BREAKING NEWS: Reid Goes Nuclear 

Hours ago, Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid invoked a parliamentary maneuver to change the Senate rules and restrict the rights of the minority party. Under normal Senate procedure, it requires a super-majority of 67 votes to change the Senate rules. But the tactic Reid deployed today is so controversial, it is known as the "nuclear option." 

In fact, three Democrats voted with all 45 Republicans to oppose the rules change. But with 52 votes, Reid prevailed. 

It wasn't that long ago when Republicans controlled the Senate. Frustrated by liberals who were repeatedly blocking conservative nominees, they threatened to do the same thing. Liberals and their media allies howled with outrage at the GOP's disrespect of minority rights and its alleged abuse of power.

My advice to Senate conservatives: Do not allow the Senate to conduct any business until this is corrected!

Sure, there will be criticism for shutting down the Senate and blocking votes. But Harry Reid is not allowing votes on legislation he does not like, such as the House-passed bill allowing individuals to keep the health insurance plans they like. 

This vote is just the latest manifestation of the left's growing intolerance and its willingness to ignore, bend and break rules it finds inconvenient -- whether it's the Defense of Marriage Act, our immigration laws or Obamacare. 

To the left, the ends justify the means. Harry Reid broke the Senate rules in order to make it easier to pack the courts with more left-wing judicial activists. 

Today's Obamacare Disaster Update 

Each new day brings more bad headlines about Obamacare and more handwringing from liberals. Here's the latest: 
 

• The Washington Post reports in a front page story that Obamacare is limiting consumer choices -- specifically the ability of consumers to choose some of the nation's best, most well-respected hospitals. 

  Among those excluded from Obamacare's exchanges: "the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, and children’s hospitals in Seattle, Houston and St. Louis…" The effect: "That's forcing people … to leave doctors they like." 
   

• Approximately five million Americans in the individual insurance market have had their health insurance policies cancelled because of Obamacare. Obama apologized, sort of, for this disruption. But he was also quick to minimize the damage, saying, "We're talking about five percent of the population who are in what's called the individual market." The assumption is that individuals or families who are covered through their employer are safe. They are not. 

  Yet another report warns that a far greater avalanche of cancellations from employer-sponsored plans will hit next year, potentially affecting "up to 100 million small and large business policies."  
   

• Obamacare Navigators in Texas are embroiled in another controversy. First they were busted telling potential enrollees to commit tax fraud. Now they have been caught offering to leak personal information to what they thought was a liberal political campaign, another clear violation of the law. In other words, Obamacare is being used in a blatant political effort to "turn Texas blue." Governor Rick Perry should immediately shut down these dishonest outfits. 
   
• The media are turning on Obamacare too. Politico has a column entitled, "Obamacare tradeoffs: Now they tell us…" It describes Obamacare as "a classic social welfare program. …transferring from haves to have-nots," full of "highly disruptive" policy changes with "no subtle way to control costs." Better late than never, I guess, but conservatives were warning of these sorts of problems years ago. And check out the latest cover of Time. 
   
• On MSNBC this morning, former Democrat Rep. Harold Ford suggested that Healthcare.gov faces even bigger "systemic challenges" than just a few glitches. Ford said the administration should "shut the whole thing down." He also warned that among other problems, Obamacare is creating a severe doctor shortage. 

  Meanwhile, former Clinton White House lawyer Lanny Davis acknowledged that Obamacare has been a disaster. During a radio interview this morning, Davis said, "I'll blame myself and every other Democrat … who didn't think through the consequences of this very complicated system. That was a mistake. It was a huge mistake. …We need to start over."

Obama's Coming Over For Thanksgiving 

Barack Obama may be showing up at your house for Thanksgiving next week. Not personally, of course. But if you have a liberal family member who is on Obama's email list, be prepared. 

Obama's allies know they are in trouble, so they are once again urging supporters to "get in the faces" of friends and family members during the holidays. Believe it or not, Organizing for Action is sending out Obamacare talking points to liberals so they can defend Obamacare at Thanksgiving dinners around the country. 

This is a great time for conservatives to reach out to our liberal friends and family members in a respectful but firm manner. To make sure you are prepared for whatever happens, we've included a few Obamacare talking points of our own, each hyperlinked to a news source. 
 

• Obama's promise that we could keep the insurance and doctors we liked was a lie. And the administration knew it. 
   
• In its first month, Obamacare issued at most 106,000 new insurance policies. It cancelled five million. 
   
• Tens of millions of employer-sponsored policies could be cancelled next year. 
   
• Far from lowering insurance premiums, many Americans are experiencing rate shock. 
   
• Obamacare has wasted hundreds of millions of dollars on a website that doesn't work. 
   
• Top Obama officials were warned repeatedly that the website would not be ready on time. 
   
• Three cybersecurity experts testified before Congress that Healthcare.gov should be taken offline in order to fix basic security protocols. 
   
• Barack Obama has lost the trust of the American people. 
   
• Only 7% of Americans want to keep Obamacare "as is."