DC Trawler

Why is ‘Obamacare’ considered disparaging?

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Our own Laura Donovan reports:

Don’t say “Obamacare” around Fla. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who called it a “disparaging” word during a House floor health care debate Friday after two GOP House members, including Ga. Rep. Tom Graves, used it to describe the health care reform law.

“Is it a violation of the House rule wherein members are not permitted to make disparaging references to the President of the United States?” Wasserman Schultz asked the chairman.

“In two previous gentlemen’s statements on the amendment,” Wasserman Schultz continued. “Both of them referred to the Affordable Care Act, which is the accurate title of the health care reform law, as ‘Obamacare.’ That is a disparaging reference to the President of the United States, it is meant as a disparaging reference to the President of the United States… It is clearly in violation of House rules against that.”

Let’s pretend there’s actually a logical answer to this, and it’s not just an attempt to hinder critics by controlling the terms of the debate. In what possible sense is “Obamacare” disparaging? If you think Obama is good, and if you think the health care stuff he’s spent most of his political capital on is good, why is “Obamacare” bad?

I doubt Wasserman Schultz reads this blog, but I know that a few people who think like her do. Why don’t you explain the reasoning behind it to us dummies?