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Trump to GOP: Pass health care bill or seal your fate

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By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR and ALAN FRAM

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Lies pushed by the Speaker, lies pushed by the Majority Leader, and lies pushed by the biggest liar of them all in the White House.

18 ( +18 / -0 )

Nice logic there Donny: Don't pass the bill, and you've broken your promise not to repeal and replace Obamacare; pass it, and you've broken a dozen, more specific promises on coverage and access and pricing - and cuts to Medicare. You explicitly promised no cuts to that program, but the bill cuts it by $800 billion over ten years. H ha! Pity those poor rubes who believe you - and, no, not the voters this time - GOP congressmen. Will they still tremble at your call, or will they understand a promise from you is worse than a threat?

Oh, and nice job trying to distract attention from yesterday's Russiagate hearings. Not gonna work, though.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

“If we fail to get it done, fail to (meet) the promises made by all of us, including the president, then it could have a very detrimental effect to Republicans in ‘18 who are running for re-election,” said Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas. “If it fails, then there will be a lot of people looking for work in 2018.”

Seems that passing the law will be equally detrimental. That's what happens when you promise something to your base you know you had no chance of delivering. The loss of Medicare coverage alone should send quite a few people over to the Democrat's side and help pad our 3,000,000+ vote advantage.

“I would hate to be a Republican whose vote prevented us from keeping the commitment we’ve made to the American people for almost 10 years now,” McConnell said.

Has it been that long? And you didn't do anything to create a new plan until a couple of months ago? I'd ask why but I'm not in your base so you don't really owe me an answer, and your own base is trained to not speak up.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned wavering House Republicans

Does anyone has proof that this didn't happen? http://www.theonion.com/article/aides-wrestle-drill-trumps-hands-he-tries-remove-o-55576.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Ah. So it's become this argument again:

the Democrats have become the party for the rich and elite, go to California, Boston and New York, all the people that exceptionally affluent are almost all liberal.

Causation is not correlation. Perhaps the most successful areas of the country are so because they are liberal; perhaps the elite move there because the areas are successful. Look at Kansas under their governor, Brownback: he has created a GOP fantasyland there. How is that working out for Kansas?

The GOP has become the party for the working class, the religious persecuted and the fighter for small business

The GOP decimates the working class by taking away their health care, education for their children, and the right to live in a safe environment. The GOP on the whole is solely concerned with Christians and Jews, the latter insofar as they are required to fulfill Christian Biblical prophecy. The GOP puts priority on big business issues well over small business, which is quite off their radar. Again, look at Kansas: Wages down (working class); non-Christians unwelcome; CEOs doing quite well while small businesses fold or leave the state.

How much Koolaid does one need to drink before he/she realizes it tastes a bit funny?

10 ( +10 / -0 )

@bass

Obama once said about the late Steve Jobs and Apple, "you didn't build that." Basically, he can't and shouldn't take credit, let's spread the wealth and keep people dependent, self-reliance is such a bad thing.

Bull, on two counts. First, Obama never specifically mentioned Steve Jobs. Second, the quote is ripped out of context. Here's what Obama said immediately following that. You tell me if he's saying entrepreneurs and business owners "shouldn't take credit" or "self-reliance is such a bad thing":

"The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together."

Obama could have articulated his idea better than he did in those oft quoted four words, but it's pretty clear that the right's narrative about Obama and liberals is far removed from reality. And deliberately so.

Ryancare is an abominable mess. It will harm millions. And it is the result of an immature, unhealthy, manipulative misrepresentation of liberalism.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Trump warned wavering House Republicans that their jobs were on the line in next year’s elections if they failed to back a GOP bill.

Their jobs are also on the line if they pass the bill.

More like the left distracting who in the WH leaked the conversations between Flynn and the Russians, Trump's taxes and all the other leaks? I mean, they just didn't leak themselves.

I'm more concerned with the subversion of the political process the leaks show. If the parties were reversed, you would be calling the leakers god fearing country loving patriots and buying guns.

Who are you kidding, Trump surely leaked his own 2005 tax return. It fits with past so-called leaks where he got caught leaking positive information about himself.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

bass4funk: "We had to listen to "hope and change" talk for 8 years, I guess that's the new narrative now."

