Trump's America, March 2017: Using His Inside VOICE

exactly. I have an entire family of friends who would be fucked by it because they run their own business and ACA Was the way they finally could afford health care

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5xeanLjCpQ

oh shit that was meant to reference the sean spicer quote mentioned earlier

Hahah I admit I thought of that too.

hahaha Evan

The expert's on the case!

https://twitter.com/seanhannity/status/839302150412894209

did Pence really say "if you like your Obamacare, keep it"

Oopsie

https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/839297010285043712

The most conservative Republicans genuinely seem think that taking health insurance away from maybe 15 or 20 million people (who would not have it without the ACA) is a good idea, because their ideology abhors that these people were ever given government assistance in the first place and removing it is the only right thing to do. These same conservatives fought tooth and nail to shoot down many provisions proposed for inclusion in the original ACA that would have kept medical costs down, because the government acting to limit or reduce the profits of capitalists in any way is a sin.

I expect these people will make a hash of the AHCA, too.

Hawai'i challenges muslim ban 2.0 http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hawaii-file-legal-challenge-over-new-trump-travel-order-n730426

lol evan

I thought the ACA only worked if it was as universal as possible. So healthy people paying into it covered costs for the already ill, while ensuring that if anything unforeseen happened the until then healthy person would be covered. So if it's an opt in/opt out option it's already sunk.

Yep. Read this link from above if you want to know more:
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/03/trumpcare-the-culmination-of-all-the-gops-health-care-lies.html

― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 7 March 2017 21:31 (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Is Ana Marie Cox considered bad? Or what? I don't know. She had a Guardian column called 'On Politics ... and Whatever' (I didn't like this title) but it seemed to fizzle out.

Here is an old column from her:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/31/history-after-obamacare-april-fools-day

I feel terrible for all the people potentially hurt or adversely affected by Republicare, if it passes. But these cuts and changes wouldn't even be on the table if a huge hunk of those people didn't vote against their best interests for the party the promised to put all these things on the table. I know it sounds unsympathetic, but part of me is glad it's failing, since hopefully it will fast track a better solution sooner rather than later, starting with the aforementioned voting in force in 2018 in favor of people actually on their side. Beyond that, I know plenty of smart people who supported the ACA mostly because they knew it was compromised and would ultimately fail, but failure would in the end, eventually, lead to single payer, after all other bad solutions have been attempted. But that takes time.

Honestly, I don't know why (I mean, I do, but I don't) the GOP is rushing this. They won, fine, so the smart thing would be to say that they had lots of ideas over the past 7 years, but they just want to think it through and do what's right for America. (Which would still fail, likely, but still.) As it is, they've been so headstrong they're just stepping in it, since between Trump and the insurance companies, the ACA has been depicted as an actual disaster, like a flood or earthquake, and everyone is acting like time is of the essence and we need something, anything, ASAP, or we're all going to die.

Now if the Dems were smart (I know) - and maybe they're doing this already - they would tour Bumfuckistan, USA and calmly explain why this new ACA is not the right solution, then encourage voters both Dem and GOP to take a deep breath and vote in 2018 for better ideas. Because as it is this thing is going to crash and burn, and if they don't get in front of it (maybe they are?) the GOP is going to blame the dems for party-of-no obstruction and preventing their masterpiece from being mounted over America's fireplace.

(Pre-made joke: "Oh, it's being mounted, alright!")

They won, fine, so the smart thing would be to say that they had lots of ideas over the past 7 years, but they just want to think it through and do what's right for America.

yeah that's definitely not happening under Donald Trump, like the Carrier deal it's not about what's right for America, he just wants the headline.

I think I'm most confused because we have such an amazing dealmaker in the office now, this should all be coming together so seamlessly, I just don't understand it.

I will say it's kinda nice to see Trump and his voting base's insistence that everything is so god damn easy just fall apart at the seams like this

He would be an object lesson in what happens when you put idiots in charge of things that they don't understand but that they insist are easy and that they could do better than anyone else...except for that thing where idiots won't actually learn anything by observing his folly because they're idiots.

idk people are really forgiving of bad rhetoric and idiotic plans right up until it starts to hit them in the pocketbook. once the boomers get their shiny new insurance plan with a $60,000 deductible their tune may change. or they might just die from preventable ailments like all the poors who decided to buy that shiny new iPhone.

More amusement than anything else, I think, but still interesting:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article136940273.html

I love the venality of this guy:

“There are a lot of rumors and farfetched theories circulating online but none of them have any basis in fact,” said Brian Cattell, founding partner of CLP & Partners in New York. “Mr. Rybolovlev has never met Donald Trump.”

Cattell declined to say whether the oligarch had been aboard the plane when it landed in Charlotte, whether anyone associated with Trump was a passenger or whether its arrival was in any way connected with Trump’s campaign. If Rybolovlev were somehow assisting the campaign, it would constitute an illegal foreign donation.

Cattell was asked to explain why the plane was in Charlotte for nearly 22 hours before departing for Southern California at 8:39 a.m. on Nov. 4.

“Nothing further to add . . . I am afraid,” said Cattell, a past contributor to Breitbart, the alt-right news organization that was headed by Steve Bannon, who’s now Trump’s special White House adviser. Cattell said he is an external representative for “the Rybolovlev family office,” but until 2011 he was chairman of The Bow Group, a British conservative think tank. The Bow Group’s webpage includes a screen shot of Cattell on Russia Today, the television network that U.S. intelligence agencies say is a Kremlin propaganda tool.

