US Health Secretary Sebelius resigns amid Obamacare row

[webfact]

US Health Secretary Sebelius resigns amid Obamacare row

WASHINGTON: -- US Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is resigning following the problematic launch of President Barack Obama's healthcare law, US media report.

The law - regarded by the president's supporters as one of his main domestic achievements - has been marked by early technical problems and delays.

Ms Sebelius has been health secretary since Mr Obama took office in 2009.

The reports say Mr Obama will nominate Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the current budget director, to replace her.

Ms Sebelius had made the decision to resign herself, the New York Times reported.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-26981580


-- BBC 2014-04-11

[chuckd]

She won't be missed...unless the next Obama appointee is even less competent.

[Jingthing]

She served her country to the best of her ability which might not have been enough. sacrificing her personal reputation, but ultimately a historic figure in the decades long movement towards access to health care for all Americans ... a dream not nearly yet realized via the ACA but at least moved forward. So Canada can and American can't? Sad.

Edited April 11, 2014 by Jingthing

[Thaiready]

Achievements........my arse

[Jingthing]

Achievements........my arse

History will judge ... but very bumpy as it has been, the chances of total repeal of the ACA are now very remote. By the time that crowd could even have that kind of power, it will mean offending tens of millions of Americans who will be better off with ACA, and that won't be politically possible. At least history tells us that generally doesn't happen. I am not disputing the truth to the perception that her performance with the mechanics of the rollout was quite poor, but at this point, the initial enrollment numbers are adequate, so the performance wasn't so bad as to kill the program, which is of course the desire of so many. So she's a sacrificial lamb ... and I kind of feel sorry for her as she was a public servant coming into this with a great reputation and leaves this so soiled. Personally, I am for single payer anyway ... and that fight isn't over either (google Vermont single payer).

Edited April 11, 2014 by Jingthing

[rotary]

I am waiting for Obama to resign......that will be an achievement and a step forward for the USA.

[Jingthing]

I am waiting for Obama to resign......that will be an achievement and a step forward for the USA.

Why would he? You like Biden that much?

[F430murci]

Good riddance. Now if only Bama's friends that raped American's of a couple hundred million would pay back the money they took and squandered to construct a crappy website . . . That website is a joke and could have been developed by a couple of high schoolers as a high school project for free, but no! That would have squandered yet another opportunity to shift wealth from those that earned it to those they are trying to figure out ways to get it.

And then all this latest AG nonsense from another didn't deserve it kind of guy named Holder. . . . And my dumb arse thought no one could ever top Bush Jr. and his band of thugs. Boy was I wrong.

What a disgrace. Gave them a chance. Lesson learned. Never again. This woke a lot of people up. Bama set the clocks back a 100 years and really damaged the Democratic Party. Never again.

Edited April 11, 2014 by F430murci

[Muhendis]

Nice to see our (UK) old colony is catching up to the welfare state model. Lets hope they can do it better than us......

[atyclb]

I am waiting for Obama to resign......that will be an achievement and a step forward for the USA.

Swap putin for obama would be a step towards democracy............in america

[Jingthing]

Nice to see our (UK) old colony is catching up to the welfare state model. Lets hope they can do it better than us......

The USA is about as socialist as a Walmart store.

[Jingthing]

I am waiting for Obama to resign......that will be an achievement and a step forward for the USA.

Swap putin for obama would be a step towards democracy............in america

That's hilarious. I hadn't heard that Obama was running for a third term.

Edited April 11, 2014 by Jingthing

[F430murci]

I am waiting for Obama to resign......that will be an achievement and a step forward for the USA.

Swap putin for obama would be a step towards democracy............in america

Unfortunately, swapping Putin for Bama would be step towards eradication of racism. Who would have thunk it.

[ggt]

Now...if only the great architect of Obamacare would resign...that would truly be an improvement for the nation...

[Jingthing]

Now...if only the great architect of Obamacare would resign...that would truly be an improvement for the nation...

You didn't know TRICKY DICK was long dead?

Yes, republican Richard Nixon is the father of the ACA. That's one reason it isn't nearly good enough!

[Thaiready]

Achievements........my arse

History will judge ... but very bumpy as it has been, the chances of total repeal of the ACA are now very remote. By the time that crowd could even have that kind of power, it will mean offending tens of millions of Americans who will be better off with ACA, and that won't be politically possible. At least history tells us that generally doesn't happen. I am not disputing the truth to the perception that her performance with the mechanics of the rollout was quite poor, but at this point, the initial enrollment numbers are adequate, so the performance wasn't so bad as to kill the program, which is of course the desire of so many. So she's a sacrificial lamb ... and I kind of feel sorry for her as she was a public servant coming into this with a great reputation and leaves this so soiled. Personally, I am for single payer anyway ... and that fight isn't over either (google Vermont single payer).

with only 7 out 300 people enrolled that is not good.....and the other 293 have to wait till next year to even sign-up.....ACA is a total flop....the reason its not appealed is the nutcases in charge.....remember them saying "We have to pass the bill to see whats in it"

[geriatrickid]

I am waiting for Obama to resign......that will be an achievement and a step forward for the USA.

When Oliver North sold weapons to drug dealers that benefited the Iranians, and the Reagan administration lied about it and covered it up, did Reagan resign?

When President Bush the elder mistakenly gave a signal green for the Iraq invasion of Kuwait, which in turn led to thousands of US casualties. did Bush the elder resign?

Why then would you expect President Obama who legally enacted the ACA and who respected the rule of law to resign?

Time will show that President Obama led the USA into the 21st century. He faced much hatred, much negativity and much ignorance, but kept his composure and his dignity and has done the USA proud despite the shrill whining to the bigots.

