lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

To start, let me remind you that I was one of the first to decry the ridiculous aspects of the ACA ( fondly known as Obamacare ). That massive, overly complex piece of legislation, was a mish mash of items that went way too far and items that didn't go nearly far enough, making it a train wreck leaving the station. That being said, it was a start, a starting point rather, which could have led to some real, beneficial and desperately needed changes in the nightmarish US healthcare system.....but that didn't happen, did it.

First we had the Democrats absolute refusal to acknowledge the obvious issues with the ACA, which led to their refusal to help the people adversely affected by them. They should have been shamed out of office for that. Then we had the Republicans who, although they recognized and gleefully pointed out those issues, likewise refused to do anything about them, allowing the same people to continue to suffer for political gains ( i.e. gaining control of Congress ). THEY should have been shamed out of office as well.

Now, the stars are finally in alignment for the GOP, Congress, WH, etc., and they flounder around like sardines caught in a net. Haven't they been studying the ACA all these years, identifying the obvious things that needed to be deleted, improved or kept intact? Apparently not, as their best instinct is to completely repeal every single line item of the ACA - and start over. That's the dumbest concept since the flying/floating car. Had they been crafting their own signature healthcare bill all these years, spending as much time fine tuning it as they did pointing out the ACA's flaws - we wouldn't be having this conversation. In stead of proceeding in an orderly fashion and FINALLY beginning the work they were hired to do, they're still playing "gotcha!" with one another, juggling this special interest and that one, playing "spin the media" and trying to craft massive legislation on the fly. What kind of dumbass does that? The kind we've hired.

We expect our elected leaders to be sober minded, contemplative and competent individuals, who carefully examine all aspects of the legislation they're considering, debate the issues as long as necessary, until they can present a finished product to the people who hired them. We haven't see ANY evidence of those individuals, although, John McCaine's speech on the Senate floor yesterday reminded us that they used to be around. To date, every lawmaker eager to appear on TV, has had a completely different version of the latest healthcare incarnation in mind, when explaining it's wonderful attributes, since none of their explanations matched any other. That made it painfully obvious that they didn't have a clue - they were guessing.

3/4 of the work on healthcare has already been done, it only needs the other 1/4 fixed, so starting all over is a dumbass move. Waiting until the last minute to BEGIN thinking about what to do, is another dumbass move. Trying to throw something together to get over the finish line, is another dumbass move. Not allowing anyone from the opposing party to have a hand in the pie AND that other party trying to gum up the works - are two more dumbass moves. In short, the dumbasses in the Congress have united in their effort to screw the American people again - and many of them will ask you to send them back next year.

Maybe it's past time to elect some sober minded, contemplative and competent people to the Congress, and send the dumbasses somewhere they can't hurt any more people.

Loki Loc: Georgia

Bear in mind that in spite of all of the Congressional abuses, they still haven't figured out how to re-elect themselves. I believe someone else is responsible for that. I am happy to report that the only incumbents I voted for last year were my State Senator and my County Sheriff. I wrote in my US Representative's primary opponent, my US Senator's primary opponent, and since my State Rep was running unopposed, I wrote in myself. I can't possibly do any worse.

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

buffalo Loc: Texas

The democrats and republicans in DC are merely the left and right wings of the same bird and what comes out of that bird is the same stinking shit.

roy

Amen

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

Which is why I implore folks to join the ranks of the unaffiliated and vote the dumbasses out. We do NOT have to have lawyers, business or political types to run our Government, we can hire folks like that to advise us if we need to. We do not need political party's either, to get anything done, in fact, it's because of partisan bullshit that nothing is getting done now. Common sense, common decency, and a common goal, are all that's needed for men and women to talk to each other and come up with solutions. This happens daily all around us, it happens in our homes, in fact, it happens everywhere - except in the government - because it's full of lawyers, business and political types.

badbobby Loc: texas

well stated Doc
I agree wholeheartedly

Loki Loc: Georgia

Until such time as we get term limits, (unlikely) the only other recourse is elections. I never vote for an incumbent more than once. Someone said that you risked throwing out the baby with the bathwater; I pointed out there is a lot more bathwater than there is baby.

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

In this case, the big babies need to go out with the bathwater............so there's no downside.