The magic carpet ride...

"The Speaker may be able to whip this thing up enough to get it out of the House, but getting it through the Senate will take more magic than Aladdin has in his carpet."

While watching the Disney movie Aladdin with my grandson, one of the main songs is called, Its a Whole New World. In that song, Aladdin tries to get the gal he is suiting to ride on a magic carpet with him. While on the carpet, he holds out his hand and asks her, "Do you trust me?" She gave him a doubtful look and did not answer. Then he asked again, "Well, do you?" She reluctantly said yes, and then climbed on the magic carpet with him. Why do I bring this up? This is what the GOP is asking of us with the new American Health Care Act. To have the trust to climb on this magic carpet.

After seven or so years of coming up with a better mousetrap, the House Republicans have released American Health Care Act, version 1.0. It just came back from having the supposedly nonpartisan CBO score it. And this better mousetrap came back a lemon. The scoring does not get a letter grade, but if it did, it would have been a classic fail. 

As predicted, according to the CBO it would put over 24 million people who are now insured, out of luck by 2026. In addition, it would increase the cost of premiums in the next couple years by 15 to 20 percent over what is being paid now. The good news? The premiums should come down to 10 percent lower than what people are paying today by 2026. Oh - and this new healthcare bill it will help reduce the deficit. 

Here are the arguments I have heard so far by the House GOP sales team:

• If we don't do something now, we will be stuck with ObamaCare forever.
• The bill will get better as it goes through reconciliation with the Senate.
• The CBO is not taking into consideration the positive effect market forces will have on this new bill.

Now, nobody, and I mean nobody, wants ObamaCare done away with more than I. That being said, when I look at this Rube Goldberg bill the House GOP has come up with, all I can do is shake my head. Just off hand, I would say "Joe Six Pack" will make out worse under this bill than he is under ObamaCare. The Republicans need to remember a very important fact. There were a lot of "Joe Six Packs" in states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania which got President Trump elected.

The Speaker may be able to whip this thing up enough to get it out of the House, but getting it through the Senate will take more magic than Aladdin has in his carpet. Especially if McConnell wants to keep the vote from going nuclear.  He really does need to get 60 votes to get it passed through the upper chamber.

No - there may be more here than I am aware of. If there is, shame on me for not seeing it. And by the way - then also shame on the GOP sales team for not selling it in a rational way in which I (and many others) can understand.