Politics

[ND NYC]

Not trying to pick a fight at all, but moderates **** me off more than anyone. Whether you get someone on the far left or or the far right, moderates suck both teets to "cut deals", "reach across the aisle", and stay in office. Hell, I want more polarization. I'd hope by now the two choices in big picture philosophical differences couldn't be any more clear for voters.

If Nancy Pelosi is my state rep, I know exactly what I'm getting and what to expect. Same with Rick Santorum. Moderates are like Nick Foles playing QB...never know what you're gonna get week to week.

no kidding! LOL. he killed me couple weeks ago in fanstasy football and saved my *** last week.

see Lep, i disagree with 99% of your views and positions, but yet here i am acknowledging you made a funny.

maybe theres hope after all

 

[GoIrish41]

yep...

Its just shocking not to get a response like: "Its really a Republican Plan that is decades old, and well thought out", or "We have been thinking about this for 40 years" as some surrogate for a plan you could implement...Or a half dozen others feigning forethought on the scale needed here.

These are true as well, but it came to fruition when the opportunity was there. There is no denying that. This isn't that different from the Bush tax cuts. When did those get peeled back? When the Dems took office. The GOP will have ample opportunity to roll back Obamacare if it is a flop. However I suspect it will be popular by then and be much harder to do. All of this is predicated on the notion that the GOP will eventually stop making massive political mis-steps and overreaches that keep them from the former power position.

 

[phgreek]

These are true as well, but it came to fruition when the opportunity was there. There is no denying that. This isn't that different from the Bush tax cuts. When did those get peeled back? When the Dems took office. The GOP will have ample opportunity to roll back Obamacare if it is a flop. However I suspect it will be popular by then and be much harder to do. All of this is predicated on the notion that the GOP will eventually stop making massive political mis-steps and overreaches that keep them from the former power position.

ah...there it is...SMH. If they were true in the sense that they lead to a good plan...that would be obvious...but lets grant that fantasy for a second...tell me about those empowered to bring the well thought out Obamacare to fruition then...It appears to me you have compounded incompetence...but you at least have incompetence in the Law/plan or the implementation. Even if it was the right time to do this...you can't suck at it this bad and engender confidence in much of anything from here on out..I mean good hell.

So what you are saying is...if the Democrats have in fact sh!t the bed with Obamacare, then they will run from it hoping the GOP takes some political heat for later having the character and fortitude to sort it all out...sounds about right.

I don't care one iota about the GOP...its as much an impediment to meaningful compromise as the current gaggle of Democrats...all the same to me.

 

[connor_in]

Well Pat, one side doesn't get to decide what is OK and what is not. That's why there are two sides. If that is the position of one side, then that is the argument they should come to the table with. 90% of the country wants background checks and far more than half want immigration reform. If you are offended by the ACA being passed when "the country didn't want it" you should be mad about these items too. That you are not makes your whole argument about the ACA fall apart for me.

So I get to keep my health plan and my doctor? Even though I don't have maternity but don't want it? And my insurance company won't have to cancel my plan if they make any small adjustment whatsoever?

 

[GoIrish41]

ah...there it is...SMH. If they were true in the sense that they lead to a good plan...that would be obvious...but lets grant that fantasy for a second...tell me about those empowered to bring the well thought out Obamacare to fruition then...It appears to me you have compounded incompetence...but you at least have incompetence in the Law/plan or the implementation. Even if it was the right time to do this...you can't suck at it this bad and engender confidence in much of anything from here on out..I mean good hell.

So what you are saying is...if the Democrats have in fact sh!t the bed with Obamacare, then they will run from it hoping the GOP takes some political heat for later having the character and fortitude to sort it all out...sounds about right.

I don't care one iota about the GOP...its as much an impediment to meaningful compromise as the current gaggle of Democrats...all the same to me.

I love how you guys start a sentence with "So what you are say is" and then say something that isn't even close to what I said. I'm saying that if Obamacare doesn't work it will cost the Dems politicially. That cost could mean that the GOP gains favor. When and if that happens, they will almost certainly seize the opportunity to destroy the ACA, which they have tried more than 40 times over the past few years unsuccessfully. I didn't say the Dems would run away from the law, I said that if it fails there will be a political price. Big difference.

The thing that always strikes me about arguments like this is that there is never any discussion past the failure of Obamacare, either on its own merit (or lack thereof) or through defunding or repealing. Where does that leave us? Right back at square one with the same sh1tting healtcare system that made Dems seek an alternative in the first place -- costs skyrocketing much faster than the cost of living, people being shut out of the system or having to choose junk policies, pre-existing conditions being denied -- it is just a sad state of affairs that the best "solution" those who seek to destroy the law can muster is to blatantly screw the poor.

