Anthony Weiner Provides 'Halftime Report' For Health Care Repeal Debate

Today, your U.S. House of Representatives is hard at work, performing in this winter's hottest pantomime of the season: "Let's Pretend To Repeal Health Care In Order To Throw A Bone To The Kooks!" Yes, the move is destined to fail, almost immediately. And the basis for the move is underpinned by some wonderfully specious polling. But the House majority has to keep the anger-bear electorate satisfied until such time as they can build the Job-Creating Plexiglass Fence to encircle them all in its womb of protection.

The whole affair is basically a bleak recitation of the same talking points we've heard all year about health-care reform. But the Democrats are at least taking the matter seriously enough to mount a defense of reform, achieving some measure of what Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) called "a second chance to make a first impression."

And speaking of New York legislators, everyone still enjoys watching Rep. Anthony Weiner (D) going on hilariously-pointed rants, right? Well, if that's the case, you'll certainly enjoy Weiner's "halftime report" on the whole shebang, which he thoughtfully uploaded to his YouTube channel. One of the highlights was Weiner urging caution on people watching at home, who might be playing some sort of drinking game with canned whiskey:

WEINER: There have basically been three formations of the argument by the Republicans. First, they start by making things up, you kind of have to wonder if any of them actually read the bill..."130,000 new agencies" - NOT TRUE. "New IRS agents" - NOT TRUE. "Death Panels" - NOT TRUE. "Members aren't covered" - NOT TRUE. "No Tort Reform in it" - NOT TRUE. You know, I want to just advise people watching at home playing that now popular drinking game of "you take a shot whenever Republicans say something that is not true," please assign a designated driver, this is going to be a long afternoon!

He then pointed out that the GOP is promising to replace the health-care reform bill with the same health-care reform bill: "My good friend, the new chairman, Mr. Upton, started his remarks with a long litany of things in the new bill. They're gonna have coverage for preexisting conditions. They're gonna have help for the donut hole. They're gonna have making sure there are incentives to small businesses to offer insurance. You know what they call that, my colleagues? They call that the bill they're repealing. It sounds very strange, but they want to repeal the bill but they still want to give it a big hug and embrace it as if they support the things."

WATCH:

Anyway, please drink responsibly! [Via.]

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Comments

[StopMakingSense2]

04:42 PM on 01/21/2011

So in other words it's like every other issue. Republican mythology vs reality...

Fantastic job Anthony, I wish I had a representative like you. I didn't think they allowed grownups in anymore. Unfortunately I have been temporarily teabagged. This shall pass...

[tjconkster]

04:14 PM on 01/21/2011

You gotta love his passion....and I would vote for him in 2016.....

Raw Video: N.Y. Rep Weiner's Anti-GOP Rant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O_GRkMZJn4

[johnsonb2005]

02:30 PM on 01/21/2011

Nothing like a good strong Weiner.

Nicely done Representative Weiner. Now if only some of those blue dog dems would pick a side.

[Christopher Buczkowski]

01:51 PM on 01/21/2011

the more I hear from this guy, the more I like him. if he keeps up with this, I'd probably even like to see him run for president in 2016.

[Mi4Peace]

02:28 PM on 01/21/2011

I agree Chris, I love Anthony Weiner he seems to care about regular citizens.

[rebereads]

12:47 PM on 01/21/2011

Love Him, love him, love him!!! I want one JUST like that in my state.

[staysane]

12:01 PM on 01/21/2011

This guy is a real weiner...wonder if he is related to Michael (Weiner) Savage..???

[Prousa]

11:04 AM on 01/21/2011

Ha! No notes, no prompts. Great stuff. This guy can speak!

[GoodmorningGill]

10:29 AM on 01/21/2011

I'll take a Weiner over a Boehner any day.

[johnsonb2005]

02:31 PM on 01/21/2011

Nice. I thought my comment was pretty witty, but that was better.

[Billy Jack]

08:40 AM on 01/21/2011

Weiner is great!

