"It makes sense" to govern as a rump junta

Republicans in the legislature are throwing another fit over the scandalous notion that poor people might receive health care.

Several Louisiana House Republicans took advantage Tuesday of a hearing on the Department of Health’s $15 billion budget to sharply question the agency’s leaders on issues like Medicaid fraud and eligibility problems in the wake of critical audits of the agency.

It's exhausting that we even have to take a momement to engage with these bad faith allegations of "fraud" coming from parties whose aim has always been to kick as many people off of benefits as possible.  You know, what, actually let's do ourselves a favor and igore it altogether this time.  It's done enough damage already.

There are quotes in this article from Rebekah Gee and John Bel Edwards where we see they've been intimidated into touting a new eligibility system that "provides more detailed information about enrollees."  It's a side point in the story so it doesn't get explored much further. But to get an idea of how much this already concedes, take a look at how stricter, more intrusive intake systems for social services are brutalizing poor people all over the country.

In the fall of 2008, Omega Young got a letter prompting her to recertify for Medicaid.

But she was unable to make the appointment because she was suffering from ovarian cancer. She called her local Indiana office to say she was in the hospital.

Her benefits were cut off anyway. The reason: "failure to cooperate."

"She lost her benefits, she couldn't afford her medication, she lost her food stamps, she couldn't pay her rent, she lost access to free transportation to her medical appointments," Virginia Eubanks tells NPR's Ari Shapiro. Eubanks is the author of a new book, Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police and Punish the Poor.

"Young died on March 1, 2009," Eubanks says. "The next day, she won an appeal for wrongful termination and all of her benefits were restored the day after her death."

Pick up Eubanks's book if you get a chance, by the way. It's a good recommendation for anyone who isn't quite depressed enough about the current state of the hellworld we live in.

Anyway,  we already know it's not above John Bel to be shitty to Medicaid recipients.  He's only recently dropped his support to saddle them with work requirements because a federal court has ruled against that.

But does it make political sense in Louisiana?  Certainly these Republicans thinks so.  And Bernie Pinsonat agrees.

The comments by Republicans echoed similar lines of attack made by GOP gubernatorial candidates at a recent forum, where they criticized the Edwards’ administration handling of Medicaid.

Pollster Bernie Pinsonat noted Republicans’ base of support in Louisiana is generally opposed to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion, which is why the Medicaid issue will likely continue to come up this election year.

“Republicans know when they go back home, attacking Medicaid expansion or attacking Obamacare, it makes sense,” Pinsonat said.

Maybe it makes some sense with regard to the Republican base... but just barely.  According to this year's Reilly survey, the Medicaid expansion in Louisiana garners 47 percent support among Republicans. That's down from 51 percent last year so it's trending downward. But, still, hovering at or near 50 percent with the base doesn't really mean a thing is unpopular.  And when you figure in the fact that 69 percent of all respondents of either party approve, then you have to wonder what it is about that one half of the Republican base that gives it such outsized influence over positions taken by the House GOP caucus and even the causes John Bel to handle it with such caution.  Why are we being governed by this rump minority?