When it comes to Obamacare, Minnesota Congressman Michele Bachman could not be more certain that she has public opinion behind her. For instance, in her latest broadside, she signed a letter to all 50 Governors urging them to avoiding implementing Obamacare insurance exchanges to help Americans obtain affordable coverage, Bachman cited an oft repeated myth:
I urge all Governors to let Congress finish the job the American people sent us to do, to fully repeal Obamacare and replace it with common-sense free market solutions.
“…the job the American people sent us to do, to fully repeal Obamacare and replace it…” Whether they are spinning or they actually believe that, they are wrong. This notion that a majority of the American people want the Affordable Care Act repealed or weakened is demonstrably false.
A June 2012 Kaiser Permanente poll is the last latest to show that a majority (53%) either wants to “keep the law as is” (25%) or “expand the law” (28%).
At the same time, only 38% of Americans support what the Republicans propose. The Kaiser poll finds that 18% of Americans said Congress should “repeal the law and replace it with a Republican-sponsored alternative,” and 20% said Congress “repeal the law and not replace it.”
So, yes, a majority doesn’t support the law as is, because so many Americans, myself included, would have liked the law to have been stronger…if there had been congressional will to do so. But it simply is not true that a majority of Americans want to do what the Republicans propose to do to the Affordable Care Act — real it or repeal and replace it.
And so today, for the 30th time, Michele Bachman, John Kline, Erik Paulsen, and Chip Cravaack will vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. And for the 30th time, they will be dead wrong about the will of the American people.
– Loveland
Note: This post was also featured as part of the “Best of the Blogs” feature in Politics in Minnesota’s Morning Report.
Right on, but to extend . . . with Congressional job approval ratings well below the public opinion Mendoza line, it would equally seem as though the other misread is taking and retaking the same hopelessly futile vote 30+ times! As with the election itself Republican and Tea Party obstructionists just cannot move on and accept either that the President won and is legitimate or that the Affordable Care act won and is legitimate. Like the ACA or not, support expansion or repeal the legislative issue has been settled for some time and the SCOTUS has out to rest the foot stomping “give me ice cream” legal challenges to the law.
The GOP’s obstructionist insistence on not accepting the consequences of the election is simply childish and the basic reason why Americans general distain for all things Congressional continues to deepen. The 33rd effort to repeal the ACA did not. Create any more jobs or reduce our crippling national debt or better protect the American people from terrorism or the corporate corruptions of Wall street any mor than the 32nd, 26th 21st, 17th, 10th or even the 2nd. If you want to make your sour grapes point once you take control of the House have at it, I’ll give you that bit of base symbolism no problem. But at some point it be ones a waste of time, at another a complete waste of time and eventually an Insulting waste of time. I’d argue they jumper that last shark somewhere in the early to mid 20’s and have reached a rarefied air at the point of a 33rd effort to repeal the singularly most hard fought, and historic, domestic policy battle in decades. And more, not a single new idea what to replace it with if they were actually to succeed in the fool’s errand of repeal.
Seriously, I get Speaker Boehner that you lost and it hurts. I get that if you and your tea party friends are ever, God save us, in control of the Capitol and White House you will move to roll back the only progress made in 40+ years toward universal coverage before Mitt can locate the bathroom in the residence. Albeit misguided, I get your commitment and did a long, long, long time ago.
So seriously for my sanity and the sake of your lagging Congressional approval ratings, can we drop it and move on to other pressing matters? Even not so pressing matters if you like.
Apologies for typos – iPhone thumb typing ;-).
Great points, and impressive iPhone typing. You must have large thumb biceps.
There’s one school of thought that says taking the vote 31 times is a good communications tactic, because it gives them multiple platforms for hammering home their key messages on their key issue. There’s another school of thought that says 31 times starts to look gimmicky, bitter, flakey and unfit for grown up governance. Sounds like you’re in the second school?
Yeah a little bit. I get the communicate w/ the base, sharpen contrast and even the “new ACA is a tax” so let’s get’em on the record in support again schools. I think though it reaches a point of diminishing returns and should come with a cost / backlash.
Bachmann would rail against the law of gravity if some crackpot in a three-cornered hat told her it created an inescapable burden on all citizens.
Yes. After all, do you see the word “gravity” ANYWHERE in the Founding Fathers’ Constitution of Independence????? Then how in Abraham Lincoln’s name can it be considered a valid LAW?????!!