I know how you can get the states that won't expand Medicaid to shape up,

[bluestateguy]

but some of you won't like this:

No disaster relief for any state that refuses to expand Medicaid. Tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, floods, earthquakes. No matter. If your state didn't expand Medicaid, then no disaster relief from that bid old socialist federal government that you guys hate so much. There is no constitutional obligation to pay for state and local disasters. It's all at the good grace and pleasure of the federal government.

By all means, if you reverse your policy of expanding Medicaid, then we will be happy to release all the disaster funds your state or city shall need.

[pangaia]

1. I couldn't go with that.

I believe that is one of the differences between us and them.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Bad idea. This would cause the most harm to the people

already hurt by the failure to expand Medicaid. You think the governors of those states would care if those people drowned or starved or whatever? And, if the government withheld disaster relief funds the GOPers would just use that as more justification for hating the government.

[chrisstopher]

3. Sounds good to me

I'm in Oklahoma where our governor is a right winger.
It'll take some type of extreme measures to change her mind.
I'm referring of course to Mary "Hotpants" Fallen.
(I really hate that bitch)

[brewens]

7. Yup. If they don't want to, make them want to! n/t

[NightWatcher]

4. tie it to something else, not disaster relief. Maybe highway funds

[WillyT]

6. And Take Away ALL Federal Contracts...

[stage left]

5. hurting a state already hurting

because their right wing idiot of a governor(Nikki Hayley) won't expand Medicaid isn't going to solve anything. Nikki and people like her are unmoved by the suffering of the people they're supposed to be serving. More suffering won't bring them to a change of heart, as long as they themselves aren't affected. In other words, if the Republicans in power in SC cared about its people they would have expanded Medicaid. A hurricane strikes and the people who can't get health care, now don't have a place to live, nor water, nor food? That won't change Republican minds.

[ladjf]

8. I don't like the idea of trying to punish them for turning down the medicaid.

If the deaths of thousands of their citizens from the lack of insurance doesn't bring them around, I can't think of anything that would.

[JoePhilly]

9. Let the GOP kill off their base if that's what they want.

[OKNancy]

10. You are right, I don't like that

The government should be blind as to the politics of the individual states. Not only that, but it is cruel ( and really a dumb idea )

In fact that proposal sounds very tea-party-ish

[winter is coming]

11. So our "winning strategy" for November is to keep screwing the red states?

I. Don't. Think. So.

It's bad enough that we failed to provide some sort of failsafe in case the Supreme Court did what anyone could have expected they'd do. Denying disaster relief to states who refuse to expand Medicaid will remove any doubt that that oversight was accidental.

[Exposethefrauds]

12. Agree It is nothing more than tough love

[Egnever]

13. Nope don't like it

It won't take long for those states to see the error of their ways and we don't have to do a thing. Hell it is already happening.