From a guy who not even a year ago called Trump a "lunatic" (your exact words) to being willing to sell his grandma to defend the man now, I have faith you'll eventually switch back to your "lunatic" impression of him once you have been left with absolutely no choice but that or admit you you've been dead wrong about him since your 180. In any case, I see we're back to the "b-b-b-b-butwhataboutobama?" 'defence'.

"No, being filthy rich is a sin. Obama once said about the late Steve Jobs and Apple, "you didn't build that."

"But then again, if you are a rich liberal, it's ok, even though rich liberals are the tightest people on the planet."

Sorry, bud -- you were chanting "drain the swamp" along with the other sheeple during the election, and now that he's filled it even higher you've done yet another 180, same as how Pence's private emailing on government accounts is okay after buying into Trey Gowdy's (now fat and oily, though he finally shaved!) garbage for years, and now how Trump's time for golf is suddenly okay when for Obama it was a major waste of tax money, etc. Again, you're in no position to even suggest any kind of hypocrisy, my friend.

And all the while you defend him he is now threatening his own party. The FBI has proven he's a liar and a fraud, and his popularity is at an all time low -- which given how it was the lowest in presidential history going into inauguration is saying a lot.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

The Tweeter-in-Chief has sealed his own fate. Impeach Dumb Donald !

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Change for the sake of change isn't necessarily progress. Forcing "change" without progress, is likely harmful and will require more change later.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Has there EVER been a 'working class' Cabinet member?

Maybe not, but they generally haven't been heavily populated by multi-billionaires.

You guys sure seem to go to a lot of effort to try to come up with reasons why it's ok that Trump filled the swamp instead of draining it.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Is it the GOP that is allowing the release of criminal illegal immigrants who are caught? Same criminals who then murder and rape US citizens?

Keep reading the alt-right news and listening to Trump's lies.

The fact is criminals who are here illegally are deported. Deportations increased under Obama.

With the current alt-right rhetoric, racists are being given the green light to persecute their fellow Americans. I read a story about four Latin American women who were asked for proof of their residency at a restaurant. This would never have happened before.

The current deportations are just broad round-ups and are not focused on criminals because criminals have always been deported. You only read about one or two anecdotal stories per year that get conflated to millions of non-whites in America.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

The GOP has become the party for the working class, the religious persecuted and the fighter for small business, that's pretty much the revolution that has been taking place.

The GoP can care less for the working class after an election. They talk about coal miners like they are some saint. Now, the sainted coal miners can go back in the mine and die of black lung disease without being able to pay for health insurance, because the GoP looks after the mines but not the miners.

the GoP disbands unions that protect workers and pass laws that benefit the wealthy.

Why should a hedge fund manager only be taxed at 15% on their carried interest? Why tax dividends at 15% and wages at up to 40%?

Sure, a 8.5% tax on the rich is super sad so that millions would have healthcare. They couldn't buy a fourth Mercedes that year. The fact is that they should pay back into the system that allowed them to get rich.

Religious persecution really means not being able to force Christian views on the population. Just look at the whole Roe v. Wade fight. That is the law of the land, but the GoP keeps passing unreasonable restraints on access to women's health care to nullify the ruling.

Now we will have religious charter schools popping up everywhere and supported by the government and the bat brained Devos. White Christians can do what they want, but what they want is to impose their views on others, which is exactly like the Islamic Jihads who also want to impose their view on others.

Small businesses are not going to be saved by the GoP. If they are cast a lifeline by the GoP, it will be at the expense of the working class employed by the small business. It will be legalized slavery with limited chance of mobility for your precious working class.

I'm not for creating a welfare state, but cutting funding for national endowment for the arts, PBS, meals on wheels, etc. is about 0.2% of the total federal budget. However, increasing the defense budget by hundreds of billions of dollars is really necessary especially after Trump decries all the costs of wars?

The GoP is dying a slow fitful death. Their only lifeline is the idiocy of Trump voters and the racists who voted in the GoP legislature. Those same voters are going to be hurt by Trump's policies, and they will destroy the GoP in the next election.

You can call it the race card, but seeing the GoP speak about Obama, it was easy to tell how racist the whole movement was. I have lived around racists, they are a petty, transparent, and cost a dime a dozen.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

bass4funkMAR. 22, 2017 - 12:12PM JST I don't think there is a single person anywhere who wants government policy to simply be "change for the sake of change". We had to listen to "hope and change" talk for 8 years, I guess that's the new narrative now.

