Althouse: "I did not vote for Trump and have concerns about his behavior and policies, but I will not stand-up idly and condone what appears to be an effort to conduct a coup..."

January 6, 2019

"I did not vote for Trump and have concerns about his behavior and policies, but I will not stand-up idly and condone what appears to be an effort to conduct a coup..."

"... and unseat a duly elected President. How so? I read and hear all the rhetoric about his misdeeds, but where is the meat? That he obviously lies. So? I recently read a study in which it was concluded that ALL presidents have lied to the public and knowingly did so. That Trump is more blatant in his lies and lies more often does not make him worse (or in need of impeachment) than his predecessors. Surely, you remember G.W. Bush and his justifications for invading Iraq and then blaming it (that his justifications were baseless) on 'bad intelligence'; those lies lead to the death of over 5,000 American military personnel, over 40,000 wounded and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilian (read: non-combatant) deaths and injuries. That Trump refuses to 'act' in a manner that the political elite demands is not grounds for impeachment. That Trump has and is inciting the tyranny of the masses is not grounds for impeachment. Again, I am not a big fan of Trump, but until hard proof is provided that he has committed high crimes and misdemeanors, I will support his presidency, even if I do not support one or more of is policies or agree with his behavior."

Writes one commenter, very aptly, on "The People vs. Donald J. Trump/He is demonstrably unfit for office. What are we waiting for?" by David Leonhardt (in the NYT).

235 comments:

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Chuck said...: Jay Elink, don't pin "government takeover of health care" on me. I never proposed such a thing. I never made any insane campaign promises to "cover everyone" as Trump did.

And never did I suggest, as Trump did in his 2000 book, The America We Deserve, that a Canadian-style single payer system is what we need:

“We must have universal health care. Just imagine the improved quality of life for our society as a whole... The Canadian-style, single-payer system in which all payments for medical care are made to a single agency (as opposed to the large number of HMOs and insurance companies with their diverse rules, claim forms and deductibles) … helps Canadians live longer and healthier than Americans.”; 1/6/19, 4:36 PM
PuertoRicoSpaceport.com said...: Chuck,

In some ways I agree with you that there should have been a formal repeal by the House and Senate. That there was not is hardly PDJT's fault. That there was not was the fault of your ilk, the LLRs in Congress.

OTOH, had there been a repeal, there probably would have been some kind of govt healthcare plan to replace. Not much of an improvement.

So, your guys and gals left PDJT with nothing to do but gut Obamacare bit by bit through the legal system. We have made good progress and the job will be complete in a year or so.

Meanwhile, there is no "replacement" in the sense of another govt boondoggle. That is fine with me. That is what I've always been for. As Mama Ann sez:

"Better than nothing it a really high standard"

So we are left with the marketplace to sort it out and it seems to be coming along nicely. It is still evolving but we are.

Where are all the screams about people dying in the street because of no healthcare? Where are all the bankruptcies because of medical expenses? Where are all the heartrending stories of kids with pre-existing conditions etc? Our friends like you seem to be having trouble coming up with sob stories stemming from Obamacare's demise.

John Henry; 1/6/19, 4:41 PM
PuertoRicoSpaceport.com said...: Blogger Squeamish Fascist said...

I think Trump should go for that full repeal. Throwing tens of millions of newly insured Americans out of an affordable insurance market

Do you have health insurance, Squeamish?

That is, in the sense that you pay for it yourself or via your employer. Not through parents or some govt program.

If you do, could you tell us whether your access to and cost of healthcare got better or worse after Obamacare was instituted?

And how?

John Henry; 1/6/19, 4:48 PM
PuertoRicoSpaceport.com said...: Blogger Jay Elink said...

Or "I did not have sex with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky".

But at least "The Big He" never talked about how if you are a celebrity women will let you shove your dick down their throat and then come on their dress. (And not even pay for the dry cleaning)

Nope. Bill Clinton is far too cultured to talk about that kind of thing.

John Henry; 1/6/19, 4:55 PM
Seeing Red said...: If you do, could you tell us whether your access to and cost of healthcare got better or worse after Obamacare was instituted?

THE COST! Wowwwwww it’s been nasty.; 1/6/19, 5:00 PM
Chuck said...: John Henry (how many John Henrys are there?);

It was never a matter of any lack of support from Congressional Republicans. There was never any hope of a formal repeal of the ACA in the Senate, because the Republicans didn't have 60 votes. They could never have gotten past a cloture vote. There simply weren't enough Republican votes, to ram through a 'repeal and replace' of the ACA.

