DEFUND OBAMACARE … or ELSE … J. D. Longstreet

A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
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A big, nasty, battle is coming up.  It will involve republicans against democrats and republicans against republicans.

We are coming hard up against either stopping Obamacare or having it as a part of US law for, well, FOREVER!

Ronald Reagan once said:  "The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program."

How right he was! (In more ways than one!)

Once Obamacare is up and running, full time, it will NEVER BE CUT from the Law Books of the nation.  Never.

"NO federal program ever gets eliminated once it is put into place. NO federal program ever suffers an absolute real cut from this year's levels because of baseline budgeting (which always projects an overall increase of at least the expected inflation rate plus 1%-2% in future overall growth in federal spending)."  SOURCE:  http://www.telemachusleaps.com/2012/09/the-nearest-thing-to-eternal-life-on.html

As soon as our national lawmakers return to Washington, after their August recess, they will begin the debate over funding the government, keeping it open and operational.The debate will provide an opportunity to defund Obamacare -- and kill it, or do nothing and have it kill the US.

If you are a regular reader of this scribe's rants then you know I have been against Obamacare long before it was ever introduced into a congressional hopper as a bill.   If it is possible, I am even MORE against it today.

Anything that has to do with socialism is anathema to me.  And Obamacare is nothing more than socialized medicine which will destroy this country. 

Sen. Ted Cruz, a republican from Texas, is urging conservatives to join a petition drive to defund Obamacare, calling it the last chance to stop the national health-care plan before it goes into effect on January 1st of next year.

Here's what Senator Cruz said recently:  “On Jan. 1, the exchanges kick in and the subsidies kick in. Once those kick in, it’s going to prove almost impossible to undo Obamacare. The administration’s plan is very simple: Get everyone addicted to the sugar so that Obamacare remains a permanent feature of our society.”  SOURCE:   http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/27/sen-cruz-defund-obamacare-americans-become-addicte/#ixzz2aLljI94H

In the same speech, Senator Cruz went on to say:  “Right now we don’t have the votes. Right now we’re not even close. There’s only one way we’re going to get 41 Republicans in the Senate and 218 Republicans in the House of Representatives, which is if they hear from the American people in overwhelming numbers.”  SOURCE: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/27/sen-cruz-defund-obamacare-americans-become-addicte/#ixzz2aLmeKplR

The Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded and running is scheduled to be voted on in September.  The debate on it will begin next month when the August recess is over.

"Utah Senator Mike Lee along with Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky are currently trying to lead the effort to defund Obamacare in the upcoming Continuing Resolution by vowing not to vote for any CR or appropriations bill that provides funding for the much hated Obamacare. There are roughly a dozen Republican Senators and more than 60 members of the House who have signed on to the idea of not funding Obamacare in the Continuing Resolution scheduled to be voted on in September. They are willing to fully fund the rest of the federal government, just not Obamacare."  SOURCE:  http://www.redstate.com/ulyssesarn/2013/07/27/effort-to-defund-obamacare-is-separating-the-leaders-from-the-cream-puffs-in-the-gop-ranks/

North Carolina Senator Richard Burr who called the defunding of Obamacare effort, “the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard” last week.

The Hill has more:

“I think it’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard,” Burr told journalist Todd Zwilich on Thursday. “Listen, as long as Barack Obama is president the Affordable Care Act is gonna be law.

“I think some of these guys need to understand that you shut down the federal government, you better have a specific reason to do it that’s achievable,” Burr continued. “Defunding the Affordable Care Act is not achievable through shutting down the federal government.” SOURCE:  http://www.redstate.com/ulyssesarn/2013/07/27/effort-to-defund-obamacare-is-separating-the-leaders-from-the-cream-puffs-in-the-gop-ranks/

You can easily see the politicos are much more concerned about saving their own backsides than in saving the country. Their political careers and the health of their political party is far more important to them than the welfare of the nation and its people.

We can all see now that when saving the country actually MIGHT cost them something, they shrink away from their duty.  (I have already alerted my republican senator that he no longer has my support.)
We need to watch the upcoming debate closely and, in my opinion,  we need to "primary" any republican who fails to back defunding Obamacare in the CR debate over the next few weeks.  If they are NOT going to represent us, then we need to get them the heck out of Washington before they can do anymore damage -- or -- allow any more damage to be done.  It is past time to be rid of these feckless empty suits strutting the halls of Congress.

© J. D. Longstreet

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