The Long Fight To Prevent People From Going To The Doctor

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/halbig-sebelius-dc-circuit-arguments

I wrote the other day about how the GOP is constantly engaged in fighting yesterday's battles.

But it occurs to me that it makes a certain amount of sense for them to do so.  Their aging base is engaged by the idea of turning back to "their America" where "people knew their place".

And when we look at the constant, even desperate, attempts to overturn ACA through the courts, it strikes me that this is merely the judicial equivalent of the Kristol Memo.

The Kristol Memo - written during the health care debate during Clinton's first term - basically acknowledges that passing health care reform would dramatically undermine the GOP's ideological claims that "government isn't the answer to your problem; government is the problem."  If the government can insure millions of people, which will have a powerful effect on the financial well being of millions of Americans, then we will have another example - like Social Security, Medicare and public education - of tangible efforts by the government to improve the lot of the majority of Americans.

This is a pretty critical five to six year window for Obamacare, because once it survives the myriad legal challenges it will be ingrained in the social and economic fabric of the country.  But it's most vulnerable in its infancy.

The GOP has certainly shown a desire to keep fighting fights long after they seem to be over.  In some cases - abortion - they seem to be tilting the battleground in their favor.  Whereas in other areas - immigration, contraception - it only makes them look worse.

But for the GOP to pay a political price for this constant assault on ACA, Democrats have to defend it and counterattack.  I realize that they don't have the Koch billions at their disposal, but they have to start making the point that this law is tangibly helping millions of people RIGHT NOW.

This isn't "bully pulpit" nonsense.  This is about flooding the airwaves with positive Obamacare stories.  Right now, the Kochs and others are running ads - almost all of which prove to be faulty, lies or half truths - that talk about the disruption of ACA.  Democrats HAVE to point out the good it's doing - while simultaneously talking up the minimum wage increase.

If you want to shape a populist economic message, the ACA is a wonderful opportunity to show how Democrats want to make life better for the 99%.

First, Democrats need to stop avoiding fights with a GOP that's unpopular.  Approve the nominee for Surgeon General already.  Stand up for judicial nominees.

Fight.

Be Democrats.