Bob Weiner Points October 23, 2013

·  Hillary in the Drivers seat for 2016 but 2008 mistakes including Iraq vote, caucuses like TX, and now Syria near-miss… and not inevitable (Howard Dean, Rick Perry… Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama came from nowhere a year in front). Accomps to cite… If wins, historic 1st woman Pres.

·  Health Website? Yes, add the time until fixed for no penalty but still 500,000 successful applics, 20 M hits but would not be surprised to find Koch brothers money used to have people jam and disable it—not yet in media except the Koch money. R’s trying everything to put insurers back in charge and stop the added benefits of pre-existing, seniors’ drugs, lifetime coverage, kids on plans, prevention including mammograms and birth control, and the 80% requirement of actual benefits not overhead.. and women no longer higher prems than men just because they have babies. AND as Pres said, can CALL 800-318-2596 or apply in person. Lowest health care cost increases in 50 years last 3 years since Act signed.

·  ½ THE STATES allow the Medicaid expansion—even some of most partisan R Govs like Rick Scott (FL), Jan “the finger” Brewer (AZ), John Kasich (OH, former OMB) because their hospitals need the 100% fed funding for 3 years then 90%.

·  NEED TO PROTECT Soc Sec and Medicare cuts from a budget deal. Insolvency MYTHS at play (Pepper—House Aging Committee)-- SS actually good for 20 years because of what people paid in, Medicare for 10 so zero real impact on any budget deal unless steal the solvent SS and Medicare money to pay for the tax breaks for the rich and corporations.

·  SHUTDOWN and CRUZ—R’s responsible by 20+ points over D’s and now could lose House if Americans remember… But a year a long time and R’s ALREADY TRYING TO SOFTEN BUT AS Pelosi said, cannot allow revisionism… Cost $25 B acc to S&P’s, and stopped Head Start kids and cancer treatments for elderly… let alone paying the feds retroactively while stopping workers from jobs. And as all knew, obtained NOTHING.

·  CHS KRAUTHAMMER called the R strategy the “SUICIDE CAUCUS.” LARRY CLAYMAN, FREEDOM WATCH (debated him on CNN when he was head of Judicial Watch as he harassed Clinton) – Now re Obama he says “President should leave town and stop bowing to Koran.” Heritage Foundation pushing agree to nothing if do not repeal Obamacare. ANN COULTER and all Fox talking heads: “Shutdown was magnificent”… Reminder of Karl Rove’s 2012 election analysis past the end when even Fox had called it for Obama (I debated some R on Murdock’s Sky News who at 10PM claimed VA was going R (was then by counted votes) and I insisted wait until N. VA comes in D by 100,000… which it did.

·  “OBAMACARE BLAMED FOR ALL ILLS” WashPost column today, Dana Milbank

·  NATIONAL AGENDA from here: Per Pres and Jay Carney (@ WH this past week), Budget and Funding all programs by Dec/Jan/Feb deadlines w/o Shutdowm, Comp Imm reform (doubt it), and Farm Bill—but Pres did not say w/o the 40 B cut in food stamps—unconscionable. ALSO, Gun background checks or do we have to wait for the next and the next mass shootings, preschool education, continuing college tuition price protection and loans, energy and climate issues (US now #1 oil producer… but via fracking)

·  Lost national prestige by debt fight AND NSA Spying

·  WASH POST today—“Common Sense on Spying.”

·  D’s need 17seats to REGAIN HOUSE from R’s. Charlie Cook says House may now be in play -- 14 races now NEWLY in play because of shutdown even despite gerrymandering (D’s actually won House totals by 1.4 million in 2012)