Debbie Wasserman Schultz and healthcare — won’t help Democrats find salvation

Partisan politics makes many politicians look like strung-out lovers — feeling an inexplicably dumb compulsion to support the lamebrain propositions of their political parties and appearing even dumber when publicly doubling down their support, even when confronted with facts that prove their supported positions make no sense.

Reenter Florida Congressperson and former DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz to the dumblight via CNN last week, where she was either blatantly lying about her praise for Obamacare’s level of perfection — despite its family budget-straining costs, or was obviously strung-out over the Party of No Guts’ love juice.

Here’s how the conversation went:

Poppy Harlow (CNN): In your home State of Florida, premiums this year on the Silver Plan, going up 19 percent. Last year, they went up 9.5 percent. You know these families, they write to you, they call you, they say “We simply can’t afford this.” Where was the urgency when you thought —

DWS: No. Actually, that’s not what they’re saying in my state.

PH: You’ve had no constituents say “This is too expensive” (?)”

DWS: Look, People vote with their feet. What that means is when something is too expensive, they walk away. We have the most sign-ups for the Affordable Care Act in the entire country in the state of Florida …

In a University of South Florida study that ranked state health care systems according to access, cost and outcome, Florida’s health system ranked 38th in America. The study found that access and cost are Florida’s main problems.

In addition, higher healthcare costs are seen as a problem shared by families across the country.

So, besides being a sinner who’s hell-bent on remaining a sinner in the face of facts, how can Wasserman Schultz say no one’s complaining?

Lying will not lead her party to redemption.

Besides, that “People vote with their feet” remark makes no sense.

People don’t vote for healthcare — they buy it. Plus, they’re forced to do so via federal mandate. Walking away isn’t necessarily an option.

Wasserman Schultz then fortified her falsehood by weaving in themes people can relate to by mentioning how the proposed Trumpcare that will insure fewer people and place the elderly under considerable strain.

The most perversely intelligent thing Wasserman Schultz did was cut off Harlow’s question at mid-sentence.

If I were Harlow, my complete question would have been “Where was the urgency to revisit and fix Obamacare’s problems when there were more Democrats in both Houses of Congress to do so?”

The Party of No Guts have expressed no more urgency about fixing America’s healthcare problem than The Party of No Brains current level of willingness. Insurance companies contribute to both sides of the aisle for good reason.

More on that in a future post. Let’s get back to Wasserman Schultz and her lying.

She was fully aware of rising costs when she sparred with Rep. Ron Paul in an earlier CNN appearance:

Back to the Harlow conversation. When pressed, Wasserman Schultz offered the half-hearted concession that “people will always complain” about healthcare costs.

As if the complaint is either trivial or an unmovable fact of life.

The admission proves Wasserman Schultz was aware of the lie she previously told Harlow.

It’s true that Obamacare, which became law in 2010, helped to put a dent in the healthcare premium increase curve. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that health insurance premiums rose 20% from 2011 to 2016, compared to 31% 2006-2011. The period between 2001 and 2006 saw a 63% increase between 2001 to 2006. [PDF]

But high-deductible plans have become the new norm. More than half of covered families are paying $1,000 a year or higher, in addition to premiums, before their insurance plans kick in.

Compare that to 2008, where only 18 percent of covered families paid  $1,000+ in deductibles.

Plus, prescription drug costs are higher than ever.

Add in the fact that American wage increases have remained stubbornly low and It’s not hard to see how families can view out-of-pocket healthcare costs as a big problem.

In fact, here’s a chart to help you visualize families’ burden:

But no one’s complaining to Wasserman Schultz?

And this is another reason why I keep saying the Party of No Guts wants redemption, but without salvation.

But Wasserman Schultz may have a point about Floridians voting with their feet. I’ll leave you with this state chart from the 2016 Presidential election…

song currently stuck in my head: “calvary” – radio komolafe