If you want to appear to have the courage of your convictions, you should quote the name of the person you are responding to so they can find you easily - unless of course your goal is less to have a reasoned debate than to take potshots at people you don't like and hope they don't notice you enough to reply.

As for your reply, could you please say something relevant to the discussion that makes the slightest bit of sense? You don't seriously think that Obama's "Hope and Change" slogan equates to "change for the sake of change" just because it has the word "change" in it, do you? I mean, that's a sentence parsing error I wouldn't expect even of children. The next time you reply to a comment here, please try to do so in a way that isn't a complete waste of everyone else's time, would you?

6 ( +6 / -0 )

bass: Yeah, like 8 years ago the ACA will be affordable and you can keep your doctor.

So let's throw millions of people off of insurance, throw more off by ending the medicaid expansion, and close down health screening for the poor at Planned Parwnthood?

Look, obviously by your comments you aren't on board with the GOP plan and I applaud you for saying that. But the second a dreaded liberal says something about it you go on the warpath and start with the usual line by line "say the opposite or say nonsense" game. You not only distract others but now you are distracting yourself from your own points.

I agree with what others are saying about change for the sake of change. For nearly a decade the GOP trashed Obamacare with no alternative plan on their minds and now they are stuck working with the pieces they have left, and they'd rather pass bad legislation to save their jobs because they are afraid of this monster anger they've created in their base. Short sighted, unworkable, and flat out bad leadership, and we're all going to pay the price.

bass:. , I think reverse racism was being perpetrated against whites.

Can you give us some examples of how this has impacted you?

You are from one of the most open and potent societies on earth and are part of the race that is the majority by far and has a lock on all institutions. How big of a tissue do I need to get before your start strumming the blues of how you are persecuted?

Remember, Trump had a "blacks need not apply" policy in some of his apartments and you've stated multiple times that that is not racist. So let's hear about this reverse racism that actually meets your standards of proof when that situation does not. This is crap spouted by right wing talk radio idiots is rotting your brain.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Reminds me of Bush's Iraq war (or wars in general): Starts with a concrete goal in mind but ends in a mad rush just to claim some sort of success and get it done with. Yet another "Mission Accomplished" for the GOP (though this time, they had eight years to plan. Doesn't in the least look like that, does it? To placate moderates, they've added $85 billion for the Senate to "do what they'd like" with. Some piece of legislation this is.)

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Excellent HuffPo article on the view from Mario Molina's perspective - he's the CEO of the 10th largest health insurance company in America. Capitalism: he wants to make money by providing a product in a way that ensures he profits. That is good. But:

Molina warned that if the GOP bill or something like it passes, and many millions of Americans end up losing coverage, the effects will eventually spread. He said the loss of payments would eventually hit the hospital sector, forcing closures particularly in rural areas, while eroding the quality of coverage available to everybody. “You can’t say this is not my problem ― I have insurance, this is not my problem,” Molina said. “This is your problem. You just don’t know it yet.”

There are some tasty details here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mario-molina-health-care-bill_us_58d16e4ee4b0be71dcf8a97f?gkh3nq4i6hka7fd2t9&

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Doing something simply because you said you would when it was a bad idea to begin with is an even worse idea, and the polls are showing it. Yes, if they failed to pass the bill, it would undoubtedly cause SOME in the GOP to lose popularity and maybe even power, but that's a knee-jerk reaction to a stupid idea. If it DOES pass you'll see the same, if not worse results for some in the GOP, who are already scared of attending town hall meetings because their own base grill them on why they are going to lose their health care.

Let's face it, Americans who voted for Trump are FINALLY starting to realize they were lied to and duped, and nothing good is coming from their former hero.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

MAKE AMERICA SOCK AGAIN?!!!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Schadenfreude is not an emotion I commonly feel unless it is a result of foolish people caught by their own foolish endeavors. One topic not frequently discussed in this two-week rush to cram through the bill is the loss of "community ranking" (perhaps not the least as "community" is a bad word for the GOP, particularly after our previous president).

