North Carolina GOPer: Party Will Lose In 2014 Over Not Expanding Medicaid

[herding cats]

The Republican mayor of Bellhaven, N.C. has been pushing for his state to expand Medicaid under the health care law, and argues that failing to do so will cost the GOP in the 2014 elections.

Mayor Adam O'Neal places at least some of the blame for the closure of his town's hospital on the state's failure to expand Medicaid. He is making a 273 mile trek on foot from North Carolina to Washington, D.C. to call attention to the hospital's closure, Blue Virginia reported.

Vidant Health purchased the Pungo District Hospital in 2011, but then ended up closing the facility, which had been designated a critical care center.

"We’ve had our health care stolen,” O'Neal said during a speech in Woodbridge, Va. on Saturday, adding that Vidant makes millions each year even though it's a non-profit. "It’s immoral for a company to take health care away from people and keep your non-profit designation."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/gop-mayor-pushing-medicaid-expansion

[brer cat]

1. Let it be. K&R nt

[freshwest]

2. Posted on this earlier, with video and more details:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017205397

Thanks for posting this one as well. This man's actions will save lives.

[herding cats]

5. Thank you for directing me to that!

There's a lot of excellent information in your post. Being a politician is supposed to be about representing your constituents better interest, not playing politics with their lives.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. I hope he's right! n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

4. The guy doesn't even sound like a Republican--

"It’s immoral for a company to take health care away from people and keep your non-profit designation."

He's acknowledging a morality higher than market morality, and endorsing the concept of non-profits.

Maybe he's a true RINO or something.

[Thinkingabout]

6. Maybe this is death panels Palin talked about. Another example of the death panels

Is the failure of states to expand Medicaid and set up health care exchanges. I had heard the mayor speaking a few weeks and this is one Republican I could listen. I hope he is successful in his endeavor.

[Jim Lane]

7. He's evidently still a partisan, though.

According to the OP, "He is making a 273 mile trek on foot from North Carolina to Washington, D.C. to call attention to the hospital's closure...."

Washington, D.C. was where they passed the law enabling Medicaid expansion. The decision not to expand it was made by his fellow Republicans in Raleigh.

Mayor O'Neal sees his community suffering. He wants to call attention to the problem. But a publicity-stunt walk to the real source of the problem would involve embarrassing his own nominal allies, so he puts party before principle and treks off to Washington.

(Yes, you could point out that it was in Washington that the Supreme Court turned a law requiring Medicaid expansion into one merely enabling it. Still, all that did was to leave the final decision up to the government in Raleigh.)

[dsc]

11. He has been working on Raleigh as well

he also has another federal issue which is he wants the HHS Secretary to have to sign off when rural hospitals such as the one in Bellhaven are closed.

[Jim Lane]

13. MAYBE his heart's in the right place but it seems hypocritical

He's a Republican, the party of small government, always wanting to empower the states by curbing the federal government -- but as soon as a hospital in his town closes, he wants a federal official to have the power to overrule the free market.

[cstanleytech]

14. True his state officials should be the ones to fix the lack of medicaid however

the feds can do things as well not that they will with the republican party of obstruction in charge of congress.

[calimary]

8. Let's hope so! I'll take a defeat for the GOP in whatever form it might come.

Bad news for them is good news for ALL THE REST OF US.

[McCamy Taylor]

9. It is all Rick Perry's fault.

Rick Perry was persuaded to say "No" to Medicaid as a bribe---the Kochs have promised to a finance his VP campaign. He will make some GOPer great impeachment insurance. As a result, lots of very poor southern states followed the lead of Texas, thinking in Perry could get away with it politically, so could they.

[mountain grammy]

10. While I appreciate a Republican who sees the reality of this ridiculous situation

he should be walking to the state capital. It's his idiot gov and legislature that's messing with him.

[rickyhall]

12. I keep thinking if the repugs screw enough voters they'll go down

But I keep wondering when the saturation point will be reached. If win this year they'll double down on screwing us which the next a real democratic mandate for change. The ACA may be the stressor we're looking for.

[IronLionZion]

18. Repugs tell them government is bad for them, then get elected and prove it

They screw the voters and tell them the Democrats' plan has failed.

[valerief]

15. Why is he a Republican if he's not working 24/7 to make rich people richer? nt

[DAMANgoldberg]

16. The local community...

which btw, is over half African-American, trust and believe in him as a straight shooter and someone willing to represent their interests, which is what a politician of all stripes should do.

Unfortunately, the Governor of my home state and former mayor of my city kinda forgot that axiom on his Interstate 85 trip north. I think he lost it around Salisbury .

Then again, we may not ever had the privilege of the Foxx (current Transportation Secretary) administration or the "bane" of the Cannon (convicted pol) administration had things turned out differently. I believe history will record his high point in politics as Mayor, not as Governor or anything that succeeds it.

[valerief]

20. Uh-huh, but he's still waving the GOP flag. nt

[DAMANgoldberg]

21. Yes, but

that's the decision the good people of Belhaven made and they are OK with it. Give him enough time, and he will leave the Republican Party. He may not come to us, but if enough of the moderates decide to not vote or vote our way, we win! And when our side win, that is good for most everybody, even the 1%.

[jamzrockz]

17. I love reading news that

show sane republicans. But I think this man needs to be told that he is matching to the wrong capitol.

[1StrongBlackMan]

19. Posted to for later reading.