On ABC’s “This Week,” Speaker Pelosi asked a fundamental question about lawmakers in Congress. She answered it like this:
PELOSI:Well first of all our members — every one of them — wants health care. I think everybody wants affordable health care for all Americans. They know that this will take courage. It took courage to pass Social Security. It took courage to pass Medicare. And many of the same forces that were at work decades ago are at work again against this bill. But the American people need it, why are we here? We’re not here just to self perpetuate our service in Congress. We’re here to do the job for the American people. To get them results that gives them not only health security, but economic security, because the health issue is an economic issue for — for America’s families.
But in her answer she left a hole a mile wide in her answer. Does the current Senate bill offer “health security?” Is she kidding? We don’t even know if people can afford the mandates, so talking “health security” is laughable. Does it offer “economic security?” Absolutely not, as it taxes “Cadillac plans,” but more importantly, mandates insurance for people without instilling competition in the formula. Whatever good the health care bill might do is also delayed for years.
Elizabeth Vargas also asked Pelosi the $1 million question: Do you have the 217 votes necessary to pass it in the House?
Speaker Pelosi’s answer: Well right now we’re working on the — on the policy. The — the president put a — a — I think a good proposal on the Internet on Sunday.
A solid bob and weave.
Pelosi won’t say, can’t say, doesn’t know, but more likely doesn’t have the votes right now to pass health care in the House. That doesn’t mean she won’t in the end, but she couldn’t say she does today.
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Sunday that Pelosi does not have the votes but that “I wouldn’t count her out because she is very good at muscling out votes.”
For the Democrats to not pass any health care legislation would be politically catastrophic. That they’re likely to pass a very bad bill that doesn’t get things rolling to the people right away, plus does little to reform health care or take care of the problems, makes their incompetence even worse. Is a bad bill better than nothing? Not in 2010 it isn’t, because nothing can save Democrats this year; but Obama will duck that judgment. And if in the end Pres. Obama settles for covering even fewer than the 31 million people currently promised, though we don’t know how many of these people can actually afford the insurance being mandated by Democrats, it will be a win for the Republicans.
A lot is still in the wind. Blowback being one of them.
Two important editorials today, one on China, with this closer: China is no enemy, but inflating the challenge from China could be just as dangerous as underestimating it. The other from former Vice President Al Gore, who finally addresses the latest scandals and Rush Limbaugh induced hysteria on climate change.
The above editorial cartoon from Paul Szep is a good one. As we’re continually reminded that if we had a Congress that actually did their jobs they wouldn’t have waited a year for Obama to sit down with Republicans last week. On the other hand, we wouldn’t have to wait for a president who has no intention of doing what the people want if Congress understood that Obama has long ago sold out to for profit insurance companies.
It’s no wonder everyone is genuflecting to the Tea Party, which has the only energy in the room these days. Even Speaker Pelosi got into the act today on “This Week.”
But, you know, we share some of the views of the Tea Partiers in terms of the role of special interest in Washington, D.C., as — it just has to stop. And that’s why I’ve fought the special interest, whether it’s on energy, whether it’s on health insurance, whether it’s on pharmaceuticals and the rest. – Speaker Pelosi
Pelosi’s fought special interest? I wonder what she thinks the Catholic church is? You know, the religious group invited into the room to help write the health care legislation that marginalizes women’s civil rights.
Give me Al Gore any day over the clowns we’ve now got running the Democratic party:
… Here is what scientists have found is happening to our climate: man-made global-warming pollution traps heat from the sun and increases atmospheric temperatures. These pollutants — especially carbon dioxide — have been increasing rapidly with the growth in the burning of coal, oil, natural gas and forests, and temperatures have increased over the same period. Almost all of the ice-covered regions of the Earth are melting — and seas are rising. Hurricanes are predicted to grow stronger and more destructive, though their number is expected to decrease. Droughts are getting longer and deeper in many mid-continent regions, even as the severity of flooding increases. The seasonal predictability of rainfall and temperatures is being disrupted, posing serious threats to agriculture. The rate of species extinction is accelerating to dangerous levels.
