re: #61 KGxvi

So, four defectors because the bill doesn’t go far enough. Presumably, another 3-5 because it goes too far.

I really think my read earlier was right: McConnell wants to bring this to the floor so it loses and he can say the issues is over, the ACA is the law of the land, and we’re just going to have to live with that.

That seems hugely unlikely. Why work to make a bill in the first place? To do that he could have just floated the House bill and let that fail.

A bill like this arises because Republicans are now aware that they cannot lose elections for the foreseeable future. This will go through a similar process to the House bill - make deeper cuts and remove more assistance so it becomes even worse for poor people, and add a few sops like a few billion dollar fund so people like Rob Portman can say they got something, and then it will pass.

Republicans are learning in the age of Trump that their voters will vote for anything. Anything at all. They voted for Donald fucking Trump. They will vote for anything as long as it makes liberals angry enough, and anything their media tells them to. So they are learning that they can push for whatever they want because there will be no consequences. They can’t lose elections.