I love my job, but GODDAMN I’M SICK OF THIS FUCKING IDIOTIC WASTE OF MY STUPID TIME, GOP, WITH YOUR EACH-BILL-IS-MORE-RIDICULOUS-THAN-THE-NEXT STRATEGY AND COMPLETE IGNORANCE AND INDIFFERENCE!
On the plus side, my typing fingers are very svelte.
I think Rand Paul’s stubbornness is a product of his absolutism. The block grants are probably still too close to Obamacare not to be called Obamacare. Paul wants us to go back to the year 1828 or perhaps even back to 1783 when there was virtually no centralized federal commerce. Poor cabbage patch-headed bastard was born in the wrong century.
Yeah, it’ll be interesting to see the “need more time to look at it” gang becomes the “Ahhh, I’m against it (I think)” posse once October 1st rolls around.
So how exactly do the publicly declared intentions of those who said they’d vote no factor into McConnell’s and Trump’s political calculus on whether to bring this to a vote at all, besides trying to woo them with bribes and changes? What are the chances they will bring it forth on the hope/assumption, like the cynical public, that when push comes to shove, Cruz and Paul will vote with the party?
Nothing like watching the police drag off a bunch of blind, disabled, and otherwise physically disadvantaged people on crutches or in wheelchairs to make you feel good about your country. Not. :rolleyes: But good on them for protesting.
They should have stood for the National Anthem like every other patriot in the room did.
ducks and runs
Two things: first is that the President (in this case, the America-hating fuckstick) doesn’t get any direct input into when or whether a vote is scheduled; that’s McConnell all the way. The WH can attempt to light a fire under it either by backroom horse-trading or by foot-stomping.
Second, if McConnell knows he doesn’t have the votes to win it, he won’t schedule a vote.
But that’s what I was asking: there are so many people who are SURE that Paul and Cruz can’t be trusted to not vote for the bill if it came up. I was asking, what are the odds that McConnell will think the same, and put it up for a vote under the assumption that the bright lights will change their publicly stated intentions?
I would guess, though I don’t know this for a fact, that McConnell has a better sense of whether Paul is serious than I do. I don’t agree that they absolutely won’t bring it up for a vote even if they know it’s doomed, but I hope that they will decide they have other fish (like CHIP, to mix my metaphors) to fry.
If Graham-Cassidy fails, Graham and RonJohn are wanting a new budget resolution that covers health care as well as tax. What would be pretty wonderful is if the big donors, by forcing the Graham-Cassidy fight, end up torpedoing tax “reform.” Here’s an article on some of that: Can Senate Push Aside Saturday Deadline for Graham-Cassidy?
May feel obligated to have the vote so that 49 senators can go home and say ‘see, not my fault - I wanted to fuck over the health care system, but those three or four wouldn’t agree’.
I get what you’re saying, but it seems like they’ve already gotten themselves on record a bajillion times during this whole debacle.
But I’ve given up trying to predict anything. I HOPE they will move toward CHIP and a stabilization package.
Okay, GCHJ appears to be nearing official death. They are going to drop the vote, according to GOP sources (not mine!).
CNN announces there will be no vote:
Yeah, but many others have to navigate between being Trumpy enough to win a primary, but human enough to win the general. Those folks would much rather not have their name down in the record either way so they can hedge and flop as required.
I’m going back into hibernation for November, when this thing is resurrected. 
What do you expect will happen in November? Is there a mechanism by which they can once again pass the repeal with 50 votes?
They resurrect this thing every two months, so I’m just getting ready now. 
And here’s adetailed explanation even I can follow (this stuff is tortuous as well as torturous!) from one of the best political bloggers around.
Nice explanation.
Just for the record, Graham backed off the idea of the combined reconciliation bill at the press conference. He was saying tax with 2017-2018, then back to HC with 2018-2019. This makes MUCH more sense to me.
Of course, political realities being what they are, who the hell knows? If Roy Moore wins, for example, he said he would have been a no on GCHJ, and he HATES McConnell. So don’t expect sunshine and roses from him.