 

[ACamp1900]

The thing that always strikes me about arguments like this is that there is never any discussion past the failure of Obamacare, either on its own merit (or lack thereof) or through defunding or repealing. Where does that leave us? Right back at square one with the same sh1tting healtcare system that made Dems seek an alternative in the first place -- costs skyrocketing much faster than the cost of living, people being shut out of the system or having to choose junk policies, pre-existing conditions being denied -- it is just a sad state of affairs that the best "solution" those who seek to destroy the law can muster is to blatantly screw the poor.

So what you are saying is Obama is a communist and was born in Kenya... someone call the Heritage Foundation!!!

 

[GoIrish41]

So what you are saying is Obama is a communist and was born in Kenya... someone call the Heritage Foundation!!!

You forgot Muslim

 

[ACamp1900]

I thought that was known by all???

 

[GoIrish41]

I thought that was known by all???

Don't be too sure. You know how us damn liberals are in denial.

 

[irishpat183]

LOL!!!!! Seriously...

Republicans Deliberately Sabotaged the ACA Website, Hoping the Law Would Implode


Again, even liberals are trying to distance themselves from this trainwreck.

 

[ACamp1900]

LOL... wow... I guess two can play that one...

official response

--What’s worse, sabotaging a website in hopes it would fail, or doing the same for a foreign war…?? I wonder……

 

[irishpat183]

One of the greatest things i've ever read:

Some people don’t deserve a living wage | The Matt Walsh Blog


Like liberal kryptonite on screen

 

[ACamp1900]

One of the greatest things i've ever read:

Some people don’t deserve a living wage | The Matt Walsh Blog


Like liberal kryptonite on screen

It used to be that a man was owed what he had earned. Now, he’s owed what he “deserves.” This word, “deserve,” is toxic. I think we’d all be better people if we never uttered it again in our lives. If I could violently murder a word in the English language, it would be “deserve,” followed by “entitled,” and then, since I’m already on a linguistic killing spree, I’d take out “epic,” “awesomesauce,” and the phrase “just sayin’.”

You can throw any political use of the word 'fair' in that vocab bonfire also...

Everyone deserves a living wage? That’s a nice thought, but I prefer to walk around in the real world with my eyes open. It’s safer this way. And it allows me to see that a certain portion of the population can’t even be bothered to speak in full sentences when searching for employment opportunities.

so insensitive and mean!!

My life in a low income, urban existence has taught me that, at very least in areas like mine, the percentage of 'the poor' made up by the above described is MUCH higher than anyone wishes to admit.

There are a lot of unemployed people in this country. Many are hardworking, ambitious, competent people who have fallen on tough times. I feel for them. I take solace in the knowledge that these folks will get through it, because that’s what hardworking, ambitious, competent people do. God bless them. I pray for them and their families. But then there’s the other sort of unemployed person; the sort who’s unemployed because they deserve to be unemployed. They drift around like dried up leaves, floating on the breeze. They expect to do nothing, make no attempt to better themselves or their situation, and still have society hand them their “due.” Some nefarious forces want us to pretend that this kind of person doesn’t exist.

Slow. Clap.

 

[MJ12666]

Obamacare was passed to help common folk... you know, the people that insurance companies and republicans wanted to die quickly...


there was nothing political about it.

First off, if this was not a political bill why so may exemptions issued by the administration?

However, for arguement sake, let us assume that all Obama wanted to do was help the common people? Wouldn't it have been more cost effective to pass a simple law that you could not deny coverage for a pr-existing condition and provide individuals with a tax credit to purchase policies? You know, this bill would have only been only one page, understandable and helped the common folk.

Also, could you please define for me what criteria you are using to define "common people"?

 

[ACamp1900]

First off, if this was not a political bill why so may exemptions issued by the administration?

However, for arguement sake, let us assume that all Obama wanted to do was help the common people? Wouldn't it have been more cost effective to pass a simple law that you could not deny coverage for a pr-existing condition and provide individuals with a tax credit to purchase policies? You know, this bill would have only been only one page, understandable and helped the common folk.

Also, could you please define for me what criteria you are using to define "common people"?

By "common people" I mean anyone who is not white, or rich, or republican. Real people...


Seriously?

 

[MJ12666]

By common people I mean anyone who is not white, or rich, or republican.


Seriously?

Seriously, what do you define as common folk? I am really curious.

 

[ACamp1900]

I believe I just covered this...

 

[MJ12666]

I believe I just covered this...

I see. So let me leave you to contemplate the following ancient Roman dictum before you venture unto the Obamacare website to acquire your insurance: "Caveat emptor."

