‘Top Line’ — Does GOP Want Health Care to Pass?
EmailABC News’ Rick Klein reports: Regardless of what happens this week with the health care bill, the politics seem fairly set: Democrats are prepared to defend health care reform as a critical series of advancements and protections, and Republicans are set to attack the Democrats’ proposals as the wrong direction for the country. But — purely on the politics — do Republicans want health care to pass? Would they rather have a law to run against — or run against the ideas behind that law, plus the image of Democratic leadership failures? That was our “Top Line” question of the day today. The answers, as usual, spanned the spectrum. Wrote @profsteed:: “Clearly GOP believes itself better off if #hcr is stopped – otherwise oppo would not be so intense and sustained.” And this from @cmcabo97: ”Better for GOP if no bill passes. If the bill passes and the sky doesn't fall, GOP will be punished for being The Party of No.” On ABC’s “Top Line” today, Republican strategist Karl Rove said Republicans would be better off with a Democrat-passed bill signed into law: “I’d like to see the bill defeated. But that in a way is the most dangerous thing for the Republicans because the Democrats, if they were smart, if they were not able to get this monstrosity through, they would step back,” Rove said. Politico’s Glenn Thrush had a different take: “Contrary to Karl Rove’s path of destruction, I think the path of destruction is nothing passing, because the Democrats have had this historic super-majority in the Senate. And to get nothing done is just a denunciation.” Watch the “Top Line” segment HERE.
Sen. DeMint: GOP Race Could Go Until Convention 
Obama Avoids Questions on Contraception Rule
The “PASS IT NOW, AND WE’LL FIX IT LATER*” crowd/politicians sound a lot like the management team at Toyota in regards to the “speed-up, then try to slam on the brakes, then crash, burn and die” folks managing the PRIUS et al issues
*BTW, for all you Pro-Lifers who think that the current abortion language will/can be fixed it reconciliation, super bad news. The abortion language in the current Senate Bill that The House will vote on CONNOT BE CHANGED in reconciliation, as reconciliation can ONLY deal with budget items, of which abortion does NOT qualify. So it is now/never on this issue, too.
Posted by: JMo | March 15, 2010, 4:20 pm 4:20 pm
Obama Comes to Ohio (Again), Nobody Shows Up
President Barack Obama, joined by Ohio governor Ted Strickland, came to Ohio today to continue his permanent campaign on health-care legislation. His campaign events during the 2008 presidential race attracted crowds of thousands of Ohioans; this time, President Obama managed a crowd of about 200 people. With his negative approval numbers in Ohio (44 percent approve, 52 percent disapprove), it isn’t much of surprise that few showed up to hear him once again talk about health care. On health care, Ohioans disapprove of the job President Obama is doing (34 percent approve, 58 percent disapprove). On the health-care proposal, 56 percent of Ohioans mostly disapprove of it, with 43 percent believing that the proposed changes go too far.
Posted by: JMo | March 15, 2010, 4:25 pm 4:25 pm
Does it seem to anyone else as if the media gives the Republican party way more publicity then it does to the people actually in power?
Do I care what Rove thinks? Do I care what will or will not benefit the Republican Party?
I care about my nephews getting health insurance, and I care about how much my premiums may or may not go up, and I care if my employer is forced to drop coverage.
I don’t see my concerns reflected in the political coverage of the health care issue.
Posted by: Amy in Maine | March 15, 2010, 4:35 pm 4:35 pm
Does it seem to anyone else as if the media gives the Republican party way more publicity then it does to the people actually in power?
Posted by: Amy in Maine
***********
That’s really funny. Did you forget about date nights? Michelle gets a haircut? Michelle plants a garden? President gets a dog? Names it BO? Kids get a swingset? Wednesday night parties at the WH? These are just a few examples of the NONSENSE items that the “journalists” have covered.
I care about healthcare costs being LOWERED, and this bribery laden monstrosity does nothing to control costs. Paying for something for 10 years and only using it for 6 years does NOT make it deficit neutral.
Posted by: wheresmymoney | March 15, 2010, 5:16 pm 5:16 pm
The fact that they are trying to skirt
the constitution to get this thing passed
should give everyone some pause for
concern. No matter what party you are from, there is no excuse to throw the
constitution under the bus the way they
are. If this happens, we are no better
than a third world banana republic. We
lose all our credibility….and just
when Obama was trying to lift our
standing up in the world. This is
really frightening and if cooler heads
prevail in the democratic party and
talk these idiots out of this, I would
have lots of respect for them. This will
be the end of any democratic getting in
office for a long time. They cannot be
trusted.
Posted by: wis134 | March 15, 2010, 5:20 pm 5:20 pm
The republican party, GOP, every republican wants health care reform to fail. That includes Fox Fraudcasting and radio wacko out there. The health care companies are spending a million bucks a day to stop health care reform. There are so many attacks on health care reform by republicans over and over and over and over day after day after day. Government is so bad to care about health care, but republicans sure like to work for the government, get paid by the government and make sure republicans always get their way. So Health Care Reform is for me. I don’t trust a republican to tell me the truth on any policy ever.
Posted by: Vicki | March 15, 2010, 5:28 pm 5:28 pm
I am tired of everything being labeled a Democratic or Republican issue. Please try focusing on the will of the people instead. We do not want any bill that is filled to the rafters with unnecessary law making, unnecessary spending, and creating more problems than it solves. We dont want people to lose their health insurance when they are sick, we want pre-existing conditions to be covered, we want to buy insurance across state lines and in a competitive market, we think something sensible should be done to control costs, but this 3000 page bill IS NOT IT! LEGISLATORS, KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID and stop trying to fool the American people for your own benefit.
