Dems Plot Mutiny Over 'Keep Your Plan' Fail

The ObamaCare rollout has been a mess, and many congressional Democrats are readying the lifeboats in advance of abandoning ship. Writing for Yahoo News, Chris Moody says they're "scrambling to cover their hides before next year’s midterm elections." The Hill's headline paints a slightly more intense picture: "House Dems about to 'go crazy.'" At the heart of their frustration: The Americans set to lose their current insurance policy because of ObamaCare. The House plans to vote tomorrow on a bill put forth by GOP Rep. Fred Upton that would let Americans keep their current plan, penalty-free, through next year—and some Democrats are now indicating they may support it unless the White House comes up with what the New York Times calls a "satisfactory alternative." The Times notes the bill already has two Democratic co-sponsors: Georgia's John Barrow and North Carolina's Mike McIntyre.

Democratic Rep. Mike Doyle calls the Upton bill "terrible," but says "we need something else to vote for in order to keep our word to the American people." Two such "something elses" are taking shape in the Senate: Democrat Mary Landrieu's proposal would let people keep their current health insurance permanently but pushes them to move to better insurance, reports the Times; Democrat Mark Udall's bill would let them keep it for two years. Landrieu points out that her bill is no cousin of Upton's. "That bill guts the Affordable Care Act ... and [I] would urge the Democrats in the House not to support it. My bill is not meant to undermine the Affordable Care Act; it’s meant to strengthen it." Jay Carney says the president's team is working on "options for him to review," but there's no word if those will be made public before the House vote tomorrow. (More ObamaCare stories.)