Schadenfreude overload: Senate Democrats and Obama staffers at war over Obamacare

Hotair ^ | 11/26/2014 | NOAH ROTHMAN

[SeekAndFind]

There are certain laws of political physics that just cannot be ignored for long. All the bravado about minuscule midterm turnout or audacious executive actions out of the White House cannot forever mask the fact that two disastrous midterm election cycles have sapped the Democratic Party of authority. In 2015, the party will be in one of the weakest positions it has been in nearly a century. As Democrats begin to internalize that suboptimal reality, the effects are spectacular beyond Republicans’ wildest imaginings.

On Tuesday, the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer (D-NY), said aloud what many Democrats had been thinking privately for years when he observed that the party “blew the opportunity the American people gave them” by focusing on passing health care reform amid a recession in 2009 and 2010. Schumer admonished Democrats for being myopically consumed with addressing “the wrong problem” at the time.

Schumer went on to add that the Affordable Care Act was not only the wrong policy at the wrong time but that its goals were misguided as well. “To aim huge change at such small percentage of electorate made no political sense,” Schumer added. Translated, New York’s senior senator is saying that reshaping the entire American health care system in order to insure just 30 million Americans – an objective which the ACA seems unlikely to achieve – was a foolhardy approach to governance.

By essentially legitimizing a series of Republican talking points, Schumer sparked a firestorm.

“It’s a gut punch for a member of leadership who’s supposed to be our message guy to throw his colleagues under the bus like this purely for self-promotion,” one unnamed Senate aide told Politico. “There’s no question the politics of ACA have been challenging, but millions of people now have health care who didn’t have it before and that’s something Democrats should be proud of and working together to defend – not using as a backboard to score cheap self-promotional points.”

The communications director for Howard Dean’s Democracy for America told Politico that Schumer, and anyone else who thinks like he does about the ACA, needs to have “their head examined.”

But the most pugnacious, antagonistic, unceasing deluge of criticism for Schumer came from President Barack Obama’s team of young former speechwriters: Tommy Vietor, Jon Favreau, and Jon Lovett.

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, the group unleashed a tirade of recriminations directed at Schumer.

“I’m sure Chuck Schumer has his reasons for wanting to debate 2009 Democratic political tactics but I’m also sure those reasons are terrible,” Lovett tweeted. After defending what he said was the administration’s victory in a “century-long policy battle,” Lovett added that Democrats who lost their seats over it knew they were sacrificing them for the greater good.

“In a way, it’s refreshing to see Schumer admit to being so cynical,” Lovett added. “It’s been his MO forever.”

“Funny, I don’t remember Chuck Schumer giving that advice when he was privately and publicly championing the Affordable Care Act in 2010,” Favreau agreed.

“Shorter Chuck Schumer,” Vietor submitted, “I wish Obama cared more about helping Democrats than sick people.”

But if you thought this circular firing squad consisted of Obama era Democrats directing their attacks only at the old oaks in their midst, you would be mistaken. Freshly co-opted by the Senate’s Democratic leadership, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) backed Schumer’s position.

“Sen. Warren agrees with Sen. Schumer that there was an urgent need in 2009 and 2010 to help middle class families who were struggling to get by and that more should have been done,” read a statement released by Warren spokeswoman Lacey Rose.

Progressives might have been able to ignore Schumer’s warnings, but they can scarcely afford to overlook Warren. While these Senate Democrats are not denouncing the Affordable Care Act per se, their comments serve to undermine this law’s legitimacy. The fact that Democrats believe that drastic course of action is necessary to distance the party from its unpopular leader so as to remain viable in the next election cycle is a level of vindication Republicans could have only dreamed of just one year ago.

[American Constitutionalist]

Hey we got a name for their movement, call it the Flea Party.

[huckfillary]

There are no accidents in politics. This was purposely designed to green-light criticism of Obamacare by other high-ranking Democrats. The Democrats are beginning to realize that Obamacare guarantees one wave election after another.

[American Constitutionalist]

Obolacare was never “ Good law “ ....
We got a hint of things to come when they hid what was in it before they passed it.
Nancy Pelosi’s “ we won’t know what is in it until we pass it. “ ....

[Sirius Lee]

No one likes it and its failed to achieve its objective.

It's this century's Smoot Hawley, but much more damaging.

