Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

If you are still in the GOP, you are an extremist.

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

“Squeaker” McCarthy

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

This really is a full service blog.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

An almost top 10,000 blog!

A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

People are complicated. Love is not.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

You are here: Home / Anderson On Health Insurance / Okay… so this is happening

Okay… so this is happening

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I’m watching C-SPAN right now as they show a procedural vote being held open for over an hour and fairly happy Democrats.

I don’t know what the hell is happening besides Mitch McConnell currently does not have the votes.

Also Health Policy Twitter gets pretty weird after midnight….

There is still hope

— Update 1:30 Senators Collins, McCain and Murkowski are NO on Skinny Repeal

Know hope … I am pouring myself a finger of 18 year old Scotch now.

Update 2

Reader Interactions

158Comments

  1. 1.

    Trentrunner

    McConnell doesn’t have the votes. Pence et al trying to get them. Working McCain, Murkowski.

  2. 2.

    shinobi42

    I hate it when the Senate goes into overtime.

    But I really hope it means the American People win.

  3. 3.

    InternetDragons

    Pence and Hatch have been working on McCain off and on for about thirty minutes. McCain is doing things like hugging Dianne Feinstein.

    People outside shouting, “Kill the bill!” so loudly you can hear it inside and on camera.

    This is pretty incredible to watch.

    I think Repubs will do a roll call and hold the vote open all night, trying to get someone to flip.

  5. 5.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    McCain, for once in your life, do the right thing and vote NO.

  8. 8.

    Big R

    You can’t just say things like “Health Policy Twitter gets weird after midnight.” Post that shit!

  12. 12.

    Mike J

    Lisa Desjardins‏ Verified account @LisaDNews 12 minutes ago
    More
    WOW, this appears over. McCain just spoke w Schumer, 13 Dem senators in huddle. Put hands up. McConnell seems to have left floor temp.

  26. 26.

    Barbara

    I am still awake and waiting. I am trying to feel numb so I maintain composure. I hope someone unexpectedly does the right thing. God damn it.

  29. 29.

    Major Major Major Major

    I’ve said here that it’s possible the one thing that will save the republic is John McCain’s ego, which is a formidable force.

    Not likely, but he’s got nothing left to lose now, and Trump insulted him.

  30. 30.

    Boussinesque

    @Mike J: Holy shit, he’s doing the right thing for once in his miserable life? I feel so conflicted. Conflicted, but happy.

  31. 31.

    CaseyL

    I’m afraid to go to bed, and I’m afraid to follow the vote. I should do some serious drinking; might be the only way I fall asleep tonight.

  32. 32.

    MobiusKlein

    If McCain votes no and kills the bill, I will say no more bad things about him until he and I no longer share the same plane of existence.

  33. 33.

    Bill Arnold

    I almost never watch cspan – tonight is an exception. Crazy.
    Good to see Pence in action. :-)

  36. 36.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    THIS IS GREAT NEWS FOR…….. WAIT FOR IT ….. McCAIN!

    (this time for realz)

  48. 48.

    Boussinesque

    @Bill Arnold: Good to see Pence in action. :-)

    Ordinarily I’d say I don’t want to see Pence, ever, outside of a state funeral (his own), perhaps–is he making a fool of himself, or doing something else that mitigates having his bigot ass cross your field of vision?

  53. 53.

    Yarrow

    It’s not over! Vote hasn’t been closed out yet. Someone could change their vote.

  57. 57.

    NobodySpecial

    Why does anyone think this is over? That’s why they’re holding the vote open.

  59. 59.

    Maeve

    Murkowski getting a lot of praise in local newspapers fo standing tough and even the comments are more for her than against. Our gov is a former repub that ran as independent and the lieut gov is a democrat. House is now controlled by coalition of dems, independents an two moderate republicans that broke with the too far right republican caucus. Senate is still republican caucus. Anyway she has a model of actual bipartsinship. We’ll see.

  62. 62.

    Comrade Colette Collaboratrice

    Fucking moron Shelly Moore-Capito voted yes. But McCain VOTED NO.

    I take back exactly one of the umpteen horrible things I’ve said about him. He could bend time itself to do the right thing 25 hours a day from now until his imminent death and he still wouldn’t redeem himself.