Though there have been impressive efforts by many business leaders, hundreds of millions of individuals and families throughout the world and many national, regional and local governments, our civilization is still failing miserably to slow the rate at which these emissions are increasing — much less reduce them.
And in spite of President Obama’s efforts at the Copenhagen climate summit meeting in December, global leaders failed to muster anything more than a decision to “take note” of an intention to act.
What are you reading or hearing on the Sunday shows today?
A lot of responses to the simple question I posed in my newsletter on Thursday: What do you think about Obama’s health care summit? There were way too many to post, but below is a representative smattering of the wide opinions I received. Thanks to everyone for chiming in, which I ask every month to let me know how you’re feeling and what you’re seeing. I read every comment sent to me, because I simply cannot do my job effectively if I don’t know what people are thinking, regardless of your political preference or party affiliation.
Before we begin, one aside. Sarah Palin posted the “top five falsehoods” on her Facebook page, which began with Sen. Harry Reid saying “no one has talked about reconciliation.” It was a huge whopper. Palin is exactly correct on this, which others have mentioned. Everyone has been talking about reconciliation. Point to Sarah.
Meanwhile, Ben Nelson suggests “comprehensive health care,” as he laughingly calls it, may have to be abandoned for the idea of — wait for it — “making a pie a piece at a time“ legislation. Holy Zeus! Now I know the true meaning of torture.
Now for some of the reviews I received, which I’ve offered verbatim, mostly in full, correcting only a smattering of spelling errors so it’s easier to read.
I watched the whole thing and got ever so tired of hearing one GOP (Gang of Plutocrats) after another claim that we needed to scrap the bill and start over with a blank sheet of paper … and I suppose they’d also want to use some disappearing ink! A year’s worth of work trying to get them to engage and it appears it was all for naught. Their answer: 2-tiered benefits plans and privatization. If they succeed, say goodbye to the Democracy we thought we had … and say hello to the GOP’s Plutocracy for the monied elite of this nation. – VickieR
I think you are being a little harsh on Obama. He ran on the premise that there are no red states and blue states, he won an amazing victory (Virginia, Indiana, Ohio, etc), but got to the White House facing the most vicious, petty politics I have ever seen. Way past what they did to Clinton. Obvious racism involved. The White House lost the debate in August, and it’s a shame. I hope he’s learned. But what he did at the “summit” was more than “moderate”–he kept leading the Repubs away from their talking points. You are correct–the dems represented were a weak field (Max Baucus???) and I don’t know who made those decisions. Too Bad. – RosemaryB
Suits, suits, suits. Talk, talk, talk. Who, in the place to do so, really cares about the American people? I am a woman who suffered a back injury and then a totally unrelated emergency surgery that has caused great suffering. I don’t know what I would do without Medicare. I really don’t think anyone in that room would give a damn if I wrote and asked for help for any of my health needs. Thanks Dana
Comprehensive health care reform was never the goal, it was to ethically and morally allow hospitals to absolve themselves from treating the underprivileged, and to enrich the insurance industry. Thirty to forty million people out of the emergency rooms, forced to purchase insurance with deductibles and co pays that will make medical care completely out of reach. This abominable solution was sold to a freshly minted President who because of pride his only recourse now is to brazen it out. His motives were good but he got snookered. The real solution would be single-payer. – jim
To tell you the truth, I’ve paid absolutely no attention to the health care summit. It strikes me as political theatre on a grand scale. I suppose I should amend that to say it’s Shakespearean theatre, since there weren’t any women. There weren’t a whole lot of progressives, either. Near as I can tell, the fix is already in on health care [1], and that fix is bad news for anyone who doesn’t own stock in drug or insurance companies.[2] – Cujo359
My reaction? I’m terminally depressed over the failures of Obama and the Democrats on health care. This meeting was a farce, changes nothing, just makes Obama look silly. Why anyone listens to John Boehner and the likes of him is beyond me. Our president should not be in that group. At least we can turn the tv sound off at will. – BeverlyS