[jyro]

could it be that all those staffers just realize that their going to have to try to live under it and it’s no good.

[windsorknot]

0bamafraud had a great fall. All the King’s horses..............

[jyro]

Regardless how you dress it, a turd is still a turd.

[catfish1957]

When Democrats in Deep Blue States are repudiating Obamacare, it says the writing is on the wall.

I guess they finally had a chance to read it.

[Kickass Conservative]

I was commenting on the Commercials. I’m sure you’ve seen them.

Who would get a Bronze Plan? The deductibles are $6,000 per person.

As far as the Commercials go, some Dude saying he was able to visit a Dermatologist and it saved his Life because of Commiecare. He couldn’t afford a $75 Doctor Visit until we paid for it? Probably cut into his Beer Budget.

There are two kinds of People in Obama’s America, the ones that are owed a Living and the ones that owe them a Living.

[Agamemnon]

Medicaid is better than this private insurance crap and I pay ZERO premiums and I’m covered with NO expensive deductibles and co-payments are very affordable.

I have to admit I’ve come to like single payer.

So, "goldstateGOP-E," that's all it took for geezer like you to be co-opted by Obama, is it?

LBJ had the likes of you on mind when he got Medicare and Medicaid passed back in 1965.

As did Reagan back then, when he opposed both.

It might be easy for you to be a medical welfare leech now, but if everyone winds up being reduced to being medical welfare wards of the state you'll likely find yourself at the back of a very long line waiting for care with a dollar cost slapped on your continued existence, and where State death panels will be certain to winnow the "useless eaters"

Given your age and ailments the State may very well conclude that you will be numbered among that mass of "useless eaters."

[Southack]

Easy on the Medicaid. After you die, your State will collect enough of your estate to repay your full Medicaid costs.

Medicaid is essentially an estate tax.

It’s a great option for people with no children, though.

[goldstategop]

No.

All I’m saying it says something when we have no true free market and the only plan on offer that’s affordable is the one run by the state.

If we had a true free market, we wouldn’t have Obamacare.

And do you really expect Republicans to get rid of the corrupt system?

We’ve been waiting four years. If you want to take it up, don’t be angry with me. After all, I didn’t design, vote for and pass Obamacare for every one else to find out what’s in it.

[goldstategop]

LOL.

Do I look rich enough for them to recover from my estate?

And I’m not married and have no kids.

And I’m nowhere near 55. In any case, trying to claw back money from me is despicable when they won’t go after dead beats like Al Sharpton.

[goldstategop]

Yup.

Even my old HMO plan was far better than the low end crap now marketed and sold as Obamacare.

I was covered for a low monthly premium and low out of pocket costs.

This is an expensive failure cuz it sure as heck isn’t addressing the uninsured problem.

Whom Chuck Schumer himself admitted amounted to only 5% of the population.

[txhurl]

Hey we got a name for their movement, call it the Flea Party.

---

BTTT!!!!

[PGalt]

WILL the “stupid Americans” in CONgre$$ who were bamboozled by the tricky totalitarian to vote for ACA, express outrage and want his head on a platter and his deception dollars back in the till?

#2STOOPID2BINCONGRE$$

RESIGN

IDIOTS

[goldstategop]

You know they won’t vote to repeal it.

A position I love because its worked so well for them since 2010.

Nothing quite succeeds like stupid.

[rrrod]

Well then I think all Democrats should resign from public office in protest.....

[VRW Conspirator]

“I’m sure Chuck Schumer has his reasons for wanting to debate 2009 Democratic political tactics but I’m also sure those reasons are terrible,” Lovett tweeted. After defending what he said was the administration’s victory in a “century-long policy battle,” Lovett added that Democrats who lost their seats over it knew they were sacrificing them for the greater good.

I put words in bold to illustrate the "progressive" attitude that was spoken by Stalin long ago.

[Agamemnon]

If you want to take it up, don’t be angry with me.

You've become part of the problem, and as much as admit you've never been part of the solution.

By contrast my currently 85 year old father was a practicing physician back in 1965 and opposed Medicare and Medicaid to the point of preferring to receive in-kind payments from poor patients rather than $ from the government dole. He did what was in his power to do to oppose it.

He acted on his convictions.

Now you are reduced to being a taker sending your bills to everyone else. Not only that, you sing the praises of doing so.

Yes, you are part of the problem.