Posted by: mary | March 15, 2010, 5:34 pm 5:34 pm
Not true that Repub. don’t want healthcare
reform. The general consensus no matter
what your political affiliation is, it
that yes we need to reform healthcare.
Quit drinking that the
Republicans are blocking this. Obama
cannot get his own party on board without
the few spineless who will be bought off.
Posted by: wis134 | March 15, 2010, 5:58 pm 5:58 pm
The insurance companies have always been for this awful bill it gives them at least 30 million pay or go to jail customers, why do you think that when Obama starts [supposidly] attacking the insurance companies that they announce rate increases, the want those 30 million young healthy folks having to pay premiums. Biggest rip off in history.
Posted by: earl | March 15, 2010, 6:50 pm 6:50 pm
LOL…LOL…Here is what happens. When (not if) it passes, the Republicans can (and will) look at their big contributors and lobbies, shrug their shoulders and say “well, we did our best to kill it”. Then they will get with many of these same people and fire up their conservative “ad” groups and once again “lie through their teeth” about it. They will spread as much fear as possible and start as many conspiracy theories about “gov’t takeover” as possible. How am I doing, conservatives? Did you think I “stole” your playbook? Or have I just been one of the few “paying attention” to what you have done so far?
Posted by: CND FOX | March 15, 2010, 6:54 pm 6:54 pm
If it passes anyone who thought they were gonna get free health care will be madder than a wet hen, cause it ain’t free, and while you are waiting three or four years for any benifits you will get to pay taxes and premiums, then mad voters will get it repealed but you don’t get your taxes back.
Posted by: earl | March 15, 2010, 7:08 pm 7:08 pm
earl…once this passes it will go “forward, not backward”. There will be no repealing it because it is the right thing to do. At that point we need to make it as good as we can. By that time anyway it will be transformed into a public option
Posted by: CND FOX | March 15, 2010, 7:28 pm 7:28 pm
I find it so very strange that many of us agree that we should continue to be robbed by the large pharmaceutical and insurance companies. They even raised prices in anticipation of the bill’s passage. If that does not indicate that they expect price controls, I don’t know what does. That anybody would not want an overhaul of the current health care industry, that makes it necessary for people to elect not to go to the doctor, and choose between food and medicine — I’m scratching my head. Yes, the Obama’s tend to get publicity from the news media for trivia. But that too is a conspiracy. Rupert Murdoch, an ultra conservative owns so much of the news media — so they like to give people the impression that the Obama’s are splurging while the rest of us lose our homes and jobs. On substantive issues the media tends to focus on the hair-brained ideas of the GOP, which also gives the impression that they are about doing important things (which nothing could be farther from the truth), while the White House dabbles in nonsense. Fortunately, only a very few people buy their rhetoric.
Posted by: Sierra BW | March 15, 2010, 7:52 pm 7:52 pm
This entire process has left a foul taste in everyones mouth. Another year has passed and millions are still without jobs and slowly adapting to the meager existence of unemployment, food stamps and 3 years from now doctors appointments (if the Government wonk deems it is necessary for you to go).
And as social security for the first time calls in IOU’s for all that money the government has spent, politicians and a minority of supporters seem intent on hurrying our financial demise.
Is there anyone interested in jobs and having a chance at the American dream or has the entire country become full of people that demand more and more from the system.
Posted by: david | March 15, 2010, 9:20 pm 9:20 pm
Do the people want this bill to pass? Put it to a vote and youd see the majority dont want it.
Posted by: Charlie C | March 15, 2010, 11:54 pm 11:54 pm
CND FOX,
LOL LOL OMG… I hope you get your wish and have cradle to grave care from the government… Its nice to see someone so concerned with bringing us all together and listening openly to both sides..LOL
Posted by: Ruth | March 16, 2010, 12:02 am 12:02 am
Obama, Pelosi, Reid and radical liberals in Congress will do anything to cram Obamacare down our throats. They have no problem governing against the Will of the People. This is the most corrupt administration in American history.
Posted by: EAST COAST | March 16, 2010, 12:06 am 12:06 am
HELL NO! This bill must go! The GOP doesn’t want any healthcare reform to pass as there are far more pressing priorities like jobs, immigration, wars that the federal government should be focused on. Pass the Senate version of the bill and the Democrats will be defeated in the biggest landslide (will make ’94 seem like small potatoes) ever.
Healthcare reform as found in the Senate bill is a takeover of the economy, will increase government bureaucracy and taxes and will NOT improve healthcare nor will it cover all of the uninsured. Reform should start with tort reform (will never happen with lawyers being almost as well protected as the unions by the Democrats), allowing free market approaches to buying healthcare across state borders and cutting waste and overspending.
Posted by: Kevin | March 16, 2010, 8:48 am 8:48 am
But not one of you are looking at the fact the biggest cause of the cost growth is the medical care industry itself. Of course if the cost of medical care goes up, then the cost of insurance has to go up to match it. Even an economic moron has to see that.
And believe me, the cost of medical care is skyrocketing.
Posted by: Jay in Idaho | March 16, 2010, 4:05 pm 4:05 pm