Jen Kuznicki

Republican Michigan Attorney General, Bill Schuette, joined with 25 other state AG’s in a lawsuit against Obamacare. That lawsuit was decided by Judge Roger Vinson of Sarasota, Florida, and stands as one of the greatest arguments toward declaring Obamacare unconstitutional. Prior to the ruling, Schuette renewed the fight initiated by former Republican AG Mike Cox,

“For the first time in history the federal government is forcing us to buy a product under the threat of a penalty, in violation of the U.S. Constitution,�? said Schuette. “I will fight Obamacare tooth-and-nail to protect our citizens from this constitutional overreach.�?

So, Michiganders won a battle in the courts. But of all the Republican Governors in America, the only Republican Governor Obamacare was Governor Rick Snyder of Michigan.

Snyder has not called for repeal of the federal health care law and his Department of Community Health is proceeding with its implementation, which includes the establishment of a state-level insurance exchange that would give consumers personal insurance market greater choice and access to coverage.

Snyder is not interested in what is or is not constitutional, nor is he adhering to the mandate the Republican Party earned in 2010. He is setting up a premature capitulation.

So it has come to a bill, just passed in the Michigan Senate, (SB 693) that creates a healthcare exchange in Michigan. Let me remind you that Michigan has a super-majority of Republicans in the Senate. as well as the fact that her Michigan Republican Senator, Rick Jones called her a liar and said that he was trying to protect us in case Obamacare clears the Supreme Court.

In case? The exchanges are mandated by Obamacare. If States do not set up exchanges by 2014, the Federal Government will do it for them. It’s 2011. The Supreme Court will act soon, perhaps this year. Fabiano that proves Jones called her a liar and admitted why they voted the way they did. “Damage control if we lose the battle in the courts. Damage control if we lose the 2012 elections.�?

In other words, Michigan’s Republican leadership, despite the Attorney General supposedly, “fighting tooth and nail protect our citizens from this constitutional overreach,�? is not fighting Obamacare, but implementing it.

With the decision to roll over, you can bet Jones’ fear of losing the 2012 elections will come true. The mandate Michigan Republicans won in 2010 is effectively squandered.

AG Schuette, by the way, is Romney’s election chair in Michigan. Since Obamacare was based on Romneycare, can Snydercare be far off?

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Nays—12
Brandenburg Hune Nofs Rocca
Casperson Kowall Proos Schuitmaker
Colbeck Moolenaar Robertson Walker

Now we have to rely on the House members to kill this, and show some fight. If they don’t, the Michigan Republican Party is finished.

By the way, perhaps you would like to know who came up with the exchanges. People looking out for us? Don’t think so. In fact, with people like this, Snyder and Rick Jones, we haven’t anyone that represents us.

Via :
Michigan’s Obamacare Exchange “Work Group�? Members Governance

Radwan Khoury — Arab American & Chaldean Council (ACC)
John W. Freeman — Health Care for Michigan
Mark Cook — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
John Schmidt — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Nancy Hostetler — Delta Dental of Michigan
Rory Lafferty — Health Alliance Plan
David Cotton — Health Plan of Michigan
Cynthia Williams — MESSA
Bruce Miller Michigan — County Health Plan Association
Karen Jonas — Michigan Pharmacists Association
Colin Ford — Michigan State Medical Society
David Seaman — MHA
Dominic Siciliano — Michigan Association of Heatlh Underwriters
Scott Hummel — Michigan Association of Insurance Agents
Kay Harless — NAIFA – Michigan
Marge Faville — SEIU Healthcare Michigan
Tameshia Bridges — PHI
Jeffrey L. Brown — Oakland County Mental Health Authority
John Roy Castillo — Cristo Rey Community Center
Kim E. Sibilsky — Michigan Primary Care Association
Chris Allen — Detroit Wayne County Health Authority
Bret Jackson — The Economic Alliance for Michigan
John Valenti Sanofi — Aventis US
Dean Sienko — Ingham County Health Department
Richard Lichtenstein — University of Michigan
Wendy Block – MI Chamber of Commerce
Chuck Hadden — Michigan Manufacturers Association
Rob Fowler — Small Business Assoc. of Michigan

Finance, Reporting, and Evaluation

Marci Hopkins — Automatic Data Processing (ADP)
Ed Wolking — Detroit Regional Chamber
Jennifer Werner — Michigan Business & Professional Association
Judy Stewart — American Cancer Society
Jan Hudson — League for Human Services
Carol Diephuis — Rogranna LLC
Andrew Farmer — AARP Michigan
Patricia Langs — consumer
Todd Anderson — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Nancy Wanchik — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Sharon Williams — CareSource Michigan
Graham Smith — HealthPlus of Michigan
Bill Fairgrieve — Consultant to Ingham Health Plan
Dr. Barbara Horn — AOA, MOA, ExpertEyes
Rebecca Blake Michigan State Medical Society
Mark Notman, PhD — MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine
Kristi Belmore Bronson — Healthcare Group
Cass Wisniewski — Hurley Medical Center
Carolyn Miller — NAIFA – Michigan
Jeffrey C. Thomas, CLU, RHU, REBC — Small Business Assoc. of Michigan
Cheryl Streberger — UAW Local 6000
Michael Vizena — Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards
Patricia Anderson — Health Care Association of MI
Kathy Humphrey — Planned Parenthood West & North Michigan
Ned Simpson
David Moody — Endo Pharmaceuticals
Dean Smith — University of Michigan
Jim Rojeski — Ingenix
Lynnette — Rhodes L & S Associates Inc.

