Karl Rove says O’Donnell ‘Handled The Witchcraft Thing Great.’

So now Republicans are talking up reconciliation as a way to repeal ObamaCare. You remember reconciliation, right? During the health care reform debate, Republicans called it a threat to democracy and to all that is right and good in the world.

But rather than focusing on the hypocrisy, Matt Yglesias makes the excellent point that this is the way it’s supposed to work: Read More

Did Barbara Boxer really put the brakes on a tax cut vote in the Senate?

Dorgan on tax cut question …

“The question is when–it’ll be before the end of the year–and the question is what is extended, is it all of it or just up to $250,000. I mean, I think those questions need to be answered, and they certainly will be answered before the end of the year.”

Sounds like some of the opposition to a pre-election vote in the Senate may be coming from some very unexpected quarters.

Bill Clinton says Dems should present a national platform for the midterm. See the video.

I mean, yeah. What an idea.

TPM Reader KK sets the stage:

If the reports are true that the Senate is going to close up shop without holding the damn votes on the tax cut proposals, I think it’s worth considering the double whammy the Democrats have set themselves up for.

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TPM Reader DG gets it …

So Democrats think they are better off facing Republican ads saying that Dems are going to increase taxes on all Americans by $3.9 trillion than Republican ads saying that Dems are going to increase taxes on the wealthiest 2% by $700 billion.

House Dems finally cave on pre-election tax cut vote.

They’ll consider doing it as lame ducks post-election.

Among the many wrong-headed reasons for not voting on middle class tax cuts before the election, this one is the one that puts me over the edge: After getting shellacked at the polls in the midterms, Democrats can come back in a lame-duck session and pass the tax cuts then.

Huh?