Edit: Btw, I already have a rec'ed diary for the day. Please give other people a chance and rec their diary rather than this one. Im just writing this because frankly, Republican political suffering is too much fun not to write about, not to get another rec'ed diary. However, feel free to comment below!
Rick Scott lookslike he is ready to cave on the Insurance exchange.
Via KaiserHealthNews:
Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Friday that he’s open to building a state-based health insurance exchange under the health care law — but only if he can find a way to pay for it that doesn’t increase health costs or state taxes.
Come on, come on, this is sooo pathetic. He is pretending to compromise. "But only if". I love that addendum. What happened, Rick? I thought Obamacare is a disaster, and now youre saying it's possible that it's not? And now you're trying to save face by pretending to negotiate in favor of the people. It's ALREADY designed not to increase costs. And he is pretending to take credit for it. Unbelievable.
But you know what? After the election debacle in Florida, and the fact that his approval rating is atGeorge Bush levels, he knows he has to cave, or lose his seat.
In fact this was Scott BEFORE the election:
Before President Barack Obama’s re-election last week, Scott was adamant that the state would do nothing to implement the health law that was not required.
This is a total cave. And I have one word to describe it: Pathetic.
On Medicaid:
Scott, the former hospital chain CEO who has been one of the most vocal Republican critics of the law, said he also would be open to expanding Medicaid as called for in the law — but the federal government first has to approve his request to require virtually all beneficiaries to get coverage under a private managed care plan. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has yet to rule on the request submitted in 2011.
Remember that Medicaid is a slur for Republicans. This, for them, is the definition of the 47%, and now he is negotiating on it? He KNOWS his base isn't going to like that, he doesn't need a trial balloon to see how everyone will react. So he wouldn't DARE float the idea of accepting Obamacare and then not go through with it. Even this announcement is too much for his Republican base. He is already too far strayed from Republican principles. His only choice is to keep moving forward and continue to negotiate. Now, the only reason, he is putting forward demands is so that he can go back to his base and tell them he won. So that it doesn't LOOK like a cave. But it's soooo transparent, that it's hilarious. How do you think his base is going to react to that? This is a disaster. This guy is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
I predict a disastrous reelection bid for him.
Update: ThinkProgress reports that expanding Medicare would save Florida 100 million dollars per year.