10 GOP senators want Sebelius to be fired; some Democratic senators beginning to press for individual mandate delay

Health law politics are triggering a new wave of political posturing among lawmakers who are attempting to position themselves for the upcoming election season.  

Los Angeles Times: 10 Republican Senators Want Sebelius Fired Over Obamacare Rollout
Ten Republican senators have called on President Obama to fire Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who is overseeing the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and its troubled website. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and nine other senators told Obama they were concerned not only with the botched rollout of healthcare.gov, but the implementation of the broader law, which they all oppose. Dozens of House Republicans have also pushed for Sebelius' dismissal (Mascaro, 11/8).

Modern Healthcare: 10 GOP Senators Call For Firing Of Sebelius In Letter To Obama
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' appearance before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday failed to convince GOP lawmakers she's capable of overseeing the rest of the health reform law's implementation. On Thursday, 10 Republican senators asked the president to fire her (Zigmond, 11/7).

Politico: Dems Give White House Tight Deadline To Fix Obamacare
Democratic senators facing reelection have a green light to bash the White House and call for certain legislative fixes. But they've been urged by senior administration officials not to insist on delaying the controversial law's core: The mandate for individuals to purchase insurance coverage or face penalties (Raju and Kim, 11/7).

The Fiscal Times: Fearing Senate Losses, Dems Now Urge Obamacare Delay
For months, the president has been fending off aggressive efforts by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and other Republicans to postpone and defund his signature health insurance law – including a 16-day government shutdown aimed at blocking the signup effort that began Oct. 1. But now the president is faced with an equally daunting task of defusing a simmering revolt among key allies in the Senate and the House who are worried about their reelection prospects next year (Pianin, 11/7).

Politico: Tea Partier Shifts Tactics On Obamacare
But this week, as he wheeled through county after county, lambasting his congressional leadership and the Obama administration with equal fervor, [Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan.] is publicly admitting that a government shutdown to choke off funding for Obamacare likely isn't in the cards when government funding runs out again in January (Sherman, 11/8).