Technology

Roy Lamphier — Detroit Regional Chamber
Duane Hopkins — Innovative Corporate Solutions, Inc.
George Grund — Michigan Business & Professional Association
Jackie Doig — Center for Civil Justice
Elizabeth Adie — Thompson Michigan Women’s Commission
Glenn Ashley — United Cerbral Palsy of Michigan
Richard Boehm — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Kristen M. Kangas-Kraft — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Brenda Laird — Delta Dental of Michigan
Tom Lauzon — Health Plan of Michigan
Dennis Smith — Upper Peninsula Health Plan
Ellen Rabinowitz — Wastenaw Health Plan
Taylor Scott, DO — MOA EMR Committee
Jim Lee — MHA
Karl W. Albrecht — CEBS Action Benefits/MAHU
Charles K. May — NAIFA – Michigan
Don Vroon — Grotenhuis
Brian K. McNeill — CMH for Central Michigan
Phillip W. Weaver — Hope Network
Forest Goodrich — Northwesst PIHP for Behavioral Health
Phillip Berquist — Michigan Primary Care Association
Michele Strasz — School Community Health Alliance of Michigan
Cynthia J. Mark — Mark Consulting Group
Todd Lacksonen — Eisai Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Sarah Mclain — Advomas
Sashi Ravipati — CNSI
Umesh Jadhav — Deloitte
Jim Nye — L & S Associates Inc.
Jan Ruff — MAXIMUS

Business Operations

Elaine Coffman — McGraw Wentworth
Jennifer Kluge — Michigan Business & Professional Association
Larry Janicki — MMA Service Corp
Scott Lyon — Small Business Assoc. of Michigan
Linda Teeter — Michigan Citizen Action
Randy Block — Michigna Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Network
Gwen Williams — MichUCAN
Kirk Roy — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Deidra Wilson — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Karen Green — Delta Dental of Michigan
Carol Solomon — McLaren Health Plan
Joseph Firestone — MESSA
Craig Bass — Molina Healthcare of Michigan
James F. Ford — US Health & Life Insurance Company
Robin Reynolds — Michigan County Health Plan Association/Ingham Health Plan Corp.
Craig Start — Michigan Dental Association
Krista Matlock — Spectrum Health Hospital Group
Michael A. Embry — Comerica Insurance Services
Ryan Root — Berends, Hendricks, and Stuit Insurance Agency
Robert L. Blackford — Access Alliance of Michigan
David LaLumia Health Care Association of MI
Doug Paterson — Michigan Primary Care Association
Debbie Brinson* — Ingham County Health Department
Patrice Eller — Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation
Deborah Whiting — Greater Detroit Area Health Council
Patrick Stone — PhRMA
Kyle L. Grazier — University of Michigan
Cheryl Korpela — Advomas
Phyllis Easton — MAXIMUS
Regulatory and Policy Action
Kate Kohn-Parrott — KKP Consulting LLC
Ken Pool — Michigan Business & Professional Association
Delaney Newberry — Michigan Manufacturers Association
Andy Johnston — Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce
Kathleen Johnston-Calati — MI Disability Rights Coalition
Gary Benjamin — Michigan Legal Services
Lynda Rossi — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Jayson Welter — Branch Hillsdale St. Joseph Health Plan
Rick Lantz — Delta Dental of Michigan
David Bilardello — Priority Health Plan
David Livingston — United Healthcare Great Lakes Health Plan
Stacey Hettiger — Michigan State Medical Society
Michael DeGrow — Michigan Academy of Physician Assistants
Laura Appel — Michigan Health & Hospital Association
Catherine Cooper — Michigan Association of Health Underwriters
Bob Pierce — Michigan Association of Insurance Agents
Nick Ciaramitaro — AFSCME
Hollis Turnham — PHI-Michigan
Robert Sheehan — Community Mental Health Authority of Clinton, Eaton, Ingam, Counties
Ben Robinson — Rose Hill Center
Sarah Scranton — Planned Parentood Affiliates of Michigan
Tomi Ogundimu — Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation
Joan L. Moiles — Retired OFIR
Kim Ross-Jessup — Pfizer
G. Elaine Beane — Michigan Public Health Institute
Robert Stampfly — MSU Institute for Health Care Studies
Gilbert M. Frimet — Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC
Carl Alden — Michigan Association of Chiropractors

Update: Chris Christie was another RINO Governor that refused to sign on to the repeal of Obamacare.