Republicans Are Sabotaging Obamacare by Keeping the Public in the Dark About Benefits

[madokie]

During the first years of the Obama administration the Republican strategy was to obstruct efforts to improve the economy and bring more jobs. Then, at election time they went to the public saying, “Obama hasn’t made things better.” But now they are moving into outright sabotaging things that government does for people, like the new health care plan, with election plans to campaign on the failure of government to do things for people.

Public Not Aware Of Health Care Law
Most of the new health care law goes into effect next year, with the “exchanges” beginning at the end of this year. But the public has little, if any, understanding of what is coming and what it means to them.

An April Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking poll found that only 40% of the public even knows that the health care law has been upheld by the courts or repealed by Congress. “Also about half the public says they do not have enough information about the health reform law to understand how it will impact their own family, a share that rises among the uninsured and low-income households.”

(snip)

Republicans Threaten Sports Leagues
The government is beginning (really, really late in the game) to try to get information to the public. Among other efforts, the Dept. of Health and Human Services had been talking to sports leagues about ways they can help educate the public. Republicans immediately moved to nip that in the bud.
More: http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/republicans-are-sabotaging-obamacare-keeping-public-dark-about-benefits

[Cha]

1. Of course, they are.. jealous, petty, little cheaters and liars.

mahalo, madokie

[BainsBane]

2. It's not the Republicans job to inform the public about ACA

That falls to the Obama administration.

[msongs]

3. sssh! u know if it was romneycare it would be publicity blasted by repubs tho nt

[madokie]

5. Since our press is in the pockets of the republicons

the obama team has no chance in hell of getting the message out.

[RobinA]

16. Totally

Why would Repubs inform about a bill they are opposed to? Part of having a plan is to get people on board in such a way that the plan will work. Any manager or supervisor knows that the best way to kill a stupid idea from above is to throw it out to your staff and then ignore it. On the other hand, when you want it to work (and are competent) you are out there selling the plan, explaining to the staff why this is good for them. Or at least you are out there feeling their pain that you all are being forced to carry out this dumb idea.

Sheesh, how long has it been since a top administration official (and I'm not just talking about this administration, this goes back a ways) has had a real job on his or her resume. And no, bankster, think tanker, consultant or any permutation thereof aren't real jobs.

[HiPointDem]

4. if the public doesn't have enough information about the law, the obama administration has

some responsibility.

it's weird, his supporters seem to think he is completely powerless, and also politically inept.

if he's so defenseless in the face of the all-powerful gop, what use is he?

[MattSh]

8. +10000 to that. - n/t

[progressoid]

6. Too bad the White House can't say something.

Maybe a press conference or two or some public service announcements or something.

[Fumesucker]

7. I have every piece of mail from the government for the last three years

There is *zero* about the implementation of the PPACA, nothing at all in the way of official communication.

Evidently the government trusts the M$M to do a thorough and accurate job of informing the public on this vital subject.

[leftstreet]

9. Why didn't Obama explain it in one of his Fireside Chats?

oh wait...

[90-percent]

10. ACA

My Congressman John Larson sent out a pdf about the ACA shortly after it was passed in early 2010. I didn't read it at the time because it was going to take years to be fully implemented. I was just grateful that the most heartless aspects of our perverse for profit health insurance system, like pre-existing conditions and lifetime caps and insurance company death panels, were tamped down.

Now I have to go find John's pdf and also read this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act

-90% Jimmy

PS - with all this truly mean rape-like violation of women's rights the Republicans have been pushing lately, what average normal decent human being would admit to being a Republican in public? They have become totally loathsome and despicable and should be banished from polite society. We all want to move forward and they are making us re-fight battles we've won decades ago. Republicans - working hard to legalize stuff we thought we outlawed forever.

[Safetykitten]

11. We now have the next phase of the ACA...pretending Obama did not do it.

Obama did this? Oh no, he was kinda on the edge of the discussion on this, I mean we as Democrats would not want this to be an issue later for us, as it has...uh issues.

[leftstreet]

12. Obama didn't have enough votes!

He needed 842 votes in Congress but the liberal base didn't support him and he couldn't fix it later! Obamacare was a REPUBLICAN idea, not Obama's! Bush wanted for-profit insurance, so did McCain and LOOK AT ROMNEY and Obama even said !! NO !! to Hilary and the MANDATES!

This is not Obama's fault, he had no choice!



Just in case:

[Safetykitten]

13. I will be waiting for the commercial...

Soft focus, kids on swings, grandparents on porch in Iowa watching from afar. Soft hipster/non-whining music....

"We have accomplished much in these past years as Democrats. Our proudest moment was healthcare for all. It was a hard battle and we won; we won for millions of Americans that have no healthcare, and affordable healthcare. Now Edna and Eddy can watch as their grandchildren have a future that is safe, worry free and responsive to their healthcare needs and affordable."

Smiling grandparents.

I want to see THAT commercial run during the next election cycle.

[leftstreet]

14. LOL n/t

[Doctor_J]

17. More like the next millenium

All of the movers & shakers in our party are Repukes. Like Obama.

[Brickbat]

15. Somebody had better get in front of this, because right now the employers' line is pretty much, "Uh,

looks like this is driven by the employee, so...go to it! Here's a website."

[1-Old-Man]

18. Republican's aren't keeping people in the dark about this, the media are

And the other thing the Media is not informing us about, well one of the things, is that Republicans lie about what benefits will and will not be available.

[bike man]

19. Are there any Democrats who can pass along information? Surely some of them have access

to it.