Barack Obama Apologizes For Slaughtering Millions With Private Companies' Insurance Cancellations, Refuses to Kill Obamacare

Here is President B. Barry Bamz McMuslin apologizing for the confusion resulting from his "If you like your plan, you can keep it" LIE, because when he said it, he didn't anticipate how much people really liked their seriously crap insurance. In an interview with NBC's Chuck Todd, the President acknowledged that for people getting cancellation letters from their insurance companies, the news is distressing, but also noted that most of them will be able to find "a better deal than they have now." And of course, it doesn't help that insurance companies are routinely offering over-priced "replacement" plans that cost much more than what may be available on the exchanges, without telling consumers that they may be able to find better deals -- a problem Barry doesn't mention, because he's Being Diplomatic.

As explanations/apologies go, it's pretty good, taking responsibility for a blanket statement that really did not apply to absolutely everyone, but also putting the problem in perspective -- self-paid individual plans only make up 5% of the insurance market, but for the people "losing" their crappy plans (and a few are not crappy, yes, but most are junk), it sounds scary, especially when the website that could find them an affordable plan is also not working right. The main question, of course, is why Obama insists on going forward with the ACA when it has already failed completely, amirite?

Essentially, Bamz is now having to deal with the consequences of a statement that only turned out to be something like 98% true -- people with work-based insurance shouldn't see any changes that wouldn't happen anyway (rate increases will happen, for instance -- remind your Republican co-workers that Obamacare didn't invent the idea; if necessary, show them the "Fucking HMO bastard pieces of shit" clip from that 1997 Helen Hunt movie). The "apology" may help re-frame the discussion a little, at least for people who haven't convinced themselves that this is all part of a plot to turn all of our doctors (not to mention our superheroes ) Muslim or something:

"I am sorry that they are finding themselves in this situation based on assurances they got from me," Obama said, according to a portion of an interview released by NBC News. "We've got to work hard to make sure that they know we hear them and we are going to do everything we can to deal with folks who find themselves in a tough position as a consequence of this."

What he should have said from the beginning was that most everyone would keep their insurance, and if you have a plan that doesn't meet minimum coverage standards, the ACA will find you an affordable alternative that really covers health needs. A longer statement, but far less prone to whiny rightwing complaining. Not that whining could have been headed off altogether -- we are, after all, talking about people who are still convinced that death panels are a thing.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled "Obama LIED! He LIIIIEEEEED!!!!!!!" coverage.

[ TPM ]