It is however gratifying to know that Trump's application for escort services branding has been approved in China:

http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-china-grants-preliminary-approval-to-38-new-trump-trademarks-2017-3

And back to health care. When Tom Cotton starts making 'uh' noises, it's pretty clear what's going to happen (or rather, what won't):

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/mar/8/tom-cotton-i-think-were-moving-little-bit-too-quic/

And the NRO: https://onsizzle.com/i/charles-c-w-cooke-charlescwcooke-ive-yet-to-read-a-10856834

looooool

Aw damn, forgot to post that last night when I saw it. Pretty fantastic.

--- “We’re going to live with health care reform that we pass forever, or until it’s changed in the far distant future,” he said.

Odd as now is not really 'the far distant future', let alone 'forever', from the POV of when Obamacare started.

Let's ask Cotton about whether his 45+ votes to repeal and/or gut ACA constituted "moving too quickly"

w/ how this is all somewhat predictably playing out i am actually kind of surprised that the first thing the GOP wanted to tackle was ACA repeal

you'd think they'd want to do a more popular tax cut or something

Lance H • 12 minutes ago
These a-holes had SEVEN YEARS to come up with an alternative. SEVEN YEARS. There is NO EXCUSE for the POS bill that's being circulated. NO EXCUSE for there not being something acceptable ready to go way back on Jan. 20. NONE. Apparently the Republicans don't like their jobs because they're not doing them very well. TERM LIMITS!

I thought for sure that these people who've made a career out of inaction were secretly formulating a plan of action behind the scenes. I feel so betrayed.

w/ how this is all somewhat predictably playing out i am actually kind of surprised that the first thing the GOP wanted to tackle was ACA repeal

― marcos, 8. marts 2017 16:08 (sixteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

you'd think they'd want to do a more popular tax cut or something

― marcos, 8. marts 2017 16:08 (sixteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The idea was that through cutting expenditure along with the ACA they could then give a deeper taxcut. Everything has to be done through budget reconciliation to avoid filibusters. (I read a much better explanation for it somewhere, but I can't find it)

“We’re going to do something that’s great, and I am proud to support the replacement plan released by the House of Representatives,” Mr. Trump said. “This will be a plan where you can choose your doctor, and this will be a plan where you can choose your plan. And you know what the plan is. This is the plan. It’s a complicated process, but actually it’s very simple, it’s called good health care.”

I feel reassured

the way this guy speaks reminds me so much of Tommy Wiseau, it's uncanny

try to think of any previous POTUS who would've declared of a population-wide fed program "This will be easy"

xpost to Fred, I think this excerpt from Chait sums it up:

The artificial role of the House GOP’s self-created deadline played a crucial role in the development of Trumpcare. After the surprising election handed them full control of government, Republicans quickly decided to capitalize on power with a pair of lightning-strike budget assaults. First, they would repeal Obamacare while delaying any consideration of its alternative, perhaps for several years. Having eliminated Obama’s health-care law — and, especially, the taxes on the affluent that helped finance it — the baseline of expected revenue would be lower. This would enable Republicans to then pass another huge tax cut later in the summer, which they could construct in a way to appear not to lose any revenue (and thus, because of arcane but important budgetary rules, be permanent). After passing their tax cut, they could leisurely set out to design a new plan to replace Obamacare.

I don't really see any holes in that plan. People who suddenly found themselves uninsured would just be all like, no seriously you guys chill out and take your time with this, I still have one functioning kidney, it's cool.

if you're too poor to pay out-of-pocket for medical expenses you don't deserve to live, it's pretty simple

Kill the Workers part CCCXXII (apologize if prev posted)

You can die on the job now and not burden your boss with unnecessary paperwork. From The Washington Post:

In a narrow result that divided along party lines, the Senate voted 49 to 48 to eliminate the regulation, dubbed the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces rule. Finalized in August and blocked by a court order in October, the rule would limit the ability of companies with recent safety problems to complete for government contracts unless they agreed to remedies. The measure to abolish it had already cleared the House. The next step after the Senate vote will be the White House, where Trump is expected to sign it. A half-dozen other worker safety regulations are in Republican crosshairs, with one headed to the Senate floor as soon as this week. Many are directed at companies with federal contracts. Such companies employ 1 in 5 American workers — meaning the effort could have wide-ranging effects.

As you can imagine, there's a truly horrible real-life adventure involved here.

That concern prompted the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces regulation. Among the strongest data points: Rodney Bridgett, 37, a worker at a Tysons Foods beef processing plant in Nebraska, was crushed by a piece of heavy equipment when a chain snapped on the plant's "kill floor" in 2012. Tyson spokesman Worth Sparkman called Bridgett's death "a tragic accident" and said the company aspires to "have zero work-related injuries and illnesses, and continue to improve our culture related to safety every day." OSHA investigators found that Tysons supervisors had repeatedly failed to inspect the faulty chain. While OSHA sought to fine the company, the Obama administration moved separately to target a major source of Tysons's revenue: nearly $300 million a year in federal contracts.

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a53695/worker-safety-republicans/

every time an unsafe work environment kills or injures a worker it means it creates an opening for an unemployed person to step in

JOB CREATION

have we mentioned that the bill is literally called 'World's Greatest Healthcare Plan of 2017'

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1275

i did not know that

ok that's seriously really funny. \

How many other healthcare plans of 2017 do they expect?

@laurenduca
"Listen, for all of the criticism, you have to admit that @realDonaldTrump's cabinet was remarkably well prepared for #ADayWithoutAWoman"

lol

omglol

The fundamental level of these people's unseriousness contrasted with the seriousness of their jobs is fucking mindblowing.

w/ how this is all somewhat predictably playing out i am actually kind of surprised that the first thing the GOP wanted to tackle was ACA repeal

Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump warned House Republicans Tuesday if they can't pass health care legislation after seven years of promises it could be a "bloodbath" in the 2018 midterm election, according to one member present in the meeting.-CNN

Even a stopped clock

yep