Here's how it works under the ACA: healthcare costs vary widely across the great expanse of America, with those in rural areas generally far higher than those in the metropolises, and as such, the ACA provides staggered subsidy levels to account for actual costs. The AHCA does not. This means that subsidy reductions will hit rural areas far harder than urban areas - that is GOP areas far harder than Dem areas. This is not to mention that the greatest beneficiaries - upper-bracket types - also tend to live in blue areas.

Trump voters: Talking about shooting yourself in the foot. Ah, schadenfreude.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Those people decided better to keep their money for any sicknesses rather than spend it for insurance coverage they cant even use at their preferred doctor. Liked your doctor? Well, too bad, sorry about that says Obama(care).

It appears that what you're saying is that no insurance is better than some. A recent analysis I read suggested that only 23 million would be thrown off insurance if the ACA were simply rescinded as compared to to 23-26 million predicted under the AHCA. Perhaps you will get your wish, either way.

What I do not want to go back to is hospitals required to care for the uninsured at emergency rooms, passing those grossly inflated costs on to consumers. That requirement was a Reagan-era law, remember. A GOP truly truthful to its philosophy would rescind that requirement rather than passing it on to those of us fortunate or wise enough to have taken countermeasures. After all, if you don't let them "die in the streets," as Trump said, where is the incentive? (This is not a rhetorical question.)

4 ( +4 / -0 )

bass4funkMAR. 22, 2017 - 02:42PM JST You don't seriously think that Obama's "Hope and Change" slogan equates to "change for the sake of change" just because it has the word "change" in it, do you? No, I'm saying, his hope and change wasn't the change we wanted and hasn't worked out for most Americans, socially or politically (especially for the Democrats)

Then your comment is completely irrelevant to the context because I was discussing a poster who asserted that some people think change for the sake of change is progress, which you then tried to link to "Hope and Change".

Which means either you don't know that your comment was irrelevant, in which case I'd encourage you to read the thread better, or you do know that it's irrelevant, in which case I'd encourage the mods to do something about your obvious trolling issues.

You guys are really an entertaining bunch, that's for sure.

At this point, the entertainment is pretty much entirely in your imagination because either through your ignorance or through your incessant need to troll you're not actually interacting with anyone here who disagrees with you. You're just verbally masturbating, pretending you've won a challenge against an enemy you made up in your head.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

bass: the only thing they are trying to do is get the cost under control

By eliminating millions of people from coverage, which I know you dont support.

Would you be willing to invite Bernie Sanders to the table and all of this data and the attention he brings regarding the insane costs? You would have to work with people like him when you ask the Democrats to come on board. I said before that if costs were cheaper then we could have a bipartisan plan in about 10 minutes.

bass:. Has nothing to do with me, but

And

Who said I was White???

You were asked to provide evidence for your claim of reverse racism, something you said put Trump into office. You did not provide evidence. Your choice. Moving on.

How do we know that some of these people weren't selling drugs in and around the neighborhood, prostitution

As a licenced real estate agent I can tell everyone here that the above violates the Fair Housing Act which "prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability."

These laws were put in place specifically to stop people such as yourself, and it's based on your actions, not your thoughts, so feel free to describe yourself anyway you'd like. Still guilty.

So not only did you not provide evidence of reverse racism against whites, you admitted to supporting actions clearly outlawed as racist.

Over and done. Moving on.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told reporters that if Republicans pass the legislation, “people will reward us. If we don’t keep our promise, it will be very hard to manage this.”

We'll reward you with extended time off and vastly reduced responsibilities in 2018, yes.

theFuMAR. 22, 2017 - 09:15AM JST Change for the sake of change isn't necessarily progress.

I don't think there is a single person anywhere who wants government policy to simply be "change for the sake of change".

3 ( +4 / -1 )

LagunaMAR. 22, 2017 - 09:46AM JST Yet another "Mission Accomplished" for the GOP (though this time, they had eight years to plan. ...

I agree with you and gave you a "good" for your post, but a small correction - Americans have been debating how to deal with healthcare since the 90s. So it's more of a "they had ~22 years or more to plan"... and this is the best they could come up with. There are potentially US military personnel stationed in Japan and reading this who are younger than the debate on health care in America.

Only it's not the best they could come up with, because a far more successful healthcare system was designed by a Republican. It used to be known as Romneycare. Later, when it got pushed as a compromise measure by the nation's first black president, it was given a different name and was suddenly branded as the worst thing ever.