My opinion of the summit was that it was theater, nothing more. There was nothing new, nothing substantive that came from it. More stalling by the Regressives and more “making nice/playing it safe” from Obama and most of the Dems. To my knowledge the issue of public option wasn’t even discussed. It was a waste of time, perhaps if it had not been televised and thus the actors would not have been playing to the TV cameras and voting public they maybe would have at least had a real dialogue, but even if that had happened nothing of any substance would have resulted from it. The Regressives aren’t going to vote for ANY semblance of health care reform. Ever. We need to pass health care reform, with a substantive public option, using the reconciliation process. – sl
I think both side were guilty of campaign mode and talking points, however the republicans were more egregious with it. I think Obama has everyone steamed at him, for his handling of the whole debacle. I don’t think it bothers him to much,as he stated we are going to push on that is what elections are for. Correct me if I am wrong, he has made the statement that he doesn’t care if he is not re-elected, obviously he doesn’t care if any of the democrates get reelected either. I think Axelgrease and Rummage have to go. I think in the very end Obama did kind of put it to the republicans regarding some of their misinformation. – BB
Although I thought it was better than I anticipated..and i watched in it’s entirety, I thought it was a waste of time. The Dems will push through this disaster no matter what we the people say and no matter what the opposition party says. I am a Lifelong democrat and have been an elected Dem in my state and I think this bill is horrible.Although I know single payer would be the best bill for this nations people, I was willing to accpet the Public Option. Now I know it was total hog wash , we have been had., And we have been played and sold out from the get go. The mandates and the Tax I now expect on my so called Cadillac Policy is an insult to me and all americans. I worked for my policy, I took early retirement and I paid for my policy with concession after concession in Union Contracts. I took less pay for a better insurance policy, one i had no choice over as a Flight Crew for the Biggest Airline in the USA it was mandatory because of the risk level of the job that i have that policy, now i will be punished with tax on what I have already paid for ..or I will have to be subject to piss poor coverage, how does this help the Working American? This whole bill has been a sell out of the American public with secret meetings by Obama with the health care industry big boys, and this I will tell you ..I will be sitting out the next 2 elections. Or I will vote against anyone in my state that pushes this through and is responsible for this bill! That they can count on. And as a former delegate who is very popular in my large Fla county , I will convince as many people as I can to do the same! This is unacceptable! And it will cost democrats dearly. Oh and I also run a nationwide internet group.over 1000 people..no one is happy with this! And the dems will never see another dime of my money ( and I gave in the high range of $$ as my husband was a former MLBaseball player) and not another day of my time! I am done with them. This is nothing but an Insurance Health industry give away and bali out program! Nothing more! Done I tell you..I am done! – R
I was able to watch the summit in bits and pieces today. In the parts I did see, I was impressed with our President’s grasp on this issue. He came out looking really good from this debate. He was respectful, listened and knew what he was talking about. I was really surprised that the republicans appeared very well prepared and some of them really stood out as impressive. In parts I saw, Paul Ryan and Tom Coburn were impressive. I thought Dick Durbin was also very eloquent. It was helpful to see both sides articulated so clearly. I wonder if the outcome would have been different if this process had happened a little earlier in the process, but hind sight is always 20/20. – S
Obama beats the Republicans. But the real left had no voice — no Anthony Weiner, no Bernie Sanders, no Franken or Grayson. When Obama pointed out that specific elements of the Senate bill polled well, no one mentioned that the most popular reforms were public option and/or Medicare expansion. Once more we’re told the choice is between center-right and far right. – SF
The “EPIC FAIL” of ”MEN MEN MEN” — campaigning for “change,” governing for and from the status quo. Actually, that sums up the whole “health care (quickly changed to insurance) reform” debacle. – Joyce Arnold
The next one is a long response, but I’m going to post it all because “StephenG” took the time to go all the way back to Nixon, providing evidence, but also a historical backdrop, which I simply loved.
Hmm. No single payer/Medicare-for-All advocates. But this was by design, folks (see my earlier comment today).
We are shoveling through this crapfest because of what was hatched in Nixon’s Oval Office 39 years ago this month. Just look at this Kaiser/Nixon transcript from back in the day. I refer everyone to White House Tapes for the clearest possible presentation:
John D. Ehrlichman: On the—on the health business—
President Nixon: Yeah.
