Democrats spent weeks threatening a government shutdown unless Republicans agreed to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies – the very same subsidies that will expire at the end of the year if Congress fails to act. Dems want fewer restrictions on qualifications, and they desperately want illegal aliens to continue qualifying for taxpayer-funded health care.

Dems have clung to these Obamacare tax credits like a kid clutching a security blanket, demanding not just the old status quo for three more years but their preferred policy version with all the bells and whistles – including abortion-related protections.

Meanwhile, Republicans – who actually control the Senate agenda – finally cobbled together their own alternative: ditch the ACA subsidies on schedule and funnel the money into health savings accounts with restrictions on what it can cover (bye-bye federal abortion funding, hello strict eligibility rules).

Now the Senate is set up for dueling votes today – none of which has the 60 votes to pass – because Democrats insist on a clean three-year extension of Obamacare cash and Republicans refuse anything that looks like “business as usual.” But that’s what the Dems want – an issue to run on, not a problem solved. And abortion is more important to them than actual health care for millions of Americans.

Both sides will spend the day thundering from the mountaintops about how much they care about American healthcare – but everyone in the chamber knows the punchline: none of these bills are getting 60 votes. Today’s drama isn’t about passing policy; it’s about planting campaign flags. Democrats get to scream “Save Obamacare and abortion!” and Republicans get to shout “Fiscal sanity now!” In other words, it’s less a legislative debate and more a political talent show.