Why liberals are panicked about Obamacare

[lostinblue 1,989]

Why liberals are panicked about Obamacare By Charles Krauthammer, Published: November 14

“Even if it takes a change to the law, the president should honor the commitment the federal government made to those people and let them keep what they got.”

— Bill Clinton, Nov. 12

So the former president asserts that the current president continues to dishonor his “you like your plan, you can keep your plan” pledge. And calls for the Affordable Care Act to be changed, despite furious White House resistance to the very idea.

Coming from the dean of the Democratic Party, this one line marked the breaching of the dam. It legitimized the brewing rebellion of panicked Democrats against Obamacare. Within hours, that rebellion went loudly public. By Thursday, President Obama had been forced into a rear-guard holding action, asking insurers to grant a one-year extension of current plans.

The damage to the Obama presidency, however, is already done. His approval rating has fallen to 39 percent, his lowest ever. And, for the first time, a majority considers him untrustworthy. That bond is not easily repaired.

At stake, however, is more than the fate of one presidency or of the current Democratic majority in the Senate. At stake is the new, more ambitious, social-democratic brand of American liberalism introduced by Obama, of which Obamacare is both symbol and concrete embodiment.

Precisely when the GOP was returning to a more constitutionalist conservatism committed to reforming, restructuring and reining in the welfare state (see, for example, the Paul Ryan Medicare reform passed by House Republicans with near-unanimity), Obama offered a transformational liberalism designed to expand the role of government, enlarge the welfare state and create yet more new entitlements (see, for example, his call for universal preschool in his most recent State of the Union address).

The centerpiece of this vision is, of course, Obamacare, the most sweeping social reform in the past half-century, affecting one-sixth of the economy and directly touching the most vital area of life of every citizen.

As the only socially transformational legislation in modern American history to be enacted on a straight party-line vote, Obamacare is wholly owned by the Democrats. Its unraveling would catastrophically undermine their underlying ideology of ever-expansive central government providing cradle-to-grave care for an ever-grateful citizenry.

For four years, this debate has been theoretical. Now it’s real. And for Democrats, it’s a disaster.

It begins with the bungled rollout. If Washington can’t even do the Web site — the literal portal to this brave new world — how does it propose to regulate the vast ecosystem of American medicine?

Beyond the competence issue is the arrogance. Five million freely chosen, freely purchased, freely renewed health-care plans are summarily canceled. Why? Because they don’t meet some arbitrary standard set by the experts in Washington.

For all his news conference gyrations about not deliberately deceiving people with his “if you like it” promise, the law Obama so triumphantly gave us allows you to keep your plan only if he likes it. This is life imitating comedy — that old line about a liberal being someone who doesn’t care what you do as long as it’s mandatory.

Lastly, deception. The essence of the entitlement state is government giving away free stuff. Hence Obamacare would provide insurance for 30 million uninsured, while giving everybody tons of free medical services — without adding “one dime to our deficits,” promised Obama.

This being inherently impossible, there had to be a catch. Now we know it: hidden subsidies. Toss millions of the insured off their plans and onto the Obamacare “exchanges,” where they would be forced into more expensive insurance packed with coverage they don’t want and don’t need — so that the overcharge can be used to subsidize others.

The reaction to the incompetence, arrogance and deception has ranged from ridicule to anger. But more is in jeopardy than just panicked congressional Democrats. This is the signature legislative achievement of the Obama presidency, the embodiment of his new entitlement-state liberalism. If Obamacare goes down, there will be little left of its underlying ideology.

Perhaps it won’t go down. Perhaps the Web portal hums beautifully on Nov. 30. Perhaps they’ll find a way to restore the canceled policies without wrecking the financial underpinning of the exchanges.

Perhaps. The more likely scenario, however, is that Obamacare does fail. It either fails politically, renounced by a wide consensus that includes a growing number of Democrats, or it succumbs to the financial complications (the insurance “death spiral”) of the very amendments desperately tacked on to save it.

If it does fail, the effect will be historic. Obamacare will take down with it more than Mary Landrieu and Co. It will discredit Obama’s new liberalism for years to come.

By Charles Krauthammer, Published: November 14

“Even if it takes a change to the law, the president should honor the commitment the federal government made to those people and let them keep what they got.”

— Bill Clinton, Nov. 12

So the former president asserts that the current president continues to dishonor his “you like your plan, you can keep your plan” pledge. And calls for the Affordable Care Act to be changed, despite furious White House resistance to the very idea.

Coming from the dean of the Democratic Party, this one line marked the breaching of the dam. It legitimized the brewing rebellion of panicked Democrats against Obamacare. Within hours, that rebellion went loudly public. By Thursday, President Obama had been forced into a rear-guard holding action, asking insurers to grant a one-year extension of current plans.