Ehrlichman: —we have now narrowed down the vice president’s problems on this thing to one issue and that is whether we should include these health maintenance organizations like Edgar Kaiser’s Permanente thing. The vice president just cannot see it. We tried 15 ways from Friday to explain it to him and then help him to understand it. He finally says, “Well, I don’t think they’ll work, but if the president thinks it’s a good idea, I’ll support him a hundred percent.”
President Nixon: Well, what’s—what’s the judgment?
Ehrlichman: Well, everybody else’s judgment very strongly is that we go with it.
President Nixon: All right.
Ehrlichman: And, uh, uh, he’s the one holdout that we have in the whole office.
President Nixon: Say that I—I—I’d tell him I have doubts about it, but I think that it’s, uh, now let me ask you, now you give me your judgment. You know I’m not to keen on any of these damn medical programs.
Ehrlichman: This, uh, let me, let me tell you how I am—
President Nixon: [Unclear.]
Ehrlichman: This—this is a—
President Nixon: I don’t [unclear]—
Ehrlichman: —private enterprise one.
President Nixon: Well, that appeals to me.
Ehrlichman: Edgar Kaiser is running his Permanente deal for profit. And the reason that he can—the reason he can do it—I had Edgar Kaiser come in—talk to me about this and I went into it in some depth. All the incentives are toward less medical care, because—
President Nixon: [Unclear.]
Ehrlichman: —the less care they give them, the more money they make.
President Nixon: Fine. [Unclear.]
Ehrlichman: [Unclear] and the incentives run the right way. President Nixon: Not bad.
The next day (February 18, 1971) President Nixon spoke to Congress on proposing a National Health Strategy wherein he promptly pimped and pushed the HMO concept on behalf of Kaiser. The for-profit healthcare industry was born and the rest is history. Conservatism broke the system; conservative measures will not fix it!
As I said before, anyone willing to run right-wing “Harry and Louise” ads against Dems can’t be counted on the fight for quality healthcare legislation. It’s why he is comfortable making bacroom deals with Pharma and the for-profit hospital lobby.
For me, I will focus on things that will help me maintain my rights as a disabled person. I don’t have the time, energy or money to support or advocate for folks who don’t support me. When I look at Archive ADA (http://www.law.georgetown.edu/archiveada/) I see the history of hard working folks working to ensure and expand the rights of the disabled. I can really appreciate that.
I do believe, however, that if Obama had some real, hardcore experience where he WORKED and SWEATED to really better peoples lives, in a situation where he had some of his own skin in the game, he would have the gravitas to lead us out of this mess. But all we get today is kabuki kooky. Grrr!
This one came complete with video link:
… .. The summit was a joke – President Platitude was reaching out to cowering blue dogs to get on board when they try and shove it threw – it was all to save himself, Nancy & Harry. The man was handed a golden opportunity – and he f—ed it up. He can blame the republicans all he wants, it’s his fault for dropping the ball – although it would have been nice had he picked it up first… on a lighter note – my mother solves the whole health care problem in 2 seconds or less.… anyway – I’m praying for a primary challenger for 2012 – my main reason for voting for Johnny Mack is that I didn’t think he’d be able to do much damage, but a President Platitude could destroy the Dems for a long time….so far I think I was right. I hate partisan politics, whichever side it’s played on - the aisle doesn’t decide who’s right and who’s wrong, it just decides which side the parties sit on. – e.
Thanks again to everyone who sent your thoughts my way. If you want to be included in my newsletter outreach, just send us an email.
Via Politico, after the Democrats’ milquetoast performance on health care leadership over the last year and counting, who doesn’t appreciate Sen. Bunning’s bluntness?
In a colloquy with Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sen. Jeff Merkley, a freshman Democrat from Oregon, was pleading for Bunning to drop his objection, when the Kentucky Republican got fed up.
“Tough s—t,” Bunning said as he was seated in the back row, overheard by the floor staff and others in attendance.
