I had the choice of an essay about “shiny objects” and this one, so I picked this one.
PoliticusUSA is liberal web site. I was intrigued by a piece there titled: “Republicans Deliberately Sabotaged the ACA Website, Hoping the Law Would Implode.” As is the case with most stories with outrageous headlines, the story is a little more mundane.
One theory behind the story is something I myself have noted, that the failure of 36 states, particularly Republican-controlled ones, to set up their own health exchanges forced many more people into the federal marketplace, placing extra burden on the servers supporting healthcare.gov.
The article also notes that Republicans blocked extra funding to deal with the unexpected number of non-participating states, and the government shutdown on the day healthcare.gov went live prevented necessary support activities.
OK. So a liberal web site blames Republicans. Is that news? I mean, they would say that, wouldn’t they? What’s news is when a well-respected mainstream newspaper site, Politico.com, carries the same story, saying:
That may sound like a left-wing conspiracy theory — and the Obama administration itself is so busy defending the indefensible early failings of its signature program that it has barely tried to make this case. But there is a strong factual basis for such a charge.
I don’t hold myself up as an expert, but I have read some of the commentary about what went wrong. What I find is a classic failed IT project like dozens I’ve witnessed in my career. Most big IT projects fail (over budget, late, don’t meet expectations) and frankly governments micromanage such projects to an extent that it’s hard to actually get stuff done. Specifications were slow in coming, and the legislative mandate meant implementation couldn’t be delayed until everything was right. Given that the actual project shouldn’t have cost maybe 5% of what they paid, the other 95% had to be spent on things that just got in the way.
That said, Republicans made it plain that they were going to do everything they could to kill the Affordable Care Act, and apparently that extended to making the rollout of healthcare.gov go as badly as they could make it.
The Politico story is a good read.
Related links:
- Republicans Deliberately Sabotaged the ACA Website, Hoping the Law Would Implode: PoliticusUSA.
- Healthcare.gov Was Crippled by Bureaucracy from the Start: the Atlantic Wire
- The Obamacare sabotage campaign: Politico.com
- The seven deadly sins of HealthCare.gov: Ars Technica
Yes, I’m sure ObamaCare Website is sure to hacker haven. Let the hacker rip into it with everything they can throw at. GOP couldn’t keep the government shut down, but they can try to keep the ObamaCare website shutdown.
If Conservatives really want to tank ObamaCare, this is what they should do. Conservative organizations need to raise their usual millions. Then, people need to tell young people NOT to sign up for ObamaCare. That should be the message to all young people – DON’T SIGN UP FOR OBAMACARE!. Well, we know that people will be fined by IRS if they don’t sign up. That’s where all the conservative organizations come in. If young people choose not to sign up and are fined, the conservative organizations will pay their fines. Come April of 2014, when the Dems find that only 100,000 people have signed up, they will no choice but to completely cancel the program and repeal the law. Good Bye ObamaCare.
At the risk of sounding stuffy, I object to calling Politico “well-respected.” They have a habit of writing sensational stories based on thin evidence. OK, all news sources do that, but Politico is worse than average.
That said, the story is worth reading.
Doc,
As a longtime sufferer from SOS (Shiny Object Syndrome), I’m very disappointed in your choice of topic… hey! What’s that over there?
…
I think that what the right wing should all do is take poison and rush to the emergency room. It should be a long-term debilitating poison that would require 3 weeks in the ICU and long-term custodial care. This would bring the American healthcare system crashing down and cause untold pain and suffering for everybody. That would show Obama!
You think that’s crazy? You should read some of the comments at WND.
I suppose it depends on what you compare it to.
The Republican carping about the ACA website will only hasten getting it up-and-running and, in a sense, it’s what their role should be. If they were an actual functioning political party and genuinely interested in fiscal responsibility they would be helping to get the program running as smoothly as possible in order to save money and serve people’s needs. But they’re not.
I actually sometimes enjoy reading the stories at Politico. Their STORIES tend to be quite good. Their comment section however is one of the worst cesspools of right wing hatred out there.
