GOP Is Bushwhacked By Their Own Poll

As you probably know by now, the teabagger element of the congressional GOP wants to use the upcoming debt ceiling debate (or the continuing budget resolution fight) to defund or repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). They want to shutdown the federal government to get that done. But they are having some trouble in unifying their party behind that effort -- with a few Republicans saying it can't be done, and others being afraid such a move could hurt them in the 2014 election.

So the congressional Republicans commissioned Republican pollster David Winston to do a poll for them. The hope was that such a poll would unify Republicans by showing them that the people were against Obamacare and supported the threat to shut down the government to get it defunded or repealed. But the poll didn't turn out like they had hoped. After polling 1,000 registered voters on July 31st and August 1st, Winston found just the opposite of what Republicans had hoped he would find.

It turns out that only 23% of the general public supported the threat to shut down the government, while a whopping 71% opposed it. But that wasn't the worst news (although it was certainly bad enough). It turns out that many members of their own party oppose the threat to shut down the government -- including 53% of all Republicans, 51% of people planning to vote GOP in 2014, and 61% of Republican women. In addition, about half of Republican men and half of conservatives also opposed the plan.

This poll may have put a dagger in the back of the plan, because it clearly shows that those who vote to shut down the government if Obamacare is not repealed will likely incur the wrath of the voting public -- and with such a large percentage in opposition, it could even help the Democrats to win back many seats in Congress. I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of Republicans in closely-contested seats now backing away from the teabaggers' silly plan.

Funders Of Anti-Health Care Reform

The Republicans and their right-wing masters are trying hard to make it look like the opposition to President Obama's health care reform is a spontaneous grassroots movement by ordinary Americans. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Both the advertisements and the "grassroots" movement is funded by a series of right-wing organizations, created and funded by rich conservatives. McClatchy News has an excellent article that shows just who these groups are. Here are the major players:

CONSERVATIVES FOR PATIENTS' RIGHTS -- created and funded by health care entrepreneur Rick Scott, the co-founder of Solantic urgent care walk-in centers. These centers advertise themselves as the option for those without insurance (so he specializes in ripping off poor and working class folks). This is also the guy who had to resign as CEO of the Columbia/HCA hospitals when they were investigated by the federal government for fraud.

FREEDOMWORKS -- This is formerRep. Dick Armey, who used to be the majority leader for Republicans in the House of Representatives. No one is farther to the right than this guy. He's also the person who said there's nothing wrong with our economy except Americans being cowards. This group also contains Steve Forbes, billionaire and former presidential candidate, and Richard J. Stephenson, who founded Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

PATIENTS FIRST and PATIENTS UNITED -- Were both created and funded by the ultra right-wing group Americans for Prosperity (AFP). AFP was started by billionaire David Koch of Koch Industries. It's president is Tim Phillips, who used to be in business with Christian Coalition director Ralph Reed. AFP and FreedomWorks both funded and organized the "tea parties". They hope to organize 600 anti-health care rallies by Labor Day.

CLUB FOR GROWTH -- A right-wing anti-tax organization headed by former Indiana Republican congressman Chris Chocola. This group has just announced a $1.2 million anti-health care ad campaign in in North Dakota, Colorado, Arkansas and Nevada.

60 PLUS ASSOCIATION -- This group was originally started to abolish the estate tax. Its current spokesman is Pat Boone, former singer and current right-wing fundamentalist. Its current goal seems to be to scare the elderly. In just the last week, the group has spent $1.5 million in anti-health care ads.

These are the real opponents of any health care reform in America. These rich right-wingers don't care whether all Americans get decent health care. Their only interest is in avoiding paying taxes, and if they have to kill health care reform they'll willingly do it.

A rational person would think that as good as America has been to these righ people, they should be willing to give a little back (and it would still be less than the rich have paid in the past). But not these guys. Their greed is more important to them than the lives of their fellow citizens, and they will do anything including lying and disrupting the process.

Don't let them succeed. Write or call your congressmen/women and demand a public option for health insurance be included in the reform package.