Thanks, Obama.

[MannyGoldstein]

Last edited Thu Apr 24, 2014, 09:24 PM - Edit history (1)

The other day I was talking to an acquaintance who watches Fox News for hours a day, if you catch my drift. We were talking about health insurance, and the words slipped out of his mouth:

"Actually, Obamacare does make it easier for individuals to buy health insurance. Before that, people were really screwed if they needed a plan and weren't under a company plan."

Just as the utterance started to flow from his mouth, he realized that his audience was a flaming Liberal, and got this pained "Oh #$%@ I can't believe I'm saying this" look on his face. Priceless! Awesome!

While I have issues with Obamacare, and even larger ones with its gestation, I will say that it is becoming exquisitely effective at blowing today's Republican Party to smithereens. The elected crazies have left themselves unable to hold any position other than Obamacare is Satan's spawn and must die!, yet even hard-core Republicans realize it's here, the sky hasn't fallen, and some of it is helpful.

Boom!

There will be a bloodletting.

And in the end, blowing up today's Republican Party might be more important than anything else - as long as Democrats take advantage of it, of course.

Thanks, Obama!

[99Forever]

1. K&R

[chknltl]

2. First, (oops, on edit second) KnR

I like the way you think sir.

[Cali_Democrat]

3. You're welcome

[Richardo]

5. !!!

[NYC_SKP]

4. Ditto! Thanks Obama!

Knocking on wood and crossing all 23 fingers and toes that the Republicans will feel pain on election day for their resistance to what will, in the end, have made a significant difference in millions of middle class lives.

[immoderate]

6. Yep! National health care is a reform that has evaded progressives for a century!

Obama deserves much credit for breaking the barrier. Time for the whole cheering section.








--imm

[MannyGoldstein]

7. Other than Medicare and Medicaid. nt

[Stryder]

10. Well there is that.

[MannyGoldstein]

11. Great clip, thanks!

Gotta watch that movie again.

[deurbano]

39. Just watched that movie last Sunday night to celebrate (our version of) Easter!

My 15-year-old son had never seen it, but now he is a big fan...

[pnwmom]

12. But those reforms only covered the elderly and the very poor.

So truly national reform, covering all age and income groups, has been eluding us.

We're still not there yet, but it's much closer.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

14. Actually, the huge barrier is that it is the RESPONSIBILITY of the Government to PROVIDE something.

[IronLionZion]

32. One step at a time

building a constituency who will support further reforms that help more people and offer better benefits. Trying to change too much too quickly has been a problem in this country.

[1StrongBlackMan]

35. +1 eom.

[merrily]

46. Too quickly? I guess time flies when you're uninsured.

http://www.pnhp.org/facts/a-brief-history-universal-health-care-efforts-in-the-us

Reform efforts began just about a century ago. Medicaid was enacted 47 years ago, Medicare enacted only a year later, 46 years ago. (Not infrequently, it's better to seize the moment, before the propaganda machine and lobbyists have a chance to do their damage.)

Billarycare was attempted 21 years ago, not at all a question of too much too soon, but other issues. Romneycare 8 years ago. So was Medicare Part D.

Meanwhile, Kennedy said he blocked Nixon's plan for political reasons and Carter claims Kennedy also blocked Carter's plan.

Some glaciers might move faster.

Besides, there would have been a tsunami of public support for Medicare for All.

[calimary]

23. Yes, he does. Worked a near miracle, if you ask me!

Thank you Mr. President! And Thank you Mme once-and-future Speaker (Nancy Pelosi knows how to work Congress so much better than the hapless boner does that, by Jove, SHE helped get it done). Thank you Dems! It sure as hell wasn't the GOP (my husband calls them the republi-KLAN!!! )!!!

[pscot]

8. Mellow Manny

[WillyT]

9. K & R !!!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

13. I tell them "These are the people who STILL claim Iraq was behind 9/11".

[arely staircase]

15. k&r nt

[rhett o rick]

16. Is this "Regular Manny"?? I get so confused. nm

[Marrah_G]

17. LOL

The other manny signs his "third way manny"

[rhett o rick]

18. There's more than one "other Manny". nm

[hrmjustin]

19. Interesting.

[Surya Gayatri]

20. Excellent post, Manny. And all the sweeter coming from a "hold his feet to the fire" Obama sceptic.

n/t

[IronLionZion]

21. Many on the right have switched to attacking from the left

"it doesn't cover everyone!" at which point I promptly start telling them we can move forward to single payer, cover everyone, and have the lowest costs for employers. Single payer really is the pro-business plan. That really gets them very agitated.

