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Adieu, Adieu, Remember Me
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DeMint’s Defense of RomneyCare is Ignorant…And Dangerous
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House Passes Three Week Spending Bill
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The Spectacle Blog
The Club for Growth’s Chris Chocola writes today that Republicans should make the 2010 and 2012 elections about repealing Obamacare if it passes. Sen. Jim DeMint and Rep. Jeff Flake have already responded by taking a pledge to support a repeal. As somebody who has spent much of my past year reporting on how destructive this legislation would be, I’m absolutely in favor of any efforts to repeal it, just as I favor constitutional challenges. I think that Americans should use any means available to stop this monstrosity. At the same time, however, I think that if the health care bill gets signed into law, it’s highly unlikely Republicans will be able to repeal it, or even major portions of it. Most Democrats won’t be eager to overturn the greatest domestic achievement of their party since 1965 — and you’d need to pass the repeal through the House, through the Senate with 60 votes, and then have the President sign it. To even seriously talk about repeal being an actual possibility, Republicans would likely have to gain 40 House seats, 20 Senate seats, and the White House in under three years. Even then, all of those Republicans would have to be onboard with the idea of repeal. So, while I think it’s certainly worth aiming for, opponents of Obamacare must also be thinking about ways to reform the system if the repeal effort isn’t successful.
At that time, it will be pretty clear that Obamacare was a disaster. Health care costs will still be rising, entitlement spending will be bankrupting our country, there will be doctor shortages, long wait times for care, and the quality of treatment will decline. At some point, there will be another national health care debate. Liberals will argue that Obamacare expanded coverage, but the reason why all the other problems still exist is that Democrats sold out on the public option, and ceded too much control to private insurers. When that happens, opponents cannot be caught flat-footed again — but instead have to be in a position to respond with well-thought out alternatives. Obamacare puts us on the trajectory toward a single-payer system, but it won’t get us there without further Congressional action. We’ll have to start laying the groundwork immediately to stop the Democrats’ next big push, which will happen years from now. And while repeal is worth fighting for, it shouldn’t distract us from debating a “Plan B” should that effort prove unsuccessful. I’ll have a lot more to say about it should Obamacare get signed into law.
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More Blog Posts by Philip Klein
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/01/14/repealing-obamacare
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avg ho| 1.14.10 @ 1:59PM
This attitude is exactly why we are where we are. The reason Republicans have lost the trust of the American people is because they take the same resigned 'well the dems passed it, and we have to move on attitude' that you so adeptly display here. Nearly 2/3rds of the country doesn't want this and you're sitting here acting like 40 and 20 and the presidency in the next three years is impossible. I sure hope you're not running any campaigns. Do us all a favor- keep your defeatist, let's-give-up-before-we've-started drivel to yourself.
And please don't give me the ' i'm just being realistic' line. Like I said, 2/3rds.
I know if the Republicans talk like you, repeal sure won't happen.
Sheesh.
Michael F.| 1.14.10 @ 5:41PM
Amen to that. On HillBuzz blog site, there is a concerted effort to smack "concern trolls" and Eeyores upside the head. Klein is a case in point.
Eeyore, as well we've known him since childhood, is a Donkey (friendly with Pooh and Piglet) who in every encounter whines that everything positive is, like, totally a waste of energy; that in effect we may as well curl up fetally and wait for the inevitable buggering.
Conservatives are now steeped in this infantile meme; where are the ol' time cojones of our ancestors male and female?
Janice Flowers| 1.14.10 @ 11:54PM
Exactly my thought!! Been reading HillBuzz myself!! I beg to differ with these fools...who seem to think the American people are just going to take this garbage lying down. LOTS of us out here are willing to go to jail before allowing a penny of our money to go to funding abortions, and I'll be damned if I will be "mandated" by the likes of Nancy, Harry and Obama to buy health insurance. Indeed not! Some things just simply will not fly in this country.
