Republicans privately admit defeat on Obamacare repeal

[Green Arrow]

Via Politico (http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/09/republicans-obamacare-repeal-defeat-admit-243551):


For the first time, rank-and-file Republicans are acknowledging Obamacare may never be repealed.

After multiple failures to repeal the law, the White House and many GOP lawmakers are publicly promising to try again in early 2018. But privately, both House and Senate Republicans acknowledge they may never be able to deliver on their seven-year vow to scrap the law.

“Personally, I don’t” see it, Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) said. “I just don’t know how you can reconcile a bill you’ve taken two whiffs at already and couldn’t get the votes.”

Some sound almost resigned to the new reality. “I’d say it’s 50-50,” Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said of the prospect the law will remain in place.

Republicans are torn between the potency of their longtime rallying cry against Obamacare — so popular with GOP donors and their base that it helped flip both houses of Congress and the White House — and the reality they’ve wasted nine months of what is supposed to be the most productive time of a new administration failing to get it done. With few legislative accomplishments so far to show voters, failure on Obamacare repeal could prove to be a major liability in the 2018 midterm elections.

Even if Republicans try again next year, few House Republicans are confident the Senate would be successful without a change in the GOP lineup or someone flipping their vote.

All of this goes to prove that Republicans have been telling bold-faced lies for the last eight years. They have sworn up and down that they had a plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. When they were finally given the keys to the kingdom - full control of the Congress and the White House - they rushed to put together a last-minute "repeal and replace" plan. Meaning for eight years, they had nothing whatsoever to offer as an alternative to Obamacare despite all their promises to the contrary.

They could have had "repeal and replace" on day one of the nascent Trump administration had they actually followed through on their promises to the American people, and spent eight years developing one. Instead they opted for hollow grandstanding that amounted to a whole lot of nothing.

For reasons I can't figure out, the Democrats saw this unfold and decided to do the same thing during the Trump administration, a whole lot of bluster with nothing to show for it thus far.

At some point, we have to look at this stuff and say, "Why do we keep voting for these snakes?" Why do we keep trading the reins of power back and forth between Republican and Democrat every cycle instead of actually punishing them for these kinds of horrendous moves by removing their parties from power altogether?

[Common]

lol they should have admitted defeat long ago, but in truth its only a few that caused the defeats every vote.

[Cletus]

Just wait until McCain dies and they could repeal it before his rotting corpse is even cold.

[Green Arrow]

Just wait until McCain dies and they could repeal it before his rotting corpse is even cold.
McCain would be a gain of only one vote, assuming his successor wouldn't vote no on it. The last several attempts at repeal have been 3-4 votes short. So no, just losing McCain wouldn't suddenly make it passable.

[Fredy]

They only had seven years.

[resister]

They only had seven years.
8 under the keyan!

[Cletus]

McCain would be a gain of only one vote, assuming his successor wouldn't vote no on it. The last several attempts at repeal have been 3-4 votes short. So no, just losing McCain wouldn't suddenly make it passable.

How do you make it through life?

Without McCain's influence, it would have passed long ago. He may be a disgusting, liberal, senile old bastard, but he has a lot of juice.

[Fredy]

8 under the keyan!
Do you get so excited to type "Kenyan" that you can't spell it right?

They had seven years to come up with a health care plan that wasn't a tax cut in disguise.

I'll walk you through the math if you like. ACA passed in 2010. This is 2017.

2017-2010=?

Bon chance

[Green Arrow]

How do you make it through life?

Without McCain's influence, it would have passed long ago. He may be a disgusting, liberal, senile old bastard, but he has a lot of juice.

McCain's influence has no impact on Ted Cruz or Rand Paul, that's two votes the GOP still loses. In that scenario Pence could break the tie and the bill would pass, but they aren't the only non-McCain no votes. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski also didn't vote no on any of the repeal votes because of McCain. That's four. Bill is still dead.

[resister]

Do you get so excited to type "Kenyan" that you can't spell it right?

They had seven years to come up with a health care plan that wasn't a tax cut in disguise.

I'll walk you through the math if you like. ACA passed in 2010. This is 2017.

2017-2010=?

Bon chance
Fuck rhinos and your your spelling nazis

[Fredy]

$#@! rhinos and your your spelling nazis
Could you repost that in English?

You seem to be trying to communicate something.

[AZ Jim]

RINO= congressperson who votes their conscience not 100% party line.

[Tahuyaman]

Modern Republicans have no balls. It's not a matter of conscience. The Republican party was once the home of conservatism. They once stood for individual liberties and rugged individualism. Now they stand for cooperating with liberals. They are more consumed with winning the approval of the media than respecting the constitutional restraints placed upon government.

[Green Arrow]

Modern Republicans have no balls. It's not a matter of conscience. The Republican party was once the home of conservatism. They once stood for individual liberties and rugged individualism. Now they stand for cooperating with liberals. They are more consumed with winning the approval of the media than respecting the constitutional restraints placed upon government.
Republicans were progressives long before they were conservatives.

