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Sebelius lashes out at GOP governors
The Hill ^ | February 16, 2014 | Jonathan Easley

Posted on 02/26/2014 3:19:22 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Tuesday accused GOP governors of “playing with people’s lives” by refusing to expand Medicaid in their states under ObamaCare.

The criticism from Sebelius is the latest example of an effort by Democrats and the White House to take the offense on the issue of healthcare.

Separately, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released a memo on Wednesday, obtained exclusively by The Hill, informing its candidates that “the political landscape around the Affordable Care Act has shifted in Democrats’ favor” and urging them to use the GOP’s calls to repeal ObamaCare against Republicans.

“Americans are rejecting Republicans’ repeal agenda both nationally and in swing districts, where voters want to see the Affordable Care Act fixed and improved, not repealed,” the memo reads in part.

The DCCC memo cites seven independent polls that found Americans would prefer the healthcare law be changed, rather than replaced.

Democrats also think attacking Republicans who have not expanded the Medicaid program will be fruitful. It was a divisive issue for Republicans: GOP governors in nearly a dozen states either accepted the Medicaid expansion under ObamaCare outright or worked with the administration to design an expansion that catered to their needs.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) initially supported the Medicaid expansion but reversed course when he announced in December that he was running for reelection. Democrats are salivating over the prospect of unseating the vulnerable GOP firebrand, which would give them a crucial state capitol ahead of the 2016 race for the White House.

Sebelius singled out Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a possible GOP presidential candidate in 2016, for criticism. She said it was an outrage that some state governments hadn’t accepted federal dollars and expanded the Medicaid program in order to insure more people.

“It should be a conversation in every community, in every town hall, in every church group and every PTA program to put pressure on the governors and legislatures to say, this is not acceptable,” she said.

A high percentage of those who would obtain Medicaid under an expansion are blacks and Hispanics. As a result, the issue dovetails with the administration’s final enrollment push for ObamaCare and hits the GOP with groups it has struggled to gain traction with.

Sebelius noted Tuesday that some of these states, Texas and Florida in particular, have among the highest levels of uninsured citizens in the country.

Republicans are far from worried about the Democratic efforts.

They’ve repeatedly gone on the attack on ObamaCare themselves.

A notable example is Michigan, where the conservative group Americans for Prosperity is running an ad in which a leukemia patient blames the Affordable Care Act for the loss of her healthcare coverage.

“My message [to Democrats] is: Good luck,” said GOP strategist Matt Mackowiak. “Public opinion on that has shifted so far that, in the absence of some truly overwhelming good news, there’s no amount of money that can be spent to turn the tide.”

Several Democratic candidates are seeking to use ObamaCare to their advantage.

In Florida, Democratic House candidate Alex Sink is up with an ad criticizing her GOP opponent, David Jolly, for supporting

ObamaCare’s repeal, which she contends would hurt seniors. Sink and Jolly are locked in a close special election House race.

“We can’t go back to letting insurance companies do whatever they want,” Sink says in the ad. “Instead of repealing the health law, we need to keep what’s right and fix what’s wrong.”

That’s a tepid endorsement on its face but marks a change by Democrats, who were loath to touch ObamaCare in any way during the disastrous launch of HealthCare.gov in October.

The DCCC is also releasing ads on how repeal would affect some entitlement programs, and launching an online campaign seeking to personalize the effects of repeal in 57 districts.

“Time and again, national Republicans have predicted they will gain a significant number of seats in 2014 because of their position on the Affordable Care Act,” the DCCC memo says. “As Democrats work to fix and improve the law, House Republicans will find their repeal position is anathema to 2014 voters, who won’t choose representatives who will take us back to a broken health care system.”

In addition, House Majority PAC, which seeks to elect Democrats, is up with ads for Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) and Joe Garcia (D-Fla.). The ads concede the website launch was a disaster but attempt to the turn focus back to why Democrats believe the law was important in the first place.

