The Obama Administration’s fight to preserve the new health care law’s individual mandate appeared to take a dark turn Tuesday. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, arguing before the Supreme Court that the government has …
obamacare
On Day 1 of Health Reform Arguments, Justices Sound Skeptical that Challenge Is Premature
If the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s sweeping new health care law, seems complicated, the Supreme Court case parsing its constitutionality is far more so. This week, over three days, justices on the High Court are …
Health Reform Debate Arrives in the Supreme Court: Why It’s Not About Obama
Listening to the heated rhetoric coming out of Washington, you may think the three days of health care arguments at the Supreme Court that began Monday morning, March 26, are about whether President Obama should have the power to …
Why Endangered Democrats Are Thanking Paul Ryan
Clearly, health care reform was a losing political issue for lots of congressional Democrats, especially those who were up for reelection in 2010. The issue helped mobilize Republican voters who managed to unseat enough Democrats to shift the balance of power on Capitol Hill. Democrats lost their Senate super majority and Republicans now …
Through Luck or Skill, Democrats Are Winning Tactical Advantages in 2012
Facing the potentially insurmountable challenge of a slow economic recovery in an election year, Democrats have looked for little ways to gain political advantage over Republicans in 2012. Some of their efforts have bombed, like …
Q&A: Paul Ryan on the Debt Ceiling Debate and Medicare
On Tuesday, as congressional leaders and President Obama fought a public battle over cutting spending and increasing revenue, Rep. Paul Ryan was elsewhere, leading a discussion over an issue that just happens to be at the center …
Pulling the Plug on Granny, Part 2
(This post was update at 6:35 p.m.)
Yes, we’re back here again already, with at least one Republican claiming this week that Democratic health reform will kill seniors. Sigh.
The target of the GOP attack is the Independent Payment Advisory Board, a controversial group to be appointed by the president and charged with slowing the …
Defining Pawlentycare
On the campaign trial – especially the presidential campaign trail – nuance rarely breaks through the fog of generalization. Mitt Romney is the frontrunner and a flip-flopper on the issues. Michele Bachmann is the Tea Party …
Health Reform Turns 1. So What?
In case you happened to have avoided seeing the hundreds of articles and press releases announcing the one-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare: FYI, it’s today.
Both sides of this issue have been working hard over the past week to guide the news narrative around this momentous occasion. See here, here, here, here, …
Welcome to Washington, Mr. Congressman!
Liberals are having a good chuckle today over a great little item in Politico today about a freshman congressman. Apparently, anti-Obamacare crusader and physician Andy Harris threw a bit of a fit yesterday when told his government-subsidized health insurance wouldn’t begin until 28 days after he starts his new job on Capitol Hill. At an …
Why is Mitt Romney Still Talking About Health Care?
Mitt Romney is a competent politician and competent politicians usually know how to duck questions about topics they don’t want to talk about. They respond briefly and vaguely and then turn to something slightly related, but far less politically toxic. This is the pivot and it’s a skill every politician must have down pat. So why does …