My must read of the day is "Landrieu to propose saving vanishing health plans," in Politico:
Sen. Mary Landrieu said Wednesday she would propose legislation to ensure all Americans could keep their existing insurance coverage under Obamacare, a fresh sign of the political problems the law’s rollout has created for congressional Democrats.
Landrieu, a Democrat who faces a tough reelection in Louisiana in 2014, said she would either offer her own bill or formally sign onto another measure that would ensure that the law would not force anyone off of their existing health policies.
"The promise was made, and it should be kept," Landrieu said in the Capitol Wednesday. "And it was our understanding when we voted for that bill that people when they have insurance could keep with what they had. So I’m going to be working on that fix."
Landrieu seems to be joining a larger pattern of red-state Democrats backing away from Obamacare in a piecemeal manner (think Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D., N.H.) and Manchin (D., W.V.)).
It’s a significant change.
What it shows is that Obamacare is becoming increasingly difficult to defend in states where reelection as a Democrat is far from guaranteed. Lawmakers in safe states and safe districts like Rep. Frank Pallone (D., N.J.) can brush off criticisms as "red herrings" and stand by the law.
But not Democrats like Landrieu and others up for reelection in red states in 2014. Those Democrats have to face reality: Obamacare is not turning out as promised. It is drastically different. And the voters know that.