I do the same whenever they call the ACA "socialism".

[denbot]

22. Alert-Alert! Somebody hacked Manny's account!

Oh Noes, the end is well nigh!

[Corruption Inc]

24. Self-deluded pukes always vote against their own interests

They learn nothing and are proud of it.

[napkinz]

25. Obama's message to Republicans:

[pkdu]

26. THIS !!!! times a gazillion nt

[pkdu]

27. Manny - we agree on so much , and differ on so little...thankyou for this post. nt

[Progressive dog]

28. K&R

[scheming daemons]

29. What have you done with the real Manny Goldstein?

...

[MannyGoldstein]

36. Ya know, it doesn't matter how many thank-you posts I do

Everyone only remembers the criticism.

[dionysus]

38. thats because 99% of your posts are criticism. but i recced your thread anyhow

[hrmjustin]

45. Your posts are usually memorable.

Last edited Fri Apr 25, 2014, 06:21 PM - Edit history (1)

[MannyGoldstein]

55. Like being tear gassed. nt

[hrmjustin]

56. is that how it feels for you?

[Solomon]

30. Well blow me down!

I'm shocked I tells ya. I almost didn't open the thread because I assumed it was more snark from Manny.

Now that's what you call banking credibility! Lol

[Rex]

31. My RWing neighbors hate hearing the word Obamacare

so naturally I say it whenever I can and very loudly. I guess I could call it the ACA...but why be nice? They watch Foxnews like it was their religion! Makes me wish they would watch something less mind numbingly stupid...like CBN. Sad that I think CBN is less biased than Foxnews...but there you have it.

[Arugula Latte]

42. "Obamacare" started out as a rightwing pejorative term,

and now that the term has been embraced by the other side and Obamacare is working a lot of them can't stand to hear it or use it.

[Rex]

44. Yeah 8 million people so far are benefiting from Obamacare.

I like to remind my neighbor of that when he starts to talk smack about the POTUS.

[Schema Thing]

33. Please repeat till understood:

Quote: "And in the end, blowing up today's Republican Party might be more important than anything else"

[grahamhgreen]

34. Just imagine when he gets his single payer card in the mail;)

[JoePhilly]

37. This is the kind of thing that should energize the Democratic base. nt

[Hissyspit]

40. Point out to them: "Study: Obamacare didn't necessarily lead to health plan cancellations"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014787326

[n2doc]

41. Even Spray-tan Boehner gave up

Now they are frantically trying to come up with an "alternative" to the ACA. Which they won't be able to do because they are so beholden to the Koch's and other scum, who are adamantly opposed to any sort of plan that increases health care access and decreases costs. They are flailing like an alligator biting an electric eel.

[nxylas]

49. Their alternatives are the same ones they always propose

Tort reform and allowing people to buy across state lines - aka making it more difficult to sue for malpractice and a race to the bottom in state laws.

[merrily]

43. Whodda thunk that putting all 50 of your dumbasss eggs into

Last edited Fri Apr 25, 2014, 05:15 PM - Edit history (1)

a single dumbass basket would prove to be a dumbass political move?

Color me shocked.

Belated Happy Easter, dumbass Republican House.

[Skittles]

47. I'm very much enjoying it

and Mr. Bundy is the icing on the cake

[merrily]

48. Great timing, too. November is getting closer.

There's got to be an "all hat, no cattle" joke around here somewhere that we could adapt for Bundy.

Dems should turn it into a new expression.

We can spray, FOX, Kochs, Republicants, and Paulists, all at the same time.

[Control-Z]

52. You're right.

I wish I could be clever that way.

[eridani]

50. I've certainly gotten to like it a lot better since conservatives hate it so much

I was not thrilled with the arrest of single payer advocates, nor leaving out the public option. However the debates in 2009-10 convinced me that we will never get single payer at the national level. It's going to have to be state by state, and ACA makes provisions for that.

[DeSwiss]

51. ''And in the end, blowing up today's Republican Party might be more important than anything else''

- And then after that happens, who would we fight with!?!?! Oh. That's right, never mind. The Democrats.

K&R

[center][/center]

[MannyGoldstein]

53. This cartoon is awesome.

Or is it a comic?

Whatever.

Thank you!

[DeSwiss]

58. Gracias and de nada. n/t

[Peacetrain]

54. Good thread..

The republicans really are having issues on how to deal with this. They just can't seem to comprehend, that health care for all is a good thing..

[Zorra]

57. Yep. I've been serving hot steaming crow very graciously to republican acquaintances.

It's one of my specialty dishes.