American Enterprise Institute

Trump Calls For Immediate Obama Care Repeal In Midst Of Pandemic: Most Obscene Action Imaginable!

Ronald Leave a comment

In the midst of the worst public health crisis in a century, the Corona Virus Pandemic, Donald Trump has called for immediate action by the Supreme Court to repeal Obama Care, the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

The Republican Party has been unwilling to leave Obama Care alone, but has failed to destroy it, and offers no alternative to the tens of millions who depend on Obama Care for their health care.

If the GOP had an alternative plan, then one might consider it, but they have refused to come up with an alternative, even though Obama Care is very similar to Romney Care in Massachusetts under Mitt Romney, and to the plan developed by future House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Senator Bob Dole and the American Enterprise Institute in 1993-1994, as an alternative to the bolder Hillary Care health care plan of the Bill Clinton Administration.

Obama Care is not perfect, but one should not “throw out the baby with the bath water”, but instead come up with a different plan.

But for Donald Trump to promote the destruction of health care for millions without an alternative is truly the most obscene action imaginable!

The Disgrace Of The US Senate: Republican Mismanagement And Corruption, Deserving Of Massive Repudiation By Voters In 2018 And 2020

Ronald 11 Comments

Norman Ornstein, Congressional scholar, political scientist and resident scholar of the conservative American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC, has never said or published what most people who are employed by that interest group usually produce.

He has long been condemnatory of how the Congress has deteriorated in its approach to its responsibilities. He has been bitterly critical of the extremism that has taken over both the House of Representatives and US Senate. He is known for blistering critiques of Congress and how it operates.

It is a disgrace how both bodies of Congress operate, but the US Senate is particularly a train wreck under Republican control, promoting mismanagement and corruption, and now in the process of passing a disastrous tax bill that will make the wealthy wealthier, and harm everyone else, and add dramatically to the national debt.

Mitch McConnell and his party in the Senate, along with Paul Ryan and his party in the House, have abused their power, and are voting on legislation without full knowledge of what is in it, and changing details to please certain party members, without an understanding of the short and long range effect on the American economy.

The Republican Party has become the party of evil, deserving of massive repudiation by the voters in 2018 and 2020, but the question is whether those who vote for the Republican Party without a clue or knowledge of their agenda will finally understand that the voting for the GOP is a bargain with the devil, voting for people with no principles except their own self aggrandizement without conscience of what it is doing to millions of senior citizens, disabled and sick, and struggling middle class and poor people, in the name of greed and selfishness.

The Graham-Cassidy Last Ditch Attempt To Destroy ObamaCare: Proof That Republicans Do Not Care About Americans Having Health Care!

Ronald 3 Comments

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana are trying to ram through a last ditch attempt at destroying ObamaCare, and putting up to 32 million people off of affordable health care.

This proves that Republicans do not care about Americans having health care, and yet they are supposedly Pro-Life, but only until a fetus is born, and after that, if you are poor, tough on you!

Graham is outrageous enough to say that ObamaCare is “Socialism”, which most certainly is NOT so!

It is very similar to RomneyCare in Massachusetts and to the American Enterprise Institute–Bob Dole–Newt Gingrich plan of 1993-94 in opposition to HillaryCare, promoted by First Lady Hillary Clinton.

It keeps the health care system under private insurance companies, so how is it “Socialism”?

But Graham must think that Social Security and Medicare are “Socialism”, but vast majorities of the American people like both programs, but of course, the Republicans would love to destroy both, even though the middle class and the poor benefit from them.

The battle must be continued to keep ObamaCare, but work to IMPROVE it, as all government programs can certainly be improved over time.

It now seems that Senator John McCain of Arizona has come to the rescue once again, as he stated today that he could not, in good conscience, support the bill, even though it is sponsored by his closest friend in the Senate, Lindsey Graham. Now that is principle, a rare virtue in the Senate in recent years.

It is also believed that two women, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who joined with McCain a month ago on the earlier rejection of a similar bill, will do so again, and Rand Paul of Kentucky is a definite NO vote this time, but because he feels the bill keeps remnants of ObamaCare, which he wishes to reject completely. So he is NOT a hero, but then he and his dad, former Texas Congressman Ron Paul are both libertarian whackos!

Two Prestigious Scholars Blame The Republican Party For The Stalemate In The 112th Congress

Ronald 5 Comments

Two well known scholars, Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution and Norman J. Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute, have recently published a book and authored articles criticizing the Republican Party for the stalemate in the 112th Congress.

The Republican Party is blamed for its refusal to hold members of their party in Congress accountable for their wild statements; is seen as totally against compromise; refuses to accept facts, evidence and science; lacks respect for the legitimacy of the opposition party and its members; and is so far outside the mainstream as to be alarming for any hope of accomplishment of any goals or programs!

The two people most responsible for this extremism are former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and Grover Norquist of the Americans for Tax Reform. But also the filibuster has been abused in the Senate, and prevented many executive branch appointments from being confirmed, both in the government agencies and in the court system.

The reaction to Roe V. Wade after 1973 mobilized social conservatives, while the tax revolt in California in 1978 mobilized anti tax activists. Also, the South turned conservative Republican after the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s; and the rise of conservative talk radio, and the growing impact of Fox News on cable, also had a great impact on what has become a growing stalemate and gridlock.

Health care reform, climate change, economic recovery, deficits, and debt issues have become a chasm between the two major political parties. Polarization has become the norm, and is a dangerous trend which may continue, if the voters again send a confusing message of a divided Congress in the 2012 Congressional elections. The Tea Party movement, if it grows, will further create conflict at a time when we need negotiation and compromise!

This assessment is extremely worrisome, as it means that our national government may be totally paralyzed, when we need true statesmen in both parties dealing with our important national agenda!

Now Federal Workers Are Facing Attack By Conservative Interests!

Ronald 1 Comment

The country has been witnessing attacks on public employees in state government and local government, including teachers, police officers, firefighters, nurses, prison guards, social workers, sanitation workers and others, by conservative and business interests who have been working to turn the American people against these public servants, and to claim they are overcompensated.

Now the attack is also beginning against federal employees, so called “bureaucrats” who have regularly been trashed over the years by citizens, as if they are the evil force in government!

The argument is that they are overpaid and have too many benefits, with the attack being led by the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation, two conservative think tanks.

The fact that federal workers are more highly educated and work more highly skilled jobs than private sector employees is conveniently ignored.

Also, the fact that there is a two year freeze on cost of living increases for all federal workers through next year, is overlooked, as the attack on government workers at all levels continues.