This is how sad the Republican party has become - the one successful compromise they made in recent memory gets picked up by a black man, and they'd rather abandon credit for it and its success than work with a black democrat for the good of the country.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

We had to listen to "hope and change" talk for 8 years.

Where has compassionate conservatism gone. It has been replaced with revolution for revolution's sake and nutball oligarchs.

At least there were programs to help the needy during the Obama administration.

That is, until the party of NO took power in the legislature once the right side riled up enough white animosity against a black president to put the GoP back in power.

Yes, the GoP is in power because America is still basically racist. Obama's presidency was a turning point for race relations. The only problem was it was a U-Turn.

Now, all the GoP has on offer is less for those who need help the most and more for rich individuals and corporations.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

The president who can't reason has to use threats. Why can't the USA have health care? We have a great one here in Japan. Just use ours (thank you, MacArthur!).

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Right wingers want government to be a father-figure, left wingers want it to be a mommy. When will you fools realize that government is good for only three things: robbery, enslavement, and murder? It's a big club, and you ain't in it. Read Rothbard.

@Ikemenj Remember this, a GOOD government will focus on PROTECTING, and SUPPORTING it's citizens.

It will not manipulate, control, rule, or subjugate it's citizens. Donald is trying to (and succeeding with the gullible followers) manipulating with the intent to control, rule and subjugate the citizens of the US. Kinda like Putin, and a couple of other oligarchs, dictators in leadership roles.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Has nothing to do with me, but it has everything to do with the millions of Whites that stood up and voted for Trump, that's the biggest example right there.

You just shot yourself in the foot right there Bass. My mother is Black, and she voted for Trump (for a very dumb simplistic reason IMHO). The majority of the community in Trinidad CO is of Latino descent for over 7 generations, most of them voted for Trump because they believed he'd make things better for them. Many of them were democrats, some were independent, and fewer were republicans.

There were enough American's in general regardless of ethnicity that voted for Trump because they actually believed he would change our government for the better.

Millions of whites voted for Obama back then too. So your reasoning is?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

bass:. Ok, seriously now, the reality is, we want an affordable healthcare coverage that doesn’t break the back of all Americans and Obamacare in its current state is doing just that

And your plan eliminates care. So we need a 3rd option, one where everyone is covered and it doesn't break the bank. The question is why is it so expensive to cover everyone when other countries able to do it? What is it about our system that seems to make it impossible?

As for real estate discrimination, denying housing to all black people is an open and shut case. There are no debate points you can make that suddenly make your illegal actions legal, and telling me that I don't know you well enough is like saying, "Sure, I was doing 100 mph per hour in 50 mph zone, but you don't know me, so you can't say my actions were illegal."

Stop people as myself? What in blazes are you talking about?

What part of "you can't deny housing to people because they are black" do you not get? My gosh. Clear as day and you are debating it as if you have some really good reasons why the law shouldn't apply to you. Your type of thinking is exactly why they made these laws....to stop people like you from doing exactly what you are advocating.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

More like the left distracting who in the WH leaked the conversations between Flynn and the Russians, Trump's taxes and all the other leaks? If Trump was honest with the American people hed release his tax details and his business interests in Russia etc. But no hes got something to hide, eventually the truth will be revealed and I dont expect it to make Donald look good.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Well, it'll be interesting to see how all these supposed rube "rebels" are going to vote on Thursday. We will see if they really are going to stand up for a heavier repeal bill, or whether they are ultimately just cowards who were having a bit of a cry to get attention. I would be surprised if it were the former

2 ( +2 / -0 )

That may be the case

You are confused when you say "may be". It's right in front of you in black and white. Try to counter it if you think there is wiggle room.

The fact is that you've openly admitted you'd engage in discriminatory behavior against black people, behavior that is textbook illegal. Your next comments appear to be, "I'm not renting to blacks not because I'm racist, I'm not renting to blacks for the legitimate reason that their entire race is too dangerous to rent to."

Is that correct?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

By eliminating millions of people from coverage, which I know you dont support.

Excuse me, but it is laughable to me that the left thinks that the right enjoys watching people die as if we all sit in a dark room sharpening up our knives and grinning from ear to ear at the demise of the elderly and the sick. It’s so comical. Ok, seriously now, the reality is, we want an affordable healthcare coverage that doesn’t break the back of all Americans and Obamacare in its current state is doing just that.

