Daily Meme: The Passion of Kathleen Sebelius

April 16, 2014

8:44 PM

Let's just say that this has not been Kathleen Sebelius's year. As secretary of Health and Human Services, she absorbed much of the blame for the botched rollout of the Obamacare website. Even after the White House exceeded its health insurance signup goal--the chance for a victory lap if there ever was one--Sebelius announced last week that she was stepping down.
Republicans could barely conceal their glee upon hearing that their arch-nemesis was departing. Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn asked her Twitter followers whether they'd be breaking out "red solo cups" or "crystal stemware" to celebrate Sebelius's resignation.
Ted Cruz speculated that the Democrats pushed out Sebelius because Senate Democrats were "scared."
Everyone had something to say about Sebelius's legacy. Maryland Democrat Elijah Cummings generously declared that Sebelius would be a "footnote in history." (We should all be so lucky.)
Now, Sebelius is on an apology tour. In an interview with Meet the Press on Sunday, she acknowledged that her initial timetables for the Affordable Care Act website were flat-out wrong.
Why would Sebelius be so bent on repairing her good name? She may be mulling a run for Senate in her home state of Kansas.
The Republican reaction to this rumor? LOL.
But Democrats say Sebelius might have a shot, especially if the Republican incumbent, Pat Roberts, loses to his Tea Party challenger in the primary. Roberts's current rival is a fellow named Milton Wolf, a distant cousin of Obama with a penchant for strange Facebook posts.
One thing's for sure: Sebelius and Roberts aren't too cozy these days. Roberts supported Sebelius's confirmation as secretary, but then bashed her "gross incompetence" over the Obamacare rollout and called for her resignation. Payback time?

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