Just wait…

Over coffee this week, a couple of Democrats were bemoaning the news on the Mueller report. “Trump will have a field day,” one said. The other groaned, “We’ll never hear the end of it from the Trump-lovers.” But a wise head reassured them: “Don’t worry. It won’t be long before Trump steps on his own…

Read More

Earthquake

Now and then in politics, you feel the ground shudder beneath your feet. The world isn’t shaking yet, but the tectonic plates are grinding, the pressure is growing and something big is coming. So it is these last couple of days. In the Senate, the Republican promise to repeal Obamacare collapses. In the White House,…

Read More

Rx: the Democrats

Second of two parts More than 25 years ago, a little-known college president was running what looked like a hopeless U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania. He was Harris Wofford, a Democrat. He was running against Richard Thornburgh, a former Governor and United States Attorney General. Wofford’s own polls showed him 40 points behind. Thornburgh had…

Read More

Rx: the Republicans

First of two parts Since Obamacare passed in 2009, Republicans have attacked it. For eight years, they called it a “job killer” and a “disaster” that created “death panels.” Through four election campaigns – 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016 – they promised to repeal it. And replace it with something better, cheaper and, as Comrade…

Read More

Losers

When you run as the Greatest Winner Of All Time, you’d better win. Especially your first time. So there’s no way Trump can bluff or blame his way out of his health care debacle. He lost bigly. Republicans lost bigly. Paul Ryan lost bigliest. For seven years and through four elections, they promised to ditch…

Read More

NoCare

“Tired of winning yet?” That’s the question from a TAPster who sent this excerpt from a story about millions of Americans who could lose health insurance under the Trump/GOP NoCare plan: Martha Brawley of Monroe, N.C., said she voted for President Trump in the hope he could make insurance more affordable. But on Tuesday, Ms.…

Read More

Operating on Obamacare

Donald Trump and congressional Republicans made a big promise in 2016. They would repeal Obamacare. Immediately. Totally. End of discussion. Now, maybe not so much. Republicans on Capitol Hill say the operative word is no longer “repeal.” It’s “repair.” Still, they say, they’ll do it right away. But then Trump says, maybe not so fast.…

Read More

McCroryCare

In their rush to strip power from Roy Cooper, Republican legislative bosses talked about a going-away present for Pat McCrory: free health-care coverage for life. That perk fell by the wayside, however. Which just proves that karma is real. Maybe now McCrory feels the pain of the hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians who didn’t…

Read More

Trump(no)care

Today’s paper reports that, if Republicans repeal Obamacare, some 30 million Americans will lose health insurance. Another 10 million will lose subsidies and have to pay more for insurance. Give Donald Trump credit. He may do something President Obama never could do: get Americans to understand and appreciate Obamacare. How’s that Make America Great Again…

Read More