Warning Flags For The Tea Party And Democrats In 2014

[Purveyor]

by Susan Page on Nov. 06, 2013

Source: USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — As voters in some states cast ballots Tuesday, warning signs flared for Tea Party forces and the Democratic Party about their prospects in the broader and more critical midterm elections precisely one year from now.

The staying power of the conservative movement that burst onto the scene four years ago was called into question in this year’s marquee contests. Tea Party nemesis Chris Christie swept to a landslide re-election as governor in New Jersey, a case study in how more moderate Republicans can carry even Democratic-leaning states. Tea Party favorite Ken Cuccinelli lost a closer race against Democrat Terry McAuliffe for governor in Virginia, a contest establishment Republicans thought they could have won with a more mainstream candidate.

Still, Democrats saw looming problems of their own on the horizon — not so much in returns from the off-year elections but in the roiling furor over the flawed rollout of the federal health care exchange. One key official, Marilyn Tavenner, was grilled at a Senate hearing Tuesday, and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was slated to be back on the hot seat Wednesday at another hearing on Capitol Hill.

For yet another election, Obamacare seems to be emerging as the defining issue of 2014. This time, the controversy over the president’s signature legislative achievement is gaining traction not as a result of Republican attacks but through administration fumbles.

“Certainly, other issues may rise and fall — but Obamacare is the constant that runs through this election,” says Oregon Rep. Greg Walden, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and a critic of the Affordable Care Act.

more...

http://tucsoncitizen.com/usa-today-news/2013/11/06/warning-flags-for-the-tea-party-and-democrats-in-2014/

[Scuba]

1. Yes, 'cause only moderate Republicans.... oh, fuck this shit.

[Polly Hennessey]

2. Susan Page?

Oh,no, it's Susan "Please Turn The" Page----she is as smart as a brick wall.

[Peacetrain]

3. Since when do we equat the Democratic and Tea Party as the same outlier

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Susan..

Are you by omission saying that the traditional republican party is somehow this new center emerging. hmmmmmmmmmmmm Susan?

The same traditional republican party that lied us into Iraq, and blew the hell out of our budgets by running everything on a credit card. hmmmmmmmmm Susan?

Curious minds would like to know

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. Good point Peacetrain

Didn't realize that the Dems are now considered the "fringe" like the Tea Party.

[Peacetrain]

7. Yep Proud Liberal Dem.. according to Susan..

[busterbrown]

4. “flawed rollout of the “Federal Health Exchange”?

Are you not reading what I am.? That everyday there are indications that it is getting better. That people who are trashing the exchange who end up on media retelling their “horror stories" are being exposed for just being ignorant to what programs are available to them..( not necessarily their fault)..

Things are slowly progressing for the Affordable Healthcare Act and you can bet by Nov. of 2014 republicans will
try to press the point that they were instrumental through their criticisms of fixing the system..

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. Can't blame (some of) them for right-wing/MSM driven ignorance or lies

still, they shouldn't let themselves be used as pawns in their little games IMHO. And all of the "concern trolling" over the ACA is getting rather tiresome. Are there some problems/issues that need to be addressed? Yes. Is anybody likely going to die because of ACA's flaws? Probably no more likely than under the old system. Are we all likely going to be better off in the long run? Hard (for me at least) to see how things will wind up being worse. Anybody complaining about the new system ought to be calling up their Congresscritters and telling them to get off their butts (mainly speaking to Republican teabaggers here) and work with President Obama to come up with CONSTRUCTIVE solutions to the issues. There's really no effective way for Republicans to dismantle ACA and they won't have the power to completely repeal it or do any serious damage to the law until 2017 (at the earliest), so they might as well learn to live with it like the rest of us have learned to live with Medicare Part D.