Saturday, November 23, 2013

Tailgunner Ted's Next Failed Mission

Texas demagogue and Joe McCarthy doppelgänger Sen. Ted "Tailgunner Ted" Cruz apparently is considering another kamikaze attack when the FY 2014 budget comes up for a vote in January.  As he did in September, Tailgunner Ted may use the budget vote as an opportunity to shut down the Government over the Affordable Care Act, which he wants to repeal.  Despite Senate Rethuglican leaders saying that's not going to happen again, after disastrous poll numbers showed the public blamed them the last time, Tailgunner Ted is on a mission to draw the spotlight to himself...and to raise campaign funds from the bumpkins who think he's on to something.

Even though Tailgunner Ted's going to end up shooting himself and his party in the ass again, this points up the urgency of getting the "HealthCare.gov" website up and running, and of ironing out any other implementation problems quickly so that a credible number of people will be signed up under the Affordable Care Act by December 31.  Hopefully, Jeff Zients and his team can undo Secretary Sebelius & Company's bungling on the ACA roll out in time for the Administration to demonstrate some real progress in getting affordable health insurance to millions of Americans.

UPDATE:  Meanwhile, State exchanges are reporting a "November surge" in Obamacare enrollment.