Is the Obama Administration Over?

[Josquius]

The healthcare thing is failing?
Damn, I thought the bulk of the republicans had begun to realise it was a sane idea. I really haven't been keeping up with the news lately....

Is there anything written somewhere online that disproves what Obama was saying in his speech?

[MadImmortalMan]

Do you think the Republican electoral success until Clinton in the mid 90's was the rule or the exception?

I think its an exception and the GOP is dominated by loudmouths who have smaller constituencies then first glance would suggest.

You mean lack of success?

[MadImmortalMan]

It won't be difficult to swift boat Mr Romney with Bain Capital.

What's the dirt?

[saskganesh]

Do you think the Republican electoral success until Clinton in the mid 90's was the rule or the exception?

I think its an exception and the GOP is dominated by loudmouths who have smaller constituencies then first glance would suggest.

You mean lack of success?

success. Contract with America led to a majority in the House. I would call that a qualified success, as I have no clue about their legislative record beyond blowjobs and cigars as grounds for impeachment.

[Fate]

It won't be difficult to swift boat Mr Romney with Bain Capital.

What's the dirt?

Private equity firms are about as popular as the Holocaust. We buy companies. We lay off the working man. We sell the company off and run away with a lot of money. I'm sure they'll trot out hundreds of people that hold Romney responsible for their sob stories.

[alfred russel]

my impression is that the opposition is weak, lacks focus and leadership. individual candidates from GOP will get elected on a reeactive "mad as hell and not going to take it anymore" ticket, but that's normal, especially in a struggling economy.

The GOP is very reactionary of late but then that is pretty common for the opposition party.  That usually is enough to get a party back in office.

just referencing the Canadian political experience, the mad as hell Reform party got established with a sizable rump, but got not break through as government until they reinvented their party Twice. In the meantime, we had successive Liberal governments. for almost 15 years.

IMO, Radicals, including populists and reactionaries, usually don't get elected. Do you think the Republican electoral success until Clinton in the mid 90's was the rule or the exception?

I think its an exception and the GOP is dominated by loudmouths who have smaller constituencies then first glance would suggest.

The Democrats are also dominated by jackasses who have smaller constituencies than would be expected.

A poll recently came out that in a theoretical Obama-Romney matchup they are tied. A ridiculously early poll, but even with Romney in primary mode and the GOP rudderless, they are even. It is a 50-50 country. Democrats need accomplishments either to change the makeup of the country (as FDR did) or at least get the key reforms through before they lose their supermajorities.

[MadImmortalMan]

Do you think the Republican electoral success until Clinton in the mid 90's was the rule or the exception?

I think its an exception and the GOP is dominated by loudmouths who have smaller constituencies then first glance would suggest.

You mean lack of success?

success. Contract with America led to a majority in the House. I would call that a qualified success, as I have no clue about their legislative record beyond blowjobs and cigars as grounds for impeachment.

Until Gingrich came along, the GOP was a permanent punching bag. I guess the word "until" confused me.

[derspiess]

The healthcare thing is failing?
Damn, I thought the bulk of the republicans had begun to realise it was a sane idea. I really haven't been keeping up with the news lately....

If the polling numbers are to be believed, the public was initially pretty open to the idea, but as with most of these things, that cooled off-- I think the price tag might have something to do with it.

Just curious, what is it about Obama's plan that you think is so sane?

[MadImmortalMan]

Private equity firms are about as popular as the Holocaust. We buy companies. We lay off the working man. We sell the company off and run away with a lot of money. I'm sure they'll trot out hundreds of people that hold Romney responsible for their sob stories.

It sounds like a private equity firm is exactly what we need to fix the public sector. 

Gnashing of bureaucrat teeth and the rending of bureaucrat garments. Sob stories from former IRS employees. How glorious!


Anyway, you're probably right, but it's not enough for a full-fledged swiftboat. There needs to be some actual wrongdoing. You know, a scandal.

[alfred russel]

Anyway, you're probably right, but it's not enough for a full-fledged swiftboat. There needs to be some actual wrongdoing. You know, a scandal.

I don't know, the original swiftboating didn't seem to have that--it was actually based on volunteer combat service resulting in medals for valor, purple hearts, and an honorable discharge.

[MadImmortalMan]

Anyway, you're probably right, but it's not enough for a full-fledged swiftboat. There needs to be some actual wrongdoing. You know, a scandal.

I don't know, the original swiftboating didn't seem to have that--it was actually based on volunteer combat service resulting in medals for valor, purple hearts, and an honorable discharge.

