A Republican writes the president after Obamacare saved his life

[webfact]

'Thank you for serving me when I didn’t vote for you': A Republican writes the president after Obamacare saved his life

WASHINGTON: -- The White House on Thursday published a letter that Brent Brown, a Republican from Wisconsin, wrote to president Barack Obama in June.

Brown, who has voted Republican his entire life, wrote that he had been “very vocal” in his opposition to Obama—especially on healthcare.

That was before he got treatment for a serious autoimmune disease through the Affordable Care Act.

Full story: http://qz.com/630806/thank-you-for-serving-me-when-i-didnt-vote-for-you-a-republican-writes-the-president-after-obamacare-saved-his-life/

-- QUARTZ 2016-03-04

[JakeSully]

Could it be we're waking up to, we will miss this beautiful dream we've had over the last 7 years? Truly Amazing!

But of course the usual suspects here will hate it

3...2...1...

Composing walls of text as I post I imagine.

[khwaibah]

The RNC aka Red Neck Cracker Party will not like this.

[Andaman Al]

I hope they asked Mr Brown before they published his letter. The local reps around him could make life more uncomfortable than an autoimmune disease! I am sure people will now want to interview 'Brent Nathan Brown' etc, so I hope he is real. But here you have the crux of it - someone with a 'pre-existing' condition could not get any health coverage and would simply be left to die as he was unable to afford the drugs, until the ACA allowed him to get the treatment he needed.

He says "Thank you for serving me when I didn't vote for you" - A lesson for all. Any President or Government is supposed to work 100% for ALL it's citizens, instead of the farce we see in the US and the UK I guess where opposition parties spend all their time trying to obstruct any work the elected Government are doing to help the people. The result is poor legislation, poor services yet the children who occupy congress and the senate still get their fat cat salaries and pensions.

Am happy for you Mr Brown, I doubt you will vote for Hilary but may it be a reminder to politicians that all the people want is service from elected officials who take an oath to do so. The US have enough enemies without having 47% of the population as an enemy after every election.

[canuckamuck]

Most of the civilized world has affordable healthcare. Big whoop, That is just the candy coating for the socialist's poison pill.

[HerbalEd]

Most of the civilized world has affordable healthcare. Big whoop, That is just the candy coating for the socialist's poison pill.

So, are you saying there shouldn't be affordable healthcare because it's socialist? That's what you seem to be saying.

[canuckamuck]

Most of the civilized world has affordable healthcare. Big whoop, That is just the candy coating for the socialist's poison pill.

So, are you saying there shouldn't be affordable healthcare because it's socialist? That's what you seem to be saying.

It should have always been affordable, but not as a trojan horse.

[pitrevie]

And it could have been so much better had the obstructionist party not decided from the outset that they were having no part of it.

[GeorgesAbitbol]

Most of the civilized world has affordable healthcare. Big whoop, That is just the candy coating for the socialist's poison pill.

try that with pre-existing condition.....

[canuckamuck]

Most of the civilized world has affordable healthcare. Big whoop, That is just the candy coating for the socialist's poison pill.

try that with pre-existing condition.....

Well for example as a Canadian I was covered even before I was born. I don't think there can be any pre-existing conditions

But I believe even newly arrived Canadians are covered for the same things as Natural born ones.

[Jingthing]

Have this good American speak at Hillary's convention!

[GeorgesAbitbol]

Most of the civilized world has affordable healthcare. Big whoop, That is just the candy coating for the socialist's poison pill.

try that with pre-existing condition.....

Well for example as a Canadian I was covered even before I was born. I don't think there can be any pre-existing conditions

But I believe even newly arrived Canadians are covered for the same things as Natural born ones.

Canada and USA are not the same for Health care if I remember correctly.

Just try to do the same as an expat here for exemple and request a health insurance :

If you mention any pre-existing condition they will refuse you or tell you they will not cover any expense related to the condition.

Not sure if this is relevant for canadian but have a look :

https://www.sunlife.ca/ca/Insurance/Health+insurance/Personal+health+insurance/Buy+Personal+Health+Insurance+online/Pre-existing+illnesses+and+conditions?vgnLocale=en_CA

[canuckamuck]

Whatever, I was talking about national health care.

[up2u2]

Most of the civilized world has affordable healthcare. Big whoop, That is just the candy coating for the socialist's poison pill.

So saving someone's life is 'candy coating'? Would you prefer this man died?

[canuckamuck]

Most of the civilized world has affordable healthcare. Big whoop, That is just the candy coating for the socialist's poison pill.

So saving someone's life is 'candy coating'? Would you prefer this man died?

Oh yes, that is exactly what I am saying, You are so clever.

[connda]

Slow day on the propaganda desk...

[GeorgesAbitbol]

Whatever, I was talking about national hea!lth care.

What national health care??

[canuckamuck]

It's what other countries have so when you get sick you don't go bankrupt.

[mopar71]

And it could have been so much better had the obstructionist party not decided from the outset that they were having no part of it.

There was no "obstructionist party". The Dems had complete control over both houses of Congress at the time. No one could obstruct anything...other than other Dems who held out for special exemptions.