“Both ads criticize the website rollout, but underscore the very reason the ACA is important in the first place,” House Majority PAC spokesman Andy Stone told The Hill. “I think you’ll see Democrats emphasizing success stories out there and helping draw the contrast with the GOP.”

Republicans on Capitol Hill have spent the last few months soliciting stories from their constituents that say they’ve been negatively affected by the healthcare law. And the GOP’s campaign ads have consistently hit those who voted for the law or haven’t shown a sufficient level of opposition to it.

“I don’t understand the [Democratic] strategy of wanting to fight on terrain that benefits Republicans,” Mackowiak said. “It’s really throwing good money out after bad ... the opportunity to show a good story about ObamaCare has passed.”


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; Health/Medicine; Politics
KEYWORDS: aca; healthcare; obamacare; stateexchanges

1 posted on 02/26/2014 3:19:22 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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Date correction: February 26, 2014


2 posted on 02/26/2014 3:26:08 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

“I don’t understand the [Democratic] strategy of wanting to fight on terrain that benefits Republicans,” Mackowiak said”

I’ll answer that comment: The dems obviously figure if they were able to sway the dummies who vote to vote for Obama twice, they can convince them to vote for anything. All it takes is the big lie to be broadcast constantly on social media right up to the election.


3 posted on 02/26/2014 3:32:23 AM PST by Mouton (The insurrection laws perpetuate what we have for a government now.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Obviously, conservatives would be wise to have a solid list of clear, easily understood reasons why ObamaCare cannot be fixed. Additionally, they must be shown an easily understood way to get health care. Only 51% of the actual voting population needs to be convinced. Since many of the likely voters are also the people most likely to be forced to pay their own way, conservatives don’t need to convince welfare clients that they are right. They need to convince likely voters they are right.

Why Can ObamaCare not be fixed no matter what anyone tries?

1. It costs individuals/families too much in total. Premiums are higher, copays are higher, and deductibles are higher. Change that and it can’t be paid for. Unless you enslave doctors and nurses and force them to work for nothing, then that simply cannot work.

2. Also, regarding funding, it must have young people to pay for something that they don’t need and don’t have the money to pay for. I guess you could make the penalty a jail sentence, but that won’t work. Charging a stiff fine won’t work, because the issue is already that they don’t have the money that the government is seeking to get out of them.

3. You can’t take half of a median income for healthcare and expect that family to be able to pay for home, food, clothing, transportation, insurance, amenities.

What is better?

1. Insurance across state lines lowers insurance costs.
2. Tort reform lowers insurance costs.
3. For the 15-30 million who supposedly were without care (although they could go to hospitals)...expand county health departments to do health exams for sickness (not breast implants, sex changes, contraceptives, etc.). If they need a shot, they get it there. If they actually need hospitalization, send them with a voucher to the local hospital. Vouchers paid for by the Fed. No voucher and no insurance in the hospital emergency room, then you are told to go to the county clinic. (Obviously, with the exception of true emergencies.)

The hospitals were covering the costs anyway.


4 posted on 02/26/2014 3:39:07 AM PST by xzins ( Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Those who truly support our troops pray for victory!)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

The WTC attacks on 9/11/2001, it was said, produced $100 bn in damages and killed 3000 people, Americans, in a day.

There is no question whatsoever that 0bamacare has produced $100 bn in damages in terms of lost wages from reduced hours and will have probably killed 3000 or more people, Americans, by March 31, 2014.

“We cannot go backwards to letting the insurance companies “do what they want”...but the solution then must be that we must go “forwards” to letting the insurance companies do “what we want”, “we” being the government elite and its enforced structures of cronyism and uninterrupted incompetence and corruption. Further, these new structures also provide for the taxpayer bailout of these same insurance companies to protect their profits for going along with this regulatory regime; the taxpayers already having been lied to repeatedly, deliberately; their health coverage premia and costs raised massively.

There has never been a more vicious, evil, and diabolical assault on the American people, and there has never been a more vile and offensive gaggle of elitists and fascists operating with all speed against the American people.