The damage to the Obama presidency, however, is already done. His approval rating has fallen to 39 percent, his lowest ever. And, for the first time, a majority considers him untrustworthy. That bond is not easily repaired.

At stake, however, is more than the fate of one presidency or of the current Democratic majority in the Senate. At stake is the new, more ambitious, social-democratic brand of American liberalism introduced by Obama, of which Obamacare is both symbol and concrete embodiment.

Precisely when the GOP was returning to a more constitutionalist conservatism committed to reforming, restructuring and reining in the welfare state (see, for example, the Paul Ryan Medicare reform passed by House Republicans with near-unanimity), Obama offered a transformational liberalism designed to expand the role of government, enlarge the welfare state and create yet more new entitlements (see, for example, his call for universal preschool in his most recent State of the Union address).

The centerpiece of this vision is, of course, Obamacare, the most sweeping social reform in the past half-century, affecting one-sixth of the economy and directly touching the most vital area of life of every citizen.

As the only socially transformational legislation in modern American history to be enacted on a straight party-line vote, Obamacare is wholly owned by the Democrats. Its unraveling would catastrophically undermine their underlying ideology of ever-expansive central government providing cradle-to-grave care for an ever-grateful citizenry.

For four years, this debate has been theoretical. Now it’s real. And for Democrats, it’s a disaster.

It begins with the bungled rollout. If Washington can’t even do the Web site — the literal portal to this brave new world — how does it propose to regulate the vast ecosystem of American medicine?

Beyond the competence issue is the arrogance. Five million freely chosen, freely purchased, freely renewed health-care plans are summarily canceled. Why? Because they don’t meet some arbitrary standard set by the experts in Washington.

For all his news conference gyrations about not deliberately deceiving people with his “if you like it” promise, the law Obama so triumphantly gave us allows you to keep your plan only if he likes it. This is life imitating comedy — that old line about a liberal being someone who doesn’t care what you do as long as it’s mandatory.

Lastly, deception. The essence of the entitlement state is government giving away free stuff. Hence Obamacare would provide insurance for 30 million uninsured, while giving everybody tons of free medical services — without adding “one dime to our deficits,” promised Obama.

This being inherently impossible, there had to be a catch. Now we know it: hidden subsidies. Toss millions of the insured off their plans and onto the Obamacare “exchanges,” where they would be forced into more expensive insurance packed with coverage they don’t want and don’t need — so that the overcharge can be used to subsidize others.

The reaction to the incompetence, arrogance and deception has ranged from ridicule to anger. But more is in jeopardy than just panicked congressional Democrats. This is the signature legislative achievement of the Obama presidency, the embodiment of his new entitlement-state liberalism. If Obamacare goes down, there will be little left of its underlying ideology.

Perhaps it won’t go down. Perhaps the Web portal hums beautifully on Nov. 30. Perhaps they’ll find a way to restore the canceled policies without wrecking the financial underpinning of the exchanges.

Perhaps. The more likely scenario, however, is that Obamacare does fail. It either fails politically, renounced by a wide consensus that includes a growing number of Democrats, or it succumbs to the financial complications (the insurance “death spiral”) of the very amendments desperately tacked on to save it.

If it does fail, the effect will be historic. Obamacare will take down with it more than Mary Landrieu and Co. It will discredit Obama’s new liberalism for years to come.http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/charles-krauthammer-why-liberals-are-panicked-about-obamacare/2013/11/14/bd2e9834-4d6f-11e3-be6b-d3d28122e6d4_print.html

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Funny, no 'panicked' liberal has jumped in to your thread to claim that they are not 'panicked.'

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

This is why!

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Funny, no 'panicked' liberal has jumped in to your thread to claim that they are not 'panicked.'

Liberals usually don't work the weekend shift

They love to spend other peoples money

and

post on other peoples time

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Liberals usually don't work the weekend shift

They love to spend other peoples money

and

post on other peoples time

subsidized posting?

[Darnell 8,479]

Just from the title -

Uh - no sh|t ! That's a no-brainer !

Libs aligned with Obama. He's not been able to do what they've wanted, for 6 years in office.

Time for re-alignment, toss The Kenyan to the curb and pick someone else that'll do what they want.

At stake, however, is more than the fate of one presidency or of the current Democratic majority in the Senate. At stake is the new, more ambitious, social-democratic brand of American liberalism introduced by Obama, of which Obamacare is both symbol and concrete embodiment.

I am happy to posit that this type of American Liberalism will die a quick death.

Edited November 16, 2013 by Darnell

[Dan from MI 23]

_{I saw this coming... that is my only comment.}

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Just from the title -

Uh - no sh|t ! That's a no-brainer !

