Koch-Backed Group Warns Chris Christie

[highplainsdem]

Source: Mother Jones

Conservatives are peeved at New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a GOP favorite, for praising President Barack Obama response to Hurricane Sandy days before the election. Some right-wingers even blame Christie for boosting the president's prospects at the last minute. (Christie hugged Obama! How could he?!) Now, in the aftermath of the election, a powerhouse conservative outfit partly funded by the billionaire Koch Brothers is coming after Christie on another front, sharply questioning whether the governor will sell out conservatives in the latest battle over Obamacare.

The New Jersey Legislature passed a bill on October 18 creating a state-based online health insurance marketplace; it did so because under Obamacare a state must either create its own insurance marketplace or let the federal government do it. Christie vetoed a similar state-based insurance exchange bill in May, but he said last month he wouldn't decide what to do about the new bill until after Election Day.

Enter the New Jersey chapter of Americans for Prosperity, the Koch-backed conservative grassroots group. AFP-New Jersey is pressuring Christie to reject the state exchange bill and rebuff Obamacare's requirements before November 16, the date by which states must submit its health insurance plans to the federal government. Here's what AFP-New Jersey Steve Lonegan had to say about Christie in a press release zapped out two days after the election:

-snip-

Other conservative governors across the country like Bobby Jindal, Rick Perry, Scott Walker, and others have already taken a principled stand. Where is Governor Christie? Will he stand with them? Will he prevent New Jerseyans from having their health care choices controlled by federal bureaucrats? Will he allow our state’s struggling businesses to be hammered by Obamacare's tax penalties with unemployment hovering around 10 percent? Or will he continue to go along to get along with Barack Obama?

-snip-

Read more: http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/11/chris-christie-koch-brothers-obamacare

[Swede Atlanta]

1. I know this isn't very "Christian" but...

can't the Koch brothers retire to some island somewhere or develop anal warts or something? God they are just the most irritating people.

[ThomThom]

9. Why do they care? Are they just mean pricks or what?

How could it possible matter if people get heath care?

[Volaris]

44. Because if people get to go to the doctor,

and the Dem's made it happen, that's less votes for the GOP, who only ACTION once elected is to try and ban abortion, and CUT TAXES for the people like the Koch Brothers.

This healthcare bill is FAR from perfect, but when it goes 100% live, it will "go viral" as well, and the GOP knows that they will not be able to handle the fallout. They will start losing Congressional races bigtime. Remember, it's only in the last 20 years or so that Congress has been mostly Republican-controlled most of the time...before that, the Legislative Body was SOLIDLY a Democratic Majority since the day FDR got elected. THAT'S where America REALLY is, in the modern and post-modern ages.

[randome]

48. I don't think they have any principled stance on this or anything else.

All that matters now is that anything to do with Obama or Democrats is 'the enemy'. And these billionaires' lives are so empty they don't know what else to do with their time or their money.

[WheelWalker]

17. omg, anal warts? I am SO glad I can't see pictures in my brain.

[lastlib]

23. hell, they ARE anal warts.

Or cysts....or maybe cancerous polyps....

[ashling]

53. They are anal warts

[grasswire]

2. cool -- a fight betw Christie and RWNJ means he won't be GOP candidate in 2016

So this works!

Or maybe he will head up a splinter party.

[InsultComicDog]

34. yeah

He could just run as an Independent, and would have at least as good of a chance to win

[oldbanjo]

39. Your right he could beat any Republican.

[wordpix]

58. unless he "goes Romney" & does constant etch-a-sketches

[frazzled]

3. Maybe it's the wine, but ...

Isn't this kind of weird? The right wants Christie to join other Republican governors who refused to set up state exchanges, so that he can "prevent New Jerseyans from having their health care choices controlled by federal bureaucrats." But if New Jersey doesn't set up its own exchange, the federal "bureaucrats" will do it for them.

What am I not understanding about their logic?

It's the law. They can't undo Obamacare at the state level. Are they nuts or did I drink too much wine at dinner?

[tularetom]

4. I don't know about your level of inebriation...

but you are correct the republican governors who gave the finger to Obamacare by refusing to create state exchanges have just invited the hated "federal bureaucrats" to control New Jerseyans health care choices.

It looks good to the dumbass demographic to stand up to big gubmint, but in the long run it's going to screw the very people who are cheering for it.

