Is This Why Christie Didn’t Join ObamaCare Suit?
So, Christie "derides" ObamaCare? I honestly didn't know that. He certainly hasn't made it a key issue, also failing to join the many states that sued over it. On the other hand, his application for $39 million under it was treated "favorably" - and they're already after another $40 million for this year. Hmm, New Jersey is second only to California in terms of the dollars it received from it to prop up its ailing public worker health insurance fund.
Oh, and the program encourages states to continue the program, apparently. Imagine that. Well, that's not quite as bad as Mitch Daniels, who expanded public health care in Indiana, I guess. But it's close. Christie can't afford to do it, … for now.
New Jersey’s beleaguered public worker health insurance fund got a nearly $39 million cash injection last year from a piece of the controversial federal health insurance law that Governor Christie derides as “Obamacare.”
Christie’s administration aggressively pursued the funding, a Treasury Department spokesman said, and is seeking payment for another $40 million already this year.
“We had to compete against other employers for the proceeds,” spokesman Andrew Pratt said in an e-mail. “Our application … got comparatively favorable treatment because it [was] filed very quickly after the application process began in July.”
New Jersey ranked second, behind California, among state governments receiving payouts from the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, according to a recent report issued by the Department of Health and Human Services.
The program reimburses public- and private-sector employers and labor union benefit funds for some of the cost of providing health insurance to early retirees between ages 55 and 65.
The funding was designed to encourage employers that were providing early retiree insurance to keep doing so because coverage for older people who are not |yet eligible for Medicare can be prohibitively expensive, according to an HHS spokesman, Keith Maley.
Weak on ObamaCare repeal… 2nd Amendment rights… likes cap-n-tax
DON’T do it, GOP… this dog won’t hunt
^^ You forgot pro-gun control, pro-AWB, and goes out of his way to bash Sarah Palin.
I like Christie’s financial stances, I like his willingness to take the fight to the enemy… I just wish we could surgically graft them to an actual Republican.
Chrisite talks big, but he isn’t nearly the big, bad conservative he likes to portray himslef as. The facts are there if people axctually want to find them, but if you don’t want to bother, give it time. He will be revealed as nothing more than a bunch of hot air.
I really liked Christie at first. Support for the ground zero victory mosque really chapped my ass.
I think his mistake was appointing a democratic attorney general.
Christie is the real phucking deal! All you other haters on here most likely are Hucksters or Palinites who are afraid of this man
After a great start, he has been disappointing. That seems to be the formula for Republicans. Sarah Palin remains the frontrunner for conservatism in America.
You can’t blame his for bashing Palin. I’m as conservative as it gets, but she is an idiot and went from VP candidate to political quitter and reality show star.
if you want to doom the political future of a governor, tout him for president in the weeks after his election.
Christie addressed the issue of why NJ hasn’t joined the Obamacare lawsuit in his speech at AEI a couple weeks ago, in the Q&A segment. He was asked quite directly about it, and answered it directly and quite clearly – and his answer should satisfy even his most passionate opponents on the right (certainly not on the left).
http://www.aei.org/video/101395 (again, the Q&A follows the speech; start at around 44:30 if you won’t watch the whole thing – although you should)
Of course, people who already have their minds made up about Chris Christie didn’t listen to his speech, and wouldn’t likely be inclined to read what anyone said about it if it weren’t critical. That’s how politics goes these days; everyone lives in a freaking echo chamber, only emerging to throw bombs at perceived enemies. See also: Palin-haters on the Left – there’s really no difference in the level of intellectual honesty.
Weak on ObamaCare repeal…
He is most certainly NOT “weak on Obamacare repeal,” although I’m sure it’s fun to play holier-than-thou, especially when you CLAIM to be a “Reaganite Republican” – which is rather laughable in this day, considering people like you would no doubt call Reagan himself a RINO. *eyeroll*
Is he THE most conservative politician around? No. But he’s no lib, and no RINO.
Obamacare starts around 44:30, and the specific question about the lawsuit is at about 46:00.
Some of you have no concept of what a real Conservative actually is. A shame, really.
“No true Scotsman,” right Susie Q?
There need to be a full investigation of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield – the benefit administrator for the State of New Jersey and many unions and public entities.
Many state legistors are either directly or indirectly connected to them….commisioned insurance brokers, consultants, CPA’s, hospitals and lawyers. The dots are easlily connected…donations=special treatment!
Just sayin
You know, we have to elect Palin just to give Mike something to piss about for four years.
IMO The guy is all YouTube smoke and mirrors and people are finally starting to see through his bull and bluster. Bullies who like to dish out criticism, better be prepared to take criticism.
Beth’s charge: “didn’t listen to Christie’s speech”
Ah, but the thrust of the post is Christie’s talk is a misdirection steering us away from following his walk.
Where is CC on bills A3147 and S2250 repealing NJ’s participation in RGGI. He’s made it known he plans to use the $65 million in revenue but is mum on doing away with its source.
Facts beat words every day of the week.
“He is most certainly NOT “weak on Obamacare repeal,” although I’m sure it’s fun to play holier-than-thou, especially when you CLAIM to be a “Reaganite Republican” – which is rather laughable in this day, considering people like you would no doubt call Reagan himself a RINO. *eyeroll*”
AH yes…the *eyerollers*….there they go again (in the famous words of Ronald Reagan)
Palin would be better than obama.
Christie would be better than obama.
Romney would be better than obama.
My floormat would be better than obama.
It appears more and more American’s believe it as well:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/abc-news-washington-post-poll-confidence-government-falls/story?id=13134173
“Confidence in the U.S. System of Government Drops to a 35-Year Low”
Or how about this?
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll
bottom line: “Overall, 43% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the president’s performance. Fifty-seven percent (57%) disapprove.”
LOL!!
Isn’t it time for another round of golf?
LOL!
As a presidential candidate, Christie makes a godd governor of NJ.
With Chris Christie it is always best to look at what he does and not what he says. His truck full of bleechers and equipment to make you tube footage at town hall meetings are getting old. He has been glorified for being nasty. How dare he tell a constiuent to get the smirk off her face or a police officer to get another job if he doesn’t like the pay. He never really answers a question with anything that stands up to fact checking and is really good at blaming other people for everything.
Just watched the video. It was smoke and mirrors. That letter to Holder is lame. He knows it and the rest who signed know it. It costs about $2K to file a brief in support of the suit. That will hardly break the bank. He could use some of the $39 million from the Administration or maybe some of the $65 milllion he got from RGGI. Maybe he told the President he wasn’t in favor of Obamacare at the State Dinner for Hu Jintao. The Federal judge ruled that Obamacare is unconstitutional what more does he need, he is an attorney he must understand the ruling. Bottom line, the man is ineffective. The Tool Box has been in the legislature since he took office, his nomination of Ms. Patterson has been there for a year without a look, the unions haven’t really conceded a whole lot, the 2% cap (that is an increase not a reduction) excludes pensions and health insurance (the major costs),the rebates went away so we all got a tax increase, and the dust up over the DRPA amounted to nothing because he has no real authority over it. He is all show and no go.