In health law politics, redistribution is a toxic word

Nov 25 2013

The New York Times: Don't Dare Call The Health Law 'Redistribution'
"Redistribution is a loaded word that conjures up all sorts of unfairness in people's minds," said William M. Daley, who was Mr. Obama's chief of staff at the time. Republicans wield it "as a hammer" against Democrats, he said, adding, "It's a word that, in the political world, you just don't use." These days the word is particularly toxic at the White House, where it has been hidden away to make the Affordable Care Act more palatable to the public and less a target for Republicans, who have long accused Democrats of seeking "socialized medicine." But the redistribution of wealth has always been a central feature of the law and lies at the heart of the insurance market disruptions driving political attacks this fall (Harwood, 11/23).

Meanwhile, The Washington Post looks at the difficult political calculus for Republican governors as they consider Medicaid expansion.

The Washington Post: Republican Governors Gauge Possible Heat From Medicaid
When Gov. Chris Christie (R) decided that New Jersey would expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act , he opened the door to health-care coverage for 104,000 of the poorest Garden State residents, a move he said would save the state $227 million this year alone. ... Christie is one of eight Republican governors to accept the expansion, including at least one other potential presidential candidate, Ohio Gov. John Kasich . The jockeying over Medicaid is a hot topic this week in Phoenix at the Republican Governors Association's annual meeting, and it is shaping up as one of the earliest fights in the shadow campaign for the Republican nomination (Wilson, 11/22).

And from the Sunday talk shows, weekly party addresses and other politics -

The Hill: Palin: Tea Party Was Right On ObamaCare
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (R) said Sunday that the botched rollout of ObamaCare has proven the Tea Party right. The former vice presidential pick said the website woes around the program have highlighted problems with big government programs that the Tea Party has railed against since President Obama took office. "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch," she said on "Fox News Sunday." "It's a tipping point, people are awake now" (Schroeder, 11/24).

The Hill: Cornyn: Iran Deal An Obamacare Distraction
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) dismissed a nuclear deal struck between leading world diplomats and Iran as a further attempt by the Obama administration to distract from the botched rollout of the healthcare reform law. "Amazing what WH will do to distract attention from O-care," the Senate Minority Whip tweeted shortly after the deal was announced (Schroeder, 11/23).

Politico: Cornyn: Iran Deal A Diversion From Obamacare
Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn's tweet suggesting that the Iran nuclear deal was a diversionary tactic by the administration to draw attention away from the flawed Obamacare rollout drew a strong reaction in the Twittersphere late Saturday (11/24).

The Hill: GOP Rep: ObamaCare A 'Train Wreck' For Nation
Lawmakers continue to get a "stack of sad stories" about President Obama's signature healthcare law, a GOP representative said in the party's weekly address. Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), himself a doctor, said that his office was getting streams of letters from constituents facing higher premiums, higher deductibles and even losing their coverage. ... The weekly address is just the latest sign that congressional Republicans will continue to hammer the disastrous rollout of ObamaCare for weeks to come, and to cast those problems as far more than just a shoddy website (Becker, 11/23).

The Associated Press: Obama Says Economy Improving Even If Progress Overshadowed By Gridlock, Health Law Problems
President Barack Obama says the U.S. economy is improving even if its progress has been overshadowed by political gridlock and the messy rollout of his health care law. In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama is seeking to shift the focus away from negative headlines (11/23).