Editorial:
For once Democrats are showing a united front over the budget. And for once, the Republicans are divided over what to do. A minority of the Republicans want to stop the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, but the majority is willing to pass a budget and move on to the bigger battle over the debt ceiling.
Unfortunately for the Republicans their hands are tied at the moment. There are just enough Republicans, about 24 hardcore conservatives, which is all it takes to bring about this impasse. The other 200 Republicans are ready and willing to move forward but until House Speaker John Boehner puts down this mini-revolt nothing will get done. The funny part is that this band of conservatives think they are winning. They believe that if they stand their ground they will prevail.
Obamacare passed both houses, was signed into law by President Obama, withstood a Supreme Court challenge, and was re-affirmed when the country re-elected Obama as President, despite the Republican challenger vowing to dismantle Obamacare. The American voter didn’t feel this was a priority and spoke via the ballot box.
The Republican conservatives remind us of those little kids on the playground who if they don’t get way threaten to take their ball and go home, of course the threat then is nobody gets to play. Unfortunately, this is not a game and a government shutdown, not to mention the daily cost to the taxpayer each day the government stays closed, will hurt many people.
The other aspect is that tens of millions of folks have gone around every day without the most basic of health insurance.
This means that they do not do preventive checkups, cannot afford medicine, and avoid hospitals until it becomes an emergency, then that cost is passed on to taxpayers.
Republicans believe in a bail out for big business, limit government oversight to allow of maximum wealth, and allow corporations to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. For the poor and under-served they are willing to forgo their basic needs and subject them to a sort of a strong will survive reality.
Obamacare like most other program it is subject to the old supply and demand that all markets must face. For it to be a success, it will need those millions to sign up for the program. If they don’t sign up then all this government shut down mess will be for nothing, the program will collapse on itself due to lack of interest which would then prove the Republican conservatives right from the get go. Instead of waiting to see what happens the Republicans are taking a hard line stance and the only thing they will accomplish is to further tarnish their image and make their quest to keep the debt ceiling from rising any further that much more difficult.
In the meantime, the Democrats will stay united and wait for the Republican Party to get their act together and put together a budget bill that can actually pass both Houses. The Republicans will lose on the budget issue and those kids who take their ball and go home alone, all they get is the disdain from all the rest of children.