Civil war coming to GOP: Kasich to implement Obamacare by executive order

[geek tragedy]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/kasich-could-expand-medicaid-in-ohio-via-executive-order

Here's how it would work, according to the Dispatch: Kasich would expand Medicaid eligiblity to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, as Obamacare prescribes, via an executive order. He would then, on Oct. 21, ask a seven-member legislative-spending oversight panel for the authority to spend the money that the federal government would provide the state to pay for the expansion.

“The governor, I think, has the authority to do that,” Ohio Senate President Keith Faber (R) told the Dispatch Wednesday. “It’s certainly within his prerogative. I’m a defender of legislative rights, and I would think the better solution would be a legislative option, but the governor does have that authority."

Medicaid expansion would cover roughly 275,000 additional Ohioans.

Credit where credit is due. Of course, this is a wee bit off message as far as Boehner and the Tea Party are concerned.

At a time when they're arguing Obamacare MUST BE DESTROYED, Kasich is unilaterally acting to implement it in Ohio (Boehner's home state).

[BluegrassStateBlues]

1. He probably saw how well Kentucky is doing.

Our governor enlisted PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the University of Louisville to conduct a 6-month study before implementing the ACA.

They told him it would save the state money and create 17,000 new jobs.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

7. Not just him. Voters saw how Kentucky was doing. n/t

[samplegirl]

2. Ohio has had it with his

ass. SB 5 came and bit him in the ass! He has no options left!!!

[theglammistress]

4. Yep.

At this point, this is Kasich's best move. He knows he's got a completely nutso state assembly to deal with - if he can go ahead and do ACA via executive order, then he'll see it as a political win for him. I'm just glad this (might) happen for Ohio!

Also, it will be amusing to watch all the frothy "Kasich is a RINO" handwringing and whining from the right. Lolz.

[WCGreen]

6. Kasich is an old school Republican.

That's why he left the House when he did.

They were called Rockefeller Republicans, at one time..

[Ikonoklast]

16. He got his butt kicked on SB5...then got his teeth chipped on the Ohio Turnpike deal.

ALEC might be able to buy the Assembly, but at least the actual citizens know a shit deal when they smell it.

[NEOBuckeye]

18. And it looks like that faction is reasserting itself now.

Kasich was never a true tea bagger. It was convenient for him to embrace their support when he ran for the Ohio Governorship in 2010, but the emergent split over the shutdown and Obamacare has revealed where his true loyalties are, with the moderate-right business faction of the GOP rather than with the mouth-breathing Koch/Randian far-right extremists. His sudden move to implement Obamacare in Ohio is one of the clearest signals yet that the business/Rockefeller faction will readily concede on national health care to end the government shutdown and avoid a debt-ceiling default that will severely damage the economy.

The Kochs may be willing to cut off their noses to spite their own faces over Obamacare out of pure greed and ideological principle, but most of the rest of the business community now openly acknowledges what's at stake with a default and will intervene with urgency to avert an imminent self-inflicted disaster by a once useful tool (the Tea Party) now running amok.

[gopiscrap]

3. Yes, I'd love to sit back and watch a civil war in the repuke party

damn, I gotta run to the store to get some popcorn!!!

[Cha]

5. Hasn't this rwinger heard.. the teaKochs have Shutdown the Gov and

are holding the country Hostage to Defund Obamacare!!11

boner's gonna be pissed.. oh wait he already is..



thanks geek

[ReRe]

9. Great Cartoon, Cha ;-)

... needs a hint of that hepatitis yellow gold in his skin.

[Eleanors38]

13. Gold? I make that color every morning.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

10. Engineer already left the station

[AtheistCrusader]

8. A crack appears in the dike...

I'm not sure if I have enough champagne for the coming celebration.

Keep fighting, but this is an EXCELLENT sign.

[daybranch]

11. In the meantime

Beware of Greeks bearing gifts. I will still be gathering signatures on two petitions to expand medicaid in Ohio. One asks Kasich to do it now. The other gives citizens the right to settle the issue on the ballot i 2014. Sign both. We must get this done.

[AllyCat]

12. Covering more bases is not a bad idea. Keep fighting!

[daybranch]

14. he has to get approval of that oversight board

take a look at the gerrymandered republicans on the board. Good luck with that Guv, but at leastthis will give you cover in your statewide non gerrymandered election. Medicaid expansion and then on to stopping Gerrymandering in Ohio!!!

[ladym55]

20. Right

I know some folks who are gathering signatures to get the issue on the 2014 ballot. They have been told to proceed as usual with gathering signatures. This procedure Kasich is attempting is not foolproof.

[riqster]

15. Just one piece of Obamacare

The piece that sends money to the state. What a coinkeedink!

[ColumbusLib]

17. Yay Ohio!

However we get it, that's terrific news!

[Left Coast2020]

19. Can you spell "GOP CAVE-ing" boys and girls?

[IkeRepublican]

21. Ohio resident here

Kasuck's been openly planning this for quite some time and the baggars are flinging every goofball in the state they can find to take him on. Whoever they pick turns out to be a massive failure, of course. A bunch of unheard of zero-charisma country bumblers who couldn't find their ass if it had a bell on it.

The reason for Kasuck's demanding of it is due to most of his support comes from the southern half of Ohio, which is very rural other than Cincinnati. And, unless it's a one horse town with a college or chemical plant in it - there are many there - the people don't have a pot to pee in or a window to throw it out of and they are ALL on assistance of some kind. Mind you, it is baggar-land there as well. But, that's no surprise. I have YET to meet an admitting bagger that isn't on some kind of assistance. I kid you not.

Just giving you guys the synopsis. It's not a ground breaker.