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Troy Jones Calls for Primary Against Republicans Who Blocked Senate Health Care Bill

Troy Jones takes the SDGOP spin blog mic and calls for primary challenges against Senators Capito, Collins, Flake, Lee, and Paul for their opposition to the GOP Senate bill:

From this day forward, they are Obamacare Republicans, liberal co-conspirators, and deserving of being aggressively opposed in primaries. I support the rumored Trump recruitment of primary opponents [Troy Jones, “‘If It Looks Like a Rat…,” Dakota War College, 2017.07.19].

Troy’s going to have a long wait: only Flake is up in 2018. Capito and Collins are up in 2020 (by which year Ladbrokes says there is a 48% chance that there will be no President Trump on whose coattails primary insurgents could ride); Lee and Paul are up in 2022.

Troy oddly omits Senator Moran, who tandemed with Senator Lee Monday evening in killing the Senate bill and who sounded far more Obamacary than Lee, who opposed the Senate bill because it didn’t go far enough in repealing Obamacare taxes and regulations. Similarly, Rand Paul balked because he supports clean and complete ACA repeal, the thing Republicans have promised in every election since 2010. We can call Lee and Paul a lot of things, but they are not “Obamacare Republicans.”

Troy is also risking his loyal Republican Party member card by advocating primaries against incumbents. Consider NPR’s discussion of Trump’s push to primary Flake:

CORNISH: And then the other Arizona senator, Republican Jeff Flake, is also in the news today for different reasons. Politico reported that the White House has met with potential Republican primary challengers to run against Flake next year. How unusual is this?

DAVIS: It is highly unusual, and I can tell you Mitch McConnell does not support this kind of infighting. You know, a couple – earlier this year, a Trump-aligned super PAC also planned to target Nevada Republican Senator Dean Heller with an ad campaign. He’s undecided on the health care bill. And that made Senate Republicans very unhappy. At a meeting at the White House last month, they personally appealed to the president not to use these kind of hardball tactics. The group eventually did announce they weren’t going to run the ads.

I think you can expect a similar pushback in Flake’s defense. It is the official policy of the Senate Republican Campaign Committee to back incumbents in primaries. There are no exceptions to this rule. But I think with Flake, it’s also a bit personal. It’s not just about health care. As you recall, he was a very frequent critic of the president during the campaign [Audie Cornish and Susan Davis, “Sen. McCain’s Recovery from Blood Clot Surgery Threatens GOP Health Care Vote,” NPR: All Things Considered, 2017.07.17].

Rule #11 of the Republican National Committee prohibits the RNC from giving any support to any candidate in a primary. I’ll be interested to see if Troy’s comments draw any response from the Republican Senator who sponsors that blog and is required by his own rules to oppose any such call for a primary against an incumbent colleague.

43 Comments

  1. mike from iowa 2017-07-19 16:54

    Murkowski from Alaska was one of the first to go against the bill because it would have gutted Medicaid and Planned Parenthood.

    Curious that every group that lobbied for changes in Drumpfcare got what they wanted except for women’s groups. No wonder woman lined up to vote against it.

  2. Robin Friday 2017-07-19 17:04

    I don’t live in Kentucky, and I don’t care for Rand Paul, but I’d rather see a strong primary against Mitch McConnell, obstructer in chief.

  3. John Kennedy Claussen, Sr. 2017-07-19 17:17

    This is all just further proof of how the health care debate is the “Republican’s Vietnam,” as a national pundit said recently. And just as the Vietnam War divided the Democratic Party back in the day, so too will the health care debate today divide the Republican Party even more. Keep it up Republicans, while we Democrats get our popcorn and watch the show unfold…. Don’t worry if anyone gets hurt over this ruckus though, because ObamaCare is still in tact for you….

  4. Donald Pay 2017-07-19 17:36

    The Republicans have a problem with health care because Obama took their market-based plan and rolled in reforms that would prevent junk insurance from being let into the market. It’s the only way to have a market-based plan that the public, the medical community and the insurance companies all accept, even if grudgingly. You can fix the markets in a way that insurance companies would be happy, but then the medical community and the public will scream bloody murder, because it would leave many without affordable coverage. And so, Obamacare is the only option, unless we go to single payer or a public option.

    The Republicans made a mistake right up front. They could have claimed credit for Obamacare, because much of it was built on Republican ideas. They back themselves into untenable positions of repeal and replace, and sold it to the dumb crowd, while the dumb crowd was actually benefiting from Obamacare. Now they are stuck with the dumb crowd loving Obamacare, as long as they don’t realize that the benefits they are getting are Obamacare.

    When you are racist and oppose your own ideas because the black president agrees with them, it is self-defeating. It might be best to junk the racist hate and make Obama’s Republicancare work.

