs think it is safe and don't vote.

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  14. Anonymous3:25 PM

    Taking away peoples' ACA benefits now would be political suicide for Rethuglicans, with 2016 coming up.
    That doesn't mean they won't try to gut parts of it.

    ~Canuck~

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  15. Anonymous3:41 PM

    Yup, please get out and vote if you haven't. I voted today, all Dem. The gop can suck it.

    Hey fellow 'Sconnies:

    Lose the jerk (Snott Walker),
    vote Mary Burke!!

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  16. Anonymous5:14 PM

    But it's such horrible legislation

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  17. Anita Winecooler6:03 PM

    One smart Dem candidate asked President Obama to stump with him, and he's winning. He ticked off everything the President's accomplished, and then more. THAT"S HOW IT'S DONE!
    I worked the polls today and was shocked at the turnout (usually there are arguments over which radio station to play, and lots of "how do you spelll "knives"? because no one shows up. What our soon to be former Governor has done to education, unions, and job creation is just sad. The middle class got screwed for far far too long, and Tom Wolf is just the man to fix things.

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  18. They only have complete control if the spineless, impotent Democrats allow it.

    They don't have 60 votes. They don't have a super majority. If the Democrats stepped up and took some pages from the GOPooper playbook the Dems could simply obstruct by filibuster just like Mitch and his cronies have done for the last six years.

    Time to stop taking the moral high ground and fight just as dirty.

    I am pissed at all of the lazy Democrats that stayed home, didn't vote and think the mid terms aren't important. Imbeciles all of them. They deserve Mitch and the rest of his shitheads to flush this country down the toilet. And they probably still wouldn't get it.

    They are turning this country into a fascist state. You think Obamacare is safe? They'll do to that what they've done to everything else. They'll cut funding and strangle it every which way so that effectively it is dead, whether it is still the law or not.

    They will not stop until this is a fascist state and they and the 1%er overlords are the only ones with democratic rights. They rest of us will just be peons working in a totalitarian oligarchy.

    No one that sat on their ass better complain one syllable. They have no right to bitch.

    I vote in every election, I do my homework and I have the right to say TOLD YOU SO!

    Not that that will help any.

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  19. OH, gawd.

    Scott Walker.

    The Angel of Death in Florida.

    Yertle the Turtle.

    The bad news just keeps coming.

    I spit on every Democrat that stayed home thinking the mid terms weren't important enough to exercise the voting rights men and women died to give them and that the newly elected Republicans will do everything they can to take away.

    Well, the stock market is going to fall and the economy is going to tank again.

    Two years of a fan blowing shit all over.

    Why the hell is Obama being blamed for the fact that Republicans obstructed, stalled and gridlocked every damned thing they could? So what do the morons do? They reward the perpetrators by re-electing them and then adding on more of the same.

    Are that many people just so damned stupid?

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