An affront to rodents everywhere

Last week, Senator Max Baucus (D-Montana), chief architect of ObamaCare, said he feared the implementation of ObamaCare would be a "trainwreck". And this week, in the ultimate /drops mic maneuver, Baucus said he would not be running for re-election in 2014. Peace out, Senator.

And in other totally related news....


It's been said that rats are the first to sense a sinking ship. In this case, then, we would be giving rats a bad name by comparison because only now is Congress coming around to the fact that the healthcare law they voted for is a steaming pile of crap.

The very people that put together the hopelessly byzantine, unworkable and unsustainable Affordable Healthcare Act (aka ObamaCare) are now frantically trying to exempt themselves and their staff from that which they championed and that for which they voted.

Though these folks aren't the sharpest tools in the shed, neither are they stupid. They knew. They knew what a disaster this thing was going to be even as they were foisting it upon the rest of us. What else explains solid Democratic majorities in both the House and Senate that still required bribes, backroom arm-twisting and mid-night Christmas Eve votes in order to get it through.

And now, when reality is about to crack them upside the head with a two by four, they are all looking to bail out.


From Politico:

Congressional leaders in both parties are engaged in high-level, confidential talks about exempting lawmakers and Capitol Hill aides from the insurance exchanges they are mandated to join as part of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, sources in both parties said.

The talks - which involve Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), the Obama administration and other top lawmakers - are extraordinarily sensitive, with both sides acutely aware of the potential for political fallout from giving carve-outs from the hugely controversial law to 535 lawmakers and thousands of their aides. Discussions have stretched out for months, sources said.

A source close to the talks says: "Everyone has to hold hands on this and jump, or nothing is going to get done."

Funny. We recall that being the general sentiment and strategy to get ObamaCare passed in the first place.



Back to the article:

Yet if Capitol Hill leaders move forward with the plan, they risk being dubbed hypocrites by their political rivals and the American public. By removing themselves from a key Obamacare component, lawmakers and aides would be held to a different standard than the people who put them in office.


Democrats, in particular, would take a public hammering as the traditional boosters of Obamacare. Republicans would undoubtedly attempt to shred them over any attempt to escape coverage by it, unless Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) give Democrats cover by backing it.

There is concern in some quarters that the provision requiring lawmakers and staffers to join the exchanges, if it isn't revised, could lead to a "brain drain" on Capitol Hill, as several sources close to the talks put it.

The problem stems from whether members and aides set to enter the exchanges would have their health insurance premiums subsidized by their employer - in this case, the federal government. If not, aides and lawmakers in both parties fear that staffers - especially low-paid junior aides - could be hit with thousands of dollars in new health care costs, prompting them to seek jobs elsewhere. Older, more senior staffers could also retire or jump to the private sector rather than face a big financial penalty.

We also recall being told it would be the young and elderly that would benefit most from ObamaCare. It's always a revelation when people find out that reality doesn't square with the snake oil sales pitch.

Plus, lawmakers - especially those with long careers in public service and smaller bank accounts - are also concerned about the hit to their own wallets.

Plus..! Cry us a river. Color us cynical but we remain skeptical that any public servant with "long careers" will be too concerned with their own wallets unless they were just too stupid to carve out a golden parachute for themselves during all those years in D.C.



More:

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) is worried about the provision. The No. 2 House Democrat has personally raised the issue with Boehner and other party leaders, sources said.

"Mr. Hoyer is looking at this policy, like all other policies in the Affordable Care Act, to ensure they're being implemented in a way that's workable for everyone, including members and staff," said Katie Grant, Hoyer's communications director.

Congress' approach to implementing ObamaCare reminds us of how we approached final exams back at Seminary. The biggest difference being, of course, our panicked running around at 11 at night looking for the "pony" exam from last semester didn't screw over an entire nation. In fact, Congress hopes that their flailing in the wee hours will result in a passing grade even after blowing off the exam.

What more evidence does one need that ObamaCare was negotiated and legislated in bad faith? And what more evidence does one need that the entire Washington D.C. governing apparatus is a corrupt and illegitimate cabal.

For those of you out there that continue to vote in favor of "Free S#it", this is what it results in. Elected representatives giving you exactly what you want and having the sense to know what a bad deal it is and exercising the most basic self-preservation instincts by exempting themselves from the negative consequences of what you have asked/voted for.