The point is, what they were in the past is irrelevant to what they are now.

[AZ Jim]

Modern Republicans have no balls. It's not a matter of conscience. The Republican party was once the home of conservatism. They once stood for individual liberties and rugged individualism. Now they stand for cooperating with liberals. They are more consumed with winning the approval of the media than respecting the constitutional restraints placed upon government.Fuck you very much and goodnight.

[Green Arrow]

Fuck you very much and goodnight.

Your response is both inappropriate and unwelcome. If you can't disagree civilly and maturely, stay out of my threads.

[Tahuyaman]

Modern Republicans have no balls. It's not a matter of conscience. The Republican party was once the home of conservatism. They once stood for individual liberties and rugged individualism. Now they stand for cooperating with liberals. They are more consumed with winning the approval of the media than respecting the constitutional restraints placed upon government.


$#@! you very much and goodnight.

what do you disagree with in my comment? I'm not sure why you responded in that manner.

[Tahuyaman]

Your response is both inappropriate and unwelcome. If you can't disagree civilly and maturely, stay out of my threads.

You and I often disagree, but did you find anything disagreeable or offensive about my comment?

[Tahuyaman]

Republicans were progressives long before they were conservatives.

The point is, what they were in the past is irrelevant to what they are now.

I guess that depends on how you define progressive. However, what they are now is a bunch of spineless weasels worried about how they are portrayed in the media.

[Green Arrow]

You and I often disagree, but did you find anything disagreeable or offensive about my comment?
Not in the slightest.

[Green Arrow]

I guess that depends on how you define progressive.
I define it historically, for what it was. It certainly wasn't conservative.

[Tahuyaman]

I define it historically, for what it was. It certainly wasn't conservative.

Progressive 50 years ago is not the same as progressive today.

I'm still puzzled by AZ Jim's response. That was bizarre.

[Green Arrow]

Progressive 50 years ago is not the same as progressive today.

I'm still puzzled by @AZ Jim (http://thepoliticalforums.com/member.php?u=1901)'s response. That was bizarre.
I'm talking about the first 70 years of the GOP's history. Regardless, it hasn't been a conservative party for over 30 years.

[Tahuyaman]

Well, I don't think Trump is going to give up. Repealing the ACA as we know it and his wall were two of his primary campaign promises. I think he's serious about keeping both of them.

The ACA is a crumbling failure and border security is one of the mandatory functions of government. Opposing fixing both is a losing proposition.

[Tahuyaman]

I'm talking about the first 70 years of the GOP's history. Regardless, it hasn't been a conservative party for over 30 years.


I'd say that they (Republicans) started to be consumed with gaining the adoration of the media about 30 years ago. That's really when they completely abandoned conservative ideals.

[Tahuyaman]

Just wait until McCain dies and they could repeal it before his rotting corpse is even cold.. McCain isn't the only one. He's just the most publicized one.

[Tahuyaman]

McCain would be a gain of only one vote, assuming his successor wouldn't vote no on it. The last several attempts at repeal have been 3-4 votes short. So no, just losing McCain wouldn't suddenly make it passable.


How do you make it through life?

Without McCain's influence, it would have passed long ago. He may be a disgusting, liberal, senile old $#@!, but he has a lot of juice.

I disagree. If it's not McCain it would be Graham. If it's not Graham it would be someone else.

The Republicans can't be trusted with the majority in the Senate. They have no business leading government. McConnell is an embarrassment. They are more effective as a minority party.

[Green Arrow]

I'd say that they (Republicans) started to be consumed with gaining the adoration of the media about 30 years ago. That's really when they completely abandoned conservative ideals.
Agreed.

[Green Arrow]

Well, I don't think Trump is going to give up. Repealing the ACA as we know it and his wall were two of his primary campaign promises. I think he's serious about keeping both of them.

The ACA is a crumbling failure and border security is one of the mandatory functions of government. Opposing fixing both is a losing proposition.

Considering how quickly he gave up on it, I don't think it's a huge priority to him, but I could be wrong.

[Tahuyaman]

I define it historically, for what it was. It certainly wasn't conservative.

Historically, being a progressive didn't mean what it means today. It used to mean advocating progress. Progress in living standards. Progress in science and technology. A growing economy.

Now progressive means rejecting traditional norms and, promoting alternative lifestyles, normalizing the abnormal and increasing dependence upon government. It's now an adherence to the modern PC culture.

[Tahuyaman]

Considering how quickly he gave up on it, I don't think it's a huge priority to him, but I could be wrong.
What makes you think he gave up? He's was reaching out to the Democrats just today.

[Captdon]

When Trump stops paying the insurance companies ACA dies. The ACA calls for these payments but only Congress can appropriate money. They haven't and the payments are illegal. The Dems don't care and the Republican establishment doesn't care but eventually Trump is going to see that neither party is going to do anything. Then he stops the payments and the ACA dies.