[mopar71]

Seven years and Obama finally received a letter fit to print.

[lannarebirth]

And it could have been so much better had the obstructionist party not decided from the outset that they were having no part of it.

Obama ran in 2008 promising Universal Healthcare if elected. In 2008 - 2010 he controlled the Presidency and both houses of Congress. He could have passed anything he wanted to. If it's not better it's because he and the insurance / pharma companies that own him didn't want it better.

[mopar71]

And it could have been so much better had the obstructionist party not decided from the outset that they were having no part of it.

Obama ran in 2008 promising Universal Healthcare if elected. In 2008 - 2010 he controlled the Presidency and both houses of Congress. He could have passed anything he wanted to. If it's not better it's because he and the insurance / pharma companies that own him didn't want it better.

For those who need a reminder..

While You Sleep: 1:00 AM Monday Vote Set on Obamacare

December 19, 2009

http://dailysignal.com/2009/12/19/while-you-sleep-100-am-monday-vote-set-on-obamacare/

A Look Back At How The President Was Able To Sign Obamacare Into Law Four Years Ago

"This post serves as an informational overview – a reminder – as to how it all happened and is not meant in any way to be a judgment on the process – however convoluted – or on the final product."

http://www.forbes.com/sites/physiciansfoundation/2014/03/26/a-look-back-at-how-the-president-was-able-to-sign-obamacare-into-law-four-years-ago/#58bed914096c

...and about the bribes paid to Democrat Senators to get their vote...including one Bernie Sanders...

Payoffs for states get Reid to 60

12/19/09

"But another Democratic holdout, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), took credit for $10 billion in new funding for community health centers, while denying it was a “sweetheart deal.” He was clearly more enthusiastic about a bill he said he couldn’t support just three days ago."

http://www.politico.com/story/2009/12/payoffs-for-states-get-reid-to-60-030815

[GeorgesAbitbol]

It's what other countries have so when you get sick you don't go bankrupt.

Yep, so go in US and check what they had...

If there was a proper national health care the guy wouln t have wrote to Obama...

[Jingthing]

And it could have been so much better had the obstructionist party not decided from the outset that they were having no part of it.

Obama ran in 2008 promising Universal Healthcare if elected. In 2008 - 2010 he controlled the Presidency and both houses of Congress. He could have passed anything he wanted to. If it's not better it's because he and the insurance / pharma companies that own him didn't want it better.

Not quite.

Yes Obama's pre-election position was in favor of universal healthcare.

He never explicitly promised that but yes he planted the seed of HOPE for that.

Yes he had a historical opportunity to lead towards that goal, but nobody in their right mind actually believes he could have achieved going fully there even with the house and senate majorities.

So politically it was understood a compromise needed to be made.

You can't fault Obama for realizing that political reality.

But what you can (and I do as well) fault Obama for is to give too much away at the BEGINNING of the negotiations!

He should have started with universal or near universal as his OPENING position and then the result could have and should have been much closer to that.

Instead his opening position already gave too much up, and that was compromised down.

Kind of a rookie mistake.

I totally blame him for that.

So now we have a welfare problem for the big health industries. Politically astute people know that isn't a left wing/democratic result ... it's more like something you expect from a older school republican like RICHARD NIXON.

Edited March 5, 2016 by Jingthing

[pitrevie]

And it could have been so much better had the obstructionist party not decided from the outset that they were having no part of it.

Obama ran in 2008 promising Universal Healthcare if elected. In 2008 - 2010 he controlled the Presidency and both houses of Congress. He could have passed anything he wanted to. If it's not better it's because he and the insurance / pharma companies that own him didn't want it better.

Let me burst your ridiculous bubble. Every time Obama compromised on this issue the GOP moved further to the right so much so that much of what they were in favor of and what past GOP presidents had been in favor of including people like Romney they took to opposing on just about every single detail. They have spent this entire past 6 years trying to overturn a bill, 62 attempts in all to gut or overturn that which they know they don't have the support to achieve. Not only that but we have the likes of Cruz still claiming that millions of jobs have been lost as a result of Obama health care when it is patently untrue.

[Jingthing]

Yeah but Obama DID have a chance to get a better plan than he got early in his presidency. Sure the republicans were going to push right, but he just gave away too much from the start. That was a mistake. He didn't have the balls to not have the big health industries totally on board.

[pitrevie]

Yeah but Obama DID have a chance to get a better plan than he got early in his presidency. Sure the republicans were going to push right, but he just gave away too much from the start. That was a mistake. He didn't have the balls to not have the big health industries totally on board.

That I agree with he was too willing to compromise and that was a big mistake. I think as he must now realize you cannot compromise with the likes of Cruz and the rest of the right wing nut jobs that are currently in control of the GOP.

[Jingthing]

His argument was that if he hadn't had done it that way, he wouldn't have gotten anything passed.

Well, we'll never know for sure, will we?

But in retrospect I think history will blame him for NOT TRYING.

It was a historical opportunity and he just wasn't BOLD enough when push came to shove.

I'm sure if Obama knew then what he knows now he would have gone further, but there's no redo on this.

Edited March 5, 2016 by Jingthing