What’s wrong with Obamacare? Yeah, it’s a loaded question , but for celebrity liberal, atheist and provocateur Bill Maher, the answer is simple: President Obama lied about it.
Last night, the HBO host joined Piers Morgan to talk about the Affordable Care Act, the problems with the website’s rollout, and conflicting reports over how well the insurance exchanges actually work (or don’t, depending on what network you watch).
Maher, though he has supported the president both philosophically and financially, is actually fairly critical of the reforms, even going so far as to say that Obama “lied to the people” about their insurance.
The host clarified that he’s no fan of private insurers who “were always dropping people from their plans” long before Obamacare, and did argue that the GOP would have successfully dismantled the ACA had the president been honest about individuals losing their plans.
Regardless, Maher said that the GOP’s healthcare alternative is “walk it off” and believes that despite Obamacare’s “rocky birth,” it will eventually work.
He also said that he doesn’t believe that Kathleen Sebelius should be fired for her role in the Affordable Care Act’s botched rollout.
“I’m not a big fan of scapegoating” he said, arguing that it’s “counterproductive to get rid of the person who’s been there all along.”
Maher did admit that the plagued rollout has been “so frustrating for many progressives,” especially since President Obama is supposed to be the “detail guy.”
Still, the “tea people” are still the biggest problem the Affordable Care Act has faced, since they’ve been deliberately rooting against the law from the start.
It’s a strange point to be floated by Maher, but let’s suss it out in the comments. Did President Obama lie to the American people about health insurance reform in order to get it passed? Sound off!
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