ObamaCare is set to hit all of us this October, and Susan Page of USA Today is already blaming the Republicans in the likely case the law turns out to be an abject failure. Appearing on MSNBC’s Weekends with Alex Witt on Saturday, Page made a confession that has been hard for the liberal media to make: “[W]e are entering this really critical period when we’re going to find out if [ObamaCare] works the way it's supposed to work or not.”
A previous Democratic Congress passed the Affordable Care Act so we could find out what was in it, as Nancy Pelosi infamously quipped. But we won’t truly know how it works – or if it works – until it is implemented. It was courageous of Page to admit that ObamaCare is still a question mark. But she may sense that the health care law will fail to work as it was intended, because she quickly blamed Republicans for the potential failure of the law: [Video below. MP3 audio here.]
"And the Republicans, not only in Washington but in a lot of state houses, have made it as difficult as possible for ObamaCare to succeed by not participating in the expansion of Medicaid and by refusing to set up state exchanges so that people who are not now insured can go on and shop for insurance plans."
Very clever plan, Ms. Page. Pin the blame on the GOP now so that nobody will look for other explanations if ObamaCare proves to be a failure. There are numerous reasons the law might fail that have nothing to do with Republicans’ lack of cooperation. Perhaps millions will lose their current health insurance because their employers will no longer be able to afford it. Perhaps premiums will actually rise, contrary to what the president has assured us. Maybe employers will decide to lay off more workers or cut their hours in order to avoid the coverage mandate. No Congress, Republican or Democratic, can repeal the iron-clad laws of economics, nor of unintended consequences.
Page then made a prediction: “I think we're likely to see a situation this fall where the new plan works well in some states like New York and California and fails in others.” In other words, she expects liberal states to make ObamaCare work by simply embracing its spirit. That's Peter Pan thinking: with some pixie dust and positive thinking, Obama's medicine for America can fly in the blue states.
Below is a transcript of the exchange:
ALEX WITT: Yeah, and we keep talking about this, Susan, but despite the 40 times that the GOP and the House have overturned at least portions of the health care, the Affordable Care Act. I mean, is it going to be overturned or not? Is there a chance it could be ultimately and when might it all be implemented?
SUSAN PAGE: You know, I don't think there's any chance it’s going to be overturned or repealed but we are entering this really critical period when we’re going to find out if it works the way it's supposed to work or not. And the Republicans, not only in Washington but in a lot of state houses, have made it as difficult as possible for ObamaCare to succeed by not participating in the expansion of Medicaid and by refusing to set up state exchanges so that people who are not now insured can go on and shop for insurance plans. I think we're likely to see a situation this fall where the new plan works well in some states like New York and California and fails in others. And then you'll have a whole new argument over whether it's working. But is it going to be repealed? Not while President Obama is in the White House it’s not.
