FIASCO

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

Phil1111

Yawn

23 million less insured under revised republican ACA, nine years from now 51 million uninsured(15%).

With older insured paying up to ten times as much.
http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/24/cbo-issues-new-estimates-on-obamacare-repeal-bill.html

Nothing like reading comprehension to bring focus to the electorate and lawmakers.Boo hoo to Meadows and his crocodile tears.

Gotta love Paul Ryan.

After the CBO report said that 23 million would lose coverage, he called is a Positive Step.

Really? "Only" 23 million are going to lose coverage, instead of the 24 million predicted earlier.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[tkhayes 348]

Here, drink this poison. The good news is that at least it acts quickly. Always look for the positive side of things.

[billvon 2,991]

>Here, drink this poison. The good news is that at least it acts quickly.

And it will kill you in 24 seconds instead of 23! See, the republicans are always trying to give people every extra second of life.

[Phil1111 1,149]

Mike Dubke, the White House communications director, has resigned from his position, a move that could portend a wider shakeup of the team, CBS News and The Washington Post are reporting Tuesday....

Dubke, who had been on the job three months, resigned May 18,..

The job of the White House communications director is to promote the administration’s agenda and coordinate its messaging. Dubke came to the White House in February to help ease some of Sean Spicer’s responsibilities.
https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2017/05/mike-dubke-out/528462/

[Stumpy 284]

Phil1111

Mike Dubke, the White House communications director, has resigned from his position, a move that could portend a wider shakeup of the team, CBS News and The Washington Post are reporting Tuesday....

Dubke, who had been on the job three months, resigned May 18,..

The job of the White House communications director is to promote the administration’s agenda and coordinate its messaging. Dubke came to the White House in February to help ease some of Sean Spicer’s responsibilities.
https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2017/05/mike-dubke-out/528462/

He's probably just exhausted with all the winning.

Never try to eat more than you can lift

[Phil1111 1,149]

Macron slams 'lying Russian propaganda' in frank talks with Putin

"Maybe they were Russian hackers, maybe they were not," he said. A more candid Macron let fly when questioned about two pro-Kremlin media outlets that were barred from his campaign headquarters after being accused of a smear campaign.

The RT broadcaster and Sputnik agency are "organs of influence and untruthful propaganda, nothing more, nothing less," he declared.

RT's chief editor Margarita Simonyan, in a statement, dismissed Macron's comment as "baseless accusations" for which "not a single piece of evidence" had been provided.

Macron also took the bull by the horns on human rights, saying Putin had promised him "the whole truth" about an alleged crackdown on gay men in Russian-controlled Chechnya and warning he would be "vigilant" on the issue.

'No concessions'

France's youngest ever president made a successful debut on the world stage last week, holding his own against Trump at a NATO summit in Brussels and winning plaudits from his peers at a G7 summit in Italy.

Meanwhile, in the USA, in the WH trump excludes US media and invites Russian media, IN THE OVAL OFFICE!!!

[Phil1111 1,149]

Donald Trump acted like 'a drunk tourist' on Europe trip that led Angela Merkel to proclaim end of US alliance

President took harsher stance against European allies than against leaders of Middle East in Riyadh

Donald Trump was like a “drunk tourist” on his first trip abroad, which saw awkward handshakes with the French President, shoving the Prime Minister of Montenegro and causing German Chancellor Angela Merkel to declare the end of the US alliance with Europe.

A US State Department official blasted the “arrogance” of the President as he flew from Saudi Arabia and Israel to Europe last week.

“Loud and tacky, shoving his way around the dance floor. He steps on others without realising it. It’s ineffectual.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/donald-trump-trip-abroad-saudi-arabia-europe-nato-climate-change-human-rights-handshakes-a7761036.html

[billvon 2,991]

Updates on Trumpcare:

It's too "mean." From The Hill: "President Trump called the House's ObamaCare repeal bill "mean" and said it should be more generous."

But what's in it? Hah, you think they are going to show you losers what's in it? You'll just whine. "Oh, it takes away my mother's care. Oh, poor me." From Vanity Fair:
========
Negotiations are reportedly accelerating behind closed doors as the G.O.P. inches closer to fulfilling a nearly decade-long dream: repealing Obamacare, lowering taxes, cutting government subsidies, and shrinking Medicaid. Of course, there’s been little reporting on their progress, primarily because Senate Republicans—having learned their lessons from the very public failures of their House colleagues—aren’t speaking to the media. There are no plans for public hearings on the legislation, which is overwhelmingly unpopular. And, according to two senior G.O.P. senate aides who spoke to Axios, there are no plans to release the draft text.

“We aren’t stupid,” one Senate aide told Caitlin Owens, who reports that the negotiations could be wrapped as early as this week. Unlike Democrats, who held 36 days of hearings on Obamacare, Republicans would reportedly send their legislation straight to the Congressional Budget Office to be scored.
==========

Fortunately some members of the legislature are standing up against these tactics. Even Mitch McConnell himself is rebelling: "Even many of the people who support this bill with their votes don’t like it. We’re left with party-line votes in the middle of the night, a couple of sweetheart deals to get it over the finish line, and a public that’s outraged.”

(Oops. That was for Obamacare, which took many months longer.)

[ryoder 1,590]

Republicans are privately angry at Trump for accidentally unmasking their big scam
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2017/06/14/republicans-are-privately-angry-at-trump-for-accidentally-unmasking-their-big-scam/

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[Phil1111 1,149]

ryoder

Republicans are privately angry at Trump for accidentally unmasking their big scam
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2017/06/14/republicans-are-privately-angry-at-trump-for-accidentally-unmasking-their-big-scam/

Ah! The knives are out.

