Good morning. On behalf of The Sacramento Bee’s editorial board, welcome to The Take, your opinion-politics newsletter. Please sign up for it here.
We say goodbye to Tom Hayden, a national and international figure, who left a mark on Sacramento and California, but not before he carried out a final public act. We weigh in on AT&T’s announcement that it hopes to get even bigger. That, plus another installment of the Trump follies. It’ll be one of the last, we hope.
Taking heat
The Affordable Care Act has been a lifesaver for millions of Americans. But it’s inching ever closer to life support.
On Monday, the Obama administration warned that premiums will increase by an average of 25 percent next year, thanks to the growing number of insurers fleeing the marketplace. In the 39 states served by the federally run insurance exchanges, 1 in 5 consumers will have only one insurance plan to chose from.
This is the problem with relying on a profit-driven private market. But as we’ve opined in the past, this is a reason for the next president and next Congress to fix Obamacare, not repeal it and replace it. – Erika D. Smith, @Erika_D_Smith
Take a number: $36.2 million
Based on its falling stock price, Wall Street investors have their doubts that federal regulators will approve AT&T’s $85.4 billion purchase of Time Warner. Donald Trump says he would oppose it. Hillary Clinton expressed doubts. Don’t count AT&T out quite yet. It has spent $24.92 million on lobbying in Washington since 2015 and another $11.3 million on political donations, including $4.26 million to fund the Republican National Convention, and $1.5 million for the Democratic convention, the Center for Responsive Politics finds.
Our take
Editorial: Tom Hayden’s passing underscores the enduring importance of the ideas he championed: authenticity. Grass roots. Participation. Political systems made to serve people, not the other way around.
Dan Morain: Tom Hayden never became an insider. It wasn’t in his makeup. But he became a surprisingly effective legislator, even if his victories weren’t readily apparent.
Editorial: Federal regulators should set a very high bar to let the AT&T takeover of Time Warner proceed. Would the mega-merger help consumers?
Karin Klein: Bogus industry-funded studies undermine public trust in science.
Former Judge Jan Levine: Proposition 57 will fix our prisons and improve public safety.
Marc Klaas, father of murder victim, Polly Klaas: Prop. 57 would release violent criminals and undermine victims’ rights.
Their take
San Francisco Chronicle: The proposed merger of AT&T and Time Warner is rife with risk.
L.A. Times: Microstamping technology could help police crack down on gun crimes if the gun lobby allows it.
San Diego Union-Tribune: Rep. Darrell Issa is more likely to be able to get things done for his district and California, especially with Republican control of the House seemingly likely until redistricting in 2022. The Orange County Register agrees.
Kansas City Star: Democrat Chris Koster is a former Republican who is pro-gun and pro-labor, and is running for governor of Missouri in an interesting race with national implications.
Jim Geraghty, National Review: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are terrible presidential candidates, but not all of the blame for this thoroughly depressing election year can be placed at their feet.
Syndicates’ take
Debra J. Saunders: Silicon Valley activists are targeting Peter Thiel, because the controversial venture capitalist and a board member for Facebook donated $1.25 million to a super PAC that supports Donald Trump. Those of you who wonder why there is so much division in American politics need look no further than Silicon Valley.
Eugene Robinson: Hillary Clinton is blazing a momentous trail.
Michael Gerson: Where the new right has failed.
Trudy Rubin: Mexico, too, awaits Nov. 8 election.
Paul Krugman: It’s Donald Trump’s party.
The Trump follies
When it comes to attacking Donald Trump, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts knows just how to do it – and it’s usually nasty. Monday was no exception, as she rallied women against the Republican nominee while stumping for Hillary Clinton in Manchester, N.H.
“Nasty women are tough,” she said, building on Trump’s insult of Clinton in the final presidential debate. “Nasty women are smart. And nasty women vote. We nasty women are going to march our nasty feet to cast our nasty votes to get you out of our lives forever.”
Ouch. That’s Elizabeth – Ms. Warren if you’re nasty. – Erika D. Smith, @Erika_D_Smith
Mailbag
When the Sacramento Kings proposed a public gathering space in front of the downtown arena, it was ambitious. Naming it Downtown Commons seemed presumptuous, and calling it DoCo revealed it as contrived. – Tom Higgins, Sacramento
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