* Originally posted online at GOP.com on December 30th 2013 *
The Washington Post ‘s Chris Cillizza In Naming Obama As Having The Worst Year In Washington: “When Historians Write The Story Of Barack Obama’s Presidency, 2013 Will Be His Lost Year.” “When historians write the story of Barack Obama’s presidency, 2013 will be his lost year. It opened with great promise and closed with equally great disappointment. In a year that could have been about building his legacy, the president was instead reduced to salvaging the signature accomplishment of his first term.” (Chris Cillizza, Op-Ed, “Worst Year In Washington,” The Washington Post,12/13/13)
- Obama Wasted A Year “Torpedoing” His Legacy. “But 2013 is almost gone and with it the president’s best chance for a lasting legacy. The damage done to Obama’s brand will linger well beyond this calendar year. There are no second chances in presidential tenures. Barack Obama, for wasting a year torpedoing your legacy, you had the worst year in Washington. Congrats, or something.” (Chris Cillizza, Op-Ed, “Worst Year In Washington,” The Washington Post,12/13/13)
- MSNBC’s Chris Matthews: Obama Is The Political Loser Of The Year.SCARBOROUGH: “Let me ask you, losers, political losers of the year. Who–” MATTHEWS: “Terrible, terrible year for the president.” SCARBOROUGH: “Can you go back a year, one year ago, the president was getting ready for his second inauguration, so much hope.” MATTHEWS: “There’s another piece of it, which is getting out. It’s not just a bad year in terms of the rollout. There’s an erosion in interest. It feels like a very long presidency now. It feels like the seventh or eighth year of a presidency. It doesn’t feel like the fifth. There wasn’t that rejuvenation that comes with re-election. Certainly there never was going to be a honeymoon from the other side, but, there was no sense of wow and I think that’s hurt him a lot.” (MSNBC’s ” Morning Joe,” 12/20/13)
OBAMACARE
THE OBAMACARE ROLLOUT MADE HISTORY
Politico’s Jim VandeHei: “This [ObamaCare] Has Been One Of The Most Flawed Rollouts In The History Of Mankind.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 12/19/13)
The ObamaCare Launch Was “Rocky” As The Federal And State-Based Exchange Websites Experienced Glitches. “ObamaCare is off to a rocky start. State-based insurance exchange web sites scheduled to launch this morning were riddled with glitches, rendering many unusable.” (Kate Pickert, “ObamaCare Exchanges Riddled With Glitches,” Time, 10/1/13)
Consumers Faced Long Wait Times And “Problems With The Application Process.”“Early issues that some people are seeing include long wait times for accessing the site, problems with the application process and long waits to chat with customer service representatives online.” (Jason Millman, “HHS: ‘Aware’ Of HealthCare.gov Issues,” Politico, 10/1/13)
- “The Myriad Errors Underscore” The Challenges Facing ObamaCare Exchanges. “The myriad errors underscore the challenge for federal health officials in mounting the online marketplaces, which are meant to enroll millions of patients in the next six months.” (Elise Viebeck, “Technical Problems Mar Launch Of ObamaCare Exchanges,” The Hill’s Health Watch , 10/1/13)
In ObamaCare’s First 24 Hours, Only Six People Enrolled For Health Care. “The website launched on a Tuesday. Publicly, the government said there were 4.7 million unique visits in the first 24 hours. But at a meeting Wednesday morning, the war room notes say ‘six enrollments have occurred so far.’” (Sharyl Attkisson, “ObamaCare Enrollment Numbers Very Small, Documents Show,” CBS News, 10/31/13)
- In The First 48 Hours, Just 248 People Were Able To Sign Up On The ObamaCare Exchange Website. “By Wednesday afternoon, enrollments were up to ‘approximately 100.’ By the end of Wednesday, the notes reflect ’248 enrollments’ nationwide.” (Sharyl Attkisson, “ObamaCare Enrollment Numbers Very Small, Documents Show,” CBS News, 10/31/13)
OBAMA EARNED THE PRIZED “LIE OF THE YEAR” AWARD FOR HIS PROMISE THAT AMERICANS WOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP THEIR HEALTH CARE PLANS
PolitiFact Headline: “Lie Of The Year: ‘If You Like Your Health Care Plan, You Can Keep It.’” (Angie Drobnic Holan, “Lie Of The Year: ‘If You Like Your Health Care Plan, You Can Keep It,’” PolitiFact, 12/12/13)
The Washington Post ‘s Fact Checker: Obama’s Pledge That Americans Who Like Their Healthcare Plans Can Keep Them Was “One Of The Most Memorable Of His Presidency” And “Possibly Foolish.” “The president’s pledge that ‘if you like your insurance, you will keep it’ is one of the most memorable of his presidency. It was also an extraordinarily bold – and possibly foolish – pledge, unless he thought he simply could dictate exactly how the insurance industry must work. At the time, some observers noted the problems with Obama’s promise.” (Glenn Kessler, “Obama’s Pledge That ‘No One Will Take Away’ Your Health Plan,” The Washington Post’s Fact Checker, 10/30/13)
- The Washington Post ‘s Fact Checker Gives Obama’s Pledge Four Pinocchios. “ The president’s promise apparently came with a very large caveat: ‘If you like your health care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health care plan – if we deem it to be adequate.’ Four Pinocchios.” (Glenn Kessler, “Obama’s Pledge That ‘No One Will Take Away’ Your Health Plan,” The Washington Post’s Fact Checker, 10/30/13)