[chef151]

08:04 AM on 01/21/2011

Weiner/Booker in 2016!

[TaoJonz]

09:57 AM on 01/21/2011

I give this a HUGE two thumbs up!!! What a ticket!!!

[padrushka]

03:53 AM on 01/21/2011

I love this guy, the bill,well it could have been tons better had it not been for the republicans.

[miloiki]

12:09 AM on 01/21/2011

The Democrats passed this law with zero Republican votes. Now they have lost the House because of it. Next they will lose the Senate because of it. It is a millstone around their necks that will drag them under. The American public hates this law. Republicans are smart to attack it.

[B Silk]

12:46 AM on 01/21/2011

Actually, no, the American public doesn't hate the law. When they understand what is in it, they are overwhelmingly in favor of it--except for the insurance mandate, which is the only thing Republicans really like about it.

If you look at the polling that came out recently, you can see the numbers equalizing as people realize the health care legislation isn't domino-effect socialism and that it actually benefits people who badly need the help. They'll hate the Republicans trying to kill health care once they realize how many people will be positively affected by the no pre-existing conditions measure and the requirement that insurance companies actually spend 80% (rather than 40-60%) of their premiums on the health care they need.

Now that the Republican noise/misinformation machine has wound down on health care, people will be able to think about it more clearly. Thank god. Maybe we'll begin to regain our national soul.

[HST]

01:41 AM on 01/21/2011

"The American public hates this law."

You can keep telling yourself that, but it won't make it true:

“Do you oppose that legislation because you think its approach toward health care is too liberal, or because you think it is not liberal enough?"

Favor: 43%
Oppose, too liberal: 37%
Oppose, not liberal enough 13%

“But for months we've seen results like those from the CNN poll -- opponents of the health care law don't all agree with the conservative Republican line. On the contrary, only 37% of the country actually endorses the right's line and sees the Affordable Care Act as being "too liberal."


“On the contrary, one could look at the same results and say that a 56% majority either support the law or want it to be even more ambitious in a liberal direction.
When Republicans try to gut the Affordable Care Act next year, insisting that the country is with them, it's worth remembering a pesky detail: they're wrong.”
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_12/027264.php

[alicemartin4]

11:48 PM on 01/20/2011

The bottom line is that the Republicans voted to repeal the Health reform law because they cannot stand the fact that a black man got credit for what they call Obamacare. They cannot stand the fact that a black man accomplished what others had been trying to do for decades. By trying to repeal the law, hoping for a miracle and blocking funding they hope to take away from his accomplishment. Yes, I said it. What other reason could it be, they want to replace it with much of the same law. So, why not work to improve what we already have. President Obama (a black man) would still get the credit for it.

[nitadix35]

12:46 AM on 01/21/2011

F&F

[B Silk]

01:01 AM on 01/21/2011

I believe that's true, but I think they'd be doing the same thing if Hillary or a white male liberal were president. The fact that Obama is black makes their viciousness more intense. Hate is their thing--they hate other races, they hate non-Christians, they hate the poor, they hate school children, the elderly, anyone who is sick, anyone who would prevent a madman from pumping 31 rounds of bullets into innocent people. I'm proud that my country overcame this undercurrent of hatred and elected a black man president. I'm proud that we want to care for the sick and elderly and to try to level the playing field so anyone can reach for the American dream. And, in that hard place in my heart, I'm glad all this so infuriates conservatives.

[kornbluthwasright]

12:48 AM on 01/22/2011

For your pride and for that "hard place" in your heart...

F/F!

[dragonladywaltham]

11:43 PM on 01/20/2011

Love that man!

[RVU]

09:00 PM on 01/20/2011

He keeps pointing his fingers and pursing his hips-like everything he says must be earth-shattering and is needs to be urgently heard.

Its all about a making government a religion and he is the preacher for a bigger role of government. Or, it could just be cultural.

[garagenoir]

08:37 AM on 01/21/2011

"Cultural" meaning what, exactly? Please think responsibly.