The election hasn't even taken place yet and I'm already beginning to hear some rumblings coming from the direction of those that may soon party that is creating a sense of uncertainty. An uncertainty regarding how the Republicans may already preparing themselves to go squishy when it comes to following through with any plans to even make an attempt at repealing this abominable of healthcare "reform" that has come to be known as, Obamacare. Are they already getting a little gun shy? I’m sure we all remember, how after their landslide victory in 1994, it was the House Republicans at that time who succeeded in alienating a good many voters by shutting down the government. It would seem that this time around, Republican wish to create the impression that nothing "extreme" is in the works, wishing instead to focus their desire on advancing more positive policies if they do in fact regain control of Congress in a mere 12 short days. Might they be letting the pendulum swing back too far in the other direction? I mean, to void tackling the hard issues, the reason that they're being sent there, seems more than just little cowardly, if you ask me. What could possibly be considered as being more positive that the ridding from the backs of the American people this albatross that has been firmly tied around their neck in the form of this mess that is Obamacare. Where we have the beginnings of a burgeoning communication breakdown is the fact that, at least from the outside looking in, not everyone in the party views this issue of Obamacare the same way, apparently. Now while many Republicans in Congress do favor the repealing of Obamacare, or at least blocking the funding for it, it would seem that Senator Judd Gregg, R-N.H. on the other hand, the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, and who just so happens to be retiring this year, seems to have a very different opinion. He doesn't see the repealing of the legislation as necessarily being the best way to go. "I don't think starving or repealing [the healthcare law] is probably the best approach here," he said on the Fox Business Network. "You basically go in and restructure it." Look, the only way this thing is going to be "restructured" is to totally scrap it and pretty much start from scratch. And if Republicans don't have the stomach for that, well then I wouldn't be betting a whole lot of money that they'll still be in the majority come 2013.
Enter Sarah Palin. Governor Palin has taken the opportunity, on any number of occasions, to provide what is apparently, some much needed advice, reminding Republicans of the importance that the party follow through on the promises that have essentially been made through out the run up to this coming election. Otherwise, a very dark door may be opened where many voters may just start asking the question, "Why not a third party?" she says. I written about this before and the losing proposition that would be for all parties concerned expect the Democrats from who such a thing would be an electoral bonanza for decades. Having said that, it cannot be stressed enough that unless we are successful in getting candidates like Pat Toomey, Marco Rubio, Ken Buck, Ron Johnson, Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Sharron Angle, and Joe Miller elected, we may very well never see Obamacare repealed or even the attempt being made. We need to reinforce our opposition to this catastrophic piece of legislation by doing whatever is necessary to get these folks elected. Look, I think we are all bright enough to know that when the Senate leadership staff says not to worry, that we just need to trust them and this is all just Judd Gregg's opinion, that the time has officially arrived to start worrying. They’re trying to convince us that he's retiring and they're just his remarks as he heads out the door. And will try to convince us that this whole notion is nowhere near being reflective of the Senate GOP leadership. There is a problem though. In the past several weeks, there have been far too many closed door, off the record meetings of high dollar donors getting briefings from various elected officials, including several Senators. In each case, the donors have been “reassured” by the Senators present that they have no intention of repealing Obamacare, just restructuring it. Ok so what's the priority here, abiding by the will of the people or pleasing high dollar donors? The only thing that they're liable to succeed in doing here is to accomplish nothing more than to shoot themselves in both feet.
