News Nuggets 1336

DAYLEE PICTURE: High tide along the Chioggia in Venice.  From National Geographic.

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HEALTH CARE "REALITY CHECK" NUGGETS!!
Obamacare Hyperventilation to Continue Forever! (Jonathan Chait) from New York Magazine
This one is a must-read!
"National Journal will publish a story by conservative writer Josh Kraushaar arguing that Democrats in Congress are fleeing the law, and edging toward support for repeal. In fact, the opposite is occurring. ... The website is kind of working already. Lost in the Keep Your Plan imbroglio, it appears that healthcare.gov has already reached a point of functionality."

Healthcare Plan Enrollment Surges in Some States After Rocky Rollout from the Los Angeles Times
"Despite the disastrous rollout of the federal government's healthcare website, enrollment is surging in many states as tens of thousands of consumers sign up for insurance plans made available by President Obama's health law. A number of states that use their own systems, including California, are on track to hit enrollment targets for 2014 because of a sharp increase in November, according to state officials."

The Best Of The Dish Today (Andrew Sullivan) from the Daily Dish
"Why is socialism so damn more efficient than capitalism when it comes to healthcare? I think the answer is a relatively simple one, and it was elegantly made by a commenter on Yuval’s piece at NRO. Money quote: ..."

Sorry, Republicans: No Big Drop in Obamacare Support (Joan McCarter) from Daily Kos
"Despite the bad website roll-out, despite the controversy over the small percentage of the population getting a huge proportion of media attention for losing their current policies, despite the hyperactive media equating all this to Katrina, the American people are not abandoning support for Obamacare in any significant numbers."

In States Where the Website Works, Obamacare Works Too (Kevin Drum) from Mother Jones Magazine
"It really is all about the website. In places where it's working, people are signing up and are pretty happy with what they're getting. Rate shock is an issue for a few of them, but not for a lot. The bottom line is the Republican Party's worst nightmare: Once Obamacare has been up and running for a while, it's going to be pretty popular."

Fix The Website, And The Political Problem Solves Itself (Gene Lyons) from the National Memo
"While much of their intended audience dozes, headline-hungry, ratings-driven, click-soliciting news organizations act increasingly like a litter of kittens in a room full of balloons—excitedly chasing the next big political scandal or a glimpse of Miley Cyrus’s nipple. Whichever comes first. That’s life at CLNN, “Where the Sky Is Always Falling.”"

Poll: Most Americans Oppose Obamacare Repeal Despite Rollout Troubles from the National Journal
"United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection poll finds public opinion on the health law holding steady with a narrow split emerging on its ultimate impact."

The Right’s in a Box: Here’s How GOP Loses Obamacare Fight (Brian Beutler) from Salon
"The amazing politics of Obamacare's success stories -- especially in Kentucky -- could cost the GOP their leader."

Why It’s Time To Start Talking About Reforming, Not Repealing, Obamacare (David Frum) from the Daily Beast
"If a "repeal ACA" president takes office in 2017, he or she will face a reality in which repeal means stripping millions of people—potentially up to 10 million—of a government benefit they will by then have enjoyed for more than three years. Such a move would be the most radical reduction in social coverage ever seen in a democratic country."

Republicans Will Keep Heading Right!: What the Media Doesn’t Comprehend (Paul Rosenberg) from Salon
"Chattering classes are convinced Chris Christie will move GOP to the center. This totally misunderstands history."

Finally, Some Good News for Democrats About ObamaCare (no, really) (Jon Terbush) from The Week 
"ObamaCare's debut was a disaster — but its second act may not be."

Voter Suppression Backfires in North Carolina, Spreads in Texas (Ari Berman) from Moyers and Company
"Shortly after passing the country’s worst voter suppression law, North Carolina Republicans targeted student voting. ...  these moves backfired badly on the North Carolina GOP in the 2013 local elections. ... The news on voting rights was much worse in Texas, where voters experienced many problems with the new voter ID law."

The Dance of Bubba and Obama—and How It Helps Hillary (Eleanor Clift) from the Daily Beast
"The fates of the two presidents standing side by side at JFK’s gravesite today are intertwined—Clinton is now Obama’s life raft, and if Obama can recover, Hillary is the beneficiary."