Health Insurance Industry to GOP: “Nevermind”

“Obamacare.” “Government Takeover of our health care!” “Shoved down the throats of The American People!” “Repeal and Replace!”

There’s just one tiny problem with all these hysterical rightwing soundbites: the health insurance industry doesn’t want Obamacare “repealed and replaced.”

Obama will veto every attempt to repeal health care reform. But more importantly, the HMOs will clamp onto Obamacare like a pit bull if the GOP tries to repeal it. The individual mandate is the most unpopular part of Obamacare and the basis for most of the lawsuits against it. It’s also a multi-billion-dollar gold mine for HMOs. Good luck trying to take that away from them.

Congressional Republicans can still keep the teabaggers riled up over “Socialized Medicine!” and “Death Panels!” They’ll probably add a “Repeal Obamacare!” amendment to every bill. But at least now we all know that the GOP’s puppetmasters don’t actually want them to succeed with “Repeal and Replace.”

Don’t worry, Republicans will probably continue with their “Repeal and Replace” fanfare and Astroturf “demonstrators” waving mis-spelled signs. What else are they gonna do?

“Repeal and Replace”

Fifty years ago, southern rednecks shouted “Segregation Today, Segregation Tomorrow, Segregation Forever!” Twenty-five years before that, their counterparts probably had slogans and dire warnings against public works projects, Social Security and other socialist threats to America. Today nobody even remembers those soundbites and warnings.

And years from now, nobody will remember the Republicans’ current mass tantrum of “Repeal and replace!”

This is the best they can do? Well, at least their new slogan has more syllables than their previous slogan, “No.” Maybe they’ve gotten a tiny bit smarter. Riiight.

Mitch McConnell said: “I have more chins than the Hong Kong phonebook Repeal and replace will be the slogan for the fall.”

Good luck with that. He should’ve just cut to the chase: “We have absolutely nothing to offer. We haven’t had an original idea in decades. All we can do is cross our arms, stamp our feet and say NO.”

I have no idea whether the new health care bill is popular with the public or not. Poll results are all over the map. The rightwads will claim that 99.9% of the public is furious over this government takeover. I doubt it. My guess is, a lot of people are relieved that a decision finally got reached after a full year of hysteria, threats and namecalling. In general, the public likes and respects people who move forward and take decisive action. People who try to turn back the clock, or who stand on the shore and scream for the tide to stop coming in — not so much.

The public also hates spineless wimpy politicians, which is why it was so important for the Democrats to finally score a legislative victory after a year of getting sand kicked in their faces by Republicans.

And this public disdain and disrespect for wusses should be a warning to Republican legislators. Marching in lockstep, doing and saying everything in unison — Congressional Republicans look like a bunch of automatons. Simpletons. Bots.

When Mitch McConnell and John Boehner yell “Shit,” their terrified minions yell “What Color Sir?!?!?”

Is this the kind of “representation” their constituents want? The political process is supposed to be messy, chaotic, full of disagreement, shouting, bargaining. Republican politicians have about as much individuality as a bunch of military recruits executing “To The Rear, March!” with perfect precision because they’re scared shitless of their drill instructor.

Is that what the public wants?