Everyone understands the importance of unemployment benefits extensions, but can you imagine any Democrat standing up to say: Tough sh–, I want the public option, because it’s the only thing that keeps down health care costs for Americans, and I won’t stop until we vote on it.
I know it’s very impolitic and counter-intuitive for me to say this given the legislation Bunning’s blocking, but I have a begrudging respect for someone who won’t take any crap from weaker politicians on the Democratic side who won’t stand and fight for anything. That’s just how sick of this sh– I am.
The moral of this story: Republicans are mean; Democrats are patsies.
One big problem for Democrats after yesterday’s event is that it’s doubtful any congressional minds were changed. The Democrats didn’t drive directly into the Republicans and their false talking points, because the congressional leaders who are best at doing so weren’t invited. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Anthony Weiner, even Dennis Kucinich, though I’m not a particularly fan of his, were absent. I missed seeing Sherrod Brown as well. Instead we got the Democratic drones. Ah, but Democrats must be reasonable, leaving passion at the door, because policy prescriptions in the Obama era must come through a political stew pot.
via email
It was not a game plan of a majority party who had purpose, intent and wanted to have a specific outcome at the end. Obama’s mission seemed to be to make sure everyone got to speak and he remained likable, while also getting the CSPAN camera issue off the Republican talking points agenda. It was clear Obama hadn’t decided that Democrats needed to come away from the meeting proving why the current health care plan must be passed. Because if the Senate bill, which Obama has adopted, is the best compromise they can get at the moment, why are you asking the minority to approve of it?
Strong leaders don’t ask opponents for permission.
The approach of Obama yesterday makes no sense in an election year, especially when the public is more on the Republican side of things, hating the bill because Obama and the Dems lost the message to the Tea Party, jettisoning the one thing that the public is for, A PUBLIC OPTION. Speaker Pelosi, at the end and in the middle of her holy grail Hyde rant denying she would ever allow poor women to have access to full reproductive services through expanding health insurance, did give a political ode to the public option, but it means nothing if you won’t demand it. But she knows she can’t, because Pres. Obama sold out the public option to for-profit hospitals last August.
“Several hospital lobbyists involved in the White House deals said it was understood as a condition of their support that the final legislation would not include a government-run health plan paying-Medicare rates…or controlled by the secretary of health and human services. ‘We have an agreement with the White House that I’m very confident will be seen all the way through conference’, one of the industry lobbyists, Chip Kahn, director of the Federation of American Hospitals, told a Capitol Hill newsletter…Industry lobbyists say they are not worried [about a public option.] ‘We trust the White House,’ Mr. Kahn said.” – New York Times, 8.12.09
That’s how stupidly Obama and the Democrats have played this one. They’ve voluntarily cut out the one aspect of health care that gets the highest approval of the American people. Obama continuing to prove, like he did with bank bailouts, AIG and the stimulus, where his allegiances lie and it’s not with the American public first.
But credit where it is due for Pres. Obama. There’s unlikely any politician that could have been a better moderator for a bipartisan event. Trouble is that isn’t his job. It’s also not why people elected him after the disastrous reign of Bush-Cheney. He’s the President of the United States and he’s supposed to set a direction and lead.
Obama is also not supposed to set up Republicans, which is exactly what happened yesterday. Despite their ludicrous suggestions that Congress dump the Senate bill “and start over,” which was said innumerable times, Republicans were simply saying what voters in Virginia and Massachusetts have said: We don’t want your stinkin’ bill. Because Democrats didn’t make an impassioned argument for the Senate bill, with Obama instead saying, How can I get your approval? Republicans looked like politicians with real philosophical differences with the Democrats, a gang determined to fight to the end to push their points on behalf of the American public who don’t want the Senate bill.
Meanwhile, the Democrats looked like they’d taken an extra dose Valium. When Henry Waxman boldly stated the obvious, that Republicans had no intention of working with the President, Obama curtly cut him off.
The outcome is that Obama is still liked, though his policies are still unpopular, while Democrats didn’t make their case of why this legislation must be passed.
Balancing health care will break us if we don’t pass reform against health care will bankrupt the country if we do, Democrats didn’t cross the threshold of getting anyone uncommitted to believe they have the right prescription.