With all due respect, Dave, Politico’s top editors have broad, extensive experience in Washington. They are definitely mainstream.
Like every media outlet they have their good days and their mediocre days.
Actually I think it is painfully appropriate. The underlying ailment that produces birtherism is Obama Derangement Syndrome.
Take a look at john’s two posts at the top of this thread: OBS in full flight.
I think we should take up a collection to get John appropriate medical attention. Wait just a second…..the CCCP is already getting donations. They should be using some of their funds to help their puppet John with his Obama Derangement Syndrome.
Brilliant plan, john. Conservatives (the old, well insured ones) throw the young people on the altar of their hatred for Obama to serve their political ends.
It won’t happen by April 2014 either. It would take at least another year, maybe two, for the fines to kick in but I’m sure the “conservative organizations” will jump in to take care of the young folks who have chronic illnesses or who suffer some sort of catastrophic problem……like a car accident.
Brilliant, john. Absolutely brilliant!
It’s amazing to watch. There is nothing too crazy for them in pursuit of their hatred for Obama.
John, here are a few comments about your plan, and I’d be interested in your thoughts about them.
1. If Obamacare is such a bad plan, why does anyone need to do anything to make it fail? Why wouldn’t they just wait for it to fail on its own?
2. How much money would your plan cost these “conservative organizations”? I just did a rough guesstimate and came up with hundreds of millions. Worth it?
3. You will be asking young people to not have health insurance, when most of them would’ve had it practically free after the tax credit.
4. Young people are on average significantly less conservative, so why would they all agree to do this crazy thing to help conservatives?
Isn’t that a little like the old jewish lady joke, “the food was terrible and the portions were too small”?
There’s one word for your “plan.” Sociopathic.
Well said!
John, everything you have suggested up to this point has been a dismal failure, just like your life. Do the world a favor. Crawl back in your hole and never come out, even for air. Just stay there and rot. Sound harsh? What can I say? I’ve hit my saturation point.
After you persuade young people to not sign up for health insurance, what are you personally prepared to do for them when some of them inevitably come down with serious illnesses or are badly injured in accidents? Or are you just going to send out “get well” cards?
And here I thought that conservatives were supposed to be about personal responsibility.
I hit mine long ago. While I wouldn’t hasten his demise, if ‘john’ were to pass away I would be thrilled to micturate and/or engage in an impromptu terpsichorean frolic on the site of his interment, my reticence and decorum having been decimated by his atrabilious lucubrations. Or something.
Don’t forget that John wanted to melt down a Medal of Honor recipient’s medal. MoH recipient COL Gordon R. Roberts was Blue Falcon Terry Lakin’s CO who tried to talk him out of pissing away his career and pension. John of course worships the blessed Terry Lakin. That says all you need to know about John.
John, the only thing I want to hear from you is an explanation for this:
“john October 16, 2013 at 2:08 pm #
I sent the following letter to the Arlington National Cemetery Administration:
Dear Administration,
When the government reopens, I am planning on taking a trip to Washington DC. I plan to visit Arlington National Cemetery. I am an avid treasure hunter and I am asking permission if I can metal detect on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. Millions of people visit the cemetery and I want to metal detect around some of the green and the graves. I would promise to fill any holes I made and the administration can even keep an eye on me to be sure I fill in the holes I make at some the graves. I know this is an unusual request by I understand the National Park Service with approval of the President placed barricades in front of the memorials including the WWII Memorial denying Vets access to them. It seems this was OK with National Park Service and President so I don’t see why there be would a problem to allow me to metal detect around the green and the graves of Arlington National Cemetery. Thank you for your time in this matter and I look forward to quick response.”
How did Arlington National Cemetery respond to your note, and how did your dig at the cemetery work out? Did you find President Obama’s birth certificate buried near Gus Grissom and Bob Chaffee? You know that Obama was never photographed with either….
More on, “If you like your plan you can keep your plan.” The new spin.
http://news.yahoo.com/lawmakers-push-keep-obamas-health-care-pledge-220513736.html