SOME OBAMACARE TRIVIA…

So, riddle me this: How many senators who voted ‘For’ Obamacare, now no longer find themselves in the U.S. Senate?

Back on Dec. 24, 2009, when the Democrat-controlled Senate sanctioned Barry’s seizure of our healthcare system, it did so with what was then a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority. At the time they were all quite proud of themselves, while at the same time being completely unaware of what it was that they had unleashed. And what that was, as many of you may remember, was a massive backlash that propelled Republicans to control of the House the very next year.

But the House members were not the only one made to contend with the consequences of what had been a purely political act, committed over the very loud objection by a majority of the American people who were, for the most part, satisfied with the quality of their healthcare. Because over on the Senate side, going into Tuesday’s elections, 25 senators who voted for Obamacare were already out or not going be part of the new Senate being sworn in in January.

To be sure, it wouldn’t be fair to attribute all of the turnover in the Senate to Obamacare. Many senators voted for Obamacare and lost re-election battles in which they were hit hard for their support for the law, and other Democrats were forced to retire because they had no hope of getting re-elected after having added their support to the law. But in some cases, such as John Kerry-Heinz leaving his seat to become secretary of state, or Robert Byrd, who finally died, Obamacare had nothing to do with it.

Additionally, some outgoing pro-Obamacare votes were replaced by new Democrat senators who obviously supported the healthcare takeover. That having been said, as of this writing, 15 Senators who voted for Obamacare either failed to win reelection or declined to run for reelection and had their seats turned over to Republicans. That number is likely to grow once the results are in from the Senate runoff in Louisiana, which Mary Landrieu is expected to lose.

The following is a breakdown of senators who have voted for Obamacare who will not be part of the next Senate.

Lost and replaced by a Republican:
Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska -- lost to Dan Sullivan, R
Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark. -- lost to Rep. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.
Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo. -- lost to Rep. Cory Gardner, R- Colo.
Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C. -- lost to Thom Tillis, R
Russ Feingold, D-Wis.
Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark.
Arlen Specter, D-Penn

Left the Senate and was replaced by a Republican:
Jay Rockefeller, D-W.V.
Max Baucus, D-Mont.
Tim Johnson, D-S.D.
Tom Harkin, D-Iowa
Ben Nelson, D-Neb.
Byron Dorgan, D-N.D.
Evan Bayh, D-Ind.
Roland Burris, D-Ill.

Left the Senate and was replaced by a Democrat:
Jim Webb, D-Va.
Joe Lieberman, I-Conn.
Herb Kohl, D-Wis.
Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii
Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M.
Chris Dodd, D-Conn.
Paul Kirk, D-Mass. (appointed to replace Ted Kennedy -- seat later held by Republican Scott Brown)
John Kerry-Heinz, D-Mass.
Ted Kauffman, D-Del.
Kent Conrad, D-N.D.
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.

Died in office:
Robert (KKK) Byrd, D-W.V
Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii
Frank Lautenberg, D- N.J

Vulnerable pro-Obamacare Democrats still at risk in 2014:
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La.

Even though I do think the Democrats can be said to have paid a pretty substantial political price for their having shoved Obamacare through Congress, essentially in the dark of night, they still got what they wanted and we’re still stuck with it. And what the Republicans must be made to understand is that they will likely be made to face the very same fate if, over the course of the next two years, they don’t do EVERYTHING within their newfound power to repeal it.