I guess there are more than few Republican Senators who seem to think that the potential concerns of those high dollar donors are of a higher priority than those of just everyday folks. Since, of course, they're not kooks like all those tea party activists and would therefore better understand the practical need to simply “restructure” instead of “repeal” Obamacare. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that these Senators may have badly misread the donors. Regardless of that fact, the American people will be voting for and possibly electing Republicans with one specific goal in mind, the repealing of Obamacare. Because that's what has been the whole premise here. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to come to the conclusion that Senator Gregg, even though he is on his way out, is not speaking out of turn or behaving as some lone wolf regarding this issue and the topic of repeal. And it is apparently this view that may permeate throughout the Senate GOP leadership to a significant degree despite their rather strenuous protestations to the contrary. We are going to have to be very watchful of these folks, my friends. Don't think for a minute that just because they have an (R) after their names that they are any more trustworthy than those on the other side of the aisle, because they are not. We are no better able to trust them any farther than we can trust Barry or any of the Democrats. Just a little side note here that’s rather curious, it might be of interest to know that neither Mitch McConnell nor Lamar Alexander have signed on as co-sponsors to Senator Jim DeMint’s legislation that would repeal Obamacare. All but six House Republicans have signed on along with one Democrat, Gene Taylor of Mississippi. But very few Senators have chosen to add their names. Only Sens. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., Tom Coburn, R-Okla., Richard Burr, R-N.C., David Vitter, R-La., and the soon-to-depart Bob Bennett, R-Utah, have signed any of the pledges. No member of the Senate GOP leadership has. Now there's a surprise. These fellas had better tread every lightly here. Because if this soon to be election victory is perceived as being more about committee chairmanships and the divvying up of the spoils, then it is about the proper conducting of the people's business, then I'm afraid this new found Republican resurgence is liable to be very, very short lived
Senator DeMint put his bill forward in March to repeal ObamaCare, yet only 22 of his fellow GOP senators have had the sufficient backbone to sign on as co-sponsors. "The House GOP leadership is committed to defunding ObamaCare, but it's the Senate that I'm more worried about," said Alex Cortes, head of DefundIt.org. "I'm a little disappointed that (Majority Leader) Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and (Minority Whip) Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) haven't co-sponsored DeMint's legislation." Ya know, I'm just not getting any good vibes from this type of behavior coming from those in leadership positions. These two cannot be trusted and both bear watching very closely. In what is nothing more than what sounds to be very pathetic excuse, McConnell spokesman Don Stewart stated that "McConnell just doesn't co-sponsor many bills." "And we've already had that vote, in March. Every GOP senator voted against ObamaCare." Sorry there Don, but that was then and this is now. McConnell and Alexander both had better get with the program here and not be so focused on the improving of nothing more than their own positions. Because we all know that McConnell almost certainly won't have votes for repeal, even if the GOP wins a Senate majority. McConnell has said "that he'd like to repeal and replace it," said Stewart. "But with Obama holding the veto pen, he doesn't see it happening unless he can get 67 votes in the Senate." Hell, I think that we can forget about being able to get 67 votes. McConnell will be a long way from the 60 votes necessary to stop a filibuster even if he were to be so inclined. But the failure to even make the attempt at repeal for no other reason than the inability to override a Barry veto, is to do nothing more than to admit failure without making the attempt. Cowardice is not considered to be a leadership trait. Like I said, Republicans are essentially being supported primarily for one reason, and if they fail to at least attempt to follow through with promises made, then they are done before they even start.
The attraction of the so-called piecemeal approach, that is the targeting of some of the more unpopular parts of ObamaCare might make it somewhat easier to garner more of whatever Democrat support there is that can be mined from this group of ideologues. "I would not support full repeal," said Senator Ben "Of course I can be bribed" Nelson, D-Neb. "Making adjustments and improving it, absolutely, but not repeal." I cannot help but ask the question why not. When it remains so obvious that a majority of the American people still do NOT want to be saddled with this thing. I simply do not understand the amount of resistance, present in both parties, to simply working toward the getting rid of this thing entirely. It does absolutely nothing of what was promised and still these f-ing Democrats as well as, apparently, a good many Republicans want to keep it. It sucks, there's just no other way to describe it. Nelson recently supported an amendment by his fellow Nebraskan, GOP Sen. Mike Johanns, to repeal ObamaCare's requirement that a company file a 1099 every time it makes cumulative purchases of $600 or more. That rule may prove onerous to small businesses. Although the amendment failed, it picked up Democratic support from not only Nelson, but also Arkansas Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and Virginia Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner. But this is but one thing on a very long list of many that you need to be altered before this monstrosity would become anywhere near being seen as reasonable reform. The sheer volume of what would need to altered to make even borderline palatable would require more time than we've got.
There is a theory being floated that the two approaches, full repeal vs. piecemeal, aren't necessarily contradictory. That sometimes you have to tear down the wall brick by brick. Well, I may beg to differ with the proponents of that little theory, it that it seems to me, that because of the number of bricks that we're dealing with here, it would save a lot of time to simply demolish this whole at once. And another example used to advocate the piecemeal approach are recent votes put up by the House GOP to repeal restrictions on health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts and to eliminate ObamaCare's individual mandate. Both measures failed, but 10 House Democrats supported the first one and 21 backed the second. This approach just does not make any sense to me. It has been said that the grass roots understands limitations, but not lack of a stance. The point has been made to politicians, on any number of occasions, that we don't just want them voting the right way. What we want is for them to pull every string and cashing in every bit of their political capital to fight ObamaCare every inch of the way. And let's face it, making repeated attempts at repealing this little piece of socialism may provide a fringe benefit of sorts, in helping to keep the issue alive going all the way to the 2012 campaign. It could put enough pressure on a number of potentially vulnerable Senate Democrats, including Nebraska's Nelson and Virginia's Webb along with Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Jon Tester of Montana. But before we get all caught up in 2012, we need to remain focused on the election that's less that two weeks away.
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