American Politics during the Obama Presidency

[Rev BS]

I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things Jax.

That Obama would be kicked out of office, and be riding a scooter on Beach Road with Punter 127.

[Esten]

I can just hear the Millennials now: "What! Obamacare isn't FREE? You mean that I have to PAY even if I don't want it!"

That's right, it's called personal responsibility. That's how Republicans described it when they came up with the idea of the individual mandate. The Affordable Care Act is based on a Republican concept.

Check out what Romney said in 2005:

"I don't like calling it universal coverage," he told me last week. "That smacks of Hillarycare. But I do think we've come up with a way to get everybody covered through the free-market system." Romney's way is not new: policy wonks call it an "individual mandate" system, but the Governor doesn't like that term either. "I call it a personal responsibility system," he said.

"We can't have as a nation 40 million people — or, in my state, half a million — saying, 'I don't have insurance, and if I get sick, I want someone else to pay,' " says Romney, a Republican who says he might run for president in 2008.

http://reason.com/blog/2012/06/28/mi...vidual-mandate

[BadMan]

I understand some people like the illusion of socialized and or affordable healthcare but obamacare isn't that. Its a farce.

All in all, the numbers don't lie.

http://static4.businessinsider.com/i...val-rating.jpg

[Rev BS]

In a word, YES!

Ate some Tom Yum Goong.

[Punter 127]

“Phased implementation” or “Death Spiral”?

"It's crucial to the success of ObamaCare that 40% of the signups have to be in the 35 and younger group. Those consumers don't use healthcare and their premiums are needed to offset the people who are signing up now in the gold and platinum plans. Without the young people, insurers will be paying out significantly more than they're taking in in premiums and we get the ObamaCare Death Spiral.

Without those young people rates for 2015 will be based on 2014 actual performance and they will go up dramatically. It's fun to note that rates for 2015 will be available in the September. October time frame next year, just before the mid. Term elections.".

Also:

"Businesses will inform their employees of their plans around the middle of 2014, just before the midterm elections. Many businesses will alter their operations to fall below the mandate threshold. Others will simply drop coverage and pay the penalty. This will be a shock for most people, especially since most Americans have health insurance through their employer. That this shock could come just weeks before the midterm elections will create a nightmare for Democrats on the ballot. ".

Mongers-.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-1...2-million.html

Two million now enrolled in "Obamacare".

Nice gimmick, huh?
You pass a law that destroys people's existing insurance policies, then you claim victory when some of them sign up for more expensive Obamacare insurance.




Proudly detracting from the leftwing delusional fantasy.

[Jackson]

On this board, I take the side of Obama and Universal Care only because of the blind hatred of the Gang That Could Not Shoot Straight. From Day 1, even before ObamaCare was enacted, the bias, unfairness and hatred started.

I thought the Obama inner circle was the "Gang That Could Not Shoot Straight"?

Just a few examples...

Fast and Furious?
Spying on Reporters?
IRS Political Targeting?
Benghazi?
Syria?
The ACA rollout?

I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things.

Thanks,

Jax.

[Punter 127]

Why don't we just say, that if we really want to dig for dirt in every level on the poliitcal front, the corruption, nepotism, and the insider deals could fill up the Grand Canyon? Whether it be Democrats or Republicans. Party affiliation is not a vital issue for me. I have always consider myself a practical compassionate conservative. On this board, I take the side of Obama and Universal Care only because of the blind hatred of the Gang That Could Not Shoot Straight. From Day 1, even before ObamaCare was enacted, the bias, unfairness and hatred started.

Am I full of shit?

In a word, YES!

[Quality Time]

In Argentina, these subsidies come from tax payers like me through paying IVA, IIBB, Cargas Sociales, impuesto al cheque, and ABL. Although it may be incomprehensible to Jackson and his right wing lackies on the forum, I have no problem with the fact that my tax proceeds, at least in part, go to subsidize other people's healthcare, including Jackson's. Even though Jackson is older than I am and arguably has a much higher risk profile than I do due to his dietary and lifestyle choices, I believe Jackson deserves affordable healthcare and I am willing to contribute to it.

Here, Here..Sounds like you are Canadian.

[Daddy Rulz]

This is for you guys;.

http://www.policymic.com/articles/77...rstand-in-gifs

[Tiny12]

Next time you put on your trousers, give a 10 second silent prayer for the garment workers in Bangladesh.

That's one thing we agree on, 100%. It's incredible how people get by in Bangladesh, India, sub Saharan Africa, etc. I get sick and tired of hearing how unequal and unfair the USA is, when most here are so much better off than most of the rest of the world.

[Rev BS]

There's an article in this month's Reason Magazine that I wish I could link to, for the benefit of Reverend Black Shirt and WT69, but it's not on the web. Reason, by the way, is hard core libertarian. They hate Republicans as much as Democrats. (I lean Republican because it's more important to me that government stay out of my pocket, versus out of my bedroom).

Anyway, they provide examples of how financial companies have corrupted or swayed politicians. And the politicians are Democrats. Republicans tried to do away with the estate (death) tax. It's both unfair, and the costs associated with the tax exceed the actual amount raised by it. The heavy fire power to keep the tax in place came not from left wing idealists, but rather from life insurance companies. Life insurance companies benefit heavily from the estate tax, because the death tax is not levied on benefits, and also because benefits can be used to avoid having to sell the family business or family farm when someone dies.

A second example was William Hambrecht, founder of a couple of investment banking firms. He put Paul Pelosi Jr., Nancy's son, on his firm's payroll. He also put Pelosi and her husband into initial public offerings (IPO's) where she could flip shares and make big profits. (Sound familiar Esten?) So when Hambrecht wanted to push through a change in regulations for IPO's, Pelosi was at hand to help influence Barney Frank and other members of the House Financial Services Committee.

