"Cash for Clunkers" trouble spells potential DOOM for Healthcare reform.

(I noted this fact as part of an earlier post, but it really deserves its own thread.)

I attended a Republican healthcare Town Hall this morning, during which, "Cash for Clunkers", the unexpectedly successful auto trade-in program, was cited (once again) as an example of "government incompetence" and "who wants these same people running something as important as your healthcare?"

To any politically connected person that might be reading this...

While early criticism of C4C was easily dismissed, the latest reports of "dealers getting paid too slowly or not at all" is FEEDING the anti-healthcare reform movement and threatens to derail ANY serious reform!

Problems surrounding Dealer reimbursement under C4C needs to be addressed NOW, as it is feeding the Rightwing attack machine and lending credence to their accusations that "the government can't do anything right."

Only thing worse that could happen right now is a botched response to a Hurricane. THAT would almost certainly doom healthcare reform (if not the entire Obama agenda for the next three years) for sure.

Agree? Yeah or Ney?

The RW were sad they didn't think of it.

PS the stimululs is working too!

House prices have risen!

with pocketfuls of money?? They, of all people should know about "paperwork"

Look, they're never going to support Obama, or any Democrat who's not indistinguishable from a Republican (I'm looking at you, Rep. Ross.)

These people, upon observing Obama walking on water, would complain that

a.) Obama can't swim, and anyhow, everyone knows colored people can't swim,
c.) is dissing hard-working blue collar unionized ferry workers everywhere
d.) is just showing off
e.) is inviting invidious comparisons to Jesus
f.) should be driving wherever it is he's going. Walking is nearly as socialist as public transport.

Add your own....

It's been too optimistic lately!

:sarcasm:

Make jokes if you want, but it takes FAR less work to convince people "the government can't do anything right" (ESPECIALLY after GWB) than it is to convince them to trustthe government to get involved with something they are already being fed a daily dose of spin & lies about.

I CAN'T BELIEVE people would "vote down" existing recommendations for warning people of something with a VERY REAL potential for disaster.

successful. Cash for old appliances is next. Get in line before they are gone!

It is necessary to lie down with the dogs (with apologies to metaphorical dogs) to see where they are licking themselves. Thanks for the heads up.

Yea, because you're right. Right-wing tools are using the C4C problems to paint the healthcare debate, and it's doing a good job of coloring the views of the laymen.

Nay, because this is EASY to fight. It's an apples-to-oranges comparison. The C4C program was rushed out the door as an economic stimulus package. Since we needed stimulus, we didn't have time to actually cement the ideas and avenues of proper payment and budgeting concerns. In the end, the dealers will get their money, but they may have to wait a few months. Meanwhile, their books still look good, and the stimulus is a success. As for healthcare, anyone who thinks it would be rushed through congress with such lack of foresight is deluded. We ALREADY HAVE government run healthcare in the form of medicare and military care. Those programs, like SS and many other social programs, were carefully crafted and do well at helping people. But they ARE social programs, and that's why the extreme right wing wants to fight them. It's the FYIGM attitude (F*** you I've got mine). We just have to get better at taking the framing of the debate away from the assholes.

It was so successful that I ran out of hot dogs.

Boy, I'll never do that again. If you can't be perfect when trying new things, don't do it!

In the immortal words of Homer (Simpson) "The lesson is 'never try'".

See. Everything works out just fine.

...that "the private sector" stepping in "when the government fails" will mitigate the debate???

GM is one of the beneficiaries of the 'Clunker' program. They are just helping out their own dealers.

Why do you have a problem with that?

Nobody gets paid in 30 days for anything. Why do WE help the right with their lies. I will never understand it.

I think everyone must have their head in the sand (or worse) if they haven't yet figured out that IT DOESN'T MATTER if "the money is coming, just give it time" or "the program is a success" when every day they see dealers on TV complaining about "how they're not getting paid", "are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars" and "are dropping out of the program".

When you read restaurant reviews, one bad review trumps a dozen good ones. I'm sorry, but that's just a fact. And if the Obama Administration doesn't start making some auto dealers very happy again REAL soon, I'm telling you, this is playing right into the Right's hands."

I said "ignore at your own peril", but that's not exactly true. You jeopardize the rest of us at the same time.

about the inefficiency of government. I also believe in couple months this cash for clunkers program won't look so successful when the auto sales dry up even worse than what they were. The program was also very unfair, in effect it was the government rewarding people for buying gas guzzlers a few years ago. I bought a fuel efficient car about 7 years ago and it doesn't qualify for the cash for clunkers, just how is this program fair? Why should my taxes subsidize another person's car? Flame me if you like but I think I will be proven right in a couple months.

It is efficient to process all the paperwork at once. Saves money. Duh, freepers.

did.