News Nuggets 1328

DAYLEE PICTURE: A koala joey at Taranga Zoo in Sydney, Australia.  From Zooborns.

Getting It Right on Obamacare (David Frum) from the Daily Beast
"I hate to say ‘I told you so,’ but extremist Republicans still don’t understand that their obstruction on health-care reform isn’t helping. Here’s what I have to say to the critics."

Ignore Republican Nihilism. Obamacare is Already Working (Michael Cohen) from the Guardian [of the UK]
"... for all its hiccups, Obamacare is well on its way to transforming how Americans receive healthcare – and almost certainly for the better. For most Americans, Obamacare will mean little evident change. If, like the vast majority of Americans, you receive your insurance through your employer today … you will continue to receive it from them tomorrow. And you will do so with greater security and more flexibility if you leave your job. The real change, however, is on the individual market, which before Obamacare was a godawful mess."

The Obamacare Sabotage Campaign from Politico
"To the undisputed reasons for Obamacare’s rocky rollout — a balky website, muddied White House messaging and sudden sticker shock for individuals forced to buy more expensive health insurance — add a less acknowledged cause: calculated sabotage by Republicans at every step.  That may sound like a left-wing conspiracy theory — and the Obama administration itself is so busy defending the indefensible early failings of its signature program that it has barely tried to make this case. But there is a strong factual basis for such a charge."

The Uproar Over Insurance ‘Cancellation’ Letters (David Firestone) from the New York Times
"Republicans were apparently furious that government would dare intrude on an insurance company’s freedom to offer a terrible product to desperate people. ... Luckily, a comprehensive and affordable insurance policy is no longer a Ferrari; it is now a basic right. In the face of absurd comments and analogies like this one, Ms. Sebelius never lost her cool in three-and-a-half hours of testimony, perhaps because she knows that once the computer problems and the bellowing die down, the country will be far better off."

The GOP Push for Obamacare Repeal is Dead (Jonathan Bernstein) from the Washington Post
"The swirl of daily news now about the Affordable Care Act has increased so much now that the most important development has been overlooked: the Republican position of the last three and a half years, “repeal,” is now 100 percent dead. ... Just in practical terms, implementation of the health law (along with changes that happen over time no matter what the government does) mean that the system-that-was just is no more."

A War on the Poor (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times
"What happened to the Republican Party? It's almost as if the party is solely focused on its hostility to the less fortunate."

Poll: Growing Number of Republicans Dislike GOP from the Wall Street Journal
"October was clearly a cruel month for both President Barack Obama and the Republicans, both of whom saw their images slump to new lows in Wall Street Journal/NBC News polling.  But hidden within the data is a more disturbing reality for the Republican Party. Put simply, Democrats are largely content with their own party, while distaste among Republicans for the GOP has grown exponentially this year."

Republican Campaign Committee Pushes Back Against Conservative Group from the New York Times
"In a warning shot to outside conservative groups, the National Republican Senatorial Committee this week informed a prominent Republican advertising firm that it would not receive any contracts with the campaign committee because of its work with a group that targets incumbent Senate
Republicans."

For Dems, 2014 Isn't Looking Bad (Chris Matthews) from MSNBC
"Democrats are still a long shot to take back the House in 2014 but their path to victory is now more realistic than it was prior to the political showdowns we saw this month, thanks to the GOP’s plummeting poll numbers and the dislike for standard bearer Ted Cruz. Chris Matthews has more with Bill Hughes Jr. and Vincent Powers."

House Dems Pull Pages From the Rahm Playbook from Roll Call
"DCCC Chairman Steve Israel has sought to emulate former Chairman Rahm Emanuel with relentless recruitment, an incessant focus on messaging and Emanuel’s aggressive style — minus a few four-letter expletives."

Hillary Clinton Plans To Launch New Project To Empower Women from the Huffington Post
"Hillary Rodham Clinton announced a new initiative Friday called "No Ceilings" to empower women and children around the globe. The project could serve as the basis of a recurring campaign theme if she decides to run for president again."

The Cheneys Will Stop at Nothing to Get Liz Elected to the Senate (Molly Ball) from the Atlantic
"The Wyoming GOP primary campaign is already shaping up to be a scorched-earth affair, demonstrating the kind of senator Liz Cheney would likely be."
In my view, this story isn't so much about the ruthlessness of the Cheneys (although there is no denying that they are ruthless) as it is about the take-no-prisoners mentality of many of GOP primary challengers that are lining up for next year's primary season.

BRITISH MONARCHY BOOK NUGGET!!
The Forgotten Reign of England’s Lesbian Queen (Michael Korda) from the Daily Beast
"The last of the Stuart monarchs ruled England with brilliance and intrigue, likely had an affair with a Churchill ancestor, and made sure her country stayed Protestant. Finally she gets the biography her
remarkable life deserves."

BILL CLINTON NUGGET!!
Bill Clinton On Obama: 'He's Luckier Than A Dog With Two Dicks' from the Huffington Post
"During the 2012 campaign, former President Bill Clinton was amazed that President Barack Obama seemed to be catching break after break, while GOP nominee Mitt Romney seemed to stumble constantly. "He's luckier than a dog with two dicks," Clinton would often tell his pals, according to the new book "Double Down" by journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann.  Meanwhile, Clinton thought Romney was a good guy who had fallen into the wrong line of work."