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In reply to the discussion: Paul Ryan [View all]

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
23. The "more conservative faction" is an extreme-right
Sat Mar 25, 2017, 02:45 PM
Mar 2017

group who call themselves the Freedom caucus, but a more apt name is the Koch caucus. (Aha!?) If they please their backers, they get to come back next term. If they don't, their backers will replace them with someone who will.

Because of that, the party leadership has virtually no control over the Koch caucus.

Nor do their constituents, who have been trained to vote for any Republican on the ballot over a Democrat. It just takes some money infusion at election time to bury any primary opposition and get their constituents out to vote against the Democrat in the general.

Charles Koch, and therefore the giant kochtopus, was against this bill passing because--he said--it wasn't a big enough step toward total destruction of this government program. So it didn't pass. He and his people have a plan B (maybe several) for sure, and whatever that is is already in the works.

As for the other Republicans who wouldn't support it, it's a horrible bill that would replace a good law designed to serve all Americans and all healthcare-related industries well with one that failed everyone. The more hard-core among them were concerned about possible blowback from business and from voters in 2018. Some others were also concerned about blowback but also genuinely deplored a bill so bad that it actually threatened the economy.

What I'd love to have explained is how Ryan, a libertarian every bit as extreme as the Kochs and someone they once pushed on Romney for his VP, ended up being someone they might take out in plan B. Is it more evidence of incompetence in Ryan that he couldn't somehow get them in line? Or did he shrug off their leash for some reason? Or?

Paul Ryan [View all] H2O Man Mar 2017 OP
KnR Hekate Mar 2017 #1
Thanks. H2O Man Mar 2017 #2
Goood post! furtheradu Mar 2017 #3
Thanks! H2O Man Mar 2017 #4
Kick. dalton99a Mar 2017 #5
Thanks H2O Man Mar 2017 #6
I find myself H2O Man Mar 2017 #7
I'll admit that coeur_de_lion Mar 2017 #8
Martin McGuinness was a wonderful man. A solid leader. H2O Man Mar 2017 #9
Martin was smart enough coeur_de_lion Mar 2017 #10
Every Irishman H2O Man Mar 2017 #11
I didn't know about Darcy coeur_de_lion Mar 2017 #16
Chloe is H2O Man Mar 2017 #20
Cool! coeur_de_lion Mar 2017 #22
I'm considering it through my grandmother. I know of Alice11111 Mar 2017 #27
A number of my cousins have. H2O Man Mar 2017 #29
I need to learn more. Everyone on that side has died off. Alice11111 Mar 2017 #35
K&R... spanone Mar 2017 #12
It's been quite H2O Man Mar 2017 #13
the daily gobsmack spanone Mar 2017 #14
Ryan went down the tubes with Republicans controlling the House... Miles Archer Mar 2017 #15
Maybe, Ryan's tenure as Speaker will soon end. Hugin Mar 2017 #17
Well said! H2O Man Mar 2017 #21
Happy about the rejection of the repeal and replace bill but coeur_de_lion Mar 2017 #18
In my opinion, H2O Man Mar 2017 #19
schadenfreude coeur_de_lion Mar 2017 #24
The "more conservative faction" is an extreme-right Hortensis Mar 2017 #23
Thanks for your analysis coeur_de_lion Mar 2017 #25
If only. No analysis, only questions. Hortensis Mar 2017 #30
Very good questions coeur_de_lion Mar 2017 #34
Umhm. Throw off his whole agenda that actually Hortensis Mar 2017 #36
It was all CYA for 2018. Some Repubs wouldn't get re-elected Alice11111 Mar 2017 #28
Paul Ryan is pulling himself up... dchill Mar 2017 #26
Yes to that last. True libertarians reportedly have one Hortensis Mar 2017 #31
"Ryan clearly has no conscience." and he is an arrogant asshole..(apologies to assholes) Stuart G Mar 2017 #32
K/R Not only is the Ryan/Trump plan unacceptable, the ACA is a mere half measure. Alex4Martinez Mar 2017 #33
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