They accused him of faking injuries to get his medals. That's pretty scandalous.

[Hansmeister]

The healthcare thing is failing?
Damn, I thought the bulk of the republicans had begun to realise it was a sane idea. I really haven't been keeping up with the news lately....

Is there anything written somewhere online that disproves what Obama was saying in his speech?

Here are just a few items from the AP:

FACT CHECK: Obama's health care claims adrift?
By CALVIN WOODWARD and JIM KUHNHENN, Associated Press Writers Calvin Woodward And Jim Kuhnhenn, Associated Press Writers
Thu Jul 23, 3:06 am ET

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's assertion Wednesday that government will stay out of health care decisions in an overhauled system is hard to square with the proposals coming out of Congress and with his own rhetoric.

Even now, nearly half the costs of health care in the U.S. are paid for by government at all levels. Federal authority would only grow under any proposal in play.

A look at some of Obama's claims in his prime-time news conference:

__

OBAMA: "We already have rough agreement" on some aspects of what a health care overhaul should involve, and one is: "It will keep government out of health care decisions, giving you the option to keep your insurance if you're happy with it."

THE FACTS: In House legislation, a commission appointed by the government would determine what is and isn't covered by insurance plans offered in a new purchasing pool, including a plan sponsored by the government. The bill also holds out the possibility that, over time, those standards could be imposed on all private insurance plans, not just the ones in the pool.

Indeed, Obama went on to lay out other principles of reform that plainly show the government making key decisions in health care. He said insurance companies would be barred from dropping coverage when someone gets too sick, limits would be set on out-of-pocket expenses, and preventive care such as checkups and mammograms would be covered.

It's true that people would not be forced to give up a private plan and go with a public one. The question is whether all of those private plans would still be in place if the government entered the marketplace in a bigger way.

He addressed some of the nuances under questioning. "Can I guarantee that there are going to be no changes in the health care delivery system?" he said. "No. The whole point of this is to try to encourage changes that work for the American people and make them healthier."

He acknowledged then that the "government already is making some of these decisions."

___

OBAMA: "I have also pledged that health insurance reform will not add to our deficit over the next decade, and I mean it."

THE FACTS: The president has said repeatedly that he wants "deficit-neutral" health care legislation, meaning that every dollar increase in cost is met with a dollar of new revenue or a dollar of savings. But some things are more neutral than others. White House Budget Director Peter Orszag told reporters this week that the promise does not apply to proposed spending of about $245 billion over the next decade to increase fees for doctors serving Medicare patients. Democrats and the Obama administration argue that the extra payment, designed to prevent a scheduled cut of about 21 percent in doctor fees, already was part of the administration's policy, with or without a health care overhaul.

Beyond that, budget experts have warned about various accounting gimmicks that can mask true burdens on the deficit. The bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget lists a variety of them, including back-loading the heaviest costs at the end of the 10-year period and beyond.

___

OBAMA: "You haven't seen me out there blaming the Republicans."

THE FACTS: Obama did so in his opening statement, saying, "I've heard that one Republican strategist told his party that even though they may want to compromise, it's better politics to 'go for the kill.' Another Republican senator said that defeating health reform is about 'breaking' me."

And that is just the tip of the iceberg.  Indeed, you would have a hard time finding anything in his speech that even remotely approaches the health care bill right now up in Congress.  His entire speech was a combination of outright falsehoods combined with glib platitudes.  Apparently he hasn't grasped yet that he isn't a community organizer anymore who just can make do with dissembling blather.

[KRonn]

The healthcare thing is failing?
Damn, I thought the bulk of the republicans had begun to realise it was a sane idea. I really haven't been keeping up with the news lately....

Is there anything written somewhere online that disproves what Obama was saying in his speech?

People do want changes/fixes to health care, that's probably not the issue. The issue seems more centered around what to do, how much and how far to go, and just what parts need fixing. 

[Caliga]

And that is just the tip of the iceberg.  Indeed, you would have a hard time finding anything in his speech that even remotely approaches the health care bill right now up in Congress.  His entire speech was a combination of outright falsehoods combined with glib platitudes.  Apparently he hasn't grasped yet that he isn't a community organizer anymore who just can make do with dissembling blather.

I still get the impression that Obama is campaigning for President, or at least is in that mode mentally.

[Razgovory]

The healthcare thing is failing?
Damn, I thought the bulk of the republicans had begun to realise it was a sane idea. I really haven't been keeping up with the news lately....

The GOP is more interested in passing laws that require a birth certificate to run for president.