Capt Blasto| 1.14.10 @ 2:47PM
All we need is a simple majority in either house to not fund anything the donks pass. It's how they lost the war in Viet Nam.
Pingback| 1.14.10 @ 3:36PM
Done Deals? – Blog Watch links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
avg jo| 1.14.10 @ 4:02PM
Capt. Blasto
Here, here.
Well said, sir.
Ken (Old Texican)| 1.14.10 @ 4:21PM
Excellent response Captain Blasto.
...and don't forget our ability as citizens to disobey by the millions.
The first thing a young military officer must learn:
"Don't give an order you know will not be obeyed."
(Just think about the massive black market that will be created by enslaved doctors and helpers, similar to the blackmarkets in beer and spirits during Prohibition.)
Jim Hlavac | 1.14.10 @ 4:23PM
Go for repeal of it, not funding it, investigations of it, reports of the unworkability, hammer on the costs of it, grueling questions at appointment hearings, point out every nook and cranny of special deals, start lawsuits against it, and push for nullification of it -- what did I miss? If the Republicans want to lay about and do nothing, get out of the way.
2/3rds of the people are not against it because it is a Democratic program that all of sudden we will all like once the Republicans get into power. HA! If you think that, you all got another guess coming.
This is not tweaking time - this is the Dismantle Derby.
Matthew S Harrison| 1.14.10 @ 4:38PM
Phil-This will be an easy one to repeal. It will further bankrupt our country. There will be a mass resignation among small business owner/operator doctors who will be made destitute as they wait for 2 years to get their medicare/medicaid payments that will only be for 20%-40% of the actual billed amount. When the parents, siblings, and children of our congress people are dieing in large numbers due to this "health care overhaul" they will be rushing to repeal it. It is sad to think about-but it is reality. It won't be difficult to get done quickly.
Jeff Perren | 1.14.10 @ 5:10PM
"If they mean to have a war, let it begin here.” — Captain John Parker, 1775.
What ails this country - as exemplified by ObamaCare - goes considerably deeper than any political issue and political solutions will not cure it.
We need to work to 'repeal' Progressivism in all its ugly forms throughout the entire culture. Nothing less than a radical, fundamental intellectual-moral-cultural revolution will do. Take a look, for example, at their dominance in the media (film, fiction publishing, journalism), the universities, and so on. They control all the levers of influence (apart from talk radio and the Internet). Changing the ratio of Rs to Ds in D.C. is a good move, but woefully inadequate. It's time to change the game.
Otherwise, it's whack a mole as usual, with the country continuing to slide down the ramp the Progressives have built and greased.
The floor is open for suggestions how to do that.
Al Glover| 3.2.10 @ 12:08AM
Great idea, repealing Progressivism. Sick of those lefty women, blacks, and renters voting in radical politicians. Instead of Socialist education we could claw back child labor laws that intrude on our right to work. We could buy our gas from the single vertically integrated Standard Oil at extortionate prices because there was never any trust busting. I can't wait to see your utopia put into action!
Siegfried X| 1.14.10 @ 5:18PM
This is exactly what our RINO Republican politicians want: a symbolic, impossible goal which means they don't have to do anything really conservative.
This party hasn't been serious about cutting government for 15 years, and they never even propose doing it. Just like gimmicks that will fail or are worthless symbols like constitutional amendments and earmarks.
Dave H| 1.14.10 @ 5:25PM
Welfare Reform was "repealed" by last year's stimulus bill with just a few lines allowing states to do what Welfare Reform required them to stop doing. It's not hard. You just need to pass new laws that do things differently. Any pre-existing law that's inconsistent is automatically "repealed." There no need for a big referendum on some "Healthcare Reform Repeal Act of 2011." Although, once those Dems remaining see what passing it did to their party, they might be inclined to join the "repeal" effort. But, with Obama in the WH, any real "repeal" will have to wait until 2013, which is still before any of its so-called "benefits" kicks in.
