Mitch McConnell Continues Being a Mitch McConnell Type, Preteding That He Beleives Passing the Defund Bill, Which Will Immediately Be Stripped of the Defund Language by Reid's Simple Majority of 51, is Actually the Way to Get ObamaCare Defunded

I don't know if Ted Cruz or Mike Lee actually had a plan at all, or just talked about "doing something," and then came up with this convoluted plan afterwards.

But I do know this is plainly disingenuous by McConnell.

In the video captured and published by Roll Call, McConnell argues that Cruz’s strategy to defund Obamacare will not stop the law’s implementation. McConnell, instead, argues that “even some of the bill’s fiercest early backers are looking for an escape hosta.”

“But there’s only one escape hosta that will fully help those trapped by this law, and that’s full repeal,” McConnell said. He said backs the House bill that defunds the law, but will Harry Reid's procedural moves to restore funding.

“That’s why I’m supporting the House-passed CR,” McConnell said. “Not only does it defund this terrible law, it doesn’t increase government spending by a penny. And it keeps the government from shutting down, which nobody wants. And it does something else. And this is really important. It puts the focus right where it belongs, on the Democrats who voted for and continue to support Obamacare. Because once we invoke cloture, Mr. President, the focus will turn to our friends on the other side of the aisle — the Senate Democrats.”

What does he mean it "defunds" the law? Does he mean on its face it purports to do that? That must be what he means, because no other meaning has any truth at all in it. Any suggestion that passing the CR "defunds" ObamaCare is simply a lie.

Maybe he should have stuck with what he believes the truth to be, which is that he thinks this won't work. He does say that. But then he also says this other business that he would have you believe that he believes that passing the CR defunds ObamaCare.

Of course he doesn't believe that. So why is he saying that?

He seems to say a lot of things he doesn't really believe.

But apparently at some point we'll get these Democrats on the record and then we'll Win or something.

Except we won't. Actually, Ted Cruz's plan -- and Mitch McConnell's, too -- is sort of jackass. Because now the Red State Democrats could, if they needed to, join Ted Cruz in his filibuster, thus showing they rilly rilly want to defund ObamaCare, serious you guys. Alternately they can vote for cloture-- they can claim their vote means whatever their constituents want it to.

And on the "real vote," the one to strip out the defund langauge, those Senators can be permitted to cast symbolic votes against stripping out the defund language, knowing that Reid has 51 or more safe Democratic Senators that can be used to strip it out without consequence.

Thus Mary Landrieu can be permitted to vote in favor of the defund, if her political situation requires it, and so can Joe Manchin, and the guy from Alaska, and the one from Arkansas.

I don't have to buy into Ted Cruz's Master Plan to see what Mitch McConnell says is complete nonsense.

I suppose Ted Cruz's plan could have worked at least in this way (getting Red State Democrats on the record as championing ObamaCare, not opposing it, as they sometimes claim to appease their constituents), but only if Republicans were united on the meaning of each vote.

As Mitch McConnell here is providing Joe Manchin and Mary Landrieu cover -- "Hey, I voted for cloture because Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said it would defund ObamaCare, that's why I voted for it, Serious You Guys" -- you don't even have that little much.

This is a shitshow all around.

Here's what we now get out of this exercise: Less than nothing. Less, because now Joe Manchin and Mary Landrieu can cast whatever supposedly "anti-ObamaCare" votes they like and there's no one really who can say that they're lying.

After all, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says a vote for cloture "defunds ObamaCare."

I have this sneaking suspicion that Mitch McConnell and other members of the Establishment believe that their more conservative constituents (or ex-constituents) are outright stupid and will believe anything.

That's sort of not a good starting place for a mutually-beneficial relationship. Any genuine relationship begins with respect.

Ted Cruz is attempting a "talking filibuster" (a real filibuster, where the vote is delayed only as long as you occupy the floor and speak on the topic) which was scheduled to begin at 2:30. Fox News, I'm told, is covering it, but I assume that means sporadically.

posted by Ace at 02:57 PM

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