Knowingly or not, Mika Brzezinski has exposed the progressive strategy for ever-increasing government control of our lives. On today’s Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough actually made a principled conservative case against Obamacare, saying that many conservatives “do not believe that the federal government should compel people to buy insurance. Should not compel young people to buy health insurance if they do not want to buy health insurance.”
Mika responded saying that she understood Joe’s point about “sticking to conservative principles,” acknowledging that “many Republicans were deeply offended by the concept of Obamacare.” But Brzezinski then proceeded to give away the liberal game:
“People have it [Obamacare.] . . . Isn’t it politically past due to take away health care? Whether you were for it or not?”
Mika’s statement is reflective of the laws of political inertia, and of the insidious progressive plan to hook people on ever-more government.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: There are a lot of Republicans, I was a former Republican, there are a lot of small-government conservatives, who were offended by the passage of Obamacare, who did not believe that the federal government should compel people to buy insurance. Should not compel young people to buy health insurance if they do not want to buy health insurance.. . .MIKA BRZEZINSKI: So Joe, let me ask you about those positions. Because, I understand what you’re saying about ideological differences, I understand what you’re saying about sticking to conservative principles and I understand the point of view that many Republicans, especially on the far right but many Republicans, were deeply offended by the concept of Obamacare and wanted to repeal it.But isn’t that politically past due at this point? I mean, people have it. It doesn’t work that great. It need to be fixed, everyone agrees with that. You can you ask any Democrat does Obamacare need to be fixed, amended, transformed in some way? Of course. But isn’t it politically past due to take away health care whether you were for it or not?JOE: Again, “taking away health care” is not the way a lot of Republicans would frame it.MIKA: Okay, that’s fine.JOE: Hold on a second. Hold on a second.MIKA: But you understand what happens.JOE: They would say giving people a choice on whether they want to purchase health care or not without being compelled by the centralized state. That is an ideologically motivating figure.
Mika’s phrasing, “politically past due,” was infelicitous, but her point was clear. She was arguing that it is politically impossible to repeal a government entitlement program once it has been put in place.
Mika’s statement calls to mind Ronald Reagan’s line, apparently adapted from a Depression-era senator: “a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.”
Note: the discussion arose after Princeton prof Eddie Glaude, Jr. wondered what motivates Republicans to want to repeal Obamacare. Jeremy Peters of the New York Times gave a cynical answer, saying Republicans have taken an unparalleled amount of money from their constituents in return for a promise to repeal Obamacare. Scarborough objected, and proceeded to lay out the principled conservative case for repeal.
Once big new government programs are adopted, no matter how ineffective or financially unsustainable they might be, history has shown that they have been virtually impossible to repeal.
Of course, the responsibility ultimately lies with the people: we get the government we want, or deserve. If enough Americans aren’t willing to stand up and force their representatives to truly repeal Obamacare, well then, we’re stuck with it.
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