It’s The Stupid, Stupid

Politico:

the center of their midterm message as they seek to protect their majorities in Congress. But as cost-of-living concerns mount across the political spectrum, the GOP is struggling to act decisively to address them.

Already top Republicans acknowledge they haven’t done enough to sell the “one big, beautiful bill,” the party-line centerpiece of their economic agenda they enacted over the summer. Now internal divisions and the need for bipartisan support in the Senate are threatening any attempt to follow up on it.

You mean they haven’t figured out how to convince people that rising food prices due to deporting farm laborers, and rising prices due to tariffs, and eliminating the ACA to give tax cuts to billionaires, is all good for John Q. Public?

Imagine that.

Maybe it would be better to say the GOP went on an epic bender last summer, and now the bill for the party has been presented. Because it’s not a matter of “messaging,” it’s a matter of “what the hell did you expect?”

Yet top GOP leaders in Congress are keeping expectations low for major new economic legislation. Instead, they are betting on having an easier time addressing affordability questions next month, when new programs enacted as part of the megabill start impacting voters — like no taxes on some tips and overtime income.

Never mind. It really is idiots all the way down.

A plethora of rank-and-file options are under development, with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) backing a two-year extension of the subsidies with new eligibility restrictions, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) wanting to provide more flexibility for health savings accounts and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) proposing to make it easier to deduct medical expenses on their income taxes.

“It’s a disaster,” Hawley said. “Health care, as it currently is, is too expensive for everybody.”

I mean, seriously.