GOP defenses of the health care bill: Fatuous half-truths, misdirection and lots of blatant lying

TUESDAY, JUN 27, 2017 08:00 AM EDT

Republican defenses of the health care bill: Fatuous half-truths, misdirection and lots of blatant lying

Republicans want tax cuts for the ultra-rich instead of health care for the poor. But they won't tell the truth

HEATHER DIGBY PARTON

When the House came back for its second bite of the apple and finally passed their dream legislation to repeal Obamacare and ensure that the health care system became even worse than it was before, I was on a short hiatus and binge-watching “The Handmaid’s Tale.” I had planned to stay away from politics as much as possible but this was a big deal so I had to tune in. Seeing all those white, male Republicans grinning and high-fiving each other was a chilling sight and I turned away as quickly as I could, soothed by the nearly unanimous opinion that the Senate, as the “saucer that cools the tea,” would stop the abomination. Surely it would never agree to a bill as draconian as the House bill. I told myself that I was so bothered by those images because I was watching a haunting dystopian drama and it was affecting my mood.

Then, on Monday, when the Congressional Budget Office dropped its expected bombshell report showing that the Senate version of the health care bill was even worse than the House’s in some ways, I couldn’t help but think of this:

Link to tweet

We will know soon enough. The target date for a Senate vote remains Thursday of this week, with a quick getaway to follow so they can hide their heads in shame. As I write this we have a few GOP senators from different factions of the party saying they won’t vote for it without changes. It’s either too harsh or not harsh enough or it’s moving to fast or the process was improper. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell still has some cards to play and some money to give away, so we’ll see how all that unfolds.

This is a ghastly piece of legislation. Indeed, it’s so appalling that some people suspect McConnell planned for it not to pass just so that he could say he tried and then get it off his agenda. (I don’t think that’s true. In fact he probably floated that idea himself as a cover story, in case this thing blows up.) He couldn’t have made it any worse if he tried.

That hasn’t stopped the Republicans from defending it. Indeed, a few of them went out over the weekend and appeared on various news programs making the only defense possible: They lied.

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http://www.salon.com/2017/06/27/republican-defenses-of-the-health-care-bill-fatuous-half-truths-misdirection-and-lots-of-blatant-lying/