TM NOTE: Lots of people still weighing in to my newsletter question sent out yesterday. I’m still going through the many responses. I’ll post your opinions tomorrow. The White House has posted video excerpts for those interested.
Well, whether you love or hate Pres. Obama, what Republican could have pulled off almost a 7-hour policy debate? The bad news is that he’s the president, so he shouldn’t have to play mediator or “moderator.” He’s supposed to lead. Other than that…
The Wall Street Journal’s Susan Davis has put together “The Best Tweets from the Health Care Summit-Part1.” I asked her to count the women the included in her list. It doesn’t take long to count them. Guess why?
Oh, and if you need a really good laugh, compliments of Frank Gafney, who says Obama’s missile defense logo is actually “submission to shariah.” You just can’t make this stuff up.
The title and video has been changed, as HBO took Bill Maher’s clips off YouTube because of copyright.
After over a year, it just now dawns on Pres. Obama that he should consider going smaller? That’s what the Wall Street Journal is reporting, even as the White House denies it. It’s the backdrop of the summit.
The larger Obama health plan has been in jeopardy since last month, when Democrats lost a Senate seat from Massachusetts and with it their filibuster-proof majority in the chamber. With many congressional Democrats spooked, the White House considered more-modest measures that would be easier to pass. As he was weighing his choices, Mr. Obama asked his staff to show him what a more modest policy might look like, and the plan to cover about 15 million people was the most promising, a senior White House official said. “He wanted people to look at what effect you could have on the overall problem if you have to go smaller,” the official said. – Obama Readies a Fallback Health-Care Proposal Scaled – Down Plan Would Expand Insurance to About Half as Many People as Pending Bill Envisions
10:17 am: Obama talks about Malia being rushed to the emergency room; his mother diagnosed late with ovarian cancer. As for health care costs, “I think this concern is bipartisan. … Here’s the bottom line, we all know this is urgent. … This became a very ideological battle. I think politics… trumped common sense. … What I’m hoping to accomplish today is for everybody to focus not on just where we differ, but focus on where we agree. … When I look at the ideas that are out there there is overlap. …we posted what we think is the best blend of… the House and Senate… bills already passed. …”
10:22 am:“I hope this isn’t just political theater,” Obama continued. “I want to say again how much I appreciate everyone participating.”
10:28 am: Sen. Lamar Alexander, also a former governor, made opening remarks for Republicans, beginning that they believe everyone “should start over” on health care. “We want you to succeed, because if you succeed our country succeeds. … [...] …starting from a clean sheet of paper. … the mother of all unfunded mandates. … Our view, with all respect, is a car that cannot be fixed. … We’ve come to the conclusion that we don’t do comprehensive well. …”
10:49 am: Pelosi went political. Reid began talking about Nevada, then turned to go after Lamar Alexander, you’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts. Here’s a seating chart of the summit.
11:01 am: Starting with costs. “It is absolutely true that if all we’re doing is adding more people to a broken system…” this won’t be worth doing, paraphrasing what Obama said. “More than one-quarter of small businesses have recorded a premium increase of 20% or more just last year. …” Obama then talked about premiums going down 14-20%, Lamar Alexander interrupting him saying the Senate bill will actually make costs go up. Obama challenging Alexander on the facts. The first collision, however muted.
11:11 am:“The biggest post of gold is that we don’t incentivise prevention,” states Tom Coburn, a doctor. Coburn saying the food stamp program actually creates more diabetes than it prevents. Weighing in editorially for a moment, AMEN. Lifestyle choices and what we eat and our own responsibility is a huge part of health care that is rarely addressed. Another note, Republicans have a doctor weighing in, Dems do not.
11:15 am:One hour and 15 minutes in, who’s making the better points? Color me unimpressed with the Democratic case so far, with Republicans cemented in no, so it all looks same old, same old so far. What do you think?
11:24 am: Greg Sargent tweets, reading my mind: Is it too late to get Anthony Weiner to crash this party?
