This is certainly something to take note of.
Having failed miserably in the effort to “repeal and replace,” Donald Trump earlier this year promised to “let Obamacare fail.”
Obviously, that is something a child would do.
He couldn’t get the job done and instead of taking responsibility and moving on like an adult, he decided to be spiteful about it and he’s spent every day since blaming anyone and everyone but himself.
Now to be sure, Trump has a point about Republicans choking when they finally got their chance to do something they’ve been shouting about for years. But true to his penchant for making a bad situation worse, the President eschewed any semblance of congeniality or even decency in favor of publicly stating that he hopes the existing system fails (consequences for sick people be damned) and attacking lawmakers on Twitter.
The obvious question the clip above raises is this: well what if it doesn’t fail? Where will that leave him in terms of credibility?
Well don’t worry America, because if Obamacare wasn’t already in trouble, Trump is going to do everything in his power to undermine it. Here’s Bloomberg, just out:
Trump’s Health and Human Services Department will cut spending on promotion of the Affordable Care Act to $10 million for this sign-up seasons, down from $100 million last year, said the HHS officials, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity because the changes haven’t yet been made public.
The administration will also reduce payments to groups that help people choose among their health insurance options under the law. Last year, those insurance “navigators” got $62.5 million. Spending on the navigators will be cut by 39 percent this enrollment period, according to the officials.
This, Bloomberg says, is Trump “making good on [his] threat to let the law wither after Republicans failed to repeal it earlier this year.”
But actually it’s more than that. He’s not “making good on his threat to let the law wither.” That suggests his role is passive. Clearly, he intends to take an active role in undermining the nation’s healthcare system.
- SCHUMER: TRUMP DELIBERATELY TRYING TO SABOTAGE HEALTH SYSTEM
Take a minute to let that sink in.
And once it has, you’ll be forgiven if you vomit a little in your mouth.
TRUMP ADMIN IS SAID TO SLASH SPENDING ON OBAMACARE SIGN-UP ADS
so by "let Obamacare fail" he actually meant "cause Obamacare to fail"
— Heisenberg Report (@heisenbergrpt) August 31, 2017
“The Trump administration should be doing everything in its power to improve Americans’ access to health care, not cutting efforts that help Americans get coverage,” said Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on Senate Finance Committee.
Right. But remember Ron, this is Donald Trump we’re talking about.
*******
He is simply a pathetic example of a human being. He belongs in prison. If the greedy GOP’s don’t stop him, they should serve time in the next cell.
– Murphy
He has no policies he could think of proposing.
So, he found a policy:
Undo Obama policies.
it feels good to him.
His cult cheers him for it.
Great policy….
He loves it.
Hey Marty! When he made his ridiculous visit to Tx the other day, to Corpus where he gave a little performance for the camera so it is on record he showed up after the most historical storm in the United States and he did nothing worth reporting or repeating. He stood a long ways from a small crowd, behind three armored vehicles, behind a little group of heavily armed security, additional armed security men stood on the roof of the little one story building behind him. He held up a Texas flag shaking it in the wind, with that stupid fake smile on his face and yelled some words of what a great crowd (yes, he really did), my only thoughts were I wonder why he has so many guards with big guns pretty much surrounding him? Big mouth little pu$$y – what’s he afraid of today? He wasn’t there long.
Now he is coming back to Texas, tomorrow, to Houston. Whoopee. Nobody really cares. But he has taken so much heat about what a terrible impression he made – especially when our news folk showed an old film of Obama in Lousiana hugging people, rolled-up sleeves, reaching into the crowds and shaking hands, people cheering him, clearly sincere and moved with the sorrow of the people he spent a long time chatting with, walking with them, actually touching their hands. Then I read that assface was upset that he was not loved and he just does not know why! So according to Pence who showed up and said Trump sent him…blah blah blah … and then he helped a man carry a dead tree branch out of his yard, prayed with people standing close enough for a hug and told everyone how much “the White House” cared blah blah blah and I just smirked and changed the channel to some game show on cable. And now tomorrow assface will arrive for his little dog and pony show. Lord, spare me.