 

[phgreek]

I love how you guys start a sentence with "So what you are say is" and then say something that isn't even close to what I said. I'm saying that if Obamacare doesn't work it will cost the Dems politicially. That cost could mean that the GOP gains favor. When and if that happens, they will almost certainly seize the opportunity to destroy the ACA, which they have tried more than 40 times over the past few years unsuccessfully. I didn't say the Dems would run away from the law, I said that if it fails there will be a political price. Big difference.

The thing that always strikes me about arguments like this is that there is never any discussion past the failure of Obamacare, either on its own merit (or lack thereof) or through defunding or repealing. Where does that leave us? Right back at square one with the same sh1tting healtcare system that made Dems seek an alternative in the first place -- costs skyrocketing much faster than the cost of living, people being shut out of the system or having to choose junk policies, pre-existing conditions being denied -- it is just a sad state of affairs that the best "solution" those who seek to destroy the law can muster is to blatantly screw the poor.

Its my take on the outcome based on what you said ...not fair to ascribe it to you...point taken...although I've not seen anyone else do that...

Nope...I said at least half a dozen times (or at least it feels that way) that we could simply keep the things that needed to be codified...like no cap, no booting you off, longer coverage for "kiids"...all the stuff that was in place pre 1 Oct....less the definition of "junk" policies, and adding on stupid things...as well, with the addition of borderless insurance ie dumping the state level boundaries, and Medicaid for the forgotten ones...that's something you do to "SEE HOW IT WORKS" because you can add to it or walk away from it w/o huge costs. We'd get some economies of scale, and open competition...and the Actuarial folks would eventually create a race to the bottom in terms of price....unless there was collusion

...HEY, come to think of it there is something our bender spending Uncle could do....kinda like what he used to do...investigate and prosecute collusive behavior...it exists in the real estate market...among car manufacturers, among insurance companies...put down the checkbook, put on some round spectacles, grow a pair of testicles, say things like "Bully" and bust some trusts...

 

[ACamp1900]

I see. So let me leave you to contemplate the following ancient Roman dictum before you venture unto the Obamacare website to acquire your insurance: "Caveat emptor."

Lol... Check your pms dawg

 

[connor_in]

Baseball Legend Johnny Bench Gets Insurance Cancelled | NewsBusters

 

[Black Irish]

I love how you guys start a sentence with "So what you are say is" and then say something that isn't even close to what I said. I'm saying that if Obamacare doesn't work it will cost the Dems politicially. That cost could mean that the GOP gains favor. When and if that happens, they will almost certainly seize the opportunity to destroy the ACA, which they have tried more than 40 times over the past few years unsuccessfully. I didn't say the Dems would run away from the law, I said that if it fails there will be a political price. Big difference.

The thing that always strikes me about arguments like this is that there is never any discussion past the failure of Obamacare, either on its own merit (or lack thereof) or through defunding or repealing. Where does that leave us? Right back at square one with the same sh1tting healtcare system that made Dems seek an alternative in the first place -- costs skyrocketing much faster than the cost of living, people being shut out of the system or having to choose junk policies, pre-existing conditions being denied -- it is just a sad state of affairs that the best "solution" those who seek to destroy the law can muster is to blatantly screw the poor.

If health care/insurance was so horrible, then I don't think the President would have needed to go out of his way to assure people about "keeping your plan and your doctor if you like them." Many people in this country liked their insurance policies. Maybe they weren't perfect, but overall they were satisfactory. This "sh*t" system you speak of just doesn't exist for many. Sure, some people get screwed over in the grand scheme, just like anything else. So a smaller, targeted bill couldn't been passed that would have focused on those problems. The ACA is a machete when a scalpel is what's needed.

 

[phgreek]

IRS refunded $4B to identity thieves | New York Post

"The IRS sent a total of 655 tax refunds to a single address in Lithuania, and 343 refunds went to a lone address in Shanghai"

...sooo there was your funding for the uninsured...pretty much

no worries though on the management of healthcare...

 

[Irish Houstonian]

IRS refunded $4B to identity thieves | New York Post

"The IRS sent a total of 655 tax refunds to a single address in Lithuania, and 343 refunds went to a lone address in Shanghai"

...sooo there was your funding for the uninsured...pretty much

no worries though on the management of healthcare...

The important thing is to make sure "Tea Parties" don't ever have tax-exempt status.

 

[BobD]

IRS refunded $4B to identity thieves | New York Post

"The IRS sent a total of 655 tax refunds to a single address in Lithuania, and 343 refunds went to a lone address in Shanghai"

...sooo there was your funding for the uninsured...pretty much

no worries though on the management of healthcare...

I wonder what the overall numbers are?

Total number of returns vs fraudulent? It seems that maybe even with this outrageous fraud, they may still have a very good overall success???

 

[phgreek]

I wonder what the overall numbers are?