Sheri| 1.14.10 @ 11:19PM
It can probably be repealed before the so-called benefits start.
And at the rate government spending is exploding, this country is going to go bankrupt. At that point, no programs will be funded.
mulp| 1.15.10 @ 1:12AM
Why is it that massive run ups in the Federal debt and massive increases in the deficits under Reagan, Bush, and Bush are not a problem, but the Clinton and Obama deficits and debt are going to bankrupt the nation. But the balanced budget left by Clinton is a horrible thing because their will be no government bonds to buy so it is a priority to create a massive deficit.
Clearly massive deficit when Republican is a virtue, but a massive deficit when a Democrat is evil.
And why no calls to repeal the Bush unfunded and massively deficit generating Medicare Part D which will add more to the debt in the next decade than any health care bill Obama signs and it covers a much smaller number of people.
Oh, how could I say that when....
Clearly massive deficit when Republican is a virtue, but a massive deficit when a Democrat is evil.
Chicago John| 1.15.10 @ 11:08AM
You don't know what you're talking about: Obama's first year deficit is 4 TIMES the worst Bush had through 2007.
Many of us were very strongly opposed to Bush's increased spending that grew the budget. Unfortunately, Bush deficits were big but were mere child's play compared to Obama deficits. Consider that Obama's own rosy-scenario (bogus) projections have the deficit greater than Half a Trillion dollars in every single year! Even if we get a boom under Obama (doubtful), there will be much bigger deficits than anything under Bush or Reagan (inflation adjusted).
BTW, while Clinton-Gingrich did deliver a few years of surpluses in the late 1990s, check your numbers: Clinton still delivered a deficit over his 2 terms.
All Spun Out| 1.15.10 @ 1:45AM
Even it takes until the next presidential election to repeal the monstrosity, it only takes contol of one house in Congress to cut the purse strings.
Let the administration eat cake while trying to figure how to fund its Godzilla annual budgets?
"I won" cuts both ways. The unpopular loses.
Freddy Jisp| 1.15.10 @ 9:18AM
Does this writer even live in America..? That's not the can do attitude I know. Americans have a moral obligation (since neglected now a knocking) to take care of the weak and meek...I think I read that on a statue somewhere in NYC - on a trip some time to a place where liberty was popularized .
Oh those pesky French and their silly symbols!
Why all this fear? Since when did the USA become the Can Not, Fear Lives Here: Beacon on a Winded Hill.
Tedious writing, should know negativity gets you nothing but more of the same in this life, though seems to have got you this far!
Just plain lame article!
Liberty Lover| 1.15.10 @ 9:19AM
Replace should be the goal, not repeal. Repeal reverts back to the mean. Whatever Dems do plus what exists now needs to be replaced with people- and market-oriented health care, just as we buy virtually all of the other products and services offered today.
The goundwork needs to be laid starting now and consistently. We have to win over public opinion and to do that is to show how "health care" is covers a lot of products and services and should not be treated any differently.
CFG is already starting off wrong by emphasizing "repeal", which will be the keyword when "replace" should be.
Harry Mamassian| 1.15.10 @ 11:16AM
They passed Prohibition. It brought a mass of government corruption, crime, and blackmartketing. It was REPEALED.
This healthcare nightmare, if passed, can be repealed. Whether the Governing Elites believe it or not, we are still AMERICANS!!
We know how to get things done.
yorkiedad| 3.22.10 @ 11:58AM
Forget repeal. We are headed for civil war, and the sooner the better. I support secession. Let the states decide and pull out of the current federal union. Secession will allow for states to come together in new unions, with several different nations forming. I look forward to that.
This nation is too divided to continue as a unified nation unless there is a tyrannical national government. A tyrant my be required to hold the nation together. That is why we are headed for civil war, and ultimate dissolution. A house divided against itself cannot stand, and this division is worse than 1861.
I want to live in a nation where the national government is subservient to the will of the people, and states have most of the power.