[DBoon]

19. Anyone who gets healthcare from this system

will know it came from "Obamacare" and not from their local republican governor

[Kennah]

38. What's ironic is these GOP governor's do not get that they are creating universal healthcare

If every state created an exchange, then there would be no "laboratory" wherein the federal government could start to demonstrate it's role under universal healthcare. By having some states create an exchange, we get to see which model works best here in the U.S. A centralized system similar to the NHS in the UK, or a system similar to that which exists in say Switzerland.

[1monster]

5. Your logic is right on, so they must be nuts... Have a lot more wine and maybe

their logic will make sense to you.

Me, I can't drink that much and still be able to walk a straight line (or even walk at all).

[dmr]

22. Maybe that's what they want, so they can say Obama is trying

to run rough-shod over their state rights. Of course they'll never tell their citizens about their own hand in this.

Or something like that.

[glinda]

28. Yes. Posturing. Although unfortunately there are too many Rep. Govs.

[november3rd]

64. Tax the Rich

What do they mean by "New Jerseyans having their health care choices controlled by Washington?"

Christy can reject Medicaid and his citizens will have no health care, or he can accept it and Washington will provide them with choices. So they will be "controlled by Washington."

[MadrasT]

57. I couldn't figure that out either.

And all I had today was orange juice.

[SoapBox]

6. They always eat their own...

Keep eating KKKoch Suckers and Turd Blossom Rovers...'cause you won't have anyone but the Aiken, Mourdoch, Palin, Coupon Care Man types left, for the futher.

And that will ensure, that WE will take back the House and replace dozens of crazies in every State and on every level.

Keep it up!

[ldf]

49. once again i must remind you so-called "liberal" bigots

that, on this discussion board, being a cocksucker is not an insult.

pay attention. you are making yourself look like republican-esque hypocrites.

[nolabels]

59. Sexual innuendo is getting to be so yesterday

Really just telling it like it is has'ta be the way to go. Like just putting it out there with truth is so much better. They are treasonous turn-coats who would sell their soul and mother for a dime or two (okay then, i am not very good at vitriol but i do know what worn out cliche sounds like)

And thanks for pointing that out ldf, that point sounds well taken to me.

[rocktivity]

7. Acting in the best interest of your constituents

Last edited Fri Nov 9, 2012, 11:57 PM - Edit history (1)

is what political leaders are SUPPOSED to do!


rocktivity

[dflprincess]

8. A fight between the Koch brothers and Christie?

I'm betting on the Jersey boy.

[tomm2thumbs]

11. being Independent is his calling card - they are just making it easier for him to kick back

[glinda]

29. Agreed but he needs to not get into any planes.

[PD Turk]

36. Me too

Christie looks to me like the kind of guy who knows some guys that can... uh... get things done. Like some Goodfellas kind of guys. I don't think I'd screw with him too much.

[HereSince1628]

10. The trouble with extremist power freaks...they tend to be cannibals

Cristi and Jeb are the only hope the R's have for 2016, and they want to eat the fattened steer.

[tomm2thumbs]

12. actually I think Jeb would have to change his name first - and maybe some facial surgery

too close a resemblance to W -- the stuff nightmares are made of

[OhZone]

13. God, the GOP is crazy.

If they are to have any future other than being Whigs Part Deux, they need moderates and cooperation! Sheesh!

[progressivebydesign]

14. Shouldn't they be in prison or something????

their antics read like something out of the Cold War. I'd love to see those Koch suckers doing hard labor somewhere...

[Botany]

15. Americans for Prosperity

R you kidding me? Watch out my dog is gonna attack you!



They just got their asses kicked in almost every election they were in ....

Christie knows who has the juice right now.

[DBoon]

20. Awww...

Old dogs are great!

[glinda]

30. What a beautiful photo. Lovely baby.

[mwooldri]

56. Should it really be "An American for Prosperity" ? nt

[DRoseDARs]

16. Or they'll what? Lose harder in 2014? 2016? n/t

[TomCADem]

18. Billionaires Are Getting Pretty Brazen About Having Politicians On Payroll!

Thank you John Roberts for this sacrificing our liberties!

[justice1]

21. Wow...Koch brothers are getting desperate.

[Iliyah]

24. Don't ya'know that GOPper governors don't give a shit about their

constituents. Never did. Its all about complete power, nothing more.