Edited April 12, 2014 by geriatrickid

[Jingthing]

Achievements........my arse

History will judge ... but very bumpy as it has been, the chances of total repeal of the ACA are now very remote. By the time that crowd could even have that kind of power, it will mean offending tens of millions of Americans who will be better off with ACA, and that won't be politically possible. At least history tells us that generally doesn't happen. I am not disputing the truth to the perception that her performance with the mechanics of the rollout was quite poor, but at this point, the initial enrollment numbers are adequate, so the performance wasn't so bad as to kill the program, which is of course the desire of so many. So she's a sacrificial lamb ... and I kind of feel sorry for her as she was a public servant coming into this with a great reputation and leaves this so soiled. Personally, I am for single payer anyway ... and that fight isn't over either (google Vermont single payer).

with only 7 out 300 people enrolled that is not good.....and the other 293 have to wait till next year to even sign-up.....ACA is a total flop....the reason its not appealed is the nutcases in charge.....remember them saying "We have to pass the bill to see whats in it"

You might want to review the basic structure of the ACA if you think that the intention was including the entire population in it. It is designed for most people to never use it. It was basically a patch on the status quo. Still with ACA the vast majority and intended (and are) insured through their EMPLOYERS. Then the older people on MEDICARE aren't involved with ACA. Then traditional MEDICAID, the massively poor -- not ACA. Then there is expanded Medicaid, addressed by ACA but mean-hearted ideological driven right wing governors have the right to block that in their states, and most have, basically denying any coverage to many millions that would have insured via the ACA regulations design. That's on the right wing, not Obama. Projections now are that about 35 million people will be enrolled via ACA by the time it would be even theoretically possible for the republicans to attempt to trash the bill. Good luck with that. It's already come out their goal is to totally trash it including the preexisting conditions liberalization. Their chances of success with that with 35 million people to be hit are basically ZERO.

Edited April 12, 2014 by Jingthing

[chuckd]

When President Bush the elder mistakenly gave a signal green for the Iraq invasion of Kuwait, which in turn led to thousands of US casualties. did Bush the elder resign?

"...thousand of US casualities"

Huh???

Following are the statistics from the Persian Gulf War, operation Desert Shield.

1. Total US military deaths - 382

2. Total deaths by combat - 147

3. Total deaths by other means - 235

4. Total non-mortal wounds - 467

Nice try, though.

http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/american%20war%20casualty.htm

[Credo]

That comes up to over a thousand, by the way. The poster said casualties.

[chuckd]

That comes up to over a thousand, by the way. The poster said casualties.

Uh, er, ummmm:

1. Total deaths - 382

2. Total non mortal wounds - 467

If you add the TOTAL deaths to the TOTAL non-mortal wounds, it looks like this:

382 plus 467 equals 849

You can't add the deaths two times. There are two categories of deaths shown on my post...combat (147) and non-combat (235)...which makes up the total deaths numbering 382.

Do you tally Obamacare enrollments as a career field?

[geriatrickid]

When President Bush the elder mistakenly gave a signal green for the Iraq invasion of Kuwait, which in turn led to thousands of US casualties. did Bush the elder resign?

"...thousand of US casualities"

Huh???

Following are the statistics from the Persian Gulf War, operation Desert Shield.

1. Total US military deaths - 382

2. Total deaths by combat - 147

3. Total deaths by other means - 235

4. Total non-mortal wounds - 467

Nice try, though.

http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/american%20war%20casualty.htm

You are correct, I should have written tens tens of thousands of serious casualties.

You have chosen to measure casualties based upon actual physical interaction. That is not how casualties are measured.

You are leaving post traumatic stress disorder and GWS Gulf War Syndrome out of your listing. Interesting enough, all would be covered under the ACA while veterans had to struggle to achieve recognition of the two conditions under the VA medical care plan.

A estimates that more than 18 months after returning from Desert Storm, approximately 8% of veteran's suffered some symptoms of post traumatic stress.

http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12835

I suggest you look at the actual medical data that shows in excess of 30% of all personnel deployed came back with ailments, some of them as serious as cancer, to immune system collapse to serious skin conditions that have caused mental anguish and severe discomfort. The use of prophylaxis to counter potential nerve toxins, exposure to depleted uranium ordinance dust, and exposure to chemical agents were all identified as contributing factors. If the US military can hand out a purple heart for shrapnel in the buttocks, I believe contracting as debilitating illness as a result of deployment is just as important. So is PTSD related mental illness such as suicide or substance abuse.

Again, interesting to note that the ACA has broader rules for these ailments in terms of of not denying coverage to pre-existing conditions than was in place before ACA.

If anyone wishes to argue that the tens of thousands of GW casualties are unimportant and not worth including in the casualty count, I suggest you take up that argument with the veterans groups, the US military and the US Congress, because it is indeed included.

[chuckd]

I am well aware of the stress factors involved with wars, and if the ACA covers PTSD for the vets, that is great. Provided they can get enrolled in the ACA, can afford it and are eligible for it without losing their VA benefits, that is.

You seem to be claiming "Bush the Elder" (George H. W. Bush) is the sire of both Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Granted, Saddam Hussein never signed a peace treaty with the coalition forces following Desert Shield, so Desert Storm was in fact a continuation of Iraq's initial invasion of Kuwait, but do you honestly hold "Bush the Elder" responsible for the ensuing war 11 years later?

Sort of a stretch, don't you think?

[snarky66]

_{She is yet another liar who should have been held in contempt of Congress just like holder. Seems to be a prerequisite to work for this regime.}

Edited April 15, 2014 by snarky66