Would you be willing to invite Bernie Sanders to the table and all of this data and the attention he brings regarding the insane costs? You would have to work with people like him when you ask the Democrats to come on board.

Sure! Everyone needs a few laughs, so I’m all for it. Sanders has some ideas, but when it comes to healthcare, you know he wants a socialist single payer system, besides as with most socialists they are not really good at math, especially when it comes to paying for this, who, where and how for some reason never crosses their minds.

I said before that if costs were cheaper then we could have a bipartisan plan in about 10 minutes.

Sanders can’t get that done, that’s for sure.

Who said I was White???

You were asked to provide evidence for your claim of reverse racism, something you said put Trump into office. You did not provide evidence. Your choice. Moving on.

I did. Who voted for Trump overwhelmingly? White people and why is that? For one reason, they were tired of being treated like trash, had to walk on egg shells and had to hear all the time, shut up, you don’t matter, they were left in the dark, they were forgotten, America’s Bread basket nation, the “Heartland” was told it didn’t matter, their rights, religious beliefs are nothing, the reverse racism and what they had to deal with over the last 8 years drove them to the polls, Obama was supposed to be a uniter and instead became a divider, the country got tired of being this out of control PC nation that you had to walk constantly on egg shells otherwise trouble would await you. Trump is a clear repudiation of Obama and those policies. If we didn’t have an Obama, we wouldn’t have a Trump.

As a licenced real estate agent I can tell everyone here that the above violates the Fair Housing Act which "prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability."

That’s swell and dandy, but the fact of the matter is, regardless of what the law states, if you lived in NYC in the 70’s with all the crime, almost 2000 murders a year, drugs, prostitution, vacant and many buildings used by squatters and corrupt cops, the mafia, gangs, the environment was totally toxic and we don’t know the full details of the story. Typical left one-sided thinking, because these papers were filed, you think it’s a slam dunk, I believe and from my knowledge about NY and how that time period was, it was very complicated and we don’t know falsified police reports are written all the time, I have a brother that’s a cop and that is a very normal thing. To clarify (because I know libs gloss over words and are emotionally reactionary) I’m not saying Trump is innocent or guilty, I am just saying, given the history of NY which was a very, very scary place at the time, history dealing with people of all races, I’m not buying it.

These laws were put in place specifically to stop people such as yourself,

Stop people as myself? What in blazes are you talking about?

and it's based on your actions, not your thoughts, so feel free to describe yourself anyway you'd like. Still guilty.

Sorry, but you know nothing about me.

Over and done. Moving on.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

And your plan eliminates care.

No, pass the bill, get rid of all the tax regulations to bring the price of premiums down.

So we need a 3rd option, one where everyone is covered and it doesn't break the bank. The question is why is it so expensive to cover everyone when other countries able to do it?

Other countries don't have 340 million people to take care of.

What is it about our system that seems to make it impossible?

The problem was that the Obama admin. tried to overtake the entire system and they didn't have to do that, all they needed to do was to take care of the 20 million Americans that didn't have insurance, I would have been on board with that. It would have been a decent, needed and noble thing to do. But Gruber and Emmanuel rushed, put this thing together with the hopes of trying to get a hold of the Cadillac tax which the left have been trying to get their hands on for over 60 years. Many of us had a great healthcare plan and there was no need for the Democrats to muck the entire system for everyone else.

As for real estate discrimination, denying housing to all black people is an open and shut case.

That may be the case, but that doesn't imply that the reason for that was based on discriminatory grounds.

There are no debate points you can make that suddenly make your illegal actions legal, and telling me that I don't know you well enough is like saying, "Sure, I was doing 100 mph per hour in 50 mph zone, but you don't know me, so you can't say my actions were illegal."

Sorry, weak argument, doesn't imply that the man is a racist. There are two sides to every story. If I were in the city at that time knowing what I know during that time period and the dangers that were looming everywhere and with certain individuals, I might do the same. Again, I'm looking at it from multiple angles and if I have to deal with the aftermath, then so be it.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

So let's throw millions of people off of insurance, throw more off by ending the medicaid expansion, and close down health screening for the poor at Planned Parwnthood?

