We get it. Republicans don’t like the Affordable Care Act, aka ‘Obamacare’. But over the last few days I’ve noticed a new trend, or at least the frequency of it seems to be increasing. Let’s call it Obamacare McCarthyism, a new intra-Republican political cudgel cued up for the 2014 political season, in which different anti-Obamacare Republicans attack each other for either being crypto-supporters of Obamacare, being Obamacare-curious or even just having earlier periods of Obamacare confusion.
Jeremy Gordon Grinnell, a professor of systematic theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, has resigned as a pastor and been placed on leave from his professorship after being arrested on November 8th for being a ‘peeping tom’, or as they call it under Michigan law, “surveilling an unclothed person.”
As you know if you’re a core TPM Reader, the Golden Dukes are coming. And momentum and excitement are already starting to build.
But this year we’re considering something new. The famed Golden Dukes statuette has existed going back to 2007. But it’s always just been an image, a mere concept in our quest for the ultimate scandal. Well, this year we are considering actually commissioning the actual statuette and bestowing it in person to the winner of the Best Scandal – General Interest.
The Obama administration tells TPM that the previously delayed Spanish-language version of HealthCare.gov — CuidadoDeSalud.gov — will launch in early December.
Pope denounces “trickle down” economics. This is part of the new ‘apostolic exhortation’ Francis issued today Evangelii Gaudium, which confirms and expands on his calls over recent months for a more missionary church focused on the poor and suffering.
Yesterday Dylan Scott published this exclusive on how the White House is asking the big outside pro-reform groups not to start flooding HealthCare.gov with new visitors next week. They’re looking for a gradual return of potential purchasers.
Mark Halperin says yes, there are ‘death panels’ that are “built into” Obamacare. Watch.
Whether you’re Catholic or not, if you’ve been watching the unexpected progress of his Papacy, you’ll want read this. Francis has released his first ‘apostolic exhortation’, which is entirely his own work, Evangelii Gaudium, (The Joy of the Gospel). It brings together the various statements and goals Francis has enunciated over the last eight months and actually takes them further, focusing on a missionary church focused on the poor and not over-bound by intricacies of the Church’s doctrines on sexual politics. “I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security. I do not want a church concerned with being at the center and then ends up by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures.” Read about it here.
How relentless is the GOP’s anti-Obamacare messaging? A sampling from our inbox.