CAN’T SAY I’VE EVER BEEN A FAN OF PAUL RYAN…

I can’t say that I’ve ever been a fan of ‘RINO’ Paul Ryan, to the point where during his last campaign for re-election I went so far as to donate to his primary opponent.  But to no avail.  Because the imbeciles that comprise his congressional district saw fit to re-elect him, choosing to ignore completely the fact that he is no conservative.  And apparently I am far from being alone in holding a rather low opinion of Speaker Ryan.  Betsy McCaughey, a former Donald Trump economic advisor, recently said that Ryan should step down if he cannot pass an Obamacare repeal package.  Speaking to radio host John Castimatidis on AM 970 in New York, McCaughey said, “If he can’t do his job as Speaker, to hold these Republicans together and get a repeal and replace bill through, somebody else should be Speaker.”

Ms. McCaughey, the former lieutenant governor of New York, said that “Obamacare is in a death spiral,” and she accused Speaker Ryan of pushing for what amounts to “Obamacare-lite.”  Gee, I sure can’t argue with that.  I’d say Ms. McCaughey has hit the nail right on the proverbial head.  McCaughey is not the first Republican to oppose the Ryan plan to replace Obamacare.  House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-NC) said that the Ryan plan’s refundable tax credits could amount to a new “entitlement program.”  Congressman Pete Sessions (R-TX) has said that taxing expensive employer-sponsored health insurance plans creates a new “Cadillac tax.”  And it was Ms. McCaughey who also made it quite clear that she doesn’t think that Ryan is in line with Trump’s agenda.

Ms. McCaughey said, “Ryan has attached things to his version of the replacement bill that are very unpopular. He’s got to get on board with Donald Trump, because Donald Trump’s program is popular.”  And she argued that limiting the tax deductibility of health coverage raise taxes on half of America.  She said, “That’s like stabbing in the back the rust belt union workers who made Donald trump’s amazing victory possible.”  Sometimes I wonder if President Trump hasn’t got just as many enemies within his own party as he seems to have among the Democrats.  Personally, I’m of the opinion that the Republican leadership teams from both Houses of Congress should be summoned to the White House and given an ultimatum, either they do their job or he will go over their head, directly to the people! 

But seriously folks, despite all the promises that we’ve heard going all the way back to 2010, I have always questioned the commitment of the Republicans when it comes to the repealing of Obamacare. They only wanted to be seen as posturing to try to repeal it.  They all assumed that Hitlery would be in office, and that Obamacare would become a permanent fixture just like Social Security, and that nobody would ever dare even mention its repeal after that.  They didn't even have a plan to repeal it.  They lied, it’s just that simple.  The Republican Party has been infested by RINOs, whose job it is to absorb the backlash against the left's charge towards globalism and Marxism.  People vote for the perceived opposition, only to watch the perceived opposition barely fall short, time and time again.

Now they are struggling with how to help enable the left without being too obvious to their constituents.  Some like Ryan have just given up and are now all-out lefties.  Frankly I’m not sure if Ryan was ever opposed to Obamacare.  He only opposes the left for show and then goes back to his constituents and tells them how hard he has worked to stop the left, and although he fell short, with more votes and money, he will get back up and keep swinging.  That's how these RINOs roll. They are not opposition to the Democrats, but rather are there to prevent real opposition from forming.  They absorb all of the votes of people protesting the move towards globalism and socialism, then pretend to oppose it and lose.  Now that Trump is around, the contrast makes it clear they are not legitimate opposition.

The thing is, I don’t think the Republican ever really wanted to repeal Obamacare.  I think they were content to put up just enough of a fight to make it appear as if they were against it, and to then just let it ride until we the American people simply accepted it.  Otherwise, I’m thinking, they would have had an alternative plan long ago just waiting for the opportunity to implement it.   But nope, they're too spineless to even want to try to undo ANY of the Democrat’s crappy ideas.  Every Republican since the 2010 midterms has run on repealing Obamacare and they're still dragging their feet now that they have total control of Congress and the White House.  We long ago needed a serious, and very thorough, house cleaning, especially in the Senate.  McConnell is a liar, he also has campaigned on repealing Obamacare.

It’s becoming more and more apparent that Paul Ryan is simply incapable of being an effective Speaker. Less so than even Boehner was.  And Boehner was a nothing less than a complete disaster and on so many levels.  I think the time has now come for Ryan to finally acknowledge his lack of leadership ability, and for the sake of the American people simply step down.  Since first assuming his current position it has become glaringly obvious, on nearly a daily basis, that he simply does not possess the necessary skillset that would help his fellow citizens who are in desperate need of health insurance at a reasonable cost, for these families are losing their ability to sustain healthy lives.  It is a crime that Paul Ryan refuses to admit his limitations while Americans are suffering the consequences.

Unfortunately, what President Trump will likely be forced into doing is to make clear to the American people that Ryan and McConnell would rather serve as speedbumps on the way to ‘Making America Great Again’ than doing what is necessary to actually accomplish that goal.  They are just as guilty of dragging their feet as are the Democrats.  They should be given a reasonable timeline and if they fail to meet it he should bring the full weight of his office down upon them.  There needs to be an understanding when it comes to who it is that’s running the show.  As for RINOs like McCain and Graham, they should be stripped of any chairmanships or positions of power they currently have.  They are embarrassments.  Examples must be made to convince others to think twice before choosing to obstruct.

President Trump is going have to put the hammer down and soon.  And he must be very cognizant of the fact that the RINOs in Congress will be just as much of an obstacle to his agenda as the Democrats will most assuredly be, and are just as determined in their effort to make sure he fails.  And while, I suppose, there is little pressure he can apply to the Democrats, those Republicans who continue to be obstacles should be leaned on, and leaned on hard.  He must make them understand that they are either with him or against him, and if against him he will do everything in his power to bring an end to their political careers.   And he must continually make it known that there is a select few Republicans who would rather side with the Democrats than do what’s necessary to “Make America Great Again.”