What were they thinking . . . ?

New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman put the health care fight in a neat nutshell:

"Surely one of the most cynical, reckless acts of governing in my lifetime has been President Trump's and the GOP's attempt to ram through a transformation of America's health care system -- without holding hearings with experts, conducting an independent cost-benefit analysis or preparing the public -- all to erase Barack Obama's legacy to satisfy a few billionaire donors and a "base" so drunk on Fox News that its members don't even understand they'll be the ones most hurt by it all.

"Democrats aren't exactly a fire hose of fresh ideas, but they do respect science and have a sense of responsibility to not play around with big systems without an ounce of study.  Not so, Trump.  He scrapped the Paris climate treaty without consulting one climate scientist -- and no GOP leader protested.  Think about that."

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And, again in the New York Times, there was Paul Krugman's discussion of what President Trump is doing, now that repeal failed again, to sabotage the functioning of the Affordable Care Act.  Krugman writes:

"This sabotage is taking place on multiple levels. The administration has refused to confirm whether it will pay crucial subsidies to insurers that cover low-income customers. It has refused to clarify whether the requirement that healthy people buy insurance [the individual mandate] will be enforced. It has canceled or suspended outreach designed to get more people to sign up.

"These actions translate directly into much higher premiums: Insurers don’t know if they’ll be compensated for major costs, and they have every reason to expect a smaller, sicker risk pool than before. And it’s too late to reverse the damage: Insurers are finalizing their 2018 rates as you read this."

[Krugman then explores why they are doing this.   Is it a cynical calculation, to make the ACA fail and then claim this proves they were right?   After all, there's no rational reason to refuse to answer these questions about subsidies, mandates, and outreach.  They have to decide some time;  why not now, when it could make a difference in the cost?  But then Krugman says . . . ]

"No, A.C.A. sabotage is best seen not as a strategy, but as a tantrum. We can’t repeal Obamacare? Well, then, we’ll screw it up. It’s not about achieving any clear goal, but about salving the president’s damaged self-esteem. 

"In short, Trump truly is unfit for this or any high office. And the damage caused by his unfitness will just keep growing."

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And, again, I quote Friedman:  "No GOP leader has protested.   Think about that."   It's not just Trump.   They don't want Obamacare.   They couldn't pass their (non)plan.    So . . . just let the American people be screwed.   Who cares?

Ralph