5 Million People That Purchased Insurance On The Individual Health Insurance Market Have Received Cancellation Notices. “They said the widespread cancellations in the individual health insurance market – roughly 5 million and counting – are in line with what was projected under regulations drawn up by the administration in 2010, requirements that both insurers and businesses objected to at the time.” (Lisa Myers, “Insurers, State Officials Say Cancellation Of Health care Policies Just As They Predicted,” NBC News , 11/15/13)
- Obama In June 2009: “And That Means That No Matter How We Reform Health Care, We Will Keep This Promise To The American People: If You Like Your Doctor, You Will Be Able To Keep Your Doctor, Period. If You Like Your Health Care Plan, You’ll Be Able To Keep Your Health Care Plan, Period.”OBAMA: “So let me begin by saying this to you and to the American people: I know that there are millions of Americans who are content with their health care coverage; they like their plan and, most importantly, they value their relationship with their doctor. They trust you. And that means that no matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise to the American people: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period. If you like your health care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what. My view is that health care reform should be guided by a simple principle: Fix what’s broken and build on what works. And that’s what we intend to do.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks To The American Medical Association National Conference, Chicago, IL, 6/15/09)
AMERICANS ARE SEEING THEIR HEALTH CARE COSTS INCREASE
For Many Americans, ObamaCare Is “Driving Their Premiums Way Up – In Some Cases Doubling Them, Or More.” “The few people who made it through the website are seeing their options for the first time, and some are not happy about what they’re seeing. Those with lower incomes are eligible for substantial subsidies, but middle income folks making 400 percent of poverty or more don’t get a thing, and the new insurance market rules are driving their premiums way up – in some cases doubling them, or more.” (Brett Norman and Jonathan Allen, “ObamaCare Headaches: More Than The Website,” Politico, 10/28/13)
The Middle-Class Faces “Hefty Increases On Their Insurance Bills” Due To ObamaCare.“These middle-class consumers are staring at hefty increases on their insurance bills as the overhaul remakes the health care market. Their rates are rising in large part to help offset the higher costs of covering sicker, poorer people who have been shut out of the system for years.” (Chad Terhune, “Some Health Insurance Gets Pricier As ObamaCare Rolls Out,” Los Angeles Times, 10/26/13)
- The Losers Under ObamaCare Are “Relatively Healthy Middle-Income Small-Business Owners, Consultants, Lawyers And Other Self-Employed Workers Who Buy Their Own Insurance.” “If the poor, sick and uninsured are the winners under the Affordable Care Act, the losers appear to include some relatively healthy middle-income small-business owners, consultants, lawyers and other self-employed workers who buy their own insurance. Many make too much to qualify for new federal subsidies provided by the law but not enough to absorb the rising costs without hardship. Some are too old to go without insurance because they have children or have minor health issues, but they are too young for Medicare.” (Ariana Eunjung Cha and Lena H. Sun, “For Consumers Whose Health Premiums Will Go Up Under New Law, Sticker Shock Leads To Anger,” The Washington Post , 11/2/13)
“Workers Are Seeing A Larger Portion Of Their Paycheck Sliced Off” Due To Higher Health Care Premiums. “That means that in many cases workers are seeing a larger portion of their paycheck sliced off to cover health insurance.” (Tom Murphy, “Health Insurance Costs Outpace Wage Gains, Survey Says,” The Associated Press, 8/20/13)
“Average Premiums Increased 5{24e2faabf6c4e4c68c7d1e5171a75367baed607248a00a7b284da03699b04829} For Single Coverage And 4{24e2faabf6c4e4c68c7d1e5171a75367baed607248a00a7b284da03699b04829} For Family Coverage In The Last Year.” (“Employer Health Benefits; 2013 Annual Survey,” The Kaiser Family Foundation, 8/20/13)
- Under Obama, The Average Cost Of Family Health Care Premiums Has Increased By $3,671 From $12,680 To $16,351, A 29 Percent Increase.(“Employer Health Benefits; 2013 Annual Survey,” The Kaiser Family Foundation, 8/20/13)
- Under Obama, The Average Cost Of Single Coverage Premiums Has Increased By $1,180, From $4,704 To $5,884, A 25 Percent Increase.(“Employer Health Benefits; 2013 Annual Survey,” The Kaiser Family Foundation, 8/20/13)
WITH ALL OF ITS FLAWS, ITS NOT PARTICULARLY SURPRISING THAT AMERICANS HAVEN’T SIGNED UP FOR OBAMACARE IN DROVES
The Obama Administration Has Been Trying To Run From The 7 Million People Enrolled Goal They Made For ObamaCare’s First Year Enrollments. “Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius once described 7 million new ObamaCare customers in the first year as what ‘success looks like.’ The White House is now trying to affix another label to the estimate: meaningless.” (Carrie Budoff Brown and Jason Millman, “7 Million ObamaCare Customers,” Politico, 12/11/13)
