Today heads are exploding in Rightieland, because Florida Governor Rick Scott has reversed course and decided to go along with the “Obamacare” Medicaid expansion.
You might remember that last summer’s SCOTUS decision declared that states could not be forced to expand Medicaid, as called for in the Affordable Care Act. The baggers immediately seized on this as a means to foil Obamacare and prevent it from succeeding. You can keep tabs on which states are in and which states are out on this website.
Scott was all lined up to nix Medicaid expansion, but he has changed his mind and will expand. Erick Erickson’s heart is broken..
Do read “What’s It Like to Wake Up From a Tea Party Binge? Just Ask Florida!” by Stephanie Mencimer at Mother Jones. It’s quite an eye-opener, and a jaw-dropper. It was written before Scott’s flipflop. But it includes this bit:
If Florida rejects the Medicaid expansion, state hospitals stand to lose about $654 million a year in federal payments for care to the uninsured—payments that were reduced in Obamacare on the assumption that hospitals would gain revenue by caring for the newly insured.
One wonders if Scott’s former cronies in the hospital biz leaned on him to change his mind.
Also read Jonathan Chait’s comments on Scott’s change of heart. I started to excerpt part of it, but it’s all good. So just go there.
Yeah, obviously this crook’s buddies in the FL hospital den of thieves got to him, and he caved!
No, not because of ‘Freedom,” or Liberty,” but because of something much dearer than that – PROFITS!!!
I’m sure Gov. Skelator and his Mrs broke out their calculators, saw the huge profits awaiting them whenever they leave office, and realized that opposing this is for political gain meant less than what they could make back in the private health care racket as soon as they return to it.
And thus, another state joins the ACA, NOT to help its citizens, but to further enrich the pockets of those who are already rich!
And we’ll take anything we can get.
And governor McCombover here in cheesekurdland rejected the money, saying that he has a better idea. Which really means that we will pay more in taxes and fewer people will be insured. Walker was never very good at math, or anything for that matter. You almost get the sense that all of the teabag governors were playing the game of ‘no you go first, no you go first’. Walker did and has totally screwed the state. My gawd, even Rick Scott the seriously crazy cousin tho’t it was a good idea.
Eric (blimp-head) Erickson said:
“I was one of the few national conservatives to support Governor Scott in 2010 during his primary”
How the hell is a national conservative? He has never run for office anywhere, he sits in his mom’s basement and writes a blog? Nothing against blogs but writing one don’t make you a national anything does it? Typical over-inflated egotistical wing-nut.
That was a great post, Barbara. Both articles are spot on.
The Tea Party here in Florida is still pretty strong, but there is also a lot of Buyers remorse regarding Gov. Scott. For most of his term, Scott sticks to secure Tea Party venues like “The Villages” for his public outings.
Former Governor Charlie Christ has “defected” to the Dem. camp, and will most likely make a run for the Governors mansion against Scott (if Scott runs again).
I felt the same way when Scott won as I did when Bush 43 “won” his election; a profound feeling of impending STUPID. They both delivered in spades.
The best anology I can think of is when I’m driving on I-4 to Tampa, and a car driving way over the speed limit zooms buy , weaving dangerously in and out of traffic. All of a sudden traffic grinds to a screeching halt, then about a half hour later, there’s the wreckage on the side of the road for all to see (usually a Lexus, Mercedes, or a BMW, go figure…..)
Its all simple cause and effect, ye reap what ye sow. That old “reality” thingie.
Now if we in PA could get Corbett to flip . . . .