I never said that, No Republican said that, the only thing they are trying to do is get the cost under control and get those much needed tax cuts. Sure, it's a bad bill, but no one has ever said that making sausage was beautiful, they should pass it in the House, modify it, get the Dems on board to work with them and take it from there. If Dems care so much about the poor (which they haven't for a very long time) they would have never allowed the premiums of this dreadful junk skyrocket.

Look, obviously by your comments you aren't on board with the GOP plan and I applaud you for saying that. But the second a dreaded liberal says something about it you go on the warpath and start with the usual line by line "say the opposite or say nonsense" game. You not only distract others but now you are distracting yourself from your own points.

What on Earth are you talking about? The only thing I get annoyed about is the fact that the liberals screwed up the entire system, completely to the point where No one can afford this Spruce Goose, it was supposed to be affordable and it's nothing even close to it and now the GOP are in actuality doing the same thing, except it's the elderly that would have to foot this thing and not like the young with Obamacare. I fault both parties and their endless feud, but liberals do tend to go bat bleep crazy over anything that doesn't fit within their narrative.

Short sighted, unworkable, and flat out bad leadership, and we're all going to pay the price.

Yes, they are doing the same stupid thing the Democrats did.

Can you give us some examples of how this has impacted you?

Has nothing to do with me, but it has everything to do with the millions of Whites that stood up and voted for Trump, that's the biggest example right there.

You are from one of the most open and potent societies on earth and are part of the race that is the majority by far and has a lock on all institutions. How big of a tissue do I need to get before your start strumming the blues of how you are persecuted?

Who said I was White???

Remember, Trump had a "blacks need not apply" policy in some of his apartments and you've stated multiple times that that is not racist.

Again, we don't know all the facts involved in that, but having lived in NYC and especially in the 70's where drugs and police corruption was out of control in the cities people like Frank Lucas that worked with the Italian mafia and oversaw all of the street drugs, it was a very dangerous and toxic environment and how do we know that some of these people weren't selling drugs in and around the neighborhood, prostitution was a mother problem, with all that chaos in the area, maybe he had more than enough reason to not let these people in. Remember, there are always 2 sides of a story, you would think liberals would have learned that by now.

So let's hear about this reverse racism that actually meets your standards of proof when that situation does not. This is crap spouted by right wing talk radio idiots is rotting your brain.

Right wing crap? LOL. Sure, sure. I won't get off topic, sorry, but I'm not going to blindly just let myself get spoon fed that Trump is a racist without a shred of evidence and not allowing someone to reside in your residency doesn't make you a racist.

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What's an honest man to do? When I hear lefties rip rightists I agree, and when I hear righties rip lefties I also agree! Both sides of the political class are complete hypocrites.

Right wingers want government to be a father-figure, left wingers want it to be a mommy. When will you fools realize that government is good for only three things: robbery, enslavement, and murder? It's a big club, and you ain't in it. Read Rothbard.

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Has there EVER been a 'working class' Cabinet member? come on.... So now because those guys are rich, they have to apologize for their success? I prefer smart people who make money outside of government. As opposed to the Obama people who left their time in government seemingly RICHER somehow...? Seriously how did the Clinton net worth go up 250 million dollars while a servant of the people?

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Just pass this bill - it's the best we can do under reconciliation - then come back later and do a broader/better fix through the regular process.

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The GOP decimates the working class by taking away their health care, education for their children, and the right to live in a safe environment.>

The only people who lost their healthcare so far are people who realized Obamacare priced them out of being to afford it, as insurers went from 3-5 choices to 1. Those people decided better to keep their money for any sicknesses rather than spend it for insurance coverage they cant even use at their preferred doctor. Liked your doctor? Well, too bad, sorry about that says Obama(care).

Education lost? I am not aware of any kids not able to go to school. Even 18 year old illegal immigrant 'kids' can be in the same class as with 14 year old classmates (see what happened in Maryland because of that).

Safe Environment? Is it the GOP that keeps blocking the ban that keeps people from countries that are state sponsors of terrorism? Countries that have been determined to be unable to tell us anything about the backgrounds of their own people? Is it the GOP that is allowing the release of criminal illegal immigrants who are caught? Same criminals who then murder and rape US citizens?

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The FBI has proven he's a liar and a fraud, and his popularity is at an all time low>

Wow, thats really bad then. Did I miss this announcement from the FBI? That Trump himself has been investigated and the results of that are that he is a liar and a fraud? Also, as much as you guys are tired of hearing about 'But Obama', I am equally tired of hearing about 'But Russia'.

