4 May 2017 — 1948 mdt
Is Jon Tester going rogue on the Affordable Care Act?
He might, reports The Hill:
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) said Thursday that he is open to repealing and replacing ObamaCare even as his party’s leadership demands that Republicans drop their effort to nix President Obama’s signature healthcare law.
Tester’s spokesman, Luke Jackson, said the senator does not support the bill just passed by the U.S. House.
But Tester clearly wants voters to think he’ll reach across the aisle and take the extra step to reach a compromise because, well, Democrats think compromise is intrinsically meritorious and that making a deal, even a bad deal or a dumb deal, is blessed by Heaven because it feels so good to make a noble sacrifice. Which is to say, Tester is trying to appear reasonable.
After today’s health care vote in the U.S. House, it should be clear that anyone who believes Democrats can cut acceptable deals with Donald Trump and Paul Ryan is delusional. It’s time for Democrats — and that includes Tester — to lay down their olive branches and pick up their swords and shields. It’s time to fight.