Home folk tell Rep. McMorris Rodgers: Don’t mess with Obamacare

Posted on March 26, 2015 | By Joel Connelly

She was asking for horror stories about health care, but Rep. Cathy Morris Rodgers, R-Wash., instead found her Facebook page filled with testimonials to the benefits of the Affordable Care Act.

A member of the House Republican leadership, McMorris Rodgers wanted a replenishment of anecdotes, such as the stories of questionable accuracy she told when giving the GOP response to President Obama’s State of the Union speech.

“This week marks the fifth anniversary of Obamacare being signed into law,” wrote McMorris Rodgers.

“Whether it’s turning your tax filing into a nightmare, you’re facing skyrocketing premiums, or your employer had reduced your work hours, I want to hear about it. Please share your story with me so I can better understand the challenge you’re facing.”

A lot of folks shared stories. They were of a kind CMR didn’t want to hear — and is largely insulated from hearing on trips home to by-invitation “Coffees with Cathy” in her Eastern Washington district.

What did she hear? A sampling from McMorris Rodgers’ Facebook page:

– “I work for Cancer Care Northwest. We actually have more patients with insurance and fewer having to choose treatment over bankruptcy. Cathy, I’m a diehard conservative and I’m asking you to just stop slamming Obamacare.”

– “My daughter is fighting for her life with Stage 3 breast cancer. We are about to enter a second go-round of diagnostic procedures and possibly more treatment after two full years of treatment. So yah, the Affordable Care Act is more than helping. I resent that our rep thinks the only problems involve her personal story.”

– “Obamacare saved us when my husband was unemployed and we couldn’t afford coverage. We might have been ruined without it. My husband could not have had eye surgery needed after an accident.”

– “Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, my cousin was able to get affordable insurance despite her preexisting condition. So grateful.”

– “And now my granddaughter, diagnosed with MS at age 22, can have insurance. What do you plan to do with her?”

– “My story is that I once knew seven people who couldn’t get health insurance. Now they all have it, thanks to the ACA and President Obama, and their plans are as good as the one my employer provides — and they pay less for them. Now, that’s not the kind of story you want to hear.”

– “I work as a facilitator of a task force that is overseeing the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Washington state. I have learned that the ACA is helping people who did not previously have health insurance to get it. It is helping bring down costs. It is improving the quality of care.”

The sun will rise in the west before McMorris Rodgers includes any of these personal stories in her boilerplate rhetoric denouncing the Affordable Care Act.

Press releases from McMorris Rodgers’ office speak — uniformly — about how each of her actions help the people of Eastern Washington.

Yet, the congresswoman represents a district with higher-than-national average unemployment, a greater percentage of people receiving food stamps and income levels lower than the national average.

She votes and argues the party line, however, and has what pundits describe as a “safe” seat. She is considered a comer in Congress.

On Thursday, however, there was a rare show of defiance from those Eastern Washington constituents.

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2015/03/26/home-folk-tell-rep-mcmorris-rodgers-dont-mess-with-obamacare/

I love seeing people call out their reps, especially about something this important. The question that still remains is "will they express their opinions at the voting booth next time?"

Ranting and raving at our elected officials means nothing if not followed up with action.

Apparently, she's deleting a lot of the support posts but there are so many...

There's an old maxim in litigation: don't ask a question if you don't already know the answer you're going to get ~ that fits snugly into this situation as well ~

roseanne, I don't have a lot of faith that one unpopular step will convert anyone to a different candidate or a different side ~ I still strongly support Obama, in spite of there being a number of things he's supported or done that I disagree with or maybe just don't fully understand ~ he and I are working from different knowledge levels, but I still trust him ~

Sooz

She's just deleting the posts from obvious Libruls until only those who live inside her right-wing, anti-Obamacare bubble remain.