- “For Months, The Obama Administration Embraced The Projection … And Its’s A Steep Climb To Register 7 Million People By The March Deadline.” “It might be too late. For months, the Obama administration embraced the projection by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office as a way to explain enrollment goals, boosting their political significance. But the broken HealthCare.gov website caused the program to lag far behind on signing up customers, and it’s a steep climb to register 7 million people by the March deadline.” (Carrie Budoff Brown and Jason Millman, “7 Million ObamaCare Customers,” Politico , 12/11/13)
“The Administration Report Found A Total Of 137,204 People Enrolled In The States Served By The Federal Website By The End Of November, Up From 26,794 In October.”(Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, “ObamaCare Signups Still Only A Third Of Official Projections,” The Associated Press, 12/11/13)
- But Obama “Officials Estimated That 494,620 People Would Sign Up … By October 31.” “In the memo, officials estimated that 494,620 people would sign up for health insurance under the program by Oct. 31. And that was portrayed as a slow start.” (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, “Obama Health Target: 500,000 Signups By Oct. 31,” The Associated Press, 10/16/13)
- “The Memo Projected Enrollment Would Reach 3.3 Million Nationally By Dec. 31.” (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, “Obama Health Target: 500,000 Signups By Oct. 31,” The Associated Press, 10/16/13)
November’s Enrollment Numbers Are “Far Off The Pace Needed To Reach 7 Million.”“It’s also far off the pace needed to reach the 7 million total that officials had predicted would be signed up via federal- or state-run insurance marketplaces by the March 31 enrollment deadline for nearly all Americans to have some kind of health coverage or face a tax penalty.” (Dan Mangan, “364,682 Enrolled In ObamaCare Exchanges, Far Shy Of Goal,” CNBC, 12/11/13)
- “The Figures Also Illustrate Some Serious Problems Ahead.” “But the figures also illustrate some serious problems ahead: there’s a huge backlog of consumers who have applied for a plan but not yet picked one, and electronic errors on the computer system’s backend may have left tens of thousands of enrollments in limbo.” (Devin Dwyer, “ObamaCare Report Card: Progress, But Long Climb Ahead,” ABC News, 12/11/13)
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HAS ALREADY ISSUED A SERIES OF DELAYS AND EXEMPTIONS TO ITS SIGNATURE ACHIEVEMENT, AND THERE MAY BE MORE TO COME IN 2014
Since ObamaCare Was Enacted, The Obama Administration Has Unveiled “A Long List Of Extensions, Delays And Punts.” “On Thursday, the Obama administration gave customers permission to pay their premiums as late as Dec. 31 for coverage that starts Jan. 1, and officially gave customers an extra week – until Dec. 23 – to sign up for January coverage. The move was just the latest in a long list of extensions, delays and punts that have plagued the health care law.” (David Nather and Joanne Kenen, “Obamacare: One Punt After Another,”Politico, 12/12/13)
- The Administration “Keeps Giving Itself Extensions On Smaller Parts Of The Law, Because There’s Always Some Piece That Isn’t Quite Ready.” “But piece by piece, the Obama administration keeps giving itself extensions on smaller parts of the law, because there’s always some piece that isn’t quite ready. It’s an attempt to put out fires – but it’s also a painful admission that, yes, there are fires.” (David Nather and Joanne Kenen, “Obamacare: One Punt After Another,” Politico, 12/12/13)
An Obama Administration Official Didn’t Rule Out Additional Tweaking Of ObamaCare If Small Businesses Face Higher Costs Prior To The 2014 Midterm Election. “Next year, though, many of those small businesses will have to upgrade to health plans that comply with the new Obamacare rules. Unlike the canceled health policies which largely hit this fall, those changes will be spread throughout the year. But there will be a cluster of December renewals, industry officials say, and those small businesses will get the first look at their new prices in October – right at the height of an election that’s increasingly being framed as a referendum on the impact of Obamacare. … But an administration official said the Obama team will be watching the small business situation closely as the time for those renewals approaches. ‘I think that’s something we’re going to take a hard look at and see if there are things that can be tweaked’ if there is a lot of disruption, the official said.” (David Nather, “Next ObamaCare Crisis: Small-Business Costs,” Politico, 12/17/13)
- ObamaCare’s Small Business Rate Hikes Are “Another Political Time Bomb Lurking That Could Explode” Before The 2014 Midterm Election. “Think the canceled health policies hurt the ObamaCare cause? There’s another political time bomb lurking that could explode not too long before next year’s elections: rate hikes for small businesses. Like the canceled individual health plans, it’s another example of a tradeoff that health care experts have long known about, as the new rules for health insurance prices create winners and losers. But most Americans won’t become aware of it until some small business employees learn that their premiums are going up because of a law called – oops – the Affordable Care Act.” (David Nather, “Next ObamaCare Crisis: Small-Business Costs,”Politico, 12/17/13)