Torn Between Two Senators: PA Voters Stuck in Middle of Obamacare Debate

Pennsylvanians are stuck in between two U.S.Senators who are towing the line on two polar opposite sets of political party talking points.

Since late last week, the senior U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, Bob Casey (D-PA) has taken the attack Republicans for their "extreme" and "tea party" position on the Affordable Health Care Act (more widely known as Obamacare) and GOP efforts to fund everything in the government except Obamacare.

Admittedly this a broad interpretation that may not take into account the moment-to-moment changes on Capitol Hill and the subtle nuances that professional politicians sometimes use in an effort to find wiggle room in case votes don't go their way.

Seantor Caey's Facebook post at 11:30 p.m. Saturday night leaves little room to wonder where the Democrat stands on Obamacare and GOP effort to fund everything in the federal budget EXCEPT Obamacare.

"This is a crisis manufactured and perpetuated solely by Congressional Republicans who allowed a Tea Party takeover of the Republican Party in Washington. These Washington politicians who receive quality health care themselves are insistent on delaying health care for millions of Americans. Unless Republican leaders get control of their party, extreme right ideology will take precedence over the middle class, jobs, economic growth and national defense. If our government shuts down, the extreme right wins and middle class Pennsylvanians will be harmed. #NoShutdown"

While Republican leaders in Congress and the Republican National Committee may be touched by Senator Casey's concern for their party the junior U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, Pat Toomey (R-PA) has taken the opposite stance, voting to in essence fund everything in the Federal budget except Obamacare.

The Toomey PR machine seems to be less active over the weekend on Facebook at least on the topic of Obamacare.  On Friday, Toomey posted the following lengthy post on Facebook:

"All my Republican colleagues and I want to end #Obamacare completely. All the Democrats support #Obamacare and want it to continue. The Republicans control the House and have passed defunding legislation. Democrats control the Senate and will not pass defunding legislation. Thus, we are at an impasse.

Yesterday, seeking to break this all-or-nothing standoff, I proposed a way to fund the government and to repeal some of the most egregious parts of this terrible law. Acknowledging that Senator Reid has the votes to strip the bill of its #Obamacare defunding language, I sought to offer three modest amendments to the Senate bill. The first would repeal the medical devices tax that is costing Pennsylvania jobs; the second would provide relief from the infringement on religious liberty in Obamacare; the third would delay the individual mandate for one year.

Those three items all have bipartisan support, could have passed the Senate, and might well be acceptable to the House. But we will never know because the Democratic leadership would not permit me to offer those amendments. For this reason, and others, I voted against the measure.

I remain hopeful that Congress will avoid a government shutdown. I will continue working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers of Congress to find a responsible solution."

Those three items all have bipartisan support, could have passed the Senate, and might well be acceptable to the House. But we will never know because the Democratic leadership would not permit me to offer those amendments. For this reason, and others, I voted against the measure.
I remain hopeful that Congress will avoid a government shutdown. I will continue working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers of Congress to find a responsible solution."
So with two U.S. Senators at odds:

What do YOU think of the battle over funding Obamacare and the question of whether it's worth threatening to shut down the government to defund Obamacare.

Tell us what you think about the issues (not the people you disagree with) in the comments section at the bottom of this article.