It bears repeating, you should cease your continual bitching about the Tea Party, as they're the only ones out there trying to stop this bull shit.

Why don't we just say, that if we really want to dig for dirt in every level on the poliitcal front, the corruption, nepotism, and the insider deals could fill up the Grand Canyon? Whether it be Democrats or Republicans. Party affiliation is not a vital issue for me. I have always consider myself a practical compassionate conservative. On this board, I take the side of Obama and Universal Care only because of the blind hatred of the Gang That Could Not Shoot Straight. From Day 1, even before ObamaCare was enacted, the bias, unfairness and hatred started.

The fact is that in our political system, CORPORATE / BIG BUSINESS controls our electoral process and the resultant government. This is the CORRUPTION phase I highlighted in my previous post. Legislation are enacted to allow illegal activities to be legitimate. Even so, banks are paying record fines. Who do you think has the means & power to do that? Poor people, uneducated people, low income workers, undocumented workers? What do you think? One thought, wealth (not all) is generated on the backs of the toiling class. Next time you put on your trousers, give a 10 second silent prayer for the garment workers in Bangladesh. And also before you light up that cigar, or splash some whisky down your throat.

People seem to think that they have alot of control of their lives. Obviously, money helps. But only up to a point. More than 50% or more of what you do is control by marketing forces that tells us what to buy, eat, entertain, laugh or cry. And even where to go. Am I full of shit? Perhaps. Just look at the row of pills that you are taking everyday. How did you become this way, why do you need them?

Ok, enough for today.

[Member #4112]

There is plenty of political corruption on both sides, Democrat and Republican. Ever see anyone, Democrat or Republican, who went to either the House or Senate poor but did not leave rich?

Term limits will not solve all the problems but it would make the politicians to expensive to keep buying every few years and who knows maybe we find a few honest politicians. I know it's an oxymoron!

Reminds me of a joke about politicians my grandfather told me.

Farmer takes a jug of moonshine, a Bible and a $20 gold piece and places them on a counter in his barn. He calls his son who is turning 18 over and tells him to go into the barn and to select what he wants from the items on the counter. The farmer tells his son he will know what his son will be when he makes a man by his selection.

The son enters the barn and sees the jug of moonshine, the Bible and the $20 gold piece. The son thinks about these items for a moment and then takes a swing of the moonshine and puts the jug under one arm, puts the $20 gold piece in his pocket and the Bible under the other arm and walks our of the barn.

The farmer see's his son, shakes his head and swears. My boy is going to be a damn politician!

Monger on.

[Tiny12]

There's an article in this month's Reason Magazine that I wish I could link to, for the benefit of Reverend Black Shirt and WT69, but it's not on the web. Reason, by the way, is hard core libertarian. They hate Republicans as much as Democrats. (I lean Republican because it's more important to me that government stay out of my pocket, versus out of my bedroom).

Anyway, they provide examples of how financial companies have corrupted or swayed politicians. And the politicians are Democrats. Republicans tried to do away with the estate (death) tax. It's both unfair, and the costs associated with the tax exceed the actual amount raised by it. The heavy fire power to keep the tax in place came not from left wing idealists, but rather from life insurance companies. Life insurance companies benefit heavily from the estate tax, because the death tax is not levied on benefits, and also because benefits can be used to avoid having to sell the family business or family farm when someone dies.

A second example was William Hambrecht, founder of a couple of investment banking firms. He put Paul Pelosi Jr., Nancy's son, on his firm's payroll. He also put Pelosi and her husband into initial public offerings (IPO's) where she could flip shares and make big profits. (Sound familiar Esten?) So when Hambrecht wanted to push through a change in regulations for IPO's, Pelosi was at hand to help influence Barney Frank and other members of the House Financial Services Committee.

It bears repeating, you should cease your continual bitching about the Tea Party, as they're the only ones out there trying to stop this bull shit.

[Jackson]

They and others will be subject to the increasing penalties of the mandate in future years. In 2016, the penalty will be $695 or 2.5% of family income. This ensures the enrollment numbers will steadily increase from the current 2 Million figure. Just remember that when the detractors loudly and repeatedly proclaim the ACA has failed because not enough people signed up. It is a phased implementation.

Yea, that's going to go over like a lead balloon.

I can just hear the Millennials now: "What! Obamacare isn't FREE? You mean that I have to PAY even if I don't want it!"

Thanks,

Jax

[Esten]

All the lame fearmongering and attacks have failed to stop the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, that moves America forward in expanding access to healthcare, banning exclusions based on pre-existing conditions, and reducing medical bankruptcies. This is the solid foundation of the ACA that ensures it is here to stay, because most Americans support the core provisions of the new law.

Republicans jump from one myopic point to another, hoping to rile up Americans. What a laugh. Truly pathetic, but this is what we have come to expect from them. In 2014, things will become smoother after the implementation bumps, and expect more and more people to tire of the attacks. People will want concrete proposals on how to improve the law. And they'll want focus on other issues, too.

Notice how Republicans don't contrast the ACA with their failed voucher proposal. That's because a voucher proposal, while ideologically pleasing to some, would not have and will not reform healthcare the way the core provisions of the ACA do.

The hardship exemption for those who had their plans cancelled is only for one year. They and others will be subject to the increasing penalties of the mandate in future years. In 2016, the penalty will be $695 or 2.5% of family income. This ensures the enrollment numbers will steadily increase from the current 2 Million figure. Just remember that when the detractors loudly and repeatedly proclaim the ACA has failed because not enough people signed up. It is a phased implementation.