Libs aligned with Obama. He's not been able to do what they've wanted, for 6 years in office.

Time for re-alignment, toss The Kenyan to the curb and pick someone else that'll do what they want.

At stake, however, is more than the fate of one presidency or of the current Democratic majority in the Senate. At stake is the new, more ambitious, social-democratic brand of American liberalism introduced by Obama, of which Obamacare is both symbol and concrete embodiment.

I am happy to posit that this type of American Liberalism will die a quick death.

You called him a Kenyan..You and Chelle are Racist

[Darnell 8,479]

No, I called him The Kenyan. That's a side issue, but I want you to understand the difference between 'a' and 'the'.

---

OTOH,

Liberals have aligned themselves with the wrong fella. And it shows. Now it'll take a herculean effort to align with someone else, and that sucks (in time, energy and soft monies) .

[lostinblue 1,989]

This whole movement was about control of the population... Nothing more. What ever their idea of utopia for the masses is at one point in time. Transfat ,,, bad..... weed good. this sort of thing. lobbyist wrote the kenyan kare bill every supporter (unions) of the last election has been awarded an exemption. It is just a big tax on the average working stiff.,, The lawyers were awarded a pass. Wait for a year or two when the middle class has no money. Hospitals say we opt out. Doctors .. we opt out....welcome to a 3rd world country.

[Pooky 3,839]

And already, the Democrats are trying to pin this whole mess going forward on the insurance companies.

Whether by non-reinstatement of cancelled plans, or rate hikes because of the unforeseen actuarial impacts of reinstating plans unexpectedly, the Democrats are hoping and praying that at least a portion, if not all, of the blame for the mess will now fall on the insurance companies, giving endangered Democrats some hope for 2014.

The President hiss stated that he will veto any legislation to "fix" the issue, preferring to rely on another bypass of Congress to change the law, so any Democrat votes to do so will ring hollow in the minds of the electorate.

Now I have no love for the insurance companies. They leech 20% of every dollar out of the system, which is an inbuilt inefficiency that needs to go. But to throw them under the bus at this stage of the game, when they have done their part to conform to the new law, solely to provide political cover at the mid-terms, has the very real likelihood of backfiring on the President, as the cooperation disappears, rates go up and the whole legislation spirals into oblivion.

And the American people get shafted again.

Edited November 16, 2013 by Pooky

[Crashed~N2~Me 970]

Just from the title -

Uh - no sh|t ! That's a no-brainer !

Libs aligned with Obama. He's not been able to do what they've wanted, for 6 years in office.

Time for re-alignment, toss The Kenyan to the curb and pick someone else that'll do what they want.

At stake, however, is more than the fate of one presidency or of the current Democratic majority in the Senate. At stake is the new, more ambitious, social-democratic brand of American liberalism introduced by Obama, of which Obamacare is both symbol and concrete embodiment.

I am happy to posit that this type of American Liberalism will die a quick death.

Agreed & I must say - (the bolded part) You sometimes post the nicest ...posts!

I hope you're right but - there were 52.5 million showed up last election & many of 'em teat feeders = Progressives are dug in.

[lostinblue 1,989]

Agreed & I must say - (the bolded part) You sometimes post the nicest ...posts!

I hope you're right but - there were 52.5 million showed up last election & many of 'em teat feeders = Progressives are dug in.

But now they understand that they are in the same hog wallow as the rest of the country.... They will panic when they UNDERSTAND that their will be no medical staff to be found that will be willing to treat them.How many of these libs have 10 grand set aside to pay that $10.000 deduct...that EVERYONE is talking about. We have an army of IRS agents (union to boot) that need to be supported.....Perhaps we can train the TSA agents to give prostrate examinations at airports, train and bus stations. Kenyan Kare it keeps on giving.

Edited November 16, 2013 by lostinblue

[Dakine10 5,452]

But now they understand that they are in the same hog wallow as the rest of the country.... They will panic when they UNDERSTAND that their will be no medical staff to be found that will be willing to treat them.How many of these libs have 10 grand set aside to pay that $10.000 deduct...that EVERYONE is talking about. We have an army of IRS agents (union to boot) that need to be supported.....Perhaps we can train the TSA agents to give prostrate examinations at airports, train and bus stations. Kenyan Kare it keeps on giving.

Yeah. Who's panicking now?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I am very liberal and not at all panicked. Obamacare is the best thing to be handed to the Republicans since...the Assault Weapons non-ban in 1994.

The people that are panicked are legislators who voted for it and have to get re-elected. ALL of them are Democrats, many of them are phoney anti-choice "liberals" but not all.

Just wanted to clear the record.