    I don’t understand what they’re doing right now – calling out certain names and confirming their “ayes.” This movie sucks.

  63. 63.

    Chet Murthy

    @MobiusKlein: I would say something different, but related.

    (1) we’re poor and powerless. If we must fete him, we shall do so. Yes?

    (2) but if he proceeds to betray the Republic, we need to come down on him like a ton of bricks.

    Reward good behaviour. Reward patriotism (and they’re two different things). But punish (with cogent explanations) treason.

    P.S. yeah, like #2 will have any effect. I remember when I had faith in my country.

  65. 65.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    I guess someone shouldn’t have said “I like people who weren’t captured”.

  66. 66.

    LurkerNoLonger

    Wow! What a roller coaster this week has been. John McCain, I applaud you. I’ll gladly vacate you’re lawn now.

  70. 70.

    m0nty

    Not that I am pointing this out for anything negative towards the front pagers, because they were doing it for excellent and valid reasons, but there has been a lot of negativity from the left towards McCain and Collins lately. They have deserved it before today and no doubt will deserve it after today, but for today, they don’t deserve it.

  74. 74.

    Fair Economist

    OMG, I have to say good things about McCain now? That’s going to produce some mental conflict.

  81. 81.

    Yarrow

    HOLY SHIT! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU, JOHN McCAIN!!!!!

    And I can breathe, just a little bit. I am so exhausted.

  82. 82.

    TenguPhule

    @mai naem mobile:

    It fucking failed
    It mother fucking failed.

    Unfortunately its not over yet.

    As long as they keep it open they can still change votes.

    So we get to wait. And hope.

  83. 83.

    TS

    McCain sure wants that legacy – as he’s not going to be around, maybe he saved someone else from twitter wrath

    And now the turtle’s disappointing moment

  84. 84.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    Turtle is a legislative genius.

    Holding a vote without the votes — straight outta Boehner.

  87. 87.

    Comrade Colette Collaboratrice

    Jesus H. Tapdancing Christ. The fucking Turtle is fucking crying. Angels do the can-can.

  88. 88.

    Turgidson

    Lying about the ACA to the bitter end.

    Fuck you, Turtle man. A new wing of hell is being built especially for you, you lying, amoral blood gargling sociopath.

  92. 92.

    psycholinguist

    oh wow, turtle is chocking back tears in his speach. sweet, sweet, sweet tears

  96. 96.

    Barbara

    Okay — NYT updated. Thanks to every senator who voted no. McCain finally got the courage of his convictions and I am grateful.

  98. 98.

    mai naem mobile

    Okay,I am actually going to have to call McCains office and thank him tomorrow. And to think I thought Flake would be the more gettable ‘no’ vote.

  101. 101.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    Take a bow everyone who called, emailed, protested, tweeted, facebooked.

    You. Won.

  102. 102.

    eclare

    @eclare: But hey, I’ll take a gracious and principled vote no matter why. Wow. Stunned. Yertle embarrassing himself speaking.

  105. 105.

    Bill Arnold

    @Boussinesque:

    is he making a fool of himself, or doing something else that mitigates having his bigot ass cross your field of vision?

    I was being obtuse. Note the bits about Pence above, e.g. Yarrow at #6

  107. 107.

    Comrade Colette Collaboratrice

    Oh my G-d, what a gigantic wrinkly goddamned lying crybaby. I hope his chin recedes right into his wobbly neck and chokes him.

  108. 108.

    different-church-lady

    Not to piss in the Cheerios, but does anyone know what they’re going to try next?

  109. 109.

    jl

    How long can they hold the vote open and twist arms. McConnell’s goons gonna be rousting people and twisting arms tomorrow morning? WTF?

    Good for Collins McCain and Murkowski for voting no.
    Why did McCain put himself and the country through all this? The other two miserable bills would have failed with or without him. And everyone pretty much know the skinny mini thingy was the next best chance.
    Whatever. A cheer of McCain.; I try to be optimistic, so hope he gives us more to cheer about and more reasons to take back a few of the mean things we’ve said about him. But, beyond the issue of general sucktitud, I wonder why? Would have been easier to pull the plug on the vote to proceed.

    On the other hand, McCain’s vindictiveness may be helping us. Maybe he wanted to put McConnell through hell and see him squirm through a drawn out failure. If so, I guess that’s cool. Hope the whole thing goes down the drain.

