Just when you thought the Affordable Care Act could no longer provide substantive political damage or controversy it turns out the Architect did a fair bit of truth telling. Before we delve into the currently minor but potentially bigger problem his comments could cause here they are if you are currently thinking "what the fuck is jim talking about ? "
Gruber, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who also helped craft that state’s healthcare reform law, said Tuesday that he regrets saying ObamaCare passed because of the “stupidity of the American voter.”
Two additional videos have been released since then. In those clips, Gruber said the law’s passage relied on “basic exploitation of [voters’] lack of economic understanding,” and that Americans are “too stupid to understand" the law's so-called Cadillac tax.
Republicans have pounced on the remarks and are already weighing congressional hearings, which would create an enormous headache for Democrats.
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/223953-voter-stupidity-remark-gives-gop-new-ammo-on-obamacare
Now I sincerely hope you did not focus on the nonsensical inclusion of the D and R at the end. Gruber was paid 400,000 in consulting fees to pass the President's legacy legislation. This man in order to fulfill that contract has to have the political knowledge to know the consequences of what he is saying and the potential implications. Then again if he had a smidgen of political knowledge he'd be in fill Lois Lerner mode.
Obamacare is perhaps the most frustrating name or moniker for the Affordable Care Act. Perhaps I'll post something later about my full and frank thoughts on the Affordable Care Act. My goal is to write a political book one day about President Obama's term from a historic independent viewpoint. I was ineligible to vote in 2008 because my birthday is the fast approaching Nov 16th. However, I would have voted for 2008 Obama in a heartbeat over McCain and a GOP that was finishing up the Bush Era. The incorrect choice the President made in not listening to his COS Rham on the ACA will span several chapters I am sure.
However, the ACA has become the battleground of the Dems and GOP so much so that Gruber may think his comments will simply get dismissed as political fodder.
One of my favorite journalists wrote it best today when he summed up the comments thusly
Back to The Post's story: Gruber's remarks are evidence that the administration intentionally deceived the American public on the costs of the programs. The author attributed that fact to "some of the law's critics." Not necessary; Gruber's remarks may not be dispositive, but they certainly are evidence.
Last year, The Post helped document how Obama and his advisers knowingly misled the public during his 2012 reelection campaign by repeatedly saying that, under Obamacare, people could keep their doctors and keep their health plans. To knowingly mislead is to lie.
"It's hard to know what might have happened if the truth had won the day," writes Post columnistKathleen Parker. "But we do know that truth squandered is trust lost."
And so even I have to admit, as a supporter, that Obamacare was built and sold on a foundation of lies. No way around it, unless you're willing to accept a political system that colors its lies—the reds, the whites, and the blues.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/white-house/obamacare-s-foundation-of-lies-20141112
The whole thing is worth the read.
Most importantly for you ,the person not reading his article like I suggested, is there is no way a GOP dominated Congress will not hold hearings with this guy as the sole participant.
Let me paint the opening statement from an independent political observer perspective
Mr. Gruber was paid handsomely and directly to consult, advise, and write the law. He admitted in the most casual of settings ( an academic talk at an Ivey league school (( Must be something about being around competent questioners Mr. Biden told some foreign policy truths to Harvard earlier this year) ) that the language of the law doesn't reflect reality of it's effect in order to get through CBO budgeting projections and characterizations of being a tax or subsidy. Further, Mr. Gruber would never even try to deny the truth of his comments. His defense yesterday was I shouldn't have said that.
Mr. Gruber the "Whoops did I say something I shouldn't have" does not work under oath. The ACA and all of it's benefits, for it does have some, have been seriously jeopardized by what essentially amounts to bragging about legislative fraud. The SC also has another crack at the foundation of the ACA when they consider the subsidy language which is another instance where explicit text of the law is defied by reality. To be fair that challenge was always unlikely to succeed because CJ Roberts split the baby in his first holding by letting states opt out of exchanges.
The Democrats would be wise to not dismiss this as pure GOP fodder. It's extremely difficult to call people stupid to their face, brag about it , then be defended by our Washington politicians no matter the affiliation. Some things get toxic and stay that way.
While all this goes on at home our great ISIS (daesh) dilemma continues to vex Congress as they decide how they want to shove another AUMF through the legislative branch and onto the financial books of the roaring US Military Industrial Sector. I choose to believe the U.S Army would be flexing the full might of it's muscle if the threat from the daesh was anything like it's been hyped up to be .
Here's the latest on the middle eastern dumpster fire from Capital Hill
http://thehill.com/policy/defense/223967-gop-senators-isis-measure-shouldnt-limit-obamas-military-options
And a little Putin to end your reading for the night ( as the US China and Russia hang out in China and Barack causes controversy by chewing some gum. What a world we live in.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/12/nato-russian-tanks-entering-ukraine
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