With the 2014 midterm elections just a year away, nervous Democrats have begun distancing themselves from what Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius now calls the Obamacare “debacle.”
“Our guys are frustrated by Obama’s unforced errors,” a Senate Democrat aide told Reuters on Wednesday. “How could the president not be ready for the rollout?”
Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN) expressed frustration last week with the Obama Administration’s failed rollout of Obama’s signature legislative achievement.
“Some of us, myself included, are somewhat resentful [and] upset about the apparent incompetency in designing and rolling this thing out,” said Nolan. “Who was it that said we are going to go ahead knowing it doesn’t work? I would fire that person.”
The number four Democrat in the House, Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA), said, “I absolutely believe that somebody should be held accountable.”
Other Democrats now say they agree with Republicans that a delay of the individual mandate may be the only way to salvage the disaster and save face.
“I think the administration is going to have to look at it [delay of the individual mandate]. and I’d encourage them to do so,” said Rep. Gene Green (D-TX).
Five Democrats have now asked for the Obama Administration to seek a refund from the contractors responsible for the Obamacare website fiasco. Reps. Ron Barber (D-AZ), William Enyart (D-IL), Pete Gallego (D-TX), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), and Filemon Vela (D-TX) wrote a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder urging the reimbursement effort.
The Democrat defections come as conservative groups like Americans for Prosperity have poured an estimated $2 million into ad buys targeting Democrats in vulnerable districts with messages highlighting their embrace of Obamacare.