So now there’s a new promise. If your lousy health insurance was canceled, you can now buy even lousier insurance. If you want to. And you can take the “hardship exemption” so you don’t have to worry about the individual mandate. You need someone to explain what this means? That’s why the Washington Post invented Ezra Klein.
Ezra Klein gives you 10 pointers on the new Obamacare rules. Via the Washington Post.
In the budget deal, guess who won. It was Republicans or Democrats. It was the Defense Dept. Via LA Times.
Pope Francis keeps sending messages (to Republican members of Congress?): Stop following the prosperity gospel and ignoring the poor, he said on Vatican Radio. “It is an ugly thing when you see a Christian who doesn’t want to humble himself, who doesn’t want to serve, a Christian who struts about everywhere. It’s ugly, eh? That is not a Christian. That’s a pagan! Jesus himself reminds us, He who has fed, welcomed, visited, loved one of the smallest and poorest of people, has done it for the Son of God.”
Perhaps related: Wisconsin Republican Congressman, demonstrative Catholic and trickle-down economics Ayn Rand apostle Paul Ryan is signaling he won’t run for higher office in 2016. The Hill.
Why is everyone freaking out about Pajama Boy? Why do you think? Via MSNBC.
The good news from 2013: It’s the year the grand bargain died. That’s how the New Republic sees it anyway.
A politician making the case for newspapers? Yep. Rep. Henry Waxman writes the Tribune Co., asking it to stop ruining the Los Angeles Times. Via National Journal.
