There is nothing for Obama to negotiate when it comes to the Affordable Care Act. The Republican strategy is to switch attention away from their effort to cut as many social programs as they can while hiding behind the "Obamacare" is broken message.

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Turst Me Shirt by RWR


It's become painfully clear that Frank Luntz or some other right-wing messaging consultant has advised the House Republicans to keep repeating the lie that "Obama won't negotiate." 

It really is a lie.  Let's understand some simple facts.  Whether you like it or not, the Affordable Care Act is the Law of the Land.  I know you've heard it all before.  But, just for the record, it passed the Senate and House, signed by the President, and upheld by the Supreme Court.  It's no longer a "bill."  It's a law.  A fully enforceable federal law.  There is nothing to negotiate. 

Given that it's a law, if there are still parts you don't like, elect enough Senators and Representatives to amend it or repeal it.  Or, if you still think there are parts that are unconstitutional call up the Koch Brothers or some other right-wing millionaires to fund a new lawsuit challenging it.  But, until you do, it's the law.

Honestly, Republicans blew it big time when they pandered to the right-wing nut jobs who are hostile to anything "Obama."  When the law was being considered before both houses of the Congress, hearings were held.  Over a period of months any number of ideas, changes, tweaks, etc., could have been presented.  But, the Republican boycott of everything to do with healthcare reform meant little participation and automatic "no" votes regardless of what the final product looked like.  So, who refused to negotiate then, before the bill was made into law?  I think you know the answer.

On to the 2014 Budget process.  The House passed a budget and so did the Senate.  Patty Murray, the Democratic Senator in charge of the Senate Budget Committee, asked Speaker Boehner eighteen times to designate members of the House to serve on a Conference Committee to try to iron out (e.g. "negotiate") a final bill to be approved by both houses.  Eighteen times Boehner refused to designate members and begin the Conference Committee process. 

Monday night at about 11:15 Boehner suddenly got religion and demanded that the Senate Democrats designate a Conference Committee to consider the Budget and defund the Affordable Care Act.  As you can see, the President and the Democrats had no choice but to say no.  There is nothing relating to funding the ACA to negotiate. Remember, it's the law.  As to the 2014 budget, Harry Reid has committed to appoint a Senate Conference Committee on the Budget as soon as the government shutdown ends.

The bottom line here is that the whole GOP messaging scam -- and it is a scam -- about Obama and the D's refusal to negotiate is like almost everything else they say these days, just another Republican lie.  They have turned lying into an art form.

The really scary part in this is I posted the above explanation on a right-wing website known as "minutemennews."  It is very right wing, and just incredibly full of right-wing hate.  And, I do mean hate. 

The few comments I got were interesting.  A couple of posters called me either delusional or a moron.  One that I particularly enjoyed referred to the three branches of the government as "The House, the Senate, and the White House," in exactly those words.  I guess the far right has removed the Supreme Court from the list.  Consider that these low- or no-information people are just the ones so easily duped by the right-wing Republican front men who carry water for the  corporatists and banksters.  There is nothing anyone can do to wake them up.  Their religion is hating Obama, Democrats, Progressives, and just about everything else that doesn't fit into the fantasy worldview.  I mean, think about it.  How do you deal with people who think Louie Gohmert is brilliant?

Authors Bio:
Dedicated and proud liberal, political news junkie. Formerly active in local politics in New Jersey and at one point employed as Aide To The Mayor of a central NJ community of 50,000.

Currently writing a manual about Opposition Research for use by grassroots progressive campaigns and candidates. Always available for consulting assignments on behalf of progressive candidates and causes.

When I'm not venting about something political I'm fixing computers. It's therapy and they don't talk back.