Senate Democrats: We're Not Falling for the Banana In the Tail Pipe Trick Again

Obama's bullshit, and transparently illegal, "administrative fix" was plainly an attempt to keep Congress from acting to change Obamacare. So long as he maintains the power to change the law on his whim, for political expediency here, to ensure the program continues there, he has a degree of control over Obamacare's fate.

But not if Congress -- and especially Congressional Democrats -- start gutting it.

Landrieu's bill (and Upton's bill) would gut Obamacare, and he wants them not to put that into law. He does not want to have to veto a law demanding that he keep his promises.

Today's Cornucopia of Double-Talk is likely him setting up a pretext for vetoing such a bill -- he will claim that it's not necessary, because look, he did this unconstitutional, inadequate "administrative fix."

But, on that, George Will speculated these bills could pass over his veto -- that there could be enough Democrats on board to override his video. I'm not sure he's anywhere close to right on that, but it is interesting.

Anyway, Democrats say they're still planning to go ahead with the legislative option that Obama is so desperate to avoid.

“The president’s announcement this morning was a great first step,” said Sen. Mary Landrieu, one of several Democrats who have openly broken with the White House in recent days. But “we will probably need legislation to make it stick,” Landrieu warned, adding that she has no intention of putting the breaks on her push to bring her bill to the floor.

“My legislation is intended to keep the promise. Period. Big stop,” Landrieu said when asked if she would change the timeframe of her bill. “As soon as we can do that the better.”

But more progressive, safe, and/or not-up-for-reelection this year Senators like Boxer and Murphy disagree, and say that whatever bullshit Obama just said should "do the trick."

posted by Ace at 04:20 PM

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