With all the egg on the GOP obstructionists in the Senate, particularly Mitch McConnell, they are desperate to change the subject. You have to appreciate just what a total defeat yesterday was to Senate Minority Leader McConnell.
With his usual spin he later tried to celebrate the deal as the 'Democrats coming to their senses and dropping that disastrous rule change' but this is belied by the fact that he had played no part in achieving the deal, didn't vote for it and was one of only 29 GOP Senators to vote against cloture for Richard Cordray.
"Mr. McConnell was nowhere to be found in that deal, and in fact voted against it this morning. He voted instead to continue a filibuster against Richard Cordray, nominated to run the Consumer Financial Protection Board, while 17 more sensible Republicans went the other direction."
With his usual spin he later tried to celebrate the deal as the 'Democrats coming to their senses and dropping that disastrous rule change' but this is belied by the fact that he had played no part in achieving the deal, didn't vote for it and was one of only 29 GOP Senators to vote against cloture for Richard Cordray.
"Mr. McConnell was nowhere to be found in that deal, and in fact voted against it this morning. He voted instead to continue a filibuster against Richard Cordray, nominated to run the Consumer Financial Protection Board, while 17 more sensible Republicans went the other direction."
"But the senator is a master at putting an untroubled face on an embarrassing situation. This afternoon, after voting against the deal, he told reporters how terrific it all was. We’re pleased, he said, that Democrats decided not to change the Senate rules and ban the nominations filibuster. He called it “a constructive outcome and an opportunity to get back to normal.”
"And he insisted that Republicans gave up none of their rights. “We still will be dealing with controversial nominees in a way that the controversial nominees inevitably produce, a great debate,” he said. “And all the options available to the minority remain intact.”
"And he insisted that Republicans gave up none of their rights. “We still will be dealing with controversial nominees in a way that the controversial nominees inevitably produce, a great debate,” he said. “And all the options available to the minority remain intact.”
Sure, except that the Democrats retained all their options, one of which is to revisit the nuclear option next time the abuse of McConnell and friends gets so intolerable again.
"In fact, Mr. McConnell lost quite a bit of power today. His caucus was forced to kneel to the Democrats, and for all his insistence that the filibuster remains a real weapon, he was unable to stop 17 Republicans from setting the weapon down. If these Republicans continue to allow votes on nominees, Mr. McConnell will not be able to block other people President Obama wants on his team. (Of course, that remains a big if, and Mr. McConnell will undoubtedly encourage obstruction.)"
"The most telling proof of defeat was in the words of three other Republican leaders who also voted against the deal and appeared with Mr. McConnell — John Thune, John Cornyn, and John Barrasso. Each of them said how glad he was to get past this whole messy nominations things so that they could get back to their preferred topic: “Obamacare.”
"It’s a “train wreck,” Mr. Thune and Mr. Cornyn said. It’s “unraveling,” Mr. Barrasso said.
Yes, the trainwreck canard.The House GOP is set to vote to repeal the individual mandate for the 38th time-38 times being the charm.
"House Republicans pressed ahead Wednesday on delaying key components of President Barack Obama's signature health care law, emboldened by the administration's concession that requiring companies to provide coverage for their workers next year may be too complicated."
"The House has scheduled votes later Wednesday to delay the law's individual and employer mandates, the 38th time the GOP majority has tried to eliminate, defund or scale back the program since Republicans took control of the House in January 2011."
"The votes were a chance to score political points and highlight public skepticism over the law. The House legislation is going nowhere in the Democratic-controlled Senate, and the administration said emphatically Tuesday the president would veto the measures."
Yet, who's trainwreck is Obamacare going to be really? A few months again we heard that California-one of the first states to implement the Medicaid expansion-was seeing a big drop in premiums. Now we have some new news in New York. As Krugman says, this is shaping up to be one of the Mother of all Trainwrecks alright-for the GOP.
"New York state officials are poised to announce Wednesday that unsubsidized health insurance premiums will fall by roughly 50 percent next year under the Obamacare exchanges to take effect, according to the New York Times."
"Beginning in October," the Times reports, "individuals in New York City who now pay $1,000 a month or more for coverage will be able to shop for health insurance for as little as $308 monthly. With federal subsidies, the cost will be even lower."
"The new rates would apply to the minority of residents who -- like in all states -- don't receive insurance from an employer or via Medicare or Medicaid. Supporters of the Obamacare are crediting the competitive marketplaces under the law as the reason for the drop in premiums."
"News from New York: it looks as if insurance premiums on the individual market are going to plunge thanks to Obamacare. This shouldn’t come as a surprise; in fact, the New York experience perfectly illustrates why Obamacare had to look the way it does. And it also illustrates why conservatives should be terrified about this legislation, as it takes effect. Americans may have had a lot of misgivings in advance, thanks to vast, deliberately spread misinformation. But I agree with Matt Yglesias — unless the GOP finds even more ways to sabotage the plan, this thing is going to work, it’s going to be extremely popular, and it’s going to wreak havoc with conservative ideology."
Before you know it, we'll be hearing 'Keep your government hands off my Obamacare!"
"And Yglesias is right: there will be bobbles along the way, but this is going to become an immensely popular program. By the time Liz Cheney challenges Hillary Clinton’s reelection campaign, there will be signs at the rallies declaring “Don’t let the government get its hands on Obamacare!”
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