Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.): "People Have No Clue"
Ah, it's not a complete day until one leading member of the Democratic party calls the American people stupid - or, in this case, clueless.
Yesterday we had Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell use the "Obama excuse": Voters were angry, so they didn't think logically, therefore they voted for Republicans, and PA Dems unfairly got their asses kicked. Today, we have Representative Ackerman, who is currently trying to set up a trap for the Congressional Republicans. He's just sooo clever:
Using a somewhat unusual tactic, Ackerman, a strong advocate for the healthcare reform law, vowed Tuesday to introduce a series of bills next week that would roll back some of the most popular provisions of the law.
The congressman said the legislation — all titled the HIPA-CRIT (Health Insurance Protects America—Can't Repeal IT) — will give Republicans a chance to "put up, or sit down" on their campaign promise to repeal the eight-month-old law.
"This will be the big chance for Republicans to do what they've vowed to do," the 13-term member said. "These bills will be their chance to at long last restore liberty and repeal the evil monster they've dubbed 'Obamacare.' "
Ackerman has begun circulating a letter to fellow lawmakers telling them to "Go ahead, make my day. Become a cosponsor."
"The Affordable Care Act contains these and many other foolish protections for our constituents," the letter states. "So, join other Members of Congress who want to deprive their constituents of these silly safeguards from the big insurance companies. You can cast your courageous vote on a series of SIX bills to do it. Feel free to call it the HIPA-CRIT Act when you explain your vote."
Will Ackerman's fiendish plan succeed? He reminds me on one Wile E. Coyote ( a "Super Genius", as his business card is wont to say - how apt) whose elaborate plans to snare one Road Runner always seem to backfire... spectacularly.
Ackerman's been reading polls, and he's trying to force the Republicans to either eliminate the "most popular" areas of reform, or vote against it, and thus leave them open to the charge of not repealing the bill when given the chance. Of course, the Republicans can vote for Ackerman's bill, and simply say they need to repeal Obamacare in order to
replace it with a system that won't gut Medicare, create death panels or create weeks-long waits for doctor's services.
Sounds reasonable, and something the American people might accept as a pathway to fix the errors of the previous Democratic Congress. And what would Ackerman say about that? Oh, wait, he already said it:
Ackerman defended the Democrats' legislative record while talking to reporters on Capitol Hill last week.
"Republicans have mischaracterized a lot of the stuff that we've done," he said. "The policy was great [but] we didn't market it. People had no clue."
Because we don't know what to think unless the Democrats tell us what to think, right, Gary? It's not as if we have access to computers, televisions, newspapers, and are capable of coming to an informed decision...right?
What are you saying, Congressman? That if you send out a legislative proposal on a parade float with shiny balloons and kick-line girls and solemn-looking gentlemen dressed like historical American figures while the band plays marching songs, that Americans will swallow any load of shit you intend to serve us? That unless we are properly "marketed" to, we won't have a clue what to think and can fall prey at any time to unhelpful thoughts, illogical decisions, and stupid electoral choices?
That's what it sounds like to me. But go ahead, pal, call us hypocrites and tempt the tiger by sticking your hand out and daring him to bite it; all the while thinking the dumb bastards would never, ever, actually go for it...
Yesterday we had Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell use the "Obama excuse": Voters were angry, so they didn't think logically, therefore they voted for Republicans, and PA Dems unfairly got their asses kicked. Today, we have Representative Ackerman, who is currently trying to set up a trap for the Congressional Republicans. He's just sooo clever:
Using a somewhat unusual tactic, Ackerman, a strong advocate for the healthcare reform law, vowed Tuesday to introduce a series of bills next week that would roll back some of the most popular provisions of the law.
The congressman said the legislation — all titled the HIPA-CRIT (Health Insurance Protects America—Can't Repeal IT) — will give Republicans a chance to "put up, or sit down" on their campaign promise to repeal the eight-month-old law.
"This will be the big chance for Republicans to do what they've vowed to do," the 13-term member said. "These bills will be their chance to at long last restore liberty and repeal the evil monster they've dubbed 'Obamacare.' "
Ackerman has begun circulating a letter to fellow lawmakers telling them to "Go ahead, make my day. Become a cosponsor."
"The Affordable Care Act contains these and many other foolish protections for our constituents," the letter states. "So, join other Members of Congress who want to deprive their constituents of these silly safeguards from the big insurance companies. You can cast your courageous vote on a series of SIX bills to do it. Feel free to call it the HIPA-CRIT Act when you explain your vote."
Will Ackerman's fiendish plan succeed? He reminds me on one Wile E. Coyote ( a "Super Genius", as his business card is wont to say - how apt) whose elaborate plans to snare one Road Runner always seem to backfire... spectacularly.Ackerman's been reading polls, and he's trying to force the Republicans to either eliminate the "most popular" areas of reform, or vote against it, and thus leave them open to the charge of not repealing the bill when given the chance. Of course, the Republicans can vote for Ackerman's bill, and simply say they need to repeal Obamacare in order to
replace it with a system that won't gut Medicare, create death panels or create weeks-long waits for doctor's services.Sounds reasonable, and something the American people might accept as a pathway to fix the errors of the previous Democratic Congress. And what would Ackerman say about that? Oh, wait, he already said it:
Ackerman defended the Democrats' legislative record while talking to reporters on Capitol Hill last week.
"Republicans have mischaracterized a lot of the stuff that we've done," he said. "The policy was great [but] we didn't market it. People had no clue."
Because we don't know what to think unless the Democrats tell us what to think, right, Gary? It's not as if we have access to computers, televisions, newspapers, and are capable of coming to an informed decision...right?
What are you saying, Congressman? That if you send out a legislative proposal on a parade float with shiny balloons and kick-line girls and solemn-looking gentlemen dressed like historical American figures while the band plays marching songs, that Americans will swallow any load of shit you intend to serve us? That unless we are properly "marketed" to, we won't have a clue what to think and can fall prey at any time to unhelpful thoughts, illogical decisions, and stupid electoral choices?
That's what it sounds like to me. But go ahead, pal, call us hypocrites and tempt the tiger by sticking your hand out and daring him to bite it; all the while thinking the dumb bastards would never, ever, actually go for it...