– Murphy
Speaking of which, did you and yours make it okay?
Marty, under another one of H’s good columns on Aug 30, “Yes, Climate Change Made Hurricane Harvey Worse” a good dialogue with multiple comments (worth a read!), JBond asked me a similar question. Here’s my story:
JBond — thanks for asking! Yes, I’m good. Not perfect, but good. Better than a million others for damned sure! Half my subdivision flooded, some 6 ft deep inside the homes — those are all around a little private “lake”, we call it The Lake Section (so clever, huh?) and they are heavily insured, bet on it (multi-million dollar homes, maybe 80) and as the community drifts back toward my location, less damage, less mortgage, flooding up to front doors and maybe some with water inside (200?) and eventually you get to my street and water into front yards maybe 10-20 feet but not inside home (500?); no power for 3 days so I found a cozy place to run to. I must have power for this oxygen tank that follows me around! Never seen anything like it and been thru a bunch of hurricanes and city floods but not like this! Some neighbors who finally bailed had to drive all the way to San Antonio to get away from flooding and find a hotel. There are about 20,000 they say in shelters all around the city — and more shelters and more flooding in many other towns south of us and then up the coast all the way into Louisiana. Entire subdivisions completely flooded. National Guard all over the place. Anyone who is not flooded out and even some that are, all working to help the ones that are worse off. Helicopters flying around now shooting videos that will leave you speechless! Two dams with controlled releases to prevent bursting, adding more damage to homes downstream. One of those damned if you do and damned if you don’t situations. I am very comfy with a big window into a sunny dry green courtyard with a fish pond and waterfall…so good I feel guilty! Here’s a local tv station with tons of good videos — we will be glad when the tv stations get back to the routine shows! Nothing but non-stop coverage, all day, all night, for a week. Here’s the good stuff http://abc13.com/video/
— Murphy 🙂
Add p.s. power still off at the house – could be for weeks, they say
It’s hard to tell whether you had bad news, horrible news or FUBAR news, but you sound in good stead and after seeing the once in a millennium Texas tsunami, you’re probably thanking you’re stars!! Welcome back. Happy to know you and yours are safe.
By the way, we don’t blame morons for not being smart. So, we can’t really blame Trump for not acting like he has a 95+ IQ. In the same fashion, he has proven himself devoid of any capacity to be empathetic or compassionate and I suggest it is a psychological condition called Alexithymia, i.e.:
“The core characteristics of alexithymia are marked dysfunction in emotional awareness, social attachment, and interpersonal relating. Furthermore, people with alexithymia have difficulty in distinguishing and appreciating the emotions of others, which is thought to lead to unempathic and ineffective emotional responding. Alexithymia occurs in approximately 10% of the population and can occur with a number of psychiatric conditions.”*
He’s a classic alexithymic. Getting angry at him for lacking empathy is like getting mad at a mental incompetent for supporting the neo-nazis and KKK.
===
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexithymia
See this as well:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samantha-rodman-phd/alexithymia-does-my-partn_b_8130914.html
So, your last sentence made me laugh – every person who supports neo-nazi or KKK is mentally incompetent and I hold them totally responsible for their failure to comprehend how abhorrent that is in our society and yes I get mad at them! That will not change! Therefore poor Trump remains a lousy human being with no soul and I hate him, still. But I really loved your sense of humor!
I know a narcissistic person almost always has this missing brain cell (call it alexithymia if you must but it is sure hard to spell and pronounce. ha!) and I read the Rodman blog which was really interesting! I see exactly what you mean that he fits that diagnosis extremely well and also that it is usually present in Asperger’s and narcissism, so I would agree with you! (I really tuned in on the Asperger’s based on other discussions about his young son) One suggestion as to why a person would have this ‘challenge’ (how’s that for me being politically correct?) results from emotionally neglected childhood – which I have read about trump’s young years and Daddy the Nazi. Some other things Rodman mentioned fit well with trump — monotonous conversations and in his job performance, advances to certain points and plateau. One thing I feel strongly about that does not fit the mold – she said these people are very stable in work, never make impulsive decisions that jeopardize their job. He is opposite that trait as he thrives on making waves and creating chaos and every day he jeopardizes his job with something stupid he says or does!