  5. Rorschach 2017-07-19 18:53

    Troy ought to take his cue from a responsible Republican:

    http://theconstantcommoner.blogspot.com/2017/07/hey-what-about-us-country-folk.html

    Who in the state of South Dakota would make up the $100 million or so annually that the Republican wealthcare bill would cut from SD’s federal healthcare money?

    Now that the GOP Party’s stealth tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires has failed, they can move on to other tax cuts for the wealthy, like eliminating the estate tax. You suppose they have the horses to do that one? For the GOP Party it’s all about the 1%

  6. Jana 2017-07-19 19:05

    Does anyone have the exact date that the GOP of SD stopped respecting and honoring Ronald Reagan? Russia, 11th Commandment, etc.

  7. Porter Lansing 2017-07-19 19:09

    Hi, Rorschach … :) Missed ‘ya.

  8. Rorschach 2017-07-19 19:18

    They let me out early for good behavior

  9. Thomas 2017-07-19 19:37

    Lee and Paul voted against the bill because they know that it’s osamacare light and unConstitutional. The others voted against the bill because it didn’t steal enough money from taxpayers to give to deadbeats and baby murderers. Government has no business in healthcare to begin with as there is NO provision in the Constitution for government intervention or control, and that’s what it is, over healthcare.

  10. mike from iowa 2017-07-19 19:43

    John McCain has been diagnosed with brain cancer.

  11. Roger Cornelius 2017-07-19 19:57

    First of all I was shocked to see that the Dump Site would post anything about the healthcare debate, from the times I checked things out over there they haven’t said a word, good or bad, about healthcare.
    Troy should be worrying more about the sanity of his president and his needs for proper medications.
    In the past 36 hours Trump has changed his position on Obamacare at least three times that I know of, don’t know what it will be in the morning.
    As far as Troy wanting to primary republicans that have opposed Trump he will have to wait to see how this recent chaos turns out, 2018 and 2020 are a long way off as far as the healthcare debate goes.

  12. John 2017-07-19 20:11

    Troy and his brand of republicants have a hard time practicing as christians.

  13. Adam 2017-07-19 21:03

    What we really need is another Stephanie Herseth, to infiltrate and sabatoge the public option once and for all.

    If a democrat in SD really wants to get elected, running on the principle of furthering DNC espionage would really get the crossover vote… conserva-voters (the majority) would eat that sh!t up like it’s now or never.

  14. Roger Cornelius 2017-07-19 21:36

    Adam,
    Another Stephanie Herseth may not help it this instance, remember she voted in opposition to Obamacare and it likely cost her congressional seat.

  15. Adam 2017-07-19 22:01

    I bet SD conserva-voters would rather vote for a saboteur Dem candidate than a real Republican. That’s all they stand for nowadays. They don’t actually stand FOR anything, only against progress.

  16. jerry 2017-07-19 22:57

    Troy is just another cult republican that hates women, their unborn as well as born children along with the elderly and diabled. Why is anyone shocked at what he slobbers.

  17. Porter Lansing 2017-07-19 23:09

    God, help John McCain.

  18. barry freed 2017-07-20 06:45

    Former Representative Edwards has MS. She was on TV and an interesting thing she noted was: her MS medicine in Europe is $7,000. In the US, her medicine is $73,000.

  19. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2017-07-20 07:22

    Jana, that date would coincide with when Thune, Rounds, Noem, and Daugaard all were on the record endorsing Donald Trump.

  20. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2017-07-20 08:23

    Roger, Robin, and Donald get me thinking: if Troy is really concerned about Republicans being able to craft and pass changes to the ACA, maybe he should be looking at the top. McConnell conducted a secretive process that kept stakeholders out and produced a bill that couldn’t get 50 votes. Primary him. Trump hit on the French President’s wife, watched tennis, and played with his firetruck instead of showing any interest in the policy details or in using his bully pulpit to rally public support. Trump’s superficial politics is all Tweetage and personalities. Troy should advocate to primary Trump… or impeach him and replace him immediately with Pence, who could probably help get a health care bill done.

  21. happy camper 2017-07-20 08:25

    We need a strong third party to break up this insanity but at least we don’t live in Russia. Putin, richest man in the world is working to get rid of the Magnistky Act which could freeze his assets. It is all coming out and the reason they met Donald Trump Jr., the Russian lawyer hired lobbyists, etc. The story of Bill Browder is quite an amazing one.

    But at least they have those magic words over there: Universal Health Care!!!

    http://www.newsweek.com/putin-has-billion-reasons-back-donald-trump-jrs-meeting-russian-lawyer-says-638386

  22. Daniel Buresh 2017-07-20 08:57

    Troy is as much of a christian as the pedo priests he worships with. Repubs, nationally, are going to destroy themselves. They are losing supporters as fast as they hit the nursing home and eventually the dirt.