[jtuck004]

25. For the SECOND time, that's President Barack Obama. n/t

[freshwest]

26. Rebrand the GOP as the Koch Party. Just get it over with. Eliminate the middle men.

[BattyDem]

27. This should be fun!

Christie HATES being told what to do! Besides, if he plans on running for re-election in 2013, fighting "Obamacare" in a state he won by 17 points is probably not the best idea. Right now, NJ loves him because he handled Sandy like a grown-up and put politics aside. If he starts playing partisan games again, it will hurt him in his own state.

Of course, he may not run for re-election and focus on 2016, in which case he'd need the Koch brothers ... but their money may not even help him because he's already hated by the RWNJs for praising Obama. Sane people don't do too well in GOP primaries.

[justice1]

32. Democrats facing the the Koch brothers, won over half their races.

[BattyDem]

37. Well then ... let's hope Christie embraces them!

[crunch60]

45. We can get Citizens United overturned, eliminate some of the Koch brothers juice.

with our politicians. We got a long way to go, forward and all fired up.

[davidpdx]

61. I think either way Christie is screwed

If he signs the bill the Koch brothers will run a blowhard right wing nutjob against him. If he vetoes the bill, then the federal government will step and set up the exchange and people will think he is spineless.

[David__77]

31. Christie should be at the top of the Democrats' target list next year.

We want to snuff out any potential illusion that the GOP is anything other than an ultra-right, neo-Confederate organism.

[sarcasmo]

33. If they keep pushing him, I can really see Christie flipping Independent.

[justice1]

41. I would expect a few to flip to Independent, and caucus with Republicans.

[oldbanjo]

42. He will do good as a Independent,

he gained a lot of respect by what he did with Obama, I didn't like him before, now I would listen to him.

[gtar100]

35. For republicans, it's more important to be republican than to be American.

They care more about *being* in charge than actually doing something good with it.

[6000eliot]

40. Or what? They'll spend a couple hundred million more and lose again?

[Populist_Prole]

43. Holy Shite! How petty can they get?

Their boy was so weak that a few good words of the president from one of their own tanked the whole shebang. Get the feck outta here!

[DeSwiss]

46. Who the hell wants to stand.....

...with the Three Stooges: Bobby, Ricky and Scott? I swear, these asshats got nuthin' but their tired-ass talking points.

- Evolve, you fossil!!!

K&R

[drm604]

47. I don't get these two assholes.

What is their motivation?

Retire and enjoy your billions. Isn't that enough? Why do you have to work so hard to ruin things for everyone else? You need more money? Why? For Christ's sake, why?

Why stress themselves out and try to meddle in everyone else's business? Do they really believe they're doing good? Are they just drunk on power? WTF?

[CheapShotArtist]

62. For people who are supposedly libertarian-Republicans,

the Koch Brothers sure do suck at keeping their nose out of other people's business. They've spent a crapload of money in states they don't even live in on propositions and buying Congresscritters, just so they can continue hoarding as much cash as possible from everybody else.

[Comrade_McKenzie]

50. I really wish Obama would sic the DOJ on these fuckers. nt

[yardwork]

51. The Koch brothers' threats no longer have any teeth.

[bemildred]

52. Precisely. Christie will love this "threat". nt

[Walk away]

54. Christie knows that if he holds up health care any longer he will lose next year.

The day he put his arm around President Obama was the day he shifted his big butt to the middle. Christie saw the writing on the wall and NJ is really a Blue State even if it elects a Puke for Gov now and then. That is usually after a particularly bad Dem held the office.

His only hope is to start shifting his policies and rhetoric to the middle as fast as he can.

[cosmicone]

55. This is so hilarious...

"You are not batshit crazy enough for us" hahahahahaha

[and-justice-for-all]

60. I got a feeling that Christie does not give a shit what they think...

and he will do what he feels is best for his state, regardless of what the repuke drones THINK he should do.

[november3rd]

63. Tax Penalties

The Tax Penalties are just for businesses who don't provide healthcare for their employees, which is what the system is in the United States: employer based.

I'm sick of capitalists who want to profit from our economy, legal system, population and infrastructure, but don't want to play by the rules of civilized society.

Why don't they advocate for Medicare for All if they don't want to pay for employee health coverage?