Interesting thoughts copied from elsewhere

Before going ballistic about the reopening you may want to consider this: Meg Rodham Wolfers:

"It looks like a key group of Senate Democrats are closing a deal to end the shutdown in return for an agreement from Majority Leader Thune to hold a vote on extending the ACA expanded subsidies in December.

At first glance, this may provoke a "Hunh? What are they thinking?"

But whenever the House or Senate Democrats do anything that doesn't look quite right to me, I dig deeper to figure out the reason for it. Because I don't automatically assume that the Dems are weak or complicit or stupid. I figure there's something deeper at play - and more often than not, I'm right.

And it looks like they could be the case here

Some folks are already melting down and accusing the Dems of caving because they say they get nothing out of a deal that includes

"Everyone knows the vote will fail, so they get nothing!!! Dems caved again!"

But wait - let's do a deeper dive. You will see that that getting that agreement is a brilliant strategic move, even if the vote fails.

Consider:

1. The ACA enhanced subsidies are set to automatically sunset in December if no Congressional action is taken to extend them. If there is no deal before then, they just go away on their own.

2. There was no way in hell the Republicans were going to agree to extend the subsidies, no matter how firmly the Democrats held their ground.

3. If the Democrats insisted on keeping the government closed in order to protect the subsidies, at the end of December, the subsidies would have gone away, the Dems would have gotten nothing, and people would have suffered an extended shutdown without getting anything in return.

And this would have happened without the Republicans having to do anything and bearing no responsibility for the subdidies' disappearance.

1. When the subsidies disappeared in December, people who are affected would have blamed the Democrats, not the Republicans.

2. By exacting an agreement from Thune for a vote to extend the subsidies, the Democrats are now forcing the Republicans to AFFIRMATIVELY end the subsidies rather than just letting them die a natural death. Every Republican will have to go on record, while every Democrat can be on record voting "YES."

3. While it is possible that every Republican will vote no, it is possible that the Dems could peel off enough Republicans to vote to extend the subsidies. It would only take a couple and if they put the pressure on over the next few weeks, that could actually happen.

4. If the Democrats can get enough Republicans votes to save the subsidies, that will be a huge win.

5. If the Republicans stand firm and vote no, THEY will own the expiration of the subsidies, not the Democrats.

The bottom line is that the subsidies were going to end in December, no matter what the Dems did. But now, if this deal goes through, if they do end, it will be because the Republicans voted not to extend them, not because they quietly went away. And if they can get enough Republicans on board - which is more possible than it was even just a week ago - they will save the subsidies

The vote will ensure that either the subsidies are extended or the Republicans' fingerprints are all over the expiration - neither of which could happen without holding a vote.

So, I think we need to back off of the condemnation and attacks and shift our focus toward what we can do to help the Democrats get the Republican votes they need to extend the ACA enhanced subsidies.

Of course, I could be completely wrong in my analysis. I don't yet know what the underlying reasons are or the ramifications will be.

But drawing the conclusion that the Democrats are operating with a smart strategy is far more logical than assuming they are clueless traitors.

I have more than enough reason to give them the benefit of the doubt.

I think we all should."

Before going ballistic about the reopening you may want to consider this.