Obama as Nero, But Not How You Thought

Friday's Washington Post had an interesting front-page article in regard to the scandal involving the New England Patriots and the deflated footballs.  The first line got my attention:

"In 67 A.D., the Roman emperor Nero used 10 horses in an Olympic race featuring four-horse chariots. He tumbled, failed to finish and was still declared the victor."

Maybe I'm the only one, but I couldn't help thinking how much that sounded like Obamacare. 

That disaster of a law passed only through a bizarre parliamentary maneuver called "budget reconciliation." It was initiated in the Senate, even though all such bills that involve taxation must, by the Constitution, begin in the House.  Of course, it wasn't meant to be called a tax, and the Administration in defending it did not want to call it a tax, but calling the individual mandate penalty a "tax" was the only way the Supreme Court could uphold its fragile constitutionality.

After the ridiculous shoving of it through the Congress, it then failed miserably.  About 80% of the number of uninsured prior to Obamacare are still uninsured, which was supposed to be the reason for the law in the first place.  Obama predicted about a $2,500 per year drop in premiums for the average American (again, to ram the law past a skeptical public), but many are seeing increases as much as $6,500 per year (my family) and more.

Getting in to the site in the first place was an unmitigated disaster, facilitated by $678 million in non-competed contracts awarded to friends of the administration (and the First Lady).  And as you can read here and here, we haven't even reached the twin disasters we will see in 2015 because of the huge hike in individual insurance rates associated with the ban on low-premium, high-deductible policies.

Obama, like Nero, has used ten horses to compete against 4-horse chariots.  He and his signature law have, accordingly, fallen on their faces into a pile of horse poo, in an incredible disaster.

Despite that, he has repeatedly declared himself the victor, and to Obamacare as a "success."  His minions in the press repeat the narrative like a bunch of journalistic bobbleheads, oblivious to fact.

Bully for you, Mr. President.  I'll bring you your fiddle now.

Copyright 2015 by Robert Sutton