Fmr. Republican congressman @DavidJollyFL was once anti-Obamacare… until he found himself unemployed with a pre-existing condition. WATCH: pic.twitter.com/jTfgqJH3Vc
— The Last Word (@TheLastWord) June 27, 2017
Because I am not a naturally nice person myself, I fear a lot of the “If Trumpcare passes, here’s a person who will suffer and probably die” narratives simply don’t work on Republican voters. Too many people, even the people you know and sometimes love, look at those sad tales and think: Here’s a worthless meatbag gobbling up my tax dollars, and I’ll never get so much as a THANKS SUCKER in return. Yes, that’s a terrible and selfish response, but spoiler: A great many people are terrible and selfish, when they’re sure nobody’s watching!
On the other hand, those sad narratives are for sure energizing for the rest of us, those who possess the basics of human empathy (even if it took us years of grim practice to learn). Just be sure you know your audience. Some people want to save the baby ducks. Others just want not to lose their own personal jobs / relatives / lives — and if they can be convinced saving the baby ducks is what it takes, they’ll be out there collecting armloads of fluffy little peepers…
Republicans are going to try to pass a bill that raises the number of uninsured by 15 million in a *year* without any real debate or input.
— Jamelle Bouie (@jbouie) June 26, 2017
In an ELECTION YEAR! And they're gonna do it because they think SuperPAC$ + clustering/gerrymandering + tribal loyalty insulate them https://t.co/OLobeyWwqs
— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) June 26, 2017
I know we all sorta think, with some justification, that Republicans are immune to political gravity but this bill is a fucking suicide pact https://t.co/srONNiy66n
— slackbot (@pareene) June 26, 2017
Mr. Charles P. Pierce:
… Unless there’s a procedural snag of which I’m not aware, I don’t know why the Senate majority wouldn’t punt this until August, and do so at the last minute. The accelerated schedule is insane; even Republican senators are complaining about it. It would give them more time to sabotage the Affordable Care Act, which Sean Spicer threatened to do in today’s audio-only daily briefing. (Jesus, people. Just turn the cameras on and see what happens.) It would give them another month to make the cosmetic changes necessary for the “dissenters” to come around. It would give them the fig leaf of a “process” they could cite.
Of course, it also would give the opposition a month to increase its already formidable momentum. Tough call for McConnell, but that’s why he gets the big money.
McConnell needs to ram this monster through while he can, before enough sheep GOP senators get spooked at the thought of having to defend their vote to their voters.
Asked @LindseyGrahamSC about the relative "meanness" of Senate healthcare bill- he responds w/ a warning to colleagues: pic.twitter.com/BDoVJ7adz2
— Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) June 26, 2017
Apart from facing down the haters, what’s on the agenda for the day?