  23. happy camper 2017-07-20 09:02

    This short video explains why government health care can’t work efficiently: only the person buying (and actually paying for it) knows what they want and cares about price and quality. There is immediate accountability, but when government buys there is no buying in bulk Costo savings because they don’t care about cost and quality because it’s not their money. People care when it’s their money that’s just the way the vast majority of people think, about their own self-interest. It’s human nature you ain’t gonna change it, so accept this about people, and use it rather than keep pretending people are somethin they ain’t.

    https://www.prageru.com/courses/economics/government-cant-fix-healthcare

  24. Daniel Buresh 2017-07-20 09:51

    I’m not sure what is dumber…..thinking you can explain why the gov’t can’t provide healthcare in a 5 min video….or the fact that every modern country on earth does better than the US yet uneducated morons lap up what they are fed from sites that have no intellectual honesty, much like our president. Yes happy, you are your kind are selfish pricks and that is human nature. Not attempting to alter such animalistic or even cavemanish behavior…is only telling about yourself. You aren’t any better than an animal driven by instinct and sexual urges. You aren’t any smarter either.

  25. Jenny 2017-07-20 10:45

    Troy Jones and most of the other anti-people SD pubs that call themselves Catholics are not really Catholic.

  26. Jenny 2017-07-20 10:50

    Lots of beautiful poor babies need Obamacare but SD Catholics like Powers and Jones don’t care.

  27. Jenny 2017-07-20 10:56

    Never a popular move to take away people’s healthcare, pubs. Politics 101.

  28. mike from iowa 2017-07-20 11:21

    Wait a minute, HC, the government cares about costs that is why Medicare/Medicaid pay only a predetermined amount for each procedure. Medicare sets the price and pays 80% of that price while the patient isd responsible for the rest.

    Medicaid pays the entire bill-usually, but they have an even lower reimbusrsement rate than Medicare and it is not negotiable on a case by case basis.

  29. Roger Cornelius 2017-07-20 11:26

    So, what is Trump’s position on repeal and replace Obamacare today?

  30. happy camper 2017-07-20 12:30

    Yeah, that doesn’t explain it entirely, but I do buy their argument to a large extent. I’ve seen the waste in the military, friends tell me they see it in South Dakota government. Competition and self-interest change the dynamics a great deal.

    Greed is good!!!

  31. Roger Elgersma 2017-07-20 13:36

    Troy thinks auditors can not follow money, does he also think he can not follow a vote.

  32. Adam 2017-07-20 14:02

    Greed is one of the 7 Deadly Sins. When conservatives recite the phrase, “greed is good” they reject Christianity in its most fundamental form.

  33. happy camper 2017-07-20 17:18

    FYI: Conservatives give more to charity than liberals: “… households headed by conservatives give 30 percent more to charity than households headed by liberals. A study by Google found an even greater disproportion: average annual contributions reported by conservatives were almost double those of liberals.”

    Bleeding Heart Tightwads: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/21/opinion/21kristof.html

  34. happy camper 2017-07-20 17:29

    There’s a sort of playground mentality where so many of you think you have all the good qualities, and the other side has all the bad qualities, and vice versa.

    I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you all have bad qualities. :)

  35. Adam 2017-07-20 17:36

    Sure, a guy can be charitable outside of Christian values, but Grumpy Camper can’t link himself to Christianity while purporting that ‘greed is good.’

    I didn’t make the rules, God did. And so you’ve got 7 Deadly Sins to reference – to help you keep your head on straight.

  36. Porter Lansing 2017-07-20 18:07

    This “Campy” fellow can’t post here for two straight days without purporting some giant fallacy by use of misleading, misdirecting and misinformed assertions. His credibility is minus 10.
    From his source … According to Google’s figures, if donations to all religious organizations are excluded, liberals give slightly more to charity than conservatives do.
    Conservative donations often end up building extravagant churches. Liberal donations frequently sustain art museums, symphonies, schools and universities.
    PS … he’s tried to fly this flaw before.

  37. jerry 2017-07-20 18:42

    Troy and the cult, only want poor women to abort so they can shame them for doing so. Their whole mantra is one of gender hate. That hate is not only seen by their continued drive to deprive pregnant women of health coverage, we can see the hate in their dealings with gay and transgender issues in the bathroom bills.

  38. happy camper 2017-07-20 19:08

    OK, so Mike’s link makes my point: As two MIT political scientists determined in a 2013 paper, the inclination to give appears to have virtually no relationship to one’s partisan or ideological views.

    There is a bit more within that link, but I sustain that humanist values are more important: an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.

    And I would add badness. :) The totality of human nature.

  39. Porter Lansing 2017-07-20 20:43

    Camper has a pattern. Here he’s trying to shield and defend his buddy Troy from valid criticism through distraction. This thread is about Republicans eating their own not about religion or humanism or charity giving. It’s about Jones’ temper tantrum because Obamacare’s become so darn popular.
    Sorry I let Camper distract me. I can do better. 😎

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