Obama should be irrelevant but he keeps interjecting himself into things. Such as his dinner with his college buddy the night before the same buddy blocked the travel ban. Same buddy who had a hearing about the issue and was able to submit a 43 page document of irrelevant items only 2 hours later. But media doesnt want to investigate that, just continue the But Russia story and specualate about what they think the Obamacare replacement will do to people in 2028.

I will make a deal, I will stop bringing up Obama and Clinton if they will actually LEAVE for more than the length of a vacation taken to block a Trump policy.

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Has there EVER been a 'working class' Cabinet member? come on.... So now because those guys are rich, they have to apologize for their success?

No, being filthy rich is a sin. Obama once said about the late Steve Jobs and Apple, "you didn't build that." Basically, he can't and shouldn't take credit, let's spread the wealth and keep people dependent, self-reliance is such a bad thing.

But then again, if you are a rich liberal, it's ok, even though rich liberals are the tightest people on the planet.

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Seems that passing the law will be equally detrimental. That's what happens when you promise something to your base you know you had no chance of delivering.

Yeah, like 8 years ago the ACA will be affordable and you can keep your doctor.

The loss of Medicare coverage alone should send quite a few people over to the Democrat's side and help pad our 3,000,000+ vote advantage.

Don't worry, we have a long way to go, a lot of dealing will be done. The Dems aren't going to win by huge margins based on what has happened over the last 2 months, we still have a very long way to go to fix this. Every president has had ups and downs, if it were 2 years into his admin. you would have an argument, but not after just 2 months. You guys....lol!

I don't think there is a single person anywhere who wants government policy to simply be "change for the sake of change".

We had to listen to "hope and change" talk for 8 years, I guess that's the new narrative now.

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Where has compassionate conservatism gone. It has been replaced with revolution for revolution's sake and nutball oligarchs.

Not at all, the Democrats have become the party for the rich and elite, go to California, Boston and New York, all the people that exceptionally affluent are almost all liberal. The GOP has become the party for the working class, the religious persecuted and the fighter for small business, that's pretty much the revolution that has been taking place.

At least there were programs to help the needy during the Obama administration.

Off the back of the tax payer, true that.

That is, until the party of NO took power in the legislature once the right side riled up enough white animosity against a black president to put the GoP back in power.

Here we go again, back against the wall, nothing to say, let's get the race card out.....smh.

Yes, the GoP is in power because America is still basically racist.

In that case, it is racist towards whites, so when the last admin. was in power, Whites were marginalized, mocked, ridiculed and had to apologetic for everything in life just for being white, even though the whites of today had nothing to do with what happened in the past and the vast majority of them helped elect the first Black president after that, they were thrown away to the side like a broken toy. I don't think its the whites that are racists, I think reverse racism was being perpetrated against whites. Liberals think racism goes one way only! Give me a break!

Obama's presidency was a turning point for race relations.

He made race relations worse than the levels of the 60's

Now, all the GoP has on offer is less for those who need help the most and more for rich individuals and corporations.

Poor people can't create private sector jobs.

As for your reply, could you please say something relevant to the discussion that makes the slightest bit of sense?

I did, you just don't like what I have to say.

You don't seriously think that Obama's "Hope and Change" slogan equates to "change for the sake of change" just because it has the word "change" in it, do you?

No, I'm saying, his hope and change wasn't the change we wanted and hasn't worked out for most Americans, socially or politically (especially for the Democrats) You guys are really an entertaining bunch, that's for sure.

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Nice logic there Donny: Don't pass the bill, and you've broken your promise not to repeal and replace Obamacare; pass it, and you've broken a dozen, more specific promises on coverage and access and pricing - and cuts to Medicare.

All they need to do and should do is just pass it through the House, it probably will be killed in the Senate, that's ok, just gut the provisions and morph it, streamline it and tailor it to what you want, this could help bring some Dems to the table and they can work on a proper bipartisan plan.

Oh, and nice job trying to distract attention from yesterday's Russiagate hearings. Not gonna work, though.

More like the left distracting who in the WH leaked the conversations between Flynn and the Russians, Trump's taxes and all the other leaks? I mean, they just didn't leak themselves.

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