Trying to deflect from the success of Obamacare? Who woulda thunk that? Issa is a (poetic!!!) man with one occupation - deflecting from the success of Obama as president. Beyond that he is like a “long snapper” on a foot ball team - he sits at the end of the bench.
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GRUBER-GATE?
Ben-GRUB-ZI?
Whatever, the Reich-Wing needed SOMETHING to get it’s undies in a bundle about.
This entire kabuki-theater hearing is a waste of taxpayer money…
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You never will. Issa goes for the low hanging fruit, and will never go after someone with a higher IQ than his, i.e., something in excess of 9 squared.
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TPM:
“As far as I can tell, we are here today to beat up on Jonathan Gruber for his stupid – and I mean absolutely stupid – comments,” Cummings said. “But worst of all, Dr. Gruber’s statements gave Republicans a public relations gift in their relentless political campaign to tear down the ACA.”
As a perfect summary of the Gruber hearings, I think TPM should have led with this paragraph rather than closing with it.
There doesn’t seem to have been anything else worthwhile said at the hearing. Though I suppose it’s good to know the next time someone says something stupid about politics, that we can hold Congressional hearings on the matter.
What a waste of taxpayer money.
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I agree, but it’s going to take a while to get there. Obamacare is at least a start in the right direction. Next step: a public option that can evolve into single payer. I suspect we’ll be lucky if even that much happens in our lifetimes.
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He should have come out against both sides and said that the American people are stupid for trusting their politicians when they are obviously grandstanding.
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I disagree. Allow Medicare early buy-in and allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices.
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Best response he could have given about how much he has been paid?
“over the course of 5 years, I was paid just under what today’s hearing is costing the taxpayer so you can preen in front of the media.”
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When grilled on what he was paid, he should have pointed out “substantially less than what it is costing the American taxpayer to hold today’s hearing, sir”.
Then walk away.
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The Republican’s obsession with GruberGate is a “look over there, a SQUIRREL!!” mis-direction designed to distract the easily-manipulated (and STUPID) Americans from something they don’t want anyone to notice: the recent CBO report that the ACA is bending the cost curve of health care just as many hoped it would and doing this while dramatically increasing the number of Americans covered.
That’s not news the Republicans want to hear - or want you, the stupid Americans that they count on for support - to hear.
And, to show you how angry this kind of news makes them, they’re now threatening to shoot the messenger by not re-appointing the current CBO director, Douglas Elmendorf.
There’s your country under Republicans, people.
Any questions, stupid Americans?
I didn’t think so.
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Issa had his moment in the sun stomped on by the release of the torture report. Nobody gives a fuck about his hearing today since it is utterly, irredeemably unimportant compared the facts released in the report on torture. And all of his efforts today sank like a stone.
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Except not even up to Kabuki; more like Punch & Judy.
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Actually, what Gruber did here is the most promising way to put the faux controversy to bed.
A witness would have to be as agile, quick and witty as Stephen Colbert to try fencing with base-fondling Congress GOPers as much as any subset of human agenda-addled dunderheads. Galileo tried fencing with the Pope police and all it got him was into a dungeon; dozens and dozens of really articulate and creative witnesses who fenced with the House unAmerican Activities committee and with Senator Joseph McCarthy in the late 1940s to mid-1950s were black-balled and saw their careers sabotaged. Even Colbert, when he proved able at fencing with the Congress GOPerheads on the House agricultural subcommittee, was dressed down by Steve King for testifying ‘in character’.
Per that line from Men In Black, conservative gummint types have no sense of humor of which they are aware.
Been there; done that; might have to do it again.
What a fucking farce. All this guy has really done is act like a politician, and they’re pissed he’s gotten their shtick down so well. Nothing this guy has said is any different from what they think and do. Assholes all of them.
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Dream on. That’s what Obama wanted but blue dogs like Lieberman, Udall & company would never vote for it. And the Rethugs, well foggedabouddit.
That’s what we all want but GOTP are not in the business of helping out the masses.
Anybody paying attention can see GOTP wants us bankrupt & mostly they want the last pound of flesh.
All for them none for us.
This is what the GOP was elected for. To gut somebody instead of solving problems, passing legislation, or (heaven forbid) compromising with democrats to get stuff done…you know… like funding the government so that it does not shut down TOMORROW.
Jeebers
Funding runs out tomorrow and all the GOP can see to do is gut a guy who admittedly said something really really stupid and then confessed to it.
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It’s a sad day when the guy is skewered by both sides for telling nothing but the truth.
Gruber’s right, the voter is very stupid. Just check the midterm results for proof. They say they want a better economy but vote every midterm for the party with the proven record & rhetoric on destroying the economy. If that’s not stupidity what is?
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True. Sadly, Dems are helping them skewer this poor man for telling the truth.
Did you read Cummings’ brutal comment to Gruber. He has a point but still.
Good for him. Gruber’s got lot of fight in him.
This guy is smart as a whip but too blunt for his own good. Go Gruber.