The On-Crack Ass Clown for June, 2017

June is one of those months in which the dates fall such that there are three Fridays we can dedicate to the public acknowledgement of excellence* in ass clownery. And so it is that today we deliver a loud Bronx cheer and a single-finger salute to

The On-Crack Ass Clown for June, 2017

with the award going to

The GOP Health Care Plan
and
Its Supporters

In all the frenzied hyperbole, exaggeration, self-serving statistics, political fantasy, and outright falsehoods churned out on all sides of the argument over health care, the fact remains that while we in America are surrounded by some of the best medical care in the world, most of us can't afford it when it's needed. The Affordable Care Act (AKA "Obamacare") was an attempt, flawed in some respects, to fix that problem.

In the GOP's frantic ongoing efforts to "remove and replace" Obamacare, each iteration of the new plan seems to get worse for the Real People who actually need health care. Rather than looking at the existing ACA, identifying it's weaknesses, and fixing them, the GOP is determined to attack the problem politically, rooting out a plan developed by a detested Democrat root and branch and replacing it with something more aligned with conservative ideals. Unfortunately, even the conservatives can't agree on what they want, and the latest iteration of the plan they have proposed saves the government money and benefits wealthy taxpayers (major conservative goals), but hurts the people who most need to be protected**.

One might think that, from a conservative economic perspective, doing everything possible to maintain a healthy population would be a no-brainer ... after all, if you cut taxes to the bare minimum on the assumption that business will thrive and make up the difference through economic growth, doesn't it make sense to have a strong, healthy workforce? Apparently not. 

And, by the way, neither the ACA nor any of the ugly GOP attempts to replace it does anything to help with the availability and affordability of dental care ... which is, in many ways, a worse problem.

Ladies and gentlemen, Dear Readers, Our On-Crack Ass Clown for June, 2017, is the GOP Health Care Plan - such as it is - and those who support it. If you get sick and can't afford the care you need, just call your elected representative, who will be delighted to tell you why you have no right to health care, and that if you need it, you should just get a job so you can afford better insurance.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow, when Cartoon Saturday returns.

Bilbo

* Sorry for the use of that word in this context.

** Congressional Budget Office analysis.