  110. 110.

    Fair Economist

    McCain has had a checkered record for a while, but one thing we’ve learned though the repeal efforts is that Obamacare was a huge win for the country. If McCain saved it, it’s more consequential than all the things he’s done wrong, and he’s a real hero.

    Edit: similar kudos to Collins and Murkowski. I was kind of taking them fro granted since they’ve been against the whole week, and that’s not fair to them.

  111. 111.

    Mendo

    So all it takes to do the right thing is to get brain cancer?

    Is it wrong to hope 49 GOP senators get brain cancer?

  112. 112.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    @mai naem mobile: Seconded. I think I will too. It’s hard to see McCain as a troll for voting for a MTP, only to kill the bill at the 11th hour, but a magnificent troll he is

  113. 113.

    Chet Murthy

    @m0nty: *cough* without the negativity, what reason would McMaverick have had, to vote “no”? And if, next week, he votes to allow Putinfluffer to continue raping our Republic, what exactly should be our response?

    He did a good deed -today-. For this he should be, and shall be, thanked, and FETED. FETED. But if, tomorrow, he betrays the Republic, then it ends there. Saving a grandma walking across a busy intersection DOES NOT excuse handing the crown jewels to Hitler.

    net: Sure, if he acts like a patriot, we will ALL FETE HIM NON-STOP. As Saint Ronnie used to say: “Trust but Verify”.

    ETA: Wanna echo Baud up-thread about something: Our Dem Tribunes, and their comity: as long as they VOTE against this shit, I don’t care how much they BUTTER UP Rs. I care about their VOTES. Sen. Booker, go ahead and hug McMaverick. But VOTE for US. [and we’ll remember that you VOTED against that reimportation bill, you weakling.] It was GOOD POLITICS to butter-up McMaverick. But Schumer gets credit for holding his caucus. That, again, is good politics.

  115. 115.

    TenguPhule

    @David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch:

    Take a bow everyone who called, emailed, protested, tweeted, facebooked.

    You. Won.

    Now get a good night’s sleep and get ready to do it all over again.

    Yeah, they have another fucking bill waiting after this one.

  116. 116.

    Turgidson

    I’d love to drink the tears of McConnell’s sadness. Except he’s inhuman and incapable of sadness. And I can’t stand to listen to any more goddamn lies about a bill that has brought health and economic security to millions of people, which this insufferable piece of shit just tried to take away.

    I can’t even look at McConnell anymore. Can’t even look at his face without going batty with rage. He’s a goddamn soulless monster.

  117. 117.

    philpm

    McConnell crying for the end of his Senate career. I see him retiring before the year is out.

  120. 120.

    Boussinesque

    @Bill Arnold: Glad to know none of the other Republicans likes Pence much more than we do.

    So kinda like this? “Sure, bring your idiot cousin in to try to convince us to do something, I’m sure THAT won’t backfire at all”

  121. 121.

    jl

    @philpm:

    ” Finally gaveled 49 Ayes, 51 Nays. ”

    It’s over? It’s really over? For really reals?
    Big Donnie’s gonna be pissssssed tomorrow.
    Mooch will snort himself into a heart attack getting ready to be property animated for the presser tomorrow, or his public freak out or whatever it is he does for his new job.

  122. 122.

    randal sexton

    Happily, it seems I was wrong about John McCain this time. Heh heh. I was wrong –

  127. 127.

    jl

    @TenguPhule:

    A fucking bill?

    Maybe McConnell has some innovative ideas on behavioral therapy? I’ll see what it is tomorrow, Won’t get my hopes up.

  128. 128.

    Barbara

    @Fair Economist: This is not directed at McCain, but it is a general sentiment that none of us should celebrate a standard where we only feel the need to be brave and principled when we have nothing to lose.

  129. 129.

    TenguPhule

    @different-church-lady:

    Not to piss in the Cheerios, but does anyone know what they’re going to try next?

    Another amendment to the ACA is the next plan. Its supposed to need 60 votes though. Provided McConnell follows the Senate Rules.

  130. 130.

    Chet Murthy

    @MobiusKlein: Buddy, ain’t nuthin’ wrong with that. We all do what we can. Some commenters here have the intestinal fortitude to attempt to convert Trump voters; I sure don’t. Wish I did, but I don’t. It’s all good.