5 posted on 02/26/2014 3:59:06 AM PST by Attention Surplus Disorder (At no time was the Obama administration aware of what the Obama administration was doing)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

informing its candidates that “the political landscape around the Affordable Care Act has shifted in Democrats’ favor”

What drugs are these people on???


6 posted on 02/26/2014 4:07:44 AM PST by SECURE AMERICA (Where can I go to sign up for the American Revolution 2014 and the Crusades 2014?)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Tuesday accused GOP governors of “playing with people’s lives” by refusing to expand Medicaid in their states under ObamaCare.

In other words, these governors are looking at the open-ended, unconstrained Medicaid mandate and seeing fiscal insanity. Secretary Sebelius NEEDS to spread the costs of these entitlement expansions over the states to keep the ACA from showing its true cost.

7 posted on 02/26/2014 4:12:44 AM PST by SES1066 (Quality, Speed or Economical - Any 2 of 3 except in government - 1 at best but never #3!)
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To: SECURE AMERICA

informing its candidates that “the political landscape around the Affordable Care Act has shifted in Democrats’ favor”

Some people have no ability to learn and keep proving again and again that they will keep making mind numbingly stupid statements


8 posted on 02/26/2014 4:27:40 AM PST by chiefqc
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

I believe Maine’s governor Paul Lepage blew off the meeting with his holiness and came back home a day early.

He said something about he tries to make every meeting productive, and that pretty much left Obama out.


9 posted on 02/26/2014 4:27:58 AM PST by maine yankee (I got my Governor at 'Marden's')
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To: Mouton

“Americans are rejecting Republicans’ repeal agenda both nationally and in swing districts, where voters want to see the Affordable Care Act fixed and improved, not repealed,”

In other words, We broke it and these simpleton republicans need to shut up and fix it and stop worrying about the impact it is having on the country. Try running on that.


10 posted on 02/26/2014 4:37:35 AM PST by billhilly
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To: Mouton

“Americans are rejecting Republicans’ repeal agenda both nationally and in swing districts, where voters want to see the Affordable Care Act fixed and improved, not repealed,”

In other words, We broke it and these simpleton republicans need to shut up and fix it and stop worrying about the impact it is having on the country. Try running on that.


11 posted on 02/26/2014 4:39:08 AM PST by billhilly
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

I’d say she’s playing with people’s lives. And I can think of the instance of the little girl that needed a transplant that she wouldn’t allow to move up to the adult list for a donor as one example of her playing with lives.


12 posted on 02/26/2014 4:44:03 AM PST by b4its2late (A Progressive is a person who will give away everything he doesn't own.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

I’d say she’s playing with people’s lives. And I can think of the instance of the little girl that needed a transplant that she wouldn’t allow to move up to the adult list for a donor as one example of her playing with lives.


13 posted on 02/26/2014 4:44:12 AM PST by b4its2late (A Progressive is a person who will give away everything he doesn't own.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Democrats are killing people and are now doubling down and wanting the GOP to be accessories.


14 posted on 02/26/2014 5:03:20 AM PST by Truth29
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

What the hell is she talking about? Eric Holder just told the STATES that they can IGNORE ANY LAW THEY want to.


15 posted on 02/26/2014 5:27:30 AM PST by eyeamok
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Attacking and undermining the 1st Amendment is not disregarding it.


16 posted on 02/26/2014 5:41:32 AM PST by arthurus (Read Hazlitt's Economics In One Lesson ONLINEhttp://steshaw.org/economics-in-one-lesson/)
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To: SECURE AMERICA
What drugs are these people on???

Did you see Reid on the floor of the Senate saying over and over that all of the horror stories about Obamacare are lies? ALL of them. There are NO bad stories that are true. None whatsoever!

17 posted on 02/26/2014 11:14:06 AM PST by houeto (We intend to liberate Democrats from the dreaded Job-Lock this November!)
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