Tag: Jonathan Gruber

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actions vs. words

pic_giant2_111114_SM_Jonathan-Gruber_0Certain truths will always stand the test of time. I, for one, also find it fascinating when the truths are biblical. So much of current culture seems wired to remove any acknowledgement or accreditation to God. I can’t believe that’s good.

Here for one is a truth I think we each at least act like we embrace: actions speak louder than words. We are called not to love each other “with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” Actions will always speak louder; speech can be hollow; our actions back up what we believe. For example…

  • If we preach to our teens how substance abuse is a dangerous thing, then we can’t be putting all sorts of impurities into our own bodies.
  • If we proclaim to be voices of tolerance, then we can’t spew at those who share different opinions on Facebook and Twitter.
  • And if we advocate supporting the candidates of greatest integrity, then we can’t turn a blind eye to one of the parties.

Perhaps the place that the actions/words axiom is most visible this week is in the whole healthcare law presentation. Yes, I know many of us are fatigued of this frequent topic; some may say they’re sick of it. I agree. I would add that as has been referenced here since its inception, the Intramuralist is equally sick of the means in which the law was passed, and in the past week, my figurative nausea has only increased.

As now carried by an array of news sources (and referenced in Sunday’s post), Jonathan Gruber, a key architect of Obamacare, acknowledged that the only way the Affordable Care Act was passed was to play on “the stupidity of the American voter.” After the story transgressed from solely conservative sites and then into mainstream media, the White House finally paid attention to the claim. Pres. Obama responded Sunday while on his overseas trip: “I just heard about this… The fact that some adviser who never worked on our staff expressed an opinion that I completely disagree with, in terms of the voters, is no reflection on the actual process that was run.” Yet actions speak louder than words…

  • Gruber was hired in 2009 as a consultant by the administration and was paid $392,000 for one year of work.
  • Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, West Virginia, and Vermont all paid Gruber for his services. (Wisconsin originally paid Gruber $400,000 for the same material, requested by then-Gov. Jim Doyle (D).  Gov. Scott Walker (R) later declined Gruber’s presence.)
  • Democrat leaders of both the Senate and House praised Gruber publicly at the time (note: Rep. Nancy Pelosi now denies knowing Gruber… note: actions… words…).
  • The notably liberal Daily Kos cited Gruber’s involvement in 2010 as a “key requirement for… legislative proposals to be put forth for Congressional consideration.” They represented Gruber having deep ties to the White House.
  • Gruber visited the White House multiple times, including in the Oval Office with Obama, other experts, and the Director of the Congressional Budget Office. Gruber has said they had to manipulate the CBO.
  • Gruber also talked multiple times about intentionally misleading the public, even adding in one video: “Barack Obama’s not a stupid man, okay?”
  • In 2006, then Sen. Obama acknowledged a professional relationship, saying he had “stolen ideas liberally” from Gruber.
  • We know other mistruths were presented regarding healthcare (ie. “If you like your plan, you can keep your plan”… “if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor”).

Jonathan Gruber is a credibility problem for the administration and this law. It’s not that Gruber was the sole architect of Obamacare, but he was certainly instrumental — a fact that Pres. Obama does not seem willing to currently, oratorically admit. For the President to instead suggest that he “just heard about this” and that this is simply “some adviser,” shows that Obama is attempting to drown out the ethical piercing currently plaguing his perceived signature, legislative accomplishment.

Such tells me two more things: one, the integrity of the law and people knowingly involved are in question. And two, actions will always speak louder than words.

Respectfully…

AR

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who thinks we’re stupid?

images-1I wrestled this morn with which of the week’s most significant stories to write about… do we discuss how a man who assisted in writing the Affordable Care Act admitted that to pass the legislation, they had to play on the “stupidity of the American voter”? … or do we wrestle with the wisdom in the President’s approach, with his intent to bypass all others, creating legislation on his own? Bear with me, friends. I have a feeling the two stories will easily, semi-profoundly merge together.

Meet Jonathan Gruber: story #1. He’s an MIT Econ professor, teaching there for the past 22 years. He was heavily involved in crafting Obamacare. Wikipedia refers to him as a “key architect.”

As now reported by multiple sources, Gruber has said the following about the Affordable Care Act (also, please take note of the intelligence necessary to become a professor at MIT):

  • The legislation “would not have passed” had the administration been honest about the income-redistribution policies embedded in its insurance regulations.
  • The “lack of transparency is a huge political advantage.”
  • “This bill was written in a tortured way to make sure CBO did not score the mandate as taxes. If CBO scored the mandate as taxes, the bill dies.”
  • “Call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really, really critical to getting the thing to pass.”

Gruber visited the White House five times in 2009. Pres. Obama’s campaign featured Gruber in a re-election video. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said last week she didn’t “know who he is,” but a video quickly surfaced showing Pelosi directly referring to and supportive of Gruber’s work. Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) once referred to Gruber on the Senate floor as “one of the most respected economists in the world.”

On to story #2….

Near two weeks ago, America sent a message to Washington via the election. As discussed, the Intramuralist believes the primary message was “one, you’re acting arrogantly,” and “two, we don’t like the way you’re acting.” That includes Congress and arguably, especially the President.

Pres. Obama announced the next day that he will take action on immigration reform on his own before the year’s end. Granted, a new Congress was just elected, but Obama intends to bypass them before they are ever sworn in.

Now the Intramuralist believes that reform should be taken on immigration; the influx of illegals in this country has posed some incredibly challenging economic, social, and national security issues. We need to manage this is a more effective, reasonable way. Yet by bypassing the legislative branch in its entirety — even though the purpose of the legislative branch is create the law and the purpose of the executive branch is to enforce the law — the President has decided to create.

It is true that immigration reform has yet to pass both houses of Congress. It is also true that when Obama had super majorities in the House and Senate, he did not prioritize any immigration measures. For Obama to proceed now via Executive Order — completely avoiding Congress — is to this current events observer, an obviously arrogant approach. It does not adhere to the message of the most recent election.

It also makes me wonder how frequently people perceive the American voter as “stupid.”

Respectfully…

AR