Harry Reid’s Office Leaks Boehner Office Emails—And It Could Ruin Any Faith You Have in Washington

[kcw]

Harry Reid’s Office Leaks Boehner Office Emails—And It Could Ruin Any Faith You Have in Washington

Oct. 2, 2013 10:21am Becket Adams

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A series of leaked emails authored by House Speaker John Boehner’s chief of staff Mike Sommers show that the Speaker may have coordinated with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to exempt Congress from Obamacare.

The emails were leaked Tuesday by Reid chief of staff David Krone, who actually has a history of this sort of thing.

Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, walks to a House Republican meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Sept. 30, 2013 (AFP/Getty Images)

The leaks, which are a major taboo in Washington, show Boehner (R-Ohio) worked behind the scenes earlier this year to address confusion over a provision in the Affordable Care Act that would force members of Congress and their aides into the exchanges. In fact, if one were to go by the leaks, which were first published by Politico, it appears that the offices of Boehner and Reid regularly coordinated to exempt Congress from the health care law.

But given that Boehner is now apparently against congressional Obamacare exemptions, the emails make him look inconsistent and hypocritical – which may have been the point of their leaking.

This “is for [boehner] & [Reid] to ask the President to carve us out of…Obamacare”

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From Politico:

ehind-the-scenes, Boehner and his aides worked for months with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), and others, to save these very same, long-standing [congressional Obamacare] subsidies, according to documents and e-mails provided to POLITICO. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was also aware of these discussions, the documents show.

One email even appears to show that Boehner’s office discussed how it would disguise a planned meeting on the subject with President Barack Obama as a meeting on immigration reform, National Review Online reported.

“We can’t let it get out there that this is for [boehner] and [Reid] to ask the President to carve us out of the requirement of Obamacare,” Boehner chief of staff Mike Sommers wrote on July 17.

“This is a little bit more difficult because it isn’t a routing meeting because [House Minority Leader Nancy] Pelosi and [senate Minority Leader Mitch] McConnell won’t be there,” he wrote. “I am even ok if it is the President hauling us down to talk about the next steps on immigration.”

Republicans said the leaked emails completely mischaracterize the speaker’s actions.

A “senior lawmaker” told National Review Online that Boehner was the one who came up with the idea of using the Obamacare Hill exemption as an issue in the House’s budget battle with the Senate and the White House.

“The only memory I have of him talking about this is about how we could screw them with it,” the lawmaker said.

The email leak has obviously complicated the “high-stakes” negotiations between senior Democrat and Republican lawmakers.

“I’ve never seen anything like it before. I don’t know how David thinks anyone on either side of the aisle will ever be able to work with him again. I guess this is part of Harry Reid’s plan: He refuses to talk with Republicans so I guess his chief of staff figures he doesn’t need to be able to do so either,” a GOP aide told National Review Online.

“He’s a low-rent, self-dealing bagman,” another aide said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., listens to remarks by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as they celebrate the start of the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare, during an event with other lawmakers and people whose lives have been impacted by lack of health insurance, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013 (AP)

In a statement to National Review Online, Krone defended himself: “Every time one of these anonymous Republican aides takes a look at their paycheck, I hope they remember it was Harry Reid who protected their employer contribution.”

“They and their bosses are welcome to return it if they’re so outraged. I took the action I did because I refuse to stand by and watch those who pressed for this ruling turn around and attack the very thing they asked for, simply because they don’t have the courage to stand up to a few whiners in their caucus. Integrity means owning in public what you advocate for in private,” Krone said.

TheBlaze reported in April that Congress was trying to figure out how to approach the provision of the Affordable Care Act, which was proposed by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) during the 2010 debate over Obamacare, that would force members of Congress and their aides into the law’s health exchanges.

The Washington Post’s Ezra Klein noted: “It’s not clear that the federal government has the authority to pay for congressional staffers on the exchanges, the way it pays for them now in the federal benefits program.”

Oh, that meeting with the president Sommers discussed in an email? It never happened.

