Elizabeth Warren

The WSJ reports this morning that the effort to repeal the medical device tax, instituted as part of the revenue raising provisions in Obamacare, is gaining traction.   Ms. Warren has been one of the supporters of this effort.  I will watch carefully to see what she does if the issue requires a vote.  Will she only vote to repeal if there are expense cuts elsewhere to make up the resulting revenue shortfall?   Or will she show what I believe to be her true colors, namely tax and spend and damn the consequences.

Frank Pallone

Frank Pallone has been a Congressman for some time, but you wouldn't think that reading his statement yesterday about the budget debate.

He's quoted as saying "I could sit here and say 'Well, I'm not going to vote for a budget unless you agree to pass gun safety legislation.' That's not the way this place is supposed to operate."

But of course that's exactly how Congress operates, and always has. I'm sure if I took the time to dig into Mr. Pallone's history, I'd find countless examples of his engaging in precisely that kind of bartering.  Alas, hypocrisy permeates Washington.

Mr. Pallone is trying to make the point that defunding Obamacare and passing a budget are unrelated and shouldn't be tied together.  Is he serious?  Funding for Obamacare is part of the budget just as much as military expenditures are.   Perhaps Mr. Pallone believes there's some source other than taxes for paying the cost of Obamacare.   He should read the Supreme Court's decision upholding it.