How The Progressive Takeover Could Happen

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15. ACA was never thought to be finished, of course, like Social Security or Medicare. Improving laws is Congress's job.

Al Franken describes some problems he wanted to fix once Democrats had the majority again and could pass reforms, says:

"As recently as November 7, 2016, I was very excited about implementing these ideas as part of the new Democratic Senate majority under President Clinton. In fact, from the moment the law passed, Democrats have been open -- even eager -- to talk about how to improve it and address problems that have arisen as the law has taken effect. Because figuring how to improve laws and address problems is kind of Congress's job. But Republicans have shown no interest in fixing Obamacare. And while it may be easy to dismiss their intransigence as politics as usual, that isn't how things usually go. For example, many Republicans vehemently opposed the creation of Social Security and then of Medicare. But that didn't stop them from supporting, and in some cases even suggesting, ways to improve those laws as it became clear where they needed improvement. ... That's how things are supposed to work. ... But that's not what Republicans thought their job was."

Republican playbook: make government dysfunctional and prevent Democrats from governing to make them appear to not do anything and blame them for the dysfunction. Then come attacks from non-Republicans that Democrats are fine with the "status quo" because out-of-touch and unaware that "the system is broken," content to "nibble around the edges" instead of making change, and the obligatory slander about being corrupt and bribed by campaign contributions. Idiots believe it and chant centrist centrist centrist or whatever the insult du jour is.