Post 100! Interesting Games being Played

So Ron Johnson has a 4 page piece of legislation entitled the "If you like your health plan, you can keep it" Act. 

Johnson’s bill — and similar legislation introduced in the House by Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Fred Upton (R., Mich.) — is threatening to reopen the wounds of the government shutdown that had GOP lawmakers openly feuding a few weeks ago. Republicans once again find themselves at loggerheads over exactly how to strike at the president’s health-care law. 

The House and Senate bills differ, with Upton’s legislation taking a broader swipe at the law. It would allow all plans that existed on the individual market on January 1, 2013, to stay in effect through 2014, but also would go a step further, giving everybody — not just those who had the plans previously — the opportunity to purchase them. The Johnson bill, by contrast, would merely allow individuals to keep, in perpetuity, plans they had at any point between the enactment of Obamacare and December 31, 2013.

Seems pretty straightforward. So of course it's a big mess.

Here's a piece of legislation, Obamacare, that is a big giant failure of a bill that is demonstrably hurting people. It's crushing the democrat's approval rating and President Obama's even more. It's only upside is the possible destruction of the democrat party and a complete change in the country's opinion of government as a service. This is not a small thing.

I say "possible," however. Such a significant portion of the country not only doesn't vote, but it is entirely likely if they ran across a voting booth, they would mistakenly relieve themselves in it, so ignorant are they of the process. A bill like Johnson's could at least help the many who are being hurt by Obamacare, many of whom did not want it and voted against Obama in the first place.

This is the fight the GOP is having now and I have to admit to being of two minds on this one. As a supporter of the "let it burn" crowd, slapping this band aid on it will help the in the short term but maybe make it that much harder to get rid of this monstrosity in the long term. On the other hand, it may not go anywhere no matter what, so we better do what we can to help people.

As I said, the GOP isn't together on this one either:

Johnson, however, will in all likelihood face opposition from members of his own party. Though 40 Senate Republicans have lined up to co-sponsor the bill, two are conspicuously absent: shutdown architects Ted Cruz and Mike Lee. (Nevada’s Dean Heller and Alabama’s Richard Shelby are the other holdouts.) A Lee spokesman says the senator “hasn't figured out” whether he will support the Johnson bill yet. 

Supporters of the defund movement argue that the law will collapse under its own weight. The ACA “is falling apart, and it needs to fall apart totally and completely at the feet of the Democrats,” says a senior Republican Senate aide. “The Republicans tried everything in their power to stop Obamacare, including the defund effort, and now we are seeing exactly why the Republicans tried. We shouldn't do anything to go down with the ship with the Democrats.”

Indeed. It will collapse, the question is how many will it take with it? How many people will be without heath insurance and have to deal with mounting health bills or worse, get subjected to the death panels that will inevitably come into play? Is this a sacrifice we are willing to make for the long term goal of getting rid of this? If so, then this bill won't get rid of Obamacare any faster.

In the end, I think letting it burn is the only way to get rid of it. If it's here for decades before it finally dies, damage is going to be incalculable. I believe that not letting people keep their health insurance is really the only immediate and damaging thing that is being felt by the American people. If Johnson's legislation gets passed, then the main weapon we have to get rid of this thing in the next three years will be gone. we'll be stuck with this thing. Yes, people will get hurt, no doubt by Obamacare. We have to make sure the blame goes where it belongs: the people who foisted it on us in the first place. We have only to deal with the next three year then.

So this legislation, while nice in the short term, is terrible in the long term. And even in the short term, can quickly be used against us. Because believe me, if the dems sign on to this legislation to "fix" Obamacare, and the GOP infighting prevents its passage, Obamacare's will be pinned on the GOP and the Tea Party, by willing liars in the media. That cartoon will become truth.

And we will have no chance after that to get anyone elected, let alone fix this thing.