It looks like I called it on yesterday's Blabbermouth. Eli asked what we thought might happen if the Republicans didn't manage to pass their Trumpcare/Ryancare/Wealthcare planâwhich they would have to do over the objections of AARP, the American Hospital Association, and even rightwing lunaticsâand I said they would proceed to monkey-wrench Obamacare, push it toward collapse, and then blame Obama and the Democrats when millions of Americans lost their healthcare and tens of thousands of Americans lost their lives.
CNN:
In an Oval Office meeting featuring leaders of conservative groups that already lining up against House Republicans' plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, President Donald Trump revealed his plan in the event the GOP effort doesn't succeed: Allow Obamacare to fail and let Democrats take the blame, sources at the gathering told CNN.
But Trump isn't ready to give up on Trumpcare/Ryancare/Wealthcare quite yet:
In true Trump fashion, the President jumped into salesman mode, sources at the meeting said. "This is going to be great. You're going to make it even greater," the President told the group. "I'm going to work hard to get it done."
So Trump is gonna get out there and sell Paul Ryan's planâa plan that will slash coverage, send premiums skyrocketing for older Americans, kick millions of Medicaid, and give huge tax cuts to millionairesâto his voters. Let's remember exactly what Trump promised his voters over and over again:
Trump promised that his replacement would be âa lot less expensiveâ for consumers and for the government.... âI am going to take care of everybody. I donât care if it costs me votes or not. Everybodyâs going to be taken care of much better than theyâre taken care of now.â Pressed for specifics, he explained that âpeople are going to be able to go out and negotiate great plans with lots of different competition with lots of competitors with great companies and they can have their doctors, they can have plans, they can have everything.â
He promised his voters everything. Which is hilarious, since "everything" is what they stand to lose if Trumpcare/Ryancare/Wealthcare goes through. And they could wind up losing everything if it doesn't, since these nihilist rightwing extremists are committed to destroying the ACA one way or another. Republicans: They love America, they hate Americans.
UPDATE: Nice catch, NYMag...
Paul Ryanâs public life has been dedicated to the upward redistribution of income, which has forced him to master the technique of obfuscatory rhetoric to conceal his agenda. Yet sometimes the traps can be sprung in the most unexpected locations. In an interview last night with Tucker Carlson, Ryan came prepared to defend his health-care bill against a withering attack from his partyâs right flank. But then Carlson asked Ryan why he decided to include a huge tax cut for the rich. Watch the exchange here. You can literally see Ryan gulp when he realizes what Carlson is asking him.
UPDATE 2:
She's right about one thing. https://t.co/M8sXj4WNzH
â Jeff Fecke (@jkfecke) March 9, 2017
I'm a liberal. So I'm gonna try to feel sorry for her after she loses her health insurance. But Christ Almighty, lady, you're not making it easy.
UPDATE 3: Mike Pence is a Christian.
"Nightmare" is an interesting way to refer to the 20 million who gained health insurance. https://t.co/8OZ70xWdvZ
â Trip Gabriel (@tripgabriel) March 9, 2017