[coreceo 0]

On a serious note, one of the issues with this plan is that once a person on "expanded" medicaid (not those on disability or that truly need/deserve it) will lose their benefits once they achieve a status that disqualifies them, forever. For example, under the current law, if you receive $2000+ in any one month, then you are disqualified from receiving medicaid. But, basically, you can then re-apply when that money is gone and be accepted again under the qualifications for "expanded" medicaid.

Under the proposed system, once you are disqualified, you won't be able to come back under the qualifications for expanded medicaid.

On the surface, I think thats reasonable, but what's not reasonable are the terms that will disqualify you and ultimately terminate your insurance permanently.

For example, if you bust yours ass at a dead end job for one month and just happen to break $2000, or receive an inheritance of $2000 dollars in one month, it will disqualify you for that month, and then there is no recourse to get it back for the rest of the year/life.

If this plan were to go into effect, then it should loosen the qualifications and/or disqualifications. . . for example, rather than disqualifying a person for making $2000 in one month, disqualify them for making $2000 in 12 consecutive months, which would be above the poverty line. I think the current qualification for medicaid expansion is for those under 19k.

Hope that makes sense.

[TriGirl 318]

It does. Another example is a friend of mine who is self-employed as an electrician. He could get paid for one big job at the end ($10,000, let's say), but have taken in no payments while working that job the previous two months, and may not have another paying commission for the next three months. So over six months he brought in $10k. Hardly a livable wage. And as someone self-employed, he has to otherwise purchase his own health insurance.

See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!

[GeorgiaDon 362]

Quote

If this plan were to go into effect, then it should loosen the qualifications and/or disqualifications. . . for example, rather than disqualifying a person for making $2000 in one month, disqualify them for making $2000 in 12 consecutive months, which would be above the poverty line. I think the current qualification for medicaid expansion is for those under 19k.

What you say would make sense if the goal was to ensure that people who are abusing the benefit are cut off. However it seems the real goal is to purge as many people as possible as quickly as possible, without any regard as to their actual need, so as to be able to shut down the program as soon as possible and direct the savings to the already well off.

Don

_____________________________________
Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996)
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

[gowlerk 2,191]

Freedom caucus doctrine is simple. If you are good enough to deserve health insurance, or you family is good enough, you will get it somehow. If you are not good enough society does not need you anyway. Fuck off and die. Quietly please.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[billvon 2,991]

So we now have a secret health care bill that democrats and the public are not allowed to see. What do Republicans have to say about this?

"Congress Should Not Draft The Health Care Bill In Secret, All Conference Committee Meetings Should Be Open To The Public." - Vern Buchanan

"It's simply wrong for legislation that'll affect 100% of the American people to be negotiated behind closed doors." - Mike Pence

"If you rush this thing through before anybody even knows what it is, that's not good democracy." - Paul Ryan

[yoink 321]

Hang on. If the Vice president AND the leader of the party are against it, why's it happening?

[billvon 2,991]

>If the Vice president AND the leader of the party are against it, why's it happening?

Because this time the secret healthcare bill is theirs. Those quotes were all from years ago, when they were objecting to Obamacare - a bill that was debated for much longer than this bill will be.

[yoink 321]

ahhh. I thought they were talking about this one.

No real news here, just standard political hypocrisy.

[TriGirl 318]

billvon

>If the Vice president AND the leader of the party are against it, why's it happening?

Because this time the secret healthcare bill is theirs. Those quotes were all from years ago, when they were objecting to Obamacare - a bill that was debated for much longer than this bill will be.

OTOH, I saw one analyst last week say on a panel that when the process is totally transparent, too many special interests derail the process before anything even can be discussed, let alone settled. Blasts from all sides in the court of public opinion without the full picture of what's really being discussed, with the different groups shouting adamant ultimatums (ultimata?) condemning or pledging support under strict conditions.

They say they'll release tomorrow, and give a week for senators to read and understand it before taking it to the floor. In light of the above playing field, I think the idea is reasonable, though the time frame for consideration is too short. If they give it a week, they should use at least three full days of timed discussions on the senate floor. Would prefer to see at least a CBO score followed by two weeks of consideration. One week for reading/understanding/consulting experts, and a week for floor discussions, with separate days allocated to different parts of the proposal.

But I think the sky in that world is a bright neon green, with a navy blue paisley print.

See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!

[billvon 2,991]

Quote

OTOH, I saw one analyst last week say on a panel that when the process is totally transparent, too many special interests derail the process before anything even can be discussed, let alone settled.

I agree. However, accelerating that process will just result in those special interests mounting campaigns that are just as strong - but less informed.

(I wish someone would call Putin and ask him; you know he's got a copy.)

[normiss 800]

So as the news is slowly released informing us the Senate version of AHCA is at best as bad as the one the House attempted....
The AHCA is a huge tax cut for the WEALTHY funded by GUTTING the United States health care system.

This has become beyond disgusting as wheelchair bound protestors are being dragged from their chairs and arrested in DC. Some have been dropped.

No video nor audio permitted today for the White House PRESS CONFERENCE.

What country have we become?

[billvon 2,991]

>The AHCA is a huge tax cut for the WEALTHY funded by GUTTING the United States
>health care system.

Right. Is anyone at all surprised by this? It was written by the wealthy. No one in the Senate or House is going to have to use it, so why should they care what it does to the poor? What matters to them is how much money their accountants will manage to hold onto.

[normiss 800]

Disgusted, ashamed, and embarrassed.
No surprise at all.

[TriGirl 318]

And as of right now, four GOP senators have stated they are against the bill in its current form. Will not get passed as it currently is, and I doubt they'll have the time before the Independence Day recess to get a vote.

See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!

[normiss 800]

They said "yet".

Be very skeptical of Senators with "concerns" voting no.
It could just be a prelude to a deal.