U.S. President Barack Obama’s health czarina fell on her sword this week … telling a congressional committee the buck (or rather the 500 million bucks) for the botched Obamacare website stopped with her.
“Hold me accountable for the debacle,” U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in response to a question from U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn. “I’m responsible.”
Wait … we knew that already. Contractors previously called to testify on this “debacle” (her words) blamed the government for imposing additional conditions on the project and failing to adequately test the site.
So the news that the government screwed the pooch on this half-billion dollar website is … well … not exactly news.
As for holding Sebelius accountable, having been confirmed by the U.S. Senate she now serves at the pleasure of the president: Which means only he can hold her accountable.
Throughout the hearing, Sebelius did her best to deflect criticism of her boss – while parroting comments he’s made previously about the embarrassingly inept rollout of his signature domestic achievement.
“I am as frustrated and angry as anyone with the flawed launch of Healthcare.gov,” Sebelius told members of the House Energy and Commerce committee. “Let me say directly to these Americans: you deserve better. I apologize.”
Ok … so where’s her resignation letter?
Somebody cue South Carolina’s Mick Mulvaney on this one …
Look, we commend Sebelius for being honest … for accepting the blame and offering herself up to be held accountable for this ongoing (and increasingly costly) disaster. But here’s the thing: Willingness to accept accountability (while commendable) isn’t the same thing as actually accepting it.
For that, we must rely on Obama …
Politicians love to talk about “accountability” in government. Here’s a golden opportunity for the president to demonstrate that it still exists.
Will he?
The pundits at Zero Hedge aren’t optimistic …
“After all this is the government, not the private sector,” they wrote. “And in the government failure can only be encouraged.”
39 comments
If she was truly sorry, she would stop all the figurative mumbo jumbo fall on a literal sword.
“on a literal sword”? Really? She should commit suicide because a website doesn’t work?
Sure, why shouldn’t she? She is the point man for one of the greatest collections of lies and progressive idealism ever to scam the increasingly gullible American people. To these socialist dreamers the end always justifies the means. As it is, she will have to endure some bothersome questions, nothing more. Her bed is already well feathered.
Seppuku requires honor. Let me assure you that she has none and is simply bluffing. She knows she will not be held “responsible”.
Boy, have I been spelling hairy carry wrong. :)
… hairycarry…
Hairycarry sounds like Second Amendment rights for Yeti.
If not hari kari, perhaps you meant Harry Caray?
Come on TBG, I said I spelled it wrong what more do you want?
I thought you were referring to the Japanese distinction between saying it and writing it….
:)
I was thinking it sounded like that girl in middle school, the one with the really hairy legs and pits, whose name was Carrie.
She is the point man…
Nice.
She cannot deny that she is (don’t gasp) …. The Frau Gruppenfuhrerin Kakerlak! ——-CONFESS!
You say “a website” like it’s a goddamn blog dedicated to the art of sock knitting.
that sounds like FITS ;)
Socks abound my friend, socks abound.
Sock puppets?
No.
Yes.
Says who?
Yes, a “literal sword”, preferably a Gladius or a Claymore – no one in this administration has the honor required or guts necessary to perform Seppuku so a katana or a tanto are right out of the equation. I’d also hate to have to have some innocent bystander burdened with trying to hack the dead off this lizard after she screwed it up.
This lifetime politician is not about to do anything but what her libturd master tells her. She has a political hide thicker than a saddle and is not about to change.
Hey its LibTARD, get it right
“Hold me accountable for the debacle” – oh we will Madam Sebelius, we will…
So sick of all these old hippies. Ever considered a job that doesn’t depend on the taxpayer’s dime? Get lost.
The generation that thought they could change the world for the better.
Peace, love, and freedom in their youth became war, power & corporatism in their influential years. The baby boomer generation will probably go down as the worst generation of all time in the US, ironically spawned by the US’s “greatest generation”.
Not only did boomers youthful dreams become twisted, but they helped to spend the country into oblivion in trying to accomplish them.
They can’t die off soon enough.
You use a rather broad brush there sonny, not all us boomers where hippies that wanted to change the world.
Well, I didn’t specifically refer to you, just your generation.
There’s always exceptions to the rule. But there’s always generational truths as well.
Generational truths, like your generation, the 99 percenters wanting everything given to them. Now I don’t believe that either because I have three adult children, all responsible, productive, income tax paying citizens.
BTW have your parents died off yet?
Great job, Brownie!
Got it libturd!!!
The President said you can keep your plan, period.
Single payer is what they want but the majority of America don’t. Of course what the majority of Americans want doesn’t matter much anymore.
Have you ever noticed how progressives always know what is best for you, that’s why when the President said you can keep your plan, period, I didn’t believe him.
Folks one of these days the government will run out of other people’s money, no matter how much they print.
