Popular Or Unpopular, Health Law Rollout Fires Up Backers, Detractors
The popularity, or unpopularity, of the health law in different parts of America remains a flashpoint issue in determining how the law rolls out, as lawmakers and health officials share their points of view with a skeptical public.
The New York Times: In Corner Of Arkansas, Frustration But No Panic Over Possible Shutdown
People do have strong feelings about some of the issues, most significantly an almost universal suspicion of the Affordable Care Act. But in a conservative district that has sent Republicans to Congress every year since 1967, people seem to see the current turmoil as the new normal of Washington rather than a seminal political moment likely to affect their own lives. And if Republican legislators could be overplaying their hand by pushing their case against Obamacare to the outer limits, there is not much sign of that in the reactions here. Their second-term congressman, Steve Womack, voted with House Republicans to defund Obamacare, and no one can imagine anything so dire that voters could elect a Democrat here. Still, that does not mean people are happy about what they see (Fernandez, 9/24).
Politico: At Kentucky State Fair, Fear And Confusion Over ACA
Somewhere between the cart hawking hamburgers stuffed between Krispy Kreme doughnuts and a display of world championship horses, Kentucky state employees were trying to sell Obamacare at the state fair. "If you know anyone without insurance or problems with pre-existing conditions, they can't deny you and can’t charge you more," employees of the state's new health insurance exchange told fair-goers passing by the booth (Haberkorn, 9/24).
The Washington Post’s The Fact Checker: How Unpopular Or Popular Is Obamacare?
In the fight over President Obama’s health care law, politicians love to toss around statistics that show either how popular it is -- or is not. But this pair of statements is truly head-spinning. How can the most unpopular law ever passed in the history of this country be supported by 59 percent of the American people? And can a government shutdown really be "the worst idea that came along"? Let's take a look (Kessler, 9/25).