Posted on 10/19/2013 4:36:43 AM PDT by markomalley
Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli blasted the implementation of ObamaCare as a "national embarrassment" and called the program a "grave threat" in Saturday's weekly Republican address.
The Virginia attorney general said the law was "the hallmark of a reckless federal government that has lost its way," as Republicans looked to seize on a rocky first month of the ObamaCare insurance exchanges.
Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that the online insurance exchanges have created enrollment forms that misreport family members, create duplicate entries, or clear important data fields.
Those problems are in addition to the technical glitches that have plagued the site since its launch at the beginning of the month. Would-be users of the online portal servicing 36 states have found long wait times and buggy code.
On Thursday, White House press secretary Jay Carney said President Obama was “not happy” with the health care exchanges.
“The implementation of the Affordable Care Act is something that the administration is engaged in, including the effort to address the difficulties and glitches that have occurred with the website,” Carney said.
In his address, Cuccinelli highlighted instances of employers citing the new health care law in their decision to drop employees or their spouses from coverage.
"They were told their premiums wouldn’t increase, that proved to be false," Cuccinelli said. "And they were told they could keep access to their insurance and their doctors, and that proved to be downright dishonest."
The White House has dismissed anecdotal instances of employers dropping coverage, arguing that companies were likely using the law as an excuse to reduce benefits. The administration has also denied that employers are systematically cutting hours to avoid penalties under the law.
Cuccinelli also appeared to advocate for the so-called Vitter Amendment in his remarks.
The legislation, championed by Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), would eliminate the subsidy that members of Congress and their staff receive to pay for health insurance. House Republicans had attempted to include the measure in legislation to end the government shutdown, but were ultimately unable to corral enough votes.
“If the politicians who gave us this train wreck expect us to live by this law, then the same law without special exemptions should apply to Congress. Is that really too much to ask?" Cuccinelli said.
Opponents of the measure have said that Congress’s subsidy is no different than private employers picking up part of the cost of employee’s health insurance. They have also argued that insurance could become unaffordable for some low-paid Hill staffers.
Cuccinelli’s address comes with less than three weeks to go before he’ll square off against former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe. An NBC News poll released Thursday found the Tea Party-backed candidate down 8 points — a decline of 3 points from before the government shutdown.
Terry McAuliffe, in my mind brings forward the slimy mental images of the 8 Clinton years. Should do the same for Virginians.
Talk is nice..but will Cucc have the stones to stop ObamaCare in VA? With the failure of the exchanges that is enough for governors to take exec action in their states to stop it
Anyone know if you have to submit bank info incl. access data.
Actually Obama is the real American embarrassment.
“There is no evidence employers are cutting hours because of obamacare.” I’ve heard Carney, Obama and Clinton all say the exact same words. And that makes it true to Obama butt lickers.
Me thinks in the end it will be about taking our money.
So few republicans realize we are fighting a war of survival and not a police action. Finally, Cucc realizes he needs to fight to win and stop fighting not to loose. I am hopeful and will vote for him but am not optimistic. Too many imported liberals in Norther VA and the VA Beach area.
He’s gonna lose-then what? If by some miracle he wins, he should CHOOSE to NOT serve. Serious. The female voters are being played. They enjoy being lied to. Oily guys like Clinton and this punk? If the War on Women is the dems main talking point and that’s all they got-it’s enough to win?
Cooch should say just that. He should then followup with “If the next Republican in the WH wants to APPOINT me as AJ I’ll be available. This electoral stuff is too stupid-I’m done with elective office.”
Saw Hillary on TV campaigning for the Clintoons’ old bagman, Terry Macauliffe. If there were justice in America, someone should have been there with handcuffs.
all they have to do is get half the VA population in NoVa to vote with their uterus and McHillary will probably pull this out. But all will be saved, the libertarian is pulling away enough votes to ensure we have Hillary’s henchman in the state house.
People in VA are so uninformed that they actually think they are going to get something “free” from all this foolishness.
VA Ping
Half the population are women. Cuccinelli can’t win without their support. I don’t have the solution, but too many GOP candidates lose because of how women portray them.
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