Total number of returns vs fraudulent? It seems that maybe even with this outrageous fraud, they may still have a very good overall success???

ah...so on a percentage basis, they are doing a really good job...

gonna kick things off with that line next time I get audited...just to see their faces. Hey, I only screwed up on a couple receipts...and they are small considering the volume and amounts of my other receipts...remember Lithuania...so were good...right?

No offense to the relative view of this...but this is the IRS...not the department of education counting kickball inventory. The entire tax system depends on THEIR CREDIBILITY....not to mention the fact that relatively small or not...that is a meaningful amount of money.

Couple this with medicare/Medicaid/SS Fraud...This is an obscene amount of FAIL going on in a government who wants more revenue (taxes)! Can't wait to add to the workload of those already providing this "service"...SMH.

 

[GoIrish41]

Its my take on the outcome based on what you said ...not fair to ascribe it to you...point taken...although I've not seen anyone else do that...

Nope...I said at least half a dozen times (or at least it feels that way) that we could simply keep the things that needed to be codified...like no cap, no booting you off, longer coverage for "kiids"...all the stuff that was in place pre 1 Oct....less the definition of "junk" policies, and adding on stupid things...as well, with the addition of borderless insurance ie dumping the state level boundaries, and Medicaid for the forgotten ones...that's something you do to "SEE HOW IT WORKS" because you can add to it or walk away from it w/o huge costs. We'd get some economies of scale, and open competition...and the Actuarial folks would eventually create a race to the bottom in terms of price....unless there was collusion

...HEY, come to think of it there is something our bender spending Uncle could do....kinda like what he used to do...investigate and prosecute collusive behavior...it exists in the real estate market...among car manufacturers, among insurance companies...put down the checkbook, put on some round spectacles, grow a pair of testicles, say things like "Bully" and bust some trusts...

I agree with all of this. Believe it or not, I'm not a huge advocate for the ACA. The only reason I defend it is because it is far and away more preferable than the status quo, where more and more people are being priced out of the system, refused care by insurance companies, or flat out just not allowed to get insurance because of pre-existing conditions. My preference would be for single payer, but if we are going to try to make something work in the free market, all of these suggestions seem sensible to me. If the GOP would come out with an alternative instead of spending so much time trying to tear this law apart with nothing to offer in its place, we could be making substantative progress on the healthcare front in this country instead of having a purely political fight at the extremes. Cracking down on collusion is an excellent suggestion because I believe strongly that is where the insurance companies, health care providers, and drug companies have twisted the current system into the mess that it is now.

 

[BobD]

ah...so on a percentage basis, they are doing a really good job...

gonna kick things off with that line next time I get audited...just to see their faces. Hey, I only screwed up on a couple receipts...and they are small considering the volume and amounts of my other receipts...remember Lithuania...so were good...right?

No offense to the relative view of this...but this is the IRS...not the department of education counting kickball inventory. The entire tax system depends on THEIR CREDIBILITY....not to mention the fact that relatively small or not...that is a meaningful amount of money.

Couple this with medicare/Medicaid/SS Fraud...This is an obscene amount of FAIL going on in a government who wants more revenue (taxes)! Can't wait to add to the workload of those already providing this "service"...SMH.

So if you know business and you're familiar with audits then you know most are budgeted for a percentage of loss yearly. Whether it be theft, spoilage, paperwork etc. As I mentioned the fraud is outrageous, but it does happen everywhere. How many companies do you know that process as many complicated transactions as the US IRS? I'm not saying it should just be accepted but I am sick of the negativity towards almost everything these days. If we talk about the negatives, we cannot ignore the positives, which do happen to outweigh the negatives in this.

 

[phgreek]

106,000...

...7,000,000

Disapproval ratings...sponsors of ACA not name Obama are backpedaling at Mach I

...and the thing that sucks is...I can't laugh out loud at this because real people are going to get burned, and it is going to cost unthinkable amounts of money to fix...

and when its fixed...your service level will be defined by uncle dumbass, because Obama will double down, and press for single payer...and if he can sell it as a political way out to Dems...he'll get his way...

... Sh1t is going to hit the fan when it is announced....

 

[Polish Leppy 22]

106,000...

...7,000,000

Disapproval ratings...sponsors of ACA not name Obama are backpedaling at Mach I

...and the thing that sucks is...I can't laugh out loud at this because real people are going to get burned, and it is going to cost unthinkable amounts of money to fix...

and when its fixed...your service level will be defined by uncle dumbass, because Obama will double down, and press for single payer...and if he can sell it as a political way out to Dems...he'll get his way...

... Sh1t is going to hit the fan when it is announced....

Similar to most federal "programs", ACA needs to be judged on results instead of intention.