In order to 'repeal and replace' the ACA in 2017, it would have required a president who was smart, and who knew Congress, and who knew how to negotiate, and who had a mastery of the details of health care reform, and who had enough broad-based popularity in the country so as to be able to use the bully pulpit of the presidency to carry the day.

We had none of that. We had Trump.

Congress didn't fail Trump; Trump failed to mobilize anything meaningful on health care reform. I say again for emphasis; my impression of Trump is that the details of health care reform are utterly uninteresting to him. He could not care less what happens; all that he wants is to be able to go back to his rallies of cultists and yell to them that he "repealed and replaced" Obamacare.

Part of Trump's problem on health care reform is that he is so badly informed. It has never been an issue that he paid any serious attention to. Trump worries about a situation where people might be dying on the streets without recourse. You yourself just queried, "Where are all the screams about people dying in the street because of no healthcare?"

And what you clearly didn't remember, and what Trump has no idea about, is that we have a federal law, EMTALA, that requires hospitals to treat and stabilize any patient who presents as an emergency case. It's been the law since 1986. So we have a law, but of course it has been an unfunded mandate for those hospitals. They make it up not from federal compensation, but rather from general charges to other patients and insurers.; 1/6/19, 5:02 PM
PuertoRicoSpaceport.com said...: Blogger Chuck said...

John Henry (how many John Henrys are there?);

You are really confused by this?

Here's a hint: If it says "John Henry" at the bottom, it is most likely me. I've been posting here for a dozen years and never seen another one.

I am sure there are other John Henrys posting on the internet but in 30 years I've only ever run across 1, in England.

Outside of my family, I've only run across 1-2 in meatspace over the past 70 years.

John Henry, Dark Island, PR Spaceport are all me.

John Henry; 1/6/19, 5:11 PM
Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...: Before Obamacare, the number of employees in my company who...

Hi, I'm a CEO and therefore my company IS America! Only MY company exists! There are no other Americans working for other American corporations with needs equivalent to my employees' needs, and if there are, FUCK 'EM! That's how we do right by America, by being blind to anyone who doesn't work in MY company and work under the circumstances that are particular to ME!; 1/6/19, 5:12 PM
PuertoRicoSpaceport.com said...: Blogger Seeing Red said...

THE COST! Wowwwwww it’s been nasty.

I don't think I've ever run across anyone who doesn't pay significantly more under Obamacare.

And have significantly worse access to care.

Even supporters of Obamacare say this but justify it as "It's the price we pay for people with pre-existing conditions"

John Henry; 1/6/19, 5:14 PM
Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...: I never read your shit because you're insane. But, this is beyond idiocy. Your Precious President already threw tens of millions out of an affordable insurance market, you stupid, stupid ass.

Sure... That had NOTHING to do with all the Republican governors who refused to expand CMS as they were supposed to do. Right. The Republicans had so many plans to increase coverage and affordability... right. Just like they worked to make the stimulus successful - declarations of focusing instead on a "one-term presidency" notwithstanding!

People aren't as dumb as you are. They know what you fuckers are up to. We saw the town halls last year.; 1/6/19, 5:16 PM
Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...: Jim Daniels said...
"Blogger President Pee-Pee Tape said...
I think Trump should go for that full repeal."

I think -

No you don't! You lie!; 1/6/19, 5:17 PM
Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...: Trump primarily cares about the same thing that every President does..

Except for that little part that involves something called "reading" and "knowing what the fuck you're doing."

No other president was ever as self-righteous as Drumpf. Or lied as much. The dude literally thinks that by yelling and screaming he can make something true.; 1/6/19, 5:19 PM
walter said...: Blogger Big Mike said...
Hard to imagine there is any support for Medicare-for-All in the 60+ cohort
Or among working doctors. I understand that the Medicare payments often do not cover the full cost of the service rendered.
--
True..but many who are all in on "Medicare for All" have never seen a CMS bill/statement showing that..and have never heard of the cost shifting required to keep the current Medicare going..such as it is.
But hey..if you have an entitlement that's already problematic, best to expand it broadly...
But really, it's more likely just borrowing the name since it has fans.If they got what they strive for it would look more like Medicaid for all, with the same problems but worse, reduced access/acceptance being one of them.
Just gotta put the hammer down on dissenting docs and force them to stay in the practice somehow...and/or lower the bar so RN's do all the doctoring.; 1/6/19, 5:29 PM
Chuck said...: So just one "John Henry" but multiple Blogger accounts? You were johnhenry1000? And Darkisland? Several others, right? "Unknown"?

