Morning Joe crew apparently feels low income people are that way because they lack ambition.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

"Give" them healthcare and you'll never get another honest day's work out of the lazy bastards.

On edit-- they were trying to make hay out of the CBO claim that ACA would be a disincentive to work-- and Joe and Michael Steele of course seized on the dumbest possible interpretation of that.

[Scuba]

1. Joe knows about ambition.

Work ethic, not so much, but he is an expert on dead interns.

[hobbit709]

2. so what does a former congresscritter and RW shill know about an honest day's work?

[seabeckind]

3. Complicated concept

Conservatives don't do complicated very well -- exceeds brain cell connections.

If it doesn't fit on a bumper sticker...

{on edit} Actually I found the whole exchange very entertaining. It was fun watching Joe and friend trying to try to make the concept fit their belief. A lot like the Nye-Ham thing.

The part I didn't care for was the Barnicle spitting out the meme that technology cost us all those jobs instead of the outsourcing of the manufacturing

At that point I hit my threshold (10 min) and went to the local news where they showed donuts as a defense against the bad roads.

[el_bryanto]

4. This is a popular interpretation on the right

It's undoubtedly true for some of them, and not true for many others of them. I think there's a class thing going on here - if you are of the middle class you probably know mostly middle class people growing up; people who have all the advantages you had. If one of them fails and ends up poor, it might be because of bad luck or health issues, but it's just as likely the are just fuck-ups. Certainly I can think of a person or two in my life that I feel sorry for, but boy do they create their own problems.

But they don't probably know the father who is working two crap jobs trying desperately to feed their family or the single Mom hanging on by her knuckles. They don't know people who were born without those advantages and are trying as hard as they can and finding that it's not enough because of the way our society is structured.

Bryant

[CTyankee]

5. Joe Scar is slime. His hatred of the poor and near poor is SO OBVIOUS...

He and Steele were gleefully attacking the working class as if they are a bunch of bums that can't wait to get their health care and sit back and loaf.

Here is a prime example of republicans not being able to conceal their contempt for working Americans. They just PRESUME that those who will stop working at their jobs will never work at anything again, that they are just looking for an excuse to goof off..

This is going to come back and bite them in the butt. They just can't help snarling at the American people and it is just not a good strategy. But they have to keep learning that lesson over and over again....

[Gidney N Cloyd]

7. Agreed-- I can't imagine it playing well outside the conservative bubble.

Then again...

[Mike Daniels]

13. Joe's POV is interesting giving his stories about his dad's bout of unemployment

He regularly mentions how his dad was unemployed during part of the 70's and how it affected the family. In fact, this comes up only slightly less than Joe reminding people that he once served in Congress.

Given the fact that it sounds like the family struggled for at least a while you would think Joe would be more open to saftety nets for those who are unemployed or who are employed but struggling economically. I guess being GOP really does mean that once you have your's everyone one else can go to hell.

[Zen Democrat]

6. Joe's job seems to be to attempt to create false perceptions in voter's minds.

A classic propagandist.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

8. He's there to focus group the latest repub memes.

[kentuck]

9. That's what he is...

a classic propagandist. However, I don't think it will work with this issue.

[CTyankee]

11. AND he completely misrepresented what Elmdorf said in that hearing, selectively editing it.

If you look at the fuller video of testimony he gave, it was clear that he said that the ACA would have a good effect and increase employment.

Joe is going to get his head handed to him over this one.

[kentuck]

15. He only hears what he wants to hear...

...especially if it favors the Republicans politically.

[Adrahil]

10. I know.... What. The. Fuck.

And he talks like it's a GOOD idea to withhold healthcare to make people need to work more to pay bills.

[Rex]

12. Joe should know about lack of ambition, he fled from politics

after 'accidentally' killing an intern. He then ran to trash politics on TVEE and has hidden there every since.

[RDANGELO]

14. As long as there is no shortage of labor in this country, this argument makes no sense.

You have someone who is working sixty hours a week so that he can afford health care. Because of the ACA, he now only has to work 40. That means he as a better quality of life which should be a goal of our economic policies. The employer lost a worker , but there are plenty of people looking for a job that can fill it. The people who aren't working at all already qualify for medicaid. WHERE IS THE PROBLEM!