Day 77.

I want to be sure we don’t lose the plot here. What we should focus on and what we should let pass.

This is a guide to how to fight a populist, from Venezuela. It took the country years to figure this out.

See number 2, “Show no contempt”? Let’s talk about this for a while.

Today in hearings for the nomination for head of the OMB, Senator Jeff Merkley got sucked in. He said he was pushing in service of facts, but it smelled like contempt.

Don’t get sucked in. Stick to the issues. I’m going to do my best to do that here. I was lucky enough to learn today about the budget reconciliation process in the Senate. If you want to understand the bills we’re going to see about healthcare, and about tax reform, and about how they will work and whether they will pass with or without bipartisan support, you need to understand this.

I’m devoting tomorrow’s post to this issue. I’ll then explain how that applies to ACA.

I know there’s a lot getting thrown at us right now. And it’s easier to commiserate about how crazy someone is than to face the fact that some of the policy being made right now is something that scares you. But you have to face that and push through your fear. The only way this will succeed is if we stick to the issues.