My apologies; I thought that "John Henry" was just some sort of 4Chan thing that I would never understand. A QAnon codeword or something like that.; 1/6/19, 5:45 PM
Drago said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/6/19, 5:47 PM
Drago said...: LLR Chuck: "It was never a matter of any lack of support from Congressional Republicans."

LOL

A transparent lie that has been thoroughly exposed as such.

Its funny how our "Brian Stelter LLR" Chuck thinks he can still sneak his 2015 lies by anyone.

All of LLR's pals have been laid bare in their pro-dem policy win "glory" and there is no going back to the days where fake conservatives such as those at the Weekly Cuckly Standard can pull the wool over anyones eyes.

Even they know it which is why they no longer even try to hide the obvious: they were With Her in 2016 and in 2020 they will be with the dems, again. Just like all the LLR's.

And they will never be missed.; 1/6/19, 5:48 PM
Big Mike said...: There was never any hope of a formal repeal of the ACA in the Senate, because the Republicans didn't have 60 votes. They could never have gotten past a cloture vote.

So go ahead with “debate” and let the filibuster happen — LOVE — the optics of vulnerable Democrats spouting inanities to forestall a vote on fixing Obamacare should bite them hard in the ass come re-election.; 1/6/19, 6:04 PM
Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...: That's hilarious, Big Mike. Almost as funny as your assertion that the earth's crust, not its atmosphere, is what retains the majority of the sun's heat. Anyway, it's not Democrats who want to forestall fixing the ACA. It's Republicans who have been defunding the program (go, big deficit-spending Republicans!) and throwing more Americans off of coverage without anything to fill in its place. You don't lose 40 seats in the House for nothing, and douchebags like the rep here show why.; 1/6/19, 6:25 PM
walter said...: "I did vote for Trump and have concerns about his behavior and policies and I will stand-up and condone what appears to be an effort to conduct a coup and unseat a duly elected President."
Chuck; 1/6/19, 6:47 PM
John henry said...: Blogger Chuck said...

Don't know who this johnhenry1000 is.

johnfajardohenry@gmail.com resolves to johnhenry100 here.

Call/text me at 787-550-9650 if you are still befuddled. I have no idea why this is so difficult for you, Chuck. And you, someone smart enough to get through law school and pass the bar! (Allegedly)

Or if in PR, visit me at shoving.trim.arranged

Call first to make sure I'm home.

"Unknown"?

Not me as far as I know. I suppose I could have posted from some guest account at some point that shows up as unknown. If I did, I would have signed it. If it doesn't have my name on it its not me.

It's hard to take someone seriously who is this confused. Of course, it's always been hard to take you seriously, Chuck. That's why I generally ignore you. Should have done that today.

John Henry; 1/6/19, 7:16 PM
Douglas B. Levene said...: I write only to join in the opinion of the aforesaid New York Times commenter.; 1/6/19, 7:18 PM
PuertoRicoSpaceport.com said...: So Squeamish,

How did Obamacare affect your healthcare?

Better? Worse?

Still on your parents teat?

John Henry; 1/6/19, 7:19 PM
Douglas B. Levene said...: @Chuck wrote: "Althouse, neither you nor that NYT commenter ...addressed the section of the Leonhardt column in which he opined that Trump has violated campaign finance law. Trump is 'Individual 1' in the criminal information filed in regard to Michael Cohen in the Southern District of New York." There is no appellate court decision upholding the prosecution's theory of how to interpret the campaign finance law, and that interpretation is highly unlikely to be upheld if it ever gets to an appellate court. To simplify greatly, the campaign finance law distinguishes between campaign expenditures, which must be paid for with campaign funds, and personal expenditures, which cannot be paid for with campaign funds. Under the prosecution's theory, the hush payments to Trump's mistress were "campaign expenditures" which can only be paid for with campaign funds. That means that everything would have been A-OK if he had used money contributed by his supporters to pay off his mistress, and simply reported that to the FEC. Likewise, if he settled any lawsuits against his companies before the election in order to get them out of the way, and that was a "primary" motivation for the settlement, he was required to use campaign monies - which could be 100% funds contributed by his supporters - to pay those settlements, again so long as he notified the FEC. Indeed, under this interpretation a politician who decides to get cosmetic surgery before an election in order to appear a little younger and more vigorous is required to use campaign funds to pay for the surgery. This is just a case of an aggressive prosecutor going for the kill without thinking about the consequences in future cases. An appellate court is not going to make that mistake. A better interpretation of the law is that mixed motive expenditures - payments that have some campaign benefit but that also have a personal benefit - are personal expenditures and not campaign expenditures, and can only be paid for with personal funds. That is the interpretation that the former chairman of the FEC, Bradley Smith, says is the right one.; 1/6/19, 7:40 PM
Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...: John, no grown man talks about parent's "teat" - (although maybe for your species that would be normal).

