Article

2013-10-29 Government

"Dem Party is F****d." That was the subject line of an email sent to me Sunday by a senior Democratic consultant with strong ties to the White House and Capitol Hill. The body of the email contained a link to this Los Angeles Times story about Obamacare "sticker shock:"

"These middle-class consumers are staring at hefty increases on their insurance bills as the overhaul remakes the healthcare market. Their rates are rising in large part to help offset the higher costs of covering sicker, poorer people who have been shut out of the system for years."

"Although recent criticism of the healthcare law has focused on website glitches and early enrollment snags, experts say sharp price increases for individual policies have the greatest potential to erode public support for President Obama's signature legislation."

In his story, reporter Chad Terhune also quoted a letter sent to a California insurance company executive. "I was all for Obamacare," wrote a young woman complaining about a 50 percent rate hike related to the health care law, "until I found out I was paying for it."

Also of interest to the Democratic consultant: A Josh Barro column on Obama's promise that "if you like your health plan, you can keep your health plan." It was never a reasonable pledge, Barro argues, and it's being proven false. He called this "a good thing" because "a lot of existing health plans were bad." Reforming the nation's health care system "was necessarily going to have to change a lot of people's health plans," Barro wrote.

The Democratic consultant said none of this is news to him, but he wonders why Obama wasn't honest with Americans. He predicted surprise and outrage over higher costs and lesser coverage. "We will own this problem forever," the Democrat wrote.

"I gave you four surplus budgets, all those jobs, declining poverty." According to Philip Rucker of the Washington Post, that is what former President Clinton told Virginia voters while campaigning for his pal, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe. While Clinton was not referencing the current president, it's fair to wonder about Obama's legacy if he leaves office without more progress on jobs and a budget deal that tames the nation's debt. "Clinton didn't have an insane GOP caucus to deal with," said a White House official when posed the comparison. "I know you like to think (Clinton is) the Golden Age of politics but things are different."

Bill Clinton showed "America what can happen when we focus on the economy and work with both parties." That is what McAuliffe said at the same event. Funny how some Democrats think a president can focus on the economy and work with the GOP without getting, well, fooled.

Posted by Beavis 2013-10-29 00:00|| || Front Page|| [9 views ] Top

#1 it's fair to wonder about Obama's legacy if he leaves office without more progress on jobs and a budget deal that tames the nation's debt.

Don't know about you, but---far as I'm concerned, as long as he leaves...

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2013-10-29 05:25|| 2013-10-29 05:25|| Front Page Top

#2 "These middle-class consumers are staring at hefty increases on their insurance bills as the overhaul remakes the healthcare market. Their rates are rising in large part to help offset the higher costs of covering sicker, poorer people who have been shut out of the system for years."

Wasn't Sebelius a Insurance Rep?

Posted by Skidmark 2013-10-29 11:31|| 2013-10-29 11:31|| Front Page Top

#3 "I gave you four surplus budgets, all those jobs, declining poverty." According to Philip Rucker of the Washington Post, that is what former President Clinton told Virginia voters

There was no I, there was a Trunk Congress, one on the cusp of going full hog pork barrel, but still controlling the purse strings to deliver something that implied adults still ran the budget.

Posted by Procopius2k 2013-10-29 12:46|| 2013-10-29 12:46|| Front Page Top

#4 "These middle-class consumers are staring at hefty increases on their insurance bills as the overhaul remakes the healthcare market..."

Personally, I hope the Dem Party has screwed itself for several centuries because of their shoving this unwanted abortion on us. However, I am pessimistic that this will happen as the number of those receiving government largesse without paying for it has increased under the Dems & Obozo. Big government Pubs might do slightly better but not by much.

Posted by JohnQC 2013-10-29 15:28|| 2013-10-29 15:28|| Front Page Top

#5 "the Democratic consultant"

Sounds like a work of Teapot fiction...

Posted by Jerkface Killa 2013-10-29 16:12|| 2013-10-29 16:12|| Front Page Top

#6 Try deviating from your script once in a while.

Posted by Pappy 2013-10-29 17:11|| 2013-10-29 17:11|| Front Page Top

#7 Sebelius began her Kansas public career as Insurance Commissioner.

Posted by swksvolFF 2013-10-29 17:17|| 2013-10-29 17:17|| Front Page Top

#8 "Jerkface" from the land of the moose
Wasn't loon or ptarmigan or goose:
With piratical swagger
He squawked out, "Teabagger,
Teabagger!," took wing, and vamoosed.

Posted by Zenobia Floger6220 2013-10-29 18:02|| 2013-10-29 18:02|| Front Page Top

#9 Zenobia, if this Facebook, I would definitely "like" your limerick.

Posted by Rambler in Virginia 2013-10-29 19:18|| 2013-10-29 19:18|| Front Page Top

#10 Sounds like a work of Teapot fiction...

Actually, if one looks at Ron Fournier's body of work, it's fairly balanced. Methinks what one is seeing is a supporter gradually becoming frustrated and disillusioned. I didn't vote for Mr. Obama either time, but it is disheartening watching the slow-train-wreck.

Of course actually determining if it is a "Teapot fiction" means perusing Mr. Fournier's work, even if it is just the headlines. Far easier to enjoy the mental m*sturbation in parroting talking points and engaging in primary-school debating tactics.

Posted by Pappy 2013-10-29 20:30|| 2013-10-29 20:30|| Front Page Top

#11 "Sounds like", not "must be" or "is", I think jerky is a bit too soft to be a tru prog.

Damn fine stuff Zenobia. Damn fine.

Posted by swksvolFF 2013-10-29 20:37|| 2013-10-29 20:37|| Front Page Top

#12 You know my son has one of those toy where if you press his hand he would say a phrase. I think he only had three or four phrases which he would repeat over and over and over as you press his hand.
That I think is two more than JerkF.

Posted by CrazyFool 2013-10-29 20:54|| 2013-10-29 20:54|| Front Page Top

#13

Obamacare. Will the monster ever work?

Posted by Thrans Splat1574 2013-10-29 21:27|| 2013-10-29 21:27|| Front Page Top

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