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From The Reporter’s Notebook
While Donald Trump may not have had kind words for 3-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep after her speech railing against him at the Golden Globes Sunday night, he was singing a different tune as recently as 2015, TPM’s Kristin Salaky wrote. In an interview flagged by US Weekly, Trump told The Hollywood Reporter that Streep was “excellent” and praised her character. “Meryl Streep is excellent; she’s a fine person, too,” he said at the time.
Agree or Disagree?
Josh Marshall: “If repeal is delayed – and more importantly, if it is delayed to have a debate over replacement – Republicans may have missed their best chance to get rid of the law. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying it won’t happen. But without creating a fate accompli early it will be much harder – both in terms of the politics and in terms of the perverse desire to kick tens of millions off their health care coverage. “
Say What?!
“You can’t give him the benefit of the doubt on this? And he’s telling you what was in his heart. You always want to go by what comes out of his mouth rather than look at what’s in his heart.”
– Top Donald Trump aide Kellyanne Conway on Monday morning defended Trump’s 2015 campaign appearance during which he appeared to mock a disabled reporter.
BUZZING: Today in the Hive
From a TPM Prime member: “The plan is pretty clear by now. It’s not ‘repeal and replace,’ it’s ‘undermine and blame.’ To wit: by simply threatening to end the ACA over the next year, or two years, or whatever, insurers are being actively discouraged from participating in the exchanges. This will lead to the collapse of the exchanges, after which the GOP can blame the ACA for it’s demise. Selling insurance is about making long bets. An insurer who thinks that the exchanges might not exist in two years is going to cut it’s losses right now, and exit that line of business. If enough insurers exit the exchanges, the exchanges will become untenably expensive and the entire enterprise will fail. There’s no magic here. The GOP knows exactly what it’s doing, and is simply trying to undermine the ACA to the point that the ACA can be blamed for being a “disaster” and shut down without public repercussions.”
Related: Five Points On Where The Obamacare Repeal Saga Stands Right Now
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What We’re Reading
Contrary to Trump’s Claim, the “Dress Shops” in D.C. Are Definitely Not Sold Out (Jezebel)
Jared Kushner’s Rise to Unimaginable Power (New York Magazine)
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