“Look…….we commend Sebelius for being honest …”
What makes you think she’s being honest? Have you ever known anyone involved with Obama to be honest? I wonder what she’s been promised in order to stay on board with her fearless leader. . . .?
I still like her statement last week about not working for the people who are complaining about the abyss known as healthcare.gov — the last time I checked, taxpayers were paying her salary and her insurance premiums!!
Fall on the sword much, Kathleen?
Let me translate that for you teatard assholes:
FUCK YOU!! Yes, I take the blame. NOW, FUCK OFF and DIE!! LoL!
It doesn’t matter how hard your widdle tootsies stomp the ground and whine. The law moves forward and Obama’s victory over you teatard LOSERS is COMPLETE!!
GOD I LOVE IT! The gnashing of teeth and tears of impotent rage are music to my ears!!
YES!!
FUCK YOU!!
i see you have discovered a new word…perhaps the insecurity you emit belies a deeper, inner unresolved anger stemming from a troubled and confused soul…politics is no salvation, my friend, and alcohol only makes the emptiness more painful…
No insecurity here. I just LOVE rubbing it in!! LoL!
Funny how it is a psychosis when it is a Libtard laughing in your face! Ha Ha Ha.
FUCK YOU too!
I think the Rude Pundit has touched on all items in his 30 October post at
http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/
Shorter Rude Pundit: Republicans got the Obamacare they wanted, and now they want to bitch about it.
Obama October 2012: “…”If you’re one of the more than 250 million Americans who already have health insurance, you will keep your health insurance. This law will only make it more secure and more affordable.”
Obama October 2013: “…”So if you’re getting one of these letters [canceling your insurance], just shop around in the new marketplace. That’s what it’s for …”.
G.O.P. Unveils Own Health-Care Web Site, EmergencyRoom.gov
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) — Saying that “the American people are fed up with a disastrous Web site that doesn’t work and never will,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Virginia) and a phalanx of congressional Republicans today unveiled their own health-care Web site, EmergencyRoom.gov.
“At EmergencyRoom.gov, every American can access the one tried-and-true health-care system that has worked in this country for decades,” he said.
While Healthcare.gov has frustrated many users with its difficult-to-navigate design, Rep. Cantor said that at EmergencyRoom.gov, “Health care is just three easy steps away. One: enter your zip code. Two: see the list of emergency rooms. Three: get to the nearest one before you die.”
The Virginia Republican wasted no time touting the cost savings of EmergencyRoom.gov, comparing it favorably with the notoriously expensive Obamacare site: “Unlike Healthcare.gov, which private contractors built at a cost running into the hundreds of millions, EmergencyRoom.gov was built for nine hundred dollars by my intern Josh.”
And in contrast with Healthcare.gov’s maze of forms, links, and phone numbers, he said, “EmergencyRoom.gov has just one phone number: 9-1-1.”
In what may be the strongest selling point for the new site, Rep. Cantor said that the wait time on EmergencyRoom.gov is “virtually nonexistent,” not counting the twelve to thirty-six hours spent in the actual emergency room.
Are you serious? This so-called “president” accepting accountability for anything? Get out of town. You’re in for a long wait. This imposter has taken not one iota of accountability or responsibility for anything that has gone wrong on his watch, which is to say just about everything. He pushed through an $800 billion federal stimulus plan
that he said would keep the unemployment rate below 8% and lower it to 5.6%.
It hasn’t been below 7% since.
He championed #Obamafail against the wishes of
the American people, a program which is raising taxes and insurance premiums,
harming the economy and as we’re finding out now, kicking hundreds of millions of people off their current plans which is the exact opposite of what he promised a multitude of times it would do. Yes, he knowingly lied and the morons ate it all up.
His energy policy has consisted of giving billions of
dollars in risky taxpayer investments to companies like Solyndra, startups run
by his campaign contributors who have no idea how to run a business but know
exactly how to reach for an inside-Washington handout. Not to mention gas prices doubling on his watch. His foreign policy has led to complete Middle East chaos and his administration’s malfeasance and negligence resulted in the first American ambassador being killed since 1979. Then he had the nerve to lie about what caused it (a movie).
He has presided over a
phantom recovery, the weakest in modern history, and his intransigence with
regard to tax policy, spending policy, and reform of long term budget busters
like Social Security and Medicare has resulted in our economy moving from
collapsed, to sluggish, to static, and even worse for the average American. He
offer no solutions to the problems facing our nation – not the ones he
inherited and not the ones he has exacerbated. He only promises more of the
same. More tax increases, more stimulus spending, more Solyndras, no solution
to Social Security and Medicare, no solution to the sluggish economy and the complete implementation of #Obamafail.
Take accountability? Alfred E. Obama? What, me worry?