  131. 131.

    philpm

    @Geoduck: I disagree, he has no power now. He couldn’t get his own party together on what has been their biggest priority for the last 8 years, at a time when he had unlimited opportunity to do so. But his ego was so big, and his hubris so great, that he convinced himself that he could ram this down the throats of his own caucus on his say so. He just got his ass handed to him, and he honestly looked broken when speaking after the vote.

  132. 132.

    m0nty

    @Chet Murthy:

    Yes Chet, we are in violent agreement. When it comes to McCain et al, the operative instruction must be Mistrust And Verify.

    I was pointing out that the recent narrative on here and like-minded blogs about McCain being a heartless bastard, Collins being made of blancmange, Murkowski open to being bought off and Republican moderates always caving will have to be backtracked a little, even if only for this moment.

    Then tomorrow the knives come out again. ;)

  133. 133.

    jl

    McCain must have known the vote count was hopeless or nearly so. Why did he vote to proceed and put himself and everyone through this when he must have known the outcome with, like 99 percent certainty? As I typed above, weird and hard to understand. Why not stay in Arizona and tweet out pics of him lazing around in cool clear watery pools and streams? Sucking on the refreshing iced beverage of his choice?

  134. 134.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @TS:

    Thanks. Wow, I picked a great time to wake up out of a sound sleep! Will phone McCain’s office tomorrow (well, today) to say thanks!

  135. 135.

    Captain C

    @joel hanes: Hey, in his (probable) last major act of public life he was able to both be the one to stop a really horrid and damaging bill from becoming law (does anyone really think the House wouldn’t just take it and pass it?) and stick it to Trump, whom he likely can’t stand (that’s what happens when a draft dodger insults someone who actually became a casualty for his country), and probably also McConnell and Ryan.

    I wouldn’t be totally surprised if this is how he gamed it out when he voted yes on the Motion to Proceed, let the actual Skinny Repeal come to a vote, and he could be the one to zap it. Our last image of him.

  136. 136.

    Chet Murthy

    @CaseyL: Tomorrow, I’m going to call all three. And be effusive in my praise. No, they’re not my senators. No, I’d never vote for ’em. But that won’t stop me. B/c maybe, maybe, maybe it might make a difference. Who knows.

    We’re little people. We need to encourage them to do the right thing. It doesn’t cost much. I’ll think of it as a little homework problem in “Salesmanship 101”.

  137. 137.

    Keith P.

    Plan G is to rename tort reform and getting rid of the estate tax as “A Better Health Care Plan for Tomorrow” (ABHCPT) and try to get that to pass.

  138. 138.

    Chet Murthy

    @Barbara: “celebrating something”, is different from “disingenuously thanking senators for not killing our fellow citizens”. I feel completely capable of doing the former, and I think we all should learn how to do it. B/c the safety of our republic might depend on it, sadly. Which doesn’t mean that, when the safety of our Republic is secured, we shouldn’t turn around and run ’em all out on a FSM-damned rail.

  139. 139.

    JoeSo

    I feel like a Federation officer walking aboard Deep Space Nine after its liberation from the Dominion. McConnell has gone full Dukat I’m told.

  140. 140.

    Bill Arnold

    @Mendo:

    Is it wrong to hope 49 GOP senators get brain cancer?

    Yes. That would be way too improbable. (Among other reasons, the American right is way too twitchy about conspiracy theories these days.)
    Anyway, more momentum-breaking/spine-stiffening/mind-changing/maybe-party-changing are what we should be driving for. IMO.

  141. 141.

    jl

    @Captain C: That’s my guess. He really hates Trump, and Ryan and McConnell’s butt kissing up to the Trumpsters has really pissed him off, so he wanted to kill their number one priority dead dead dead in public, and humiliate them while doing it. The bitterness against Obama may seem like small ‘taters now. WTF was that shit all about, anyway, huh? life can be so funny, right?

    And I think Obama has been nice to him lately. Sent him a nice note.

  142. 142.

    Geoduck

    @philpm: I suppose it’s possible McConnell might get forced out as leader after this, though I stand by my statement about him ever leaving willingly.

  143. 143.