The latest news on Congressman Boehner calls to mind earlier allegations that he advised the White House in September on how to win Republican votes for U.S. military action in Syria.

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http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/10/02/harry-reids-office-leaks-boehner-office-emails-and-it-could-ruin-any-faith-you-have-in-washington/

 

[dog53]

And It Could Ruin Any Faith You Have in Washington

 

 

Naaa 

Never had any faith in washington 

[Francie26]

There is no "low" to which that sniveling scum, Harry Reid, will not sink to get his own way, no matter what it will do to real Americans.  I hate to even hear his whining, grating voice. He is a petty tyrant without a single redeeming value as a human being. None!! (Yes, this is how I really feel). lol

[easy]

And It Could Ruin Any Faith You Have in Washington

Faith in Washington, i trust a pissed off rattlesnake more than those inept fools.

Naaa

Never had any faith in washington

[Nelg]

Thieves are thieves no matter what title or office they hold.  It is my opinion that every one in the present administration, Demo. and Rep., needs to be removed and replaced with men and women of honest and reliable character.  

ALL POLITICAL PARTIES NEED TO BE ELIMINATED! Until we have representatives have no political agenda but to serve the people the government is going to be costly and ineffective.  For years we have labored under the assumption that political parties are necessary.  WHY??!!  The stupid posturing between the parties is noting more than skunks spraying each other and declaring their smell is better than the others.  Neither party wins and the entire world is filled with the stink that it creates.  Problem: the parties don't care!! The only concern is for the party is "I win!!"  Stupid, stupid, logic!! 

[PrettyKitty]

I have not worked for several years due to injury, so I have had time reading, watching and just taking it all in. Thus US has become like other countries...thoses who depend on "anything" will always depend....unless a change happens.....Go RV

[Rayzur]

Thieves are thieves no matter what title or office they hold.  It is my opinion that every one in the present administration, Demo. and Rep., needs to be removed and replaced with men and women of honest and reliable character.  

ALL POLITICAL PARTIES NEED TO BE ELIMINATED! Until we have representatives have no political agenda but to serve the people the government is going to be costly and ineffective.  For years we have labored under the assumption that political parties are necessary.  WHY??!!  The stupid posturing between the parties is noting more than skunks spraying each other and declaring their smell is better than the others.  Neither party wins and the entire world is filled with the stink that it creates.  Problem: the parties don't care!! The only concern is for the party is "I win!!"  Stupid, stupid, logic!! 

 

Jesse Ventura is out there making some very compelling arguments for the same thing... I think it would make those needing to keep the country impotent through division a little crazy, but it certainly seems like a good way to take the politics out of the politics in running for office.... Maybe people like Ron Paul would actually have a chance (I'm still convinced he would have won had he been on the ticket)... Jesse is also pretty upfront about his wllingness to accept nomination for President from the people .....

[Nelg]

I don't thing either of them would make the type of president we need.  They both have a political mindset and not a serving with honesty and integrity the people mentality. JMO

[bigwave]

Jesse Ventura is out there making some very compelling arguments for the same thing... I think it would make those needing to keep the country impotent through division a little crazy, but it certainly seems like a good way to take the politics out of the politics in running for office.... Maybe people like Ron Paul would actually have a chance (I'm still convinced he would have won had he been on the ticket)... Jesse is also pretty upfront about his wllingness to accept nomination for President from the people .....

If Jesse did run and win I would hope he wouldn't sell out. Banksters have deep pockets and could make a person very wealth to do things not normally done.

 

I do have faith in our Father 

Hey, how about that I just looked and there it is 

 

Jesse for president!

 

Navy Seal team, business owner, Governor and he could put Harry in  a "Boston Crab" and make him cry uncle!

 

http://jesseventura2016.com/

 

Peace

 

Come on RV

[new york kevin]

Mr. Ventura can make a compelling argument, so can anyone else. This doesn't mean they can Govern if elected just look at our current situation.