In another comment a few weeks ago you laid out some research you had done regarding your search for finding the reason for this moron’s behavior and you had some impressive conclusions. I agree with them then and still do. He is mentally ill and he should not have been elected to the highest office in our Nation. He is mentally ill and he must be removed from that position. His family knows, they have to know, that he is mentally ill and they make excuses and keep his secrets. The GOP’s are finally recognizing the problem. We will see what they do about it — in the meantime Mueller is getting closer. Trump has already wrecked his Presidency and it is just a matter of time. The more time it takes, the higher the risk for our Country.
– Murphy
Hey Marty, I came back to this comment from you to add a brief note to kinda respond to your opening paragraph. I am completely humbled by all the incredible people and total strangers helping each other in this overwhelming stress of suddenly being distraught and/or suddenly homeless, perhaps losing every possession you’ve kept close for years, maybe taking for granted common days and things we now see as “luxuries” – there is so much on our local news 24/7 for 6 straight days. And then coming face to face with an act of kindness that was so awesome and unexpected. A neighbor, an elderly couple, wife is handicapped in a wheelchair, torn on a decision to stay or evacuate, watching it all on tv for a couple of days. Suddenly the choice was made for them, all exits from subdivision were impassable, boats only getting thru. She was terrified but comforted in that our street was dry – by the end of it all, water did not get close to coming inside. Loss of power was certainly uncomfortable in the beginning and impossible for some of us, i.e. I needed power for oxygen supply. So my elderly neighbor and the elderly couple next door to them, stuck it out. Day 6, a nice woman from around the corner, just taking a walk, encountered the husband of the handicapped wife and chit chat disclosed their individual stories. As she strolled back towards home she ran into the guy taking photos of my home at my request, another incredible neighbor. She told him of the couple’s sad case and how miserable they were in Houston heat with no power, no refrigeration, no way to recharge dead phones, all the things we take for granted. He went back to his dry home around the corner and told another neighbor who has a generator. They had no power loss so they loaded it up and took it to the couple, just arriving at their door out of the blue. Got it all hooked up and running and they had refrigerator, some lights, able to charge phones, and as the lady said, the luxury of a tv. The plot thickened. The kind men when back to their garage and picked up a window a/c unit and once again knocked on the couple’s door and installed the window unit and voila, air conditioning! Oh, almost forgot, they also had 2 bags of ice in the freezer and one’s wife had just baked bread – so they took the ice and homemade bread to them as well. They also took ice for the other couple next door. None of these people knew each other before that day. Just a conversation in the street as one stranger passed another brought all this together!
Nothing I have to deal with will ever top all that. We have a community website and message board. There are so many things going on all around in my neighborhood. Couple of homes have offered showers and washing machine usage, going to the only open grocery store – what’s your need and she will pick it up, taking in your pet that is not allowed in the hotel, watching your little ones while you muck out your house. No, I am doing well. No complaints from me!
– Murphy 🙂
If you want ineffective socialized medicine, where everyone is equally limited to treatment that is third-rate or simply unavailable on a timely basis, then move to Canaduh like some of you promised to do. If you don’t like it, leave! I did. Every year many leave from many places. There are greener pastures elsewhere, whatever greener means to you. Sadly, nowadays leaving the US will cost you many many thousands in gov’t fees plus 25% of your total worth in exit tax, because Uncle Sam is desperate to corral the productive people and milk them to pay for the parasitic deep state and socialist garbage like obamacare. Previously, you used to be able to freely leave the country, but few did, back in the day when it was a more attractive place to live and have a business, unlike now (as every year lately in the US, more businesses die than are started, and alarmingly that trend is increasing).
IRB, I almost feel sorry for you. almost.
– Murphy
Good. That’s a contrary indicator in my book.