Instead, we all suckle the sweat at the top of John Henry's balding buzz cut. It nourishes us. Yum yum! No squeamish about suckling an ugly high-pitched bald twat with man-teats!

You're a disgusting moron. Hopefully your obsession with me helps you cope with that, though.; 1/6/19, 8:39 PM
FullMoon said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/6/19, 8:52 PM
John henry said...: Thanks for answering, Squeamish.

I didn't think you actually had any experience with Obamacare.

As for teats, your mother has teats. My daughter has teats. All women have teats.

I was using it as a metaphor for still living off your parents. Get over it.

John Henry; 1/6/19, 9:45 PM
Big Mike said...: @Ritmo, I can only conclude that either (1) you read something scientific and failed to understand it because you are a doofus, or (2) you read something written by an individual who is every bit as big a crackpot as you are.; 1/6/19, 9:51 PM
ceowens said...: @John Henry

shoving.trim.arranged

Is that what3words?; 1/6/19, 10:30 PM
Gretchen said...: Comey's testimony showed him to be completely unfit for his job. He was either lying or couldn't remember anything that happened, admitted to leaking to the press, which is a crime.

His handling of the Clinton investigation was completely incompetent, as was his resolution of it.; 1/7/19, 12:01 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: “@Bruce Hayden, next time ask your friend to research whether there is any such thing as a single payer system that does not ration access to healthcare by age”

Good question, but one that he will likely dodge. He was the recipient of prompt absolute top tier medical care, with probably one of the top ten in the field in the country, because of connections he made in college. He knows that he can game the system, and isn’t bothered by the reality that most can’t. I asked him, when he mentioned the Canadian system, why so many Canadians come down here for procedures like MRIs, which several years ago were in short supply across much of that country. I had a client who had his own medical particle accelerator. He is Canadian, and plans to return there when he retires. But at the time, there were maybe two in all of Canada, and he had one of his own. The sad reality, for many of these national single payer systems is that their wealthy and powerful can opt out, and come here for the medical treatment that would be otherwise unavailable to them due to rationing in their single payer systems in their home countries.; 1/7/19, 12:03 AM
Big Mike said...: The sad reality, for many of these national single payer systems is that their wealthy and powerful can opt out, and come here for the medical treatment that would be otherwise unavailable to them due to rationing in their single payer systems in their home countries.

Two reasons why Democrats are in favor of single payer: rationing by age gets rid of social security recipients, and it screws the middle class and working poor, both of which the Democrats hate.; 1/7/19, 12:07 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: Our experience with Obamacare is probably fairly typical. We end up switching insurance companies every couple years. As of this year, her primary care provider is no longer in her BC/BS multistate network, but her primary specialist is. Primary care ordered tests from a lab that also isn’t in the network. One of her primary meds went to a higher tier this year, which means an extra couple hundred dollars a month. And now needs preapproval from the insurance company. It, of course works better than the med they want to move her too, but costs more too. The price is almost $20k a year for a multi state policy that has a maximum out of pocket of $10k. Both those figures are almost double what we saw the first year, before taking into account subsidies, which we no longer qualify for. Luckily, for us, I am on Medicare.; 1/7/19, 12:19 AM
Big Mike said...: @Bruce, I spoke about this at length with a small businessman who was doing some work for me just last Friday. According to him he pays more than three times as much for a policy similar to what he had pre-Obamacare, plus higher copays. If Democrats actually cared about real people they might be inclined to try to work with Republicans to fix some of these problems. But they don't so they don't.

Still, he blames Republicans for not replacing Obamacare in 2017 almost as much as he blames Democrats for foisting it on him in the first place.; 1/7/19, 12:53 AM
John henry said...: Ceo,

Yup

It's the location of the right end of my living room sofa

John Henry; 1/7/19, 6:20 AM
Nichevo said...: "Nobody knows what Mueller knows."©️

Give me fifteen minutes alone with him, a board, and some water, and I'll find out. Probably won't take that long because he doesn't know much.; 1/7/19, 10:15 AM