There's a lively debate underway within the Republican Party about what to do about Obamacare. Some say we should use Congressional pressure and the coming debt ceiling debate to "defund" it. Some say we should work to slow down its implementation through a variety of methods.
What I don't hear Republicans saying is that we should ACCELERATE the implementation of Obamacare to the maximum extent possible. Get rid of the roadblocks. Let it come. If the President uses executive authority to slow it down for whatever convenient reason he sees, use legislation to try and overrule it. Here's why.
Obamacare is completely tied to the President and Congressional Democrats. If Republicans believe that it is as bad as they say it is, then they need to get out of the way and let the badness begin. They don't have the votes to delay, defund, or repeal it, but perhaps they have the votes to let it actually begin to do its damage.
Only pain is going to impact the American voter. Pain in the wallet. Bureaucratic pain. If Republicans truly believe that this is what Obamacare will bring, then the surest path to electoral victory is to let it rain and be there with good plans of your own when the public casts about for new leadership.
It appears though, that Republicans are afraid to call the President's bluff, and fear really is the only reason. Fear that they are wrong, and that Obamacare will prove to be more popular than they concede and that its popularity will translate into its enshrinement. Clearly, this is possible. But this is what political gut checks are all about. In order to be proven right the Republicans need to be brave enough to be proven wrong.
Democrats voted for this mess and then the country re-elected President Obama. Have the courage to let them go down with their ship and stop throwing them the life ring of delay.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
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5 comments:
The country is in a bad enough financial state already. It would be despicable for the GOP, if they truly are brilliant enough to know all the impacts of Obamacare in advance, to allow what they know what be a financially devastating program to be implemented/funded solely for their own political gain.
Responsible politicians (an oxymoron, in DC for sure) would identify the problems with the plan, educate the public about them and work to positively and proactively impact the situation.
To stand by and watch another train-wreck for political gain would be a heinous action on the part of the GOP.
Don't prove you have the ability to perpetuate DC self-centered stupidity - show some LEADERSHIP if you want to win future elections. They should do their damn jobs and stop posturing.
I agree.
Eric--you're faith in the system is 1) inspiring and 2) misplaced.
I'm advocating quick, deep, short term pain (a la RR and Volcker in the early 80's) in order to gain the long term benefit.
Oh, and for the information of readers, LL was agreeing with me, and not Eric. Eric's post was submitted earlier but went up after LL.
I say cite the Obama Administration's repeated waivers and delays (not to mention Sen. Max Baucus' comments about a "train wreck") and de-fund it - period.
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