ThingProgress
Anyone wondering why the Right Wing Tea Party Republicans are in a frenzy, one need only see what is happening now that the reality of the Affordable Care Act is emerging. The lies they told are coming back to bite them.
They are attempting to discourage young American citizens from going to the exchanges by telling them Obamacare will either be too expensive or an intrusion from the government. Good things are happening however. Inasmuch as the Right Wing is being outright destructive with the nation’s economy in the attempt to derail Obamacare, empirical and factual data is proven to be a hindrance to their obstructionist tactics.
The State Health Bureaucracy in Texas is actually promoting Obamacare. That is a feat in its own right. On October 1st, the Obamacare health exchange servers were overwhelmed because of the inordinately large number of people accessing it.
The coup de grace however is the stories that are now coming out of Republicans going onto the exchanges and realizing that they had been lied to. This was the case with Republican Butch Matthews, a 61-year-old former small business owner from Little Rock, Arkansas. ThinkProgress reports that,
Butch Matthews is a 61-year-old former small business owner from Little Rock, Arkansas who used to wake up every morning at 4 A.M. to deliver canned beverages to retailers before retiring in 2010. A lifelong Republican, he was heavily skeptical of the Affordable Care Act when it first passed. “I did not think that Obamacare was going to be a good plan, I did not think that it was going to help me at all,” he told ThinkProgress over the phone.
But after doing a little research, Matthews eventually realized how much the law could help him. And on Tuesday, his local Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) provider confirmed that he would be able to buy a far better plan than his current policy while saving at least $13,000 per year through Arkansas’ Obamacare marketplace. [Source]
Turns out pre-Obamacare, Matthews was paying $1069.per month with a $10,000 deductible. Matthews’ doctor visits went from a co-pay of $150 to $8. Matthews has a simple message to all Americans. He says,
I would tell them to learn more about it before they start talking bad about it,” he noted. “Be more informed, get more information, take your time and study and not just go by just what you hear on one side or the other. Actually check the facts on it. [Source]
This story is not unlike Clint Murphy’s story. Murphy is a 38 year old Republican operative. He worked for Republican US Senator Paul Coverdell in the 1990s, Republican Casey Cagle in 2006, John McCain in 2008, and Republican Karen Handel’s gubernatorial campaign in 2010. He has come to his senses and simply could not wait for the exchanges to open.
Neither of these guys has given up on their Conservative ideology. They are Republicans. The difference is unlike Right Wing Tea Party Republicans, they are honest and pragmatic. They are willing to let the truth lead. The Tea Party realizes that their credibility is coming to an end for most Americans.
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Not buying it…in more ways than one.
I agree. After all, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress doesn’t have the authority to force us to purchase anything. Said that they can tax us (the personal responsibility penalty), but they can’t force us to purchase anything. … Cold comfort though.
Co pays are cheaper,or not at all,but if you need a major medical procedure,,you will have to pay thousands out of pocket. That is from researching it. But take the Gov word about how good and cheap heathcare will be, when has the gov ever lied or wasted tax money?
I don’t get it. “destructive stunt”?
I clicked on your link.
First, I was offered an opportunity to upgrade my software. [aarrrgh]
Then, I saw a transcript of the “off-mic” convo — two Republican senators agreeing with each other that they were winning the debate and that the Dems are using a losing message (“we won’t negotiate”):
QUOTE:
Senator Paul began, “Do you have a second?”
“I’m all wired up here, um,” Senator McConnell replied.
“I just did CNN and I just go over and over again ‘We’re willing to compromise. ‘We’re willing to negotiate.’ I think… I don’t think they poll tested we won’t negotiate. I think it’s awful for them to say that over and over again,” Paul said.
“Yeah, I do too and I, and I just came back from that two hour meeting with them and that, and that was basically the same view privately as it was publically,” McConnell agreed.
Paul added, “I think if we keep saying ‘We wanted to defund it. We fought for that and that we’re willing to compromise on this’, I think they can’t, we’re gonna, I think… well I know we don’t want to be here, but we’re gonna win this I think.”
UNQUOTE.
[Source: http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/home/ticker/Live-mic-catches-Senators-McConnell-and-Paul-talking-strategy-226238531.html%5D
Bills/Laws are “tweaked,” amended, passed, repealed, vetoed, and tabled all the time. That’s the Legislature’s job.
Even the much-vaunted “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010” is subject to the same protest and debate as every other law.
The Constitution vests in the House of Representatives the duty to wield the power of the purse. You may not have covered that in third grade, but I assure you that it is every bit as legitimate as veto, amendment, or cloture votes. The Republican Representatives ran on the message that they would repeal / replace / amend the PPACA, and they were elected. It is not the President’s right or duty to approve funding, nor is it the Senate’s purview. The House of Representatives controls the power of the purse (authorizes the funding of laws — or not). That’s their job. I don’t envy any of them. They generally have to do their work during crunch time.
Correct me if I’m wrong (I didn’t look this up) but wasn’t the exact same shoe on the other foot a few years ago? It was the Dems who were trying to cut the funding for a right-of-center policy, and they were insisting that it was only responsible to pass as much of the spending as possible (piecemeal approach), and they threatened playing burn-out with a government shutdown. I guess it’s just another parliamentary procedure for further negotiation, and it appears to be used by both sides. And both sides are under a lot of pressure, from constituents and opponents. The core interest groups in each of the major parties are making their wishes known to Capitol Hill, and there’s a lot of frustration, and misinformation…
I try to remember that a lot of the misinformation is due to the brief bits of time available on any given day to make a point or make the case in front of a camera or microphone. No way to give the howevers and unlesses in a 9-second response. It’s a mess, but at least we have the right to “petition” our government officials. At least, there are processes for improving legislation after it is first passed. Sometimes, the revisions benefit everyone.
It’s not fair to say “anarchist” or “arsonist” or “jihadist” or “terrorist” when describing our elected representatives. They are on the national, if not global, stage to represent their states. We’re a big country. Some states will have disparate interests.
Just a thought.