Gruber Correct: American Health Care Voter is Stupid

Now there’s a headline that if in a major publication could create a stir. It is true, however. In 2009 when President Barack Obama took office he immediately created conflict in politics by signing the stimulus package. That event led to the formation of the Tea Party. That was February 2009. Obama had been in office barely a month and already the Republicans were making progress for the next election. Not because of them but because of Obama, the House and the Senate, all controlled by Democrats.

Following the election, the Democrats held the majority of both Houses of Congress. With the Independents, like Bernie Sanders from Vermont,  and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut they were just one seat away from having the 60 votes needed to block filibusters.

Along came Senator Arlen Specter, a Republican from Pennsylvania. He saw that he was going to lose the primary in his home state so he changed parties and became a Democrat. He became the 60^th vote that would get Obama’s health care legislation through.

Then, Senator Ted Kennedy, Democrat from Massachusetts who had been suffering from brain cancer, died dropping the Democrats down to 59. This made them one short of the cloture vote.

 A temporary replacement (Paul Kirk) was appointed The Democrats now had their 60 votes again. They voted and the law passed 60-39. A special election was to be held for the seat vacated by the death of Senator Kennedy. Scott Brown ran as the Republican in a heavily liberal state. He ran as the 41^st vote against the affordable care act, also known as Obamacare. The amazing thing is that he won the race. Obamacare was dead….almost.

There was one way it could still go through. The House, who had been working on their own bill need only pass the Senate bill that had passed after abandoning their own version. If it went to a markup, the Senate would have to have a vote on it and with Scott Brown elected in Massachusetts, they wouldn’t have the filibuster proof majority and the health care plan would be dead. The House, which only needs a simple majority, which they had, voted on the bill and it passed. 220-215. Again, not one Republican voted for the bill.  

Here is where Gruber is correct. The American people did not vote on Obamacare. The people don’t get to vote on individual pieces of legislation. They only vote for the Representatives in each house to represent them. It is the members of the House and Senate that vote on legislation.

Not one Republican voted for Obamacare to become law. Each and every vote for the law was cast by a Democrat. Each and every Republican voted No on the bill. So you see, Jonathan Gruber is correct. They only needed to fool the voters for the bill, which were all Democrats.  

Do you need an example of the stupidity? How about the then Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (D) from California who said, “We Have to Pass the Bill So That You Can Find Out What Is In It".

Now there are two very liberal Democrat who are showing buyers remorse on the Obamacare plan. Senator Chuck Schumer (D) of New York and outgoing Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa. If only they hadn’t been stupid when they voted for it.

The American voters are the smart ones. Since Obamacare, liberal Democrats have been losing seats in both Houses. The stupid voters that Gruber ended up describing was every Democrat representative and Senator that voted for the bill. 280 of them. They are after all the only ones that did. Although, there was one more, but he didn't vote on it, he signed it. 

The hearings should be extremely interesting over the next couple of days. It would be fun to see the Republicans jumping all over the Mr. Gruber for calling Democrat elected officials stupid.

You’re welcome to comment.

Brett