Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMore great TPM - "Trump Allies with Far Right to Toss Mods Off the Island"
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/trump-allies-with-far-right-to-crush-the-moderatesBy JOSH MARSHALL Published APRIL 27, 2017, 3:08 PM EDT
This piece by TPMs Tierney Sneed is really a must read for understanding the current situation with Trumpcare 2.0. The key issue is that this exercise is really not about passing a law that repeals or in some limited sense replaces Obamacare. Its really about getting the Freedom Caucus (the far-right group among House Republicans) off the hook for failing to repeal Obamacare. And also, the 100 Days.
Right or wrong, the Freedom Caucus took much of the blame for the failure of repeal on round one. My own sense is that it probably would have failed on the moderate side of the caucus as well. But the Freedom guys preen more effectively and negotiate in public. Pushing through this new bill a Freedom Caucus-friendly bill with their votes allows the right-wingers in the Freedom Caucus to say, We didnt fail. We repealed Obamacare. The Senate screwed up. Or maybe the House moderates screwed up. Either way the blame is off them.
Meanwhile, the President is on high single digit tweet storms over his 100 Days ego injury. Passing Trumpcare 2.0 in the House gets him something to point to that hes accomplished during his first 100 days in office. The fact that it is highly unlikely to get through the Senate is something hell ignore. In any case, its hard to prove that it wont pass the Senate. Hell hold it up as an amazing achievement.
The upshot is that President Trump and House Hardliners both have fairly narrow and selfish interests in pushing this through the House, just not one tied to any likelihood of actually becoming law. But it comes at the cost of forcing moderates (who tend to be but are not all in swing districts) to vote on a bill which will haunt them when they run for reelection even if it never becomes law.
The Democrats must scarcely be able to believe their luck. Unbridled Republican infighting and no center of gravity to bring factions to heel is leading to the best of all worlds in partisan terms. Get vulnerable Republicans to vote yes on a toxic bill even though theres little chance the horrendous policy outcomes will ever happen. If this happens the Dems will get their cake and have it too.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
5 replies, 4395 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (29)
ReplyReply to this post
5 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
More great TPM - "Trump Allies with Far Right to Toss Mods Off the Island" (Original Post)
NRaleighLiberal
Apr 2017
OP
Demsrule86
(68,600 posts)1. Great article thanks so much...
I have a paid account at TPM ...they were one of the media I decided to support after Trump was fawned over by cable news. I increased my support for this site as well...very important for the resistance.
sheshe2
(83,793 posts)2. Thank you.
K&R
NewJeffCT
(56,828 posts)3. They still need to win over the "moderates"
to pass the bill as well, don't they? How many are in this "moderate" group? I don't think they're quite as organized as the alt-right Freedom Caucus, and probably not as well funded...
salin
(48,955 posts)4. my fantasy - as a group they band together and go full out Jim Jeffords on the GOP
become "Independent Republicans" who caucus with which ever party, based on the issue at hand.
Ya, loss of committee status, but shakeups on committees with a new number of controlled seats per party. Will never happen, but that would be a shake up.
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)5. Moderate is a dirty word nowadays. (nt)