The GOP is choking on its tea
Earth to Republicans: If you want to change the Affordable Care Act (aka ACA or Obamacare) win back the other half of Congress or the White House.
It's that simple.
I recently read that the tea party wants people to quit reading newspapers (like this one) since they don't print their version of the truth. "Truth" doesn't have versions.
The truth of "why" we have the ACA dates back to the 2006 midterm election and four ethical infants' bad acts leading up to it.
Republicans lost BOTH houses of Congress in 2006 when unemployment was 4.5 percent. Here are four reasons why:
1. Don Rumsfeld. His undermanning the military approach to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq really angered people who sent their sons and daughters off to war with too few troops to do the job. Rumsfeld was fired the day after the 2006 midterm election. His replacement, Robert Gates, advocated boosting troop levels with a surge. Why are we so angry at leaving an embassy undermanned in Benghazi, but OK with undermanning two wars where far more died?
2. Jack Abramoff. This Republican lobbyist's business was bribing congressmen and organizing golf junkets to Scotland to approve Indian gaming casinos since they usually required annexing better located land to build casinos. An El Paso-area tribe paid a lot of money for no casino and complained. So in a 2005 plea agreement, Abramoff named names. Republican names. Ralph Reid of the Christian Coalition was even photographed on a Scottish golf trip with Jack.
3. Mark Foley. In September 2006, gay Republican Florida congressman Foley was caught red-handed making inappropriate email and text advances to minor boys serving as congressional pages. Good timing, Mark!
4. Ted Haggard. National Association of Evangelicals president and mega-church pastor Ted Haggard had campaigned vigorously for traditional marriage in Colorado. His gay lover in Denver was offended and outed Haggard to the media the week before the 2006 election. His picture was front-page worthy coast to coast.
This foursome lost Congress for the GOP in 2006 in a robust economy and we have yet to recover. Evidently, ethics and newspapers matter. Obama's 2008 economic meltdown coattails pushed the Senate above the filibuster-proof 60 and the ACA passed without one Republican vote. We lost badly and have lost five of six national elections. The survival caucus needs to take on Ted Cruz and the suicide caucus. Passions need to be tempered by the prudence of reality.
Mike Reno is a Post Falls resident.