    Chet Murthy

    @jl: Oh, I think it’s clear. He’s always been “the man of the hour” (in his own fevered mind). How exciting could that be, if it didn’t come down to an eleventh-hour vote? This drama … shit, he’s in SEVENTH HEAVEN over this. Imagine (ok, ok, I’m not WISHING FOR THIS, I swear) that he voted, and -then- dropped dead, or collapsed and had to be sent to hospital! Can you just imagine the national adulation? I’m sure he was dreaming of it as he voted.

    Oh, and lemme note that this is all on the assumption that he was always gonna vote “no”. Now let’s imagine that he was “yes’ until tonight. Man, that’s a chilling thought, innit? That until tonight, he was ready to kill his fellow citizens in cold blood, after what he went thru the last few weeks.

    So sure, I prefer to believe that he was just in it for “the show” (as he so memorably put it). He’s the star in his own Broadway show, is all. And we’re all extras. B/c the alternative is that, like Putinfluffer and Peter Thiel, he’s a vampire, feasting on the blood of innocents. So YES, let us celebrate John McMaverick, DRAMA QUEEN!

  145. 145.

    Captain C

    @jl:

    Why did McCain put himself and the country through all this? The other two miserable bills would have failed with or without him. And everyone pretty much know the skinny mini thingy was the next best chance.

    I don’t know if he’s smart or daring enough to game this out and execute it, but perhaps he voted yes on the Motion to Proceed so that he could be the one to nix it by voting no on the actual Skinny Repeal vote. He therefore ends his career stopping an atrocious bill AND sticks it to Donald “I don’t like soldiers who get captured” Trump (and maybe Mitch and Paul as well).

    He’d have to have had solid reason to believe that Collins and Murkowski would be voting no already if so.

  146. 146.

    CaseyL

    I’d wonder how all those GOPers who sold their souls for a vote that failed feels, but that assumes they have souls in the first place. I do hope that each and every one who voted in favor of repeal is covered in cold sweat and feeling sick.

  147. 147.

    Chet Murthy

    @Chet Murthy: ARRGH. I meant “doing the latter”. Not “celebrate” — “disingenuously thank”. The LATTER, not the FORMER!

  149. 149.

    Chet Murthy

    @Barbara: We agree 100%. McMaverick gets celebrated for sacrificing NOTHING. Heller gets excoriated (we hope) for being a dickweed. All part of the disgusting game. Someone on twitter noted that it’s exhausting having to constantly harry our tribunes to do their job. And IT IS. But we gotta do it. I hate it. But we gotta do it. I HATE IT.

  151. 151.

    Betty Cracker

    Aside from McConnell appearing to choke up a little in his maudlin, hypocritical speech, my favorite scene was Pence trudging disconsolately to his motorcade. The beady-eyed bastard was so hoping to cast that tie-breaker. Go home, loser.

  152. 152.

    Hkedi [Kang T. Q.]

    Another thing, If McCain had to chose a moment to cut the power of McConnell, who has run the entire republican senate as a top down totalitarian group since he took power, he really couldn’t have chosen a better moment.

    I’ll still take it.

  153. 153.

    Bill Arnold

    @Boussinesque:

    I’m sure THAT won’t backfire at all

    Precisely. Anyway, let’s go to sleep hoping that some significant amount of political momentum has been shed.

  155. 155.

    eclare

    @jl: Because the miserable POS in the White House called him a loser and not a hero for being captured in Vietnam. And McCain never lets go of a good grudge.

  156. 156.

    Ruckus

    @jl:
    Maybe he wanted to put as much of an end to it as possible. To rub the turtles (and maybe drumpf’s) face in it. He probably wouldn’t do as I think is appropriate and stand at the podium and flip off turtle, but maybe this is the political way of doing just that.
    If I’m not mistaken, and it’s a distinct probability that I am, I think there is a time out limit to reintroduce nominally the same bill and that it will take 60 votes to change that. He hasn’t got that.
    Also now that turtles been beaten soundly about the head with this dead bill maybe more chickenshit republicans might just break ranks. McCain may have actually led the way. I’m going to not hold my breath waiting for this to happen though.

  158. 158.

    Big Jim Slade

    At a glance I read that as “I am pouring myself 18 fingers of Scotch now” lol. Maybe that would’ve been in the post if their attempts at vandalism (trademark Pierce) succeeded.

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