Oil up the Bow: The Extreme Right wants to Play the Violin Again

[TexasTowelie]

By Dr. Brian Carr
President, Behavioral Health Associates, Lubbock, Texas, 1991-Present
Chairman, City of Lubbock Board of Health, 2013
Submitted on October 18, 2013 - 6:34pm

After calmer minds prevailed and the government was re-started one would think that we might look forward to more bi-partisan cooperation in Washington, particularly given the negative ratings that both parties received in this fiasco. Despite having cost 24 billion dollars and lingering damage that will likely lead to higher interest rates and economic slowing the stage seems to be set to only repeat the exercise again in early 2014.

Extreme Right Republicans are doubling down on their failed strategy. Rather than conceding that they’re out of chances to get rid of Obamacare, conservatives are simply changing their tune. Now, GOPers say they won’t give up the fight:

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): The Tea Party lawmaker was the primary architect of the GOP’s shutdown strategy. But now that it’s failed, Cruz won’t admit defeat. “I would do anything, and I will continue to do anything, to stop the train wreck that is Obamacare,” he said on Thursday. He has also hinted that he hasn’t ruled out pushing for another government shutdown over Obamacare.

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA): Vitter tried to use the funding negotiations to push through an Obamacare-related amendment that would ultimately force Congress members and their staff to pay more for their health plans under the law. He was unsuccessful, and the final agreement didn’t include his amendment. But Vitter isn’t fazed and promises to keep pushing to amend the law anyway. “I’m not going away, and this issue is certainly not going away,” Vitter said on Fox News this week.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL): Speaking on the Senate floor over the summer, Rubio told his colleagues that shutting down the government represented “our last chance and our last best chance” to undermine Obamacare. Now, the senator is saying that Republicans will keep fighting anyway. This week, he told Fox News that there is going to an “all-out revolt” next year, once the rest of Obamacare’s major provisions take root. “And that is, I think, the moment to absolutely act and say we are going to get rid of this law and then look for opportunities in the future to replace it,” Rubio said.

The Heritage Foundation: During the shutdown battle, Heritage’s political arm told its supporters that it needed their support because “we only have one more chance to repeal Obamacare.” The group didn’t deliver. Now, Heritage is simply assuring its supporters that it won’t stop fighting the law. The group’s president, Jim DeMint, published an op-ed this week claiming that most Americans’ lives “are not dominated by the electoral cycle,” so those people “shouldn’t have to wait three more years for Congress to give them relief from this law.”

FreedomWorks: The right-wing group recently claimed that shutting down the government “may be the last best chance to defund Obamacare before it goes into effect.” Rather than adjusting their strategy, the group is now planning rallies to discourage young Americans from signing up for health coverage. The group says that Obamacare will still be a losing issue for Democrats up for re-election in red states — although outside polling has shown that the shutdown fiasco has made more than a dozen House seats more winnable for Democrats.

It is sad to see the dismantling of the GOP and I am uncomfortable with the idea of one political party dominating in Washington regardless of whether it is Republican or Democrat. The crazy point is that this shutdown has helped boost public opinion about Obamacare and likely ensured a successful rollout.

If the Republican Party cannot neuter Cruz and others who are enriching their wallets while driving the Party into the ground then we will likely witness a repeat of these last two weeks played out in January. Cruz made over $800,000 in donations to his PAC so this obstruction is very profitable for him.

In the upcoming local congressional primary it will prove interesting to see how fast and furious Randy Neugebauer and Don May will race to the extreme right. If Randy leads the country into default in January then I am concerned that May will have an appeal to the low information voter. This could result in, as the old saying goes, “jumping from the frying pan into the fire”.
TAGS:

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http://lubbockonline.com/interact/blog-post/dr-brian-carr/2013-10-18/oil-bow-extreme-right-wants-play-violin-again

Cross-posted in Texas Group.

[TexasProgresive]

1. I hope they oil the bow

Then we couldn't hear them.

That is one strange metaphor. Rosin the bow perhaps but OIL???

And I have no doubt these amadon ejjets will be putting themselves out front once again at full volume.

[Igel]

2. It goes to show the awesome intellect and thorough-going knowledge

of the headline writer.

At least he didn't refer to opening the violin's spit valve. That's got to be worth something. (Then again, not going to read the whole thing, so perhaps he did.)