memeorandum: Older hill aides shocked by Obamacare prices (Politico)

8:55 AM ET, November 22, 2013

Top Items:

The Democrats' naked power grab — “Congress is broken,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday before holding a party-line vote that disposed of rules that have guided and protected the chamber since 1789. — If Congress wasn't broken before, it certainly is now.

Discussion: Betsy's Page, GOP.com, National Review, PostPartisan, The Fix and The Gateway Pundit

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:

Partisan Fever in Senate Likely to Rise — WASHINGTON — President Obama will get a short-term lift for his nominees, judicial and otherwise, but over the immediate horizon, the strong-arm move by Senate Democrats on Thursday to limit filibusters could usher in an era of rank partisan warfare beyond …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Outside the Beltway, Prairie Weather and NBC Politics

Ezra Klein / Wonkblog:

Nine reasons the filibuster change is a huge deal — 1. The change the Senate made today is small but consequential: The filibuster no longer applies to judicial or executive-branch nominees. It still applies to bills and Supreme Court nominations. — Goodbye, filibuster. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, White House.gov Blog, Taylor Marsh, Hot Air, National Review, ABC News, Talking Points Memo, PostPartisan, Washington Monthly, Washington Center … and Marginal Revolution

Zachary A. Goldfarb / Washington Post:

Senate's filibuster rule change should help Obama achieve key second-term priorities — The Senate vote Thursday to lower the barriers for presidential nominations should make it easier for President Obama to accomplish key second-term priorities, including tougher measures on climate change …

Discussion: PostPartisan, The Daily Caller, Wonkblog and Booman Tribune

John Dickerson / Slate:

The Old Senate Was Already Dead — Passing filibuster reform just made it official. — If West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd were still in the Senate, it would be fascinating to see which side of the recent filibuster debate he would take. Byrd was a defender of Senate traditions …

New York Times:

Democracy Returns to the Senate — For five years, Senate Republicans have refused to allow confirmation votes on dozens of perfectly qualified candidates nominated by President Obama for government positions. They tried to nullify entire federal agencies by denying them leaders.

Discussion: Washington Post, Patterico's Pontifications, Daily Kos, Taking Note, The Mahablog and Power Line

Joel B. Pollak / BREITBART.COM:
NUCLEAR: REID, DEMOCRATS DESTROY FILIBUSTER, 52-48

Discussion: Washington Post and Little Green Footballs

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:
Norm Ornstein: Republicans Forced Reid's Hand On The Nuclear Option

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Wonkblog, Balloon Juice and The Plum Line

Roger Pilon / National Review:
Harry Reid's Nuclear Hypocrisy

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications and protein wisdom

Janet Hook / Wall Street Journal:
Democrats Rein In Senate Filibusters

Discussion: DealBook, Via Meadia, The Volokh Conspiracy, Law Blog and Washington Wire

Brian Beutler / Salon:
Reid goes nuclear — now bring on the liberal activist judges!

Discussion: Liberaland, The Week, The Plum Line and Wonkblog

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:
NUCLEAR OPTION TRIGGERED: Dems Make Historic Change To Filibuster Rules

Discussion: BuzzFeed, Wonkblog, Liberal Values, The Verge, The Impolitic, The Other McCain, Washington Monthly, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Washington Wire

Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:
McCain: Dems Will Pay ‘Heavy, Heavy Price’ For Changing Filibuster

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Daily Kos

The Daily Beast: Why the Filibuster Had to Go — By Jamelle BouieNovember 21st 20132:15 PM

Dan Merica / CNN:
The man who coined the term ‘nuclear option’ regrets ever pursuing it

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, New Day and Washington Free Beacon

Paul Kane / Washington Post:
Reid, Democrats trigger ‘nuclear’ option; eliminate most filibusters on nominees

Discussion: Obsidian Wings, USA Today, Daily Kos, The Plum Line, Right Turn, Guardian, PostPartisan, The Volokh Conspiracy, The Fix, The Democratic Daily, Weasel Zippers, CNN, Hit & Run, ProfessorBainbridge.com, Talking Points Memo, Questions and Observations, The Gateway Pundit and Outside the Beltway

Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:
In Landmark Vote, Senate Limits Use of the Filibuster

Discussion: American Prospect, The Plum Line, The Week, Christian Science Monitor, WJLA-TV, Hot Air, The BLT, The Monkey Cage, LifeNews.com, Prairie Weather, No More Mister Nice Blog, Discourse.net, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Talking Points Memo, TalkLeft, Outside the Beltway, Althouse and Crooked Timber

Paul Waldman / American Prospect:
Don't Believe the Republican Cries of Vengeance

Discussion: First Read, Mother Jones, Right Turn, BBC, The Dish and ThinkProgress

Molly Ball / The Atlantic Online:
Why Harry Reid Went Nuclear

Discussion: Guardian and Prairie Weather

Jose Delreal / Politico:
Paul on Reid: 'We've got a big bully'

Discussion: Reuters and PostPartisan

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:
GOP Senator: Nuclear Option Is ‘Obamacare II’

Discussion: NewsBusters, National Review and Mediaite

ThinkProgress:
Why Senate Democrats Had To Invoke The ‘Nuclear Option’

Discussion: The World's Greatest …, Taegan Goddard's Wonk Wire, Politico and Hullabaloo

Paul Steinhauser / CNN:

Obama approval rating sinks to new low in CNN poll — Washington (CNN) - As President Barack Obama's approval rating hits another all-time low, a new national survey also indicates that Americans say the President has less power than congressional Republicans when it comes to shaping events over the next year.

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, Hot Air, Power Line, TruthRevolt.org, Politico, Talking Points Memo, Weasel Zippers and National Review

CNN:

CNN Poll: JFK tops presidential rankings for last 50 years — Washington (CNN) - John F. Kennedy is the most popular president of the last half century, according to a new national poll — A CNN/ORC International survey released Friday indicates that 90% of all Americans approve of how Kennedy handled his job as President.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Politico:

Older hill aides shocked by Obamacare prices — Veteran House Democratic aides are sick over the insurance prices they'll pay under Obamacare, and they're scrambling to find a cure. — “In a shock to the system, the older staff in my office (folks over 59) have now found …

Discussion: Hot Air

Jonathan Martin / New York Times:

Health Law Is Dividing Republican Governors — SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Republicans are planning to use the troubled health law against Democrats in next year's midterm elections, but the Affordable Care Act is increasingly dividing their party, too. — At the annual meeting …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Scott Walker / Wall Street Journal:

How to Win the Obama-Walker Voters — If conservative principles are the problem, then why are so many Republicans in office who campaigned on them? — In the wake of the 2012 elections, Republicans are being warned once again that they need to compromise their principles to win at the ballot box.

Discussion: Associated Press

Peter Hamby / CNN:
How Chris Christie took over the Republican Governors Association

Discussion: Guardian, Texas Politics, The Week and Washington Post

John Boehner / Speaker.gov:

My Attempt to Sign Up For Health Care … Earlier this afternoon, I sat down to try and enroll in the DC exchange under the president's health care law: — Like many Americans, my experience was pretty frustrating. After putting in my personal information, I received an error message.

Discussion: Right Turn, Political Capital, Politico, Talking Points Memo, Post Politics, Hot Air, Business Insider, TIME and Washington Free Beacon

Bloomberg:

Insurers to Get Extra Month to Set 2015 Obamacare Rates — The Obama administration plans to push back by a month the second-year start of enrollment in its health program to give insurers more time to adjust to growing pains in the U.S. law, a move that may stave off higher premiums before the 2014 congressional elections.

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Right Wing News and The Daily Caller

Dylan Byers / Politico:

Obama holds off-record meeting with MSNBC hosts, liberal pundits — President Obama held an off-the-record meeting with MSNBC hosts and liberal pundits on Thursday, POLITICO has learned. — Present at the meeting: MSNBC's Ed Schultz and Lawrence O'Donnell, Washington Post economics blogger Ezra Klein …

Discussion: Hot Air and Weasel Zippers