Fox News’ Kat Timpf didn’t just agree with a Texas judge’s ruling that Obamacare is unconstitutional, she called the decision – which jeopardizes health insurance for millions – “exciting news.”
"I think that it is unconstitutional. I’m surprised that it actually passed in the first place,” Timpf said about the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, during a discussion on Cavuto Live over the weekend. “So I think that this is exciting news, even though I don’t know ultimately if it will end up being struck down or if it even will make it to the Supreme Court.”
Republican Nan Hayworth didn’t explicitly say she was “excited” but she made her delight evident. “What Obamacare forced millions of Americans to do who are in the individual markets, who could least afford this, was the government compelled them to buy insurance policies that effectively were overpriced for what they needed.”
The third guest, Democrat Jessica Tarlov, at least noted that the ACA is still in effect and there was still time to sign up for a plan (the exchange closed on December 15). “If you’re watching right now, Obamacare still exists, the deadline is coming up, please register and sign up,” she said. She predicted that the ACA will be upheld if the case goes to the Supreme Court.
“What I’m struck by is the Republicans that are rejoicing in this after the 2018 election where it was very clear that health care was the number one issue, and that people wanted to maintain pre-existing conditions.” She did not note the heartlessness of Republicans rejoicing in millions losing their coverage. According to a 2017 Congressional Budget Office estimate, a repeal would cost 32 million their health insurance by 2026 and roughly double premiums in the individual insurance market.
“A number of Republicans went out there and actually lied about their long standing position on pre-existing conditions in order to get people to vote for them,” Tarlov continued. “They’re on the record, we have the tape, roll tape as they say, saying they want to repeal and replace Obamacare.” She also pointed out that Republicans never came up with a replacement plan despite their supposed commitment to protecting those with pre-existing conditions.
Host Neil Cavuto, obviously unable to defend Republicans on the subject, engaged in some whataboutism. “Did Democrats lie in any of this when they misrepresented the cost of this?” he asked.
Tarlov took the bait. “Yeah, I’ve done that,” she said.
Which, of course, gave Cavuto the opening to suggest Republicans are no worse than Democrats on the issue – despite his own guest having just called it “exciting news” that millions might lose their health insurance.
“So there’s been bipartisan lying going on.” Cavuto shot back.
Tarlov predicted that Democrats will now shift to Medicare for all and “make sure everyone is protected.” She also correctly noted that most Americans (including a majority of Republicans) want Medicare for all. But she did not call out any of the tactics going on in the segment, even as Hayworth later claimed, “Republicans have always been for everyone having access to insurance that they can afford.”
Watch the conservative lack of concern for Americans losing health insurance below, from the December 15, 2018 Cavuto Live.
And she’s also badly misleading herself with her thinking about the current judiciary, particularly after the Pence White House has been packing courts, including the 5th District, with Far Right partisans. And that doesn’t even mention the disaster at the Supreme Court.
Based on their past rulings and partisanship, it’s fairly certain that the 5th Circuit will happily support Judge O’Connor’s destruction of the ACA, specifically under the premise that the withdrawal of the individual mandate not only bankrupted the plan financially but also removed the only legal justification Roberts had allowed for it in 2012. Following that ruling, the appeal will proceed to the Supreme Court, which most likely will refuse to hear the case, as this would allow Roberts to duck the accountability here. Denying cert would mean that the lower rulings stand and the ACA goes away, which will absolutely lead to more celebrating at Fox News and on AM Radio. If the SC hears the case, that just puts off the final ruling until 2020, meaning that you’ll have the Dems campaigning on it, and the Far Right trying to rally their base with the celebration. (This will also set the stage for Fox News to run their post-mortem of the Obama White House during the 2020 campaign, where they will include the erasure of the ACA as part of their story of a complete and utter failure by the Dems.)