Many of us have been wondering for literally years whether the Harry Reid would ever pull the trigger and rein in or end the filibuster. He finally did. In our second TPMPrime Longform (sub req), TPM’s Sahil Kapur gives a detailed history of the filibuster’s demise and what finally brought Reid, who’d hedged so many times, over to the side of the reformers.
Advocates for health care reform are convinced GOP-controlled states that decided not to expand Medicaid under Obamacare will eventually come around. Too much money is being left on the table for it not to happen … eventually. But they’re not waiting around. Advocates are beginning to organize those who have been caught in the GOP’s Medicaid gap as Exhibit A for why states should expand the program. As Dylan Scott reports, that campaign is farthest along in Texas.
The Republican Study Committee saw its mission as pushing the GOP even further to the right, but this week Executive Director Paul Teller was fired. Read more about him and how his firing represents the fight for the soul of the Republican party.
One observer said: “Maybe that’s the concern from the leadership; that he’s too effective.”
Last day of Diane Ravitch: “Basic skills are necessary, but they are not enough to prepare the citizen.”
Be sure to join us her for a live chat at noon ET (TPM Prime sub. req.).
The latest twist in the birther conspiracy theory involves the tragic death of a Hawaiian official who once verified President Obama’s birth certificate. You guessed it: the birthers suspect she was killed because she knew too much. Oh, and because she was involved in Obamacare. Or something.
The case of a Capitol Hill aide arrested on child porn charges has a Toronto connection.
If you didn’t see his press conference midday, John Boehner let it rip against outside conservative/tea party groups — even more so than he had earlier in the week. Watch. (Also, epic Boehner face.)
Fired Chief of Staff to Sen. Lamar Alexander allegedly had hundreds of child porn videos in his possession.
Diane Ravitch: “For the past dozen years, ill-advised federal policies have rained down on students, teachers, principals and schools.”
We’re hosting a TPM Prime (sub. req.) live chat with Ravitch tomorrow at noon ET. Also joining us: Rachael Brown, manager of teacher retention and recognition for District of Columbia Public Schools, and Chad Alderman, associate partner at Bellwether Education Partners. Should be a good discussion.
If you’re a Prime member and have been asking about ‘credit subscriptions’, we finally plan to start selling them this week. If you don’t remember what they are, please give me a moment to explain what they are and why we think they’re so important to our readers and to TPM as an organization.