11:30 am: I’ve been over at HuffPost chatting with readers in the comments to a post I put up today on Rahm Emanuel. One of the readers, “ladyskeptik,” just said something very astute about Pres. Obama: “He has acted like the 101′st Senator instead of the President he is.”
11:45 am:“We don’t want to sit in Washington and mandate all of these things,” Rep. Paul Ryan weighed in. Continuing, “We want to de-centralize the system… …should people in Washington decide exactly how this works?”
12:15 pm: Kyl points to Washington, the nebulus boogieman, as the problem, with Obama interrupting and saying that’s tipping the scale, because everyone is mad at Washington. “Washington” is the excuse for doing nothing, having something else to blame when leaders have forgotten their job is to find solutions. Second Republican doctor, a vascular heart surgeon, Rep. Boustany weighs in. “The American people have spoken out very loudly and very clearly. They want us to take a step back. …” Asks how do you streamline paperwork? How do you promote choice and competition? An editorial comment here, the American people have already spoken on “choice and competition,” they want the public option. It’s just the Dem MAJORITY can’t get their act together to implement it.
12:30 pm: CNN’s Sanjay Gupta says tort reform money paid out in lawsuits “is relatively small amount of money… 2-3% of overall health care budget,” but “trickle down effect”, the effect on doctors, nurses “in the way they practice medicine changes dramatically because of the fear of lawsuits, and that number again as far as the cost of defensive medicine they say could be between $600-800 billion a year. So, collectively perhaps, but the devil’s in the details.”
12:31 pm: McCain speaking, brings up drug “reimportation.” Obama tries to interrupt, but McCain goes on. Excuse me, but who is the President here? One of the problems with Obama is that he doesn’t know how to use his own power and this is an example.
12:34 pm:SOUNDBITE OF THE SUMMIT…“We’re not campaigning, John. The campaign’s over,” Obama. McCain: “I’m reminded of that every day.” Insert laughter here, except for Obama.
12:45 pm: Rep. Eric Cantor comes with a visual aid, Dems’ voluminous health care bill, which Obama immediately acknowledged. Aide (DeParle?) talking to Obama during Cantor’s monologue, which Cantor noticed but kept on talking, with Obama clearly taking the lecture and not liking it. People not being able to keep the insurance they like Cantor’s point. Obama responds that 8-9 million out of around 300 million who would change health insurance would, according to the CBO, choose to get more and better insurance. Obama then criticizes Cantor bringing big bill in and the politics of it. We’d reduce prices if we didn’t have meat inspectors, same with drugs, but we don’t do that. We make decisions to protect consumers in every aspect of our lives, Obama reminds Cantor.
12:57 pm:Tweeted… Irony alert. The only cable network televising Rep. Louise Slaughter is FOX, who was actually in Congress during Clinton effort. #hcrsummit Best line from Slaugher came when she talked about a woman using her dead sister’s teeth.
–BREAK for a House vote – BACK @ 1:45 pm– “Buses outside,” says Steny Hoyer.
1:11 pm: A few minutes ago, cue Fox’s AB Stoddard: Republicans “brought their A team,” doctors, while Dems were “on their knees.”
2:15 pm: Sen. Harkin uses segregation on health care. “Pools” equals segregating people according to health status, he says. hmmmm…. Slippery slope. Obama interrupts.
2:24 pm:I’m sick to death of seeing MEN, MEN, only MEN. Too many men pontificating about health care, way too few women. Women pay more for heathcare and get screwed more often than men. Epic fail. Optics suck. Both parties are pathetic in this regard.Tweeted here, after Twitter choked.
2:37 pm: UGH. Woman finally up, but it’s Marsha Blackburn. Talks about delaying benefit goodies, means benefits denied. This is the biggest fail in Dem strategy. Delaying what Americans would like about healthcare reform. So, Blackburn scores one.
2:45 pm: Obama reminded us he was against mandate in 2008 and in he primaries, but he’s now for it. Too bad it’s a horrible idea without competition in the frickin’ bill, which the current concoction does not offer. Biden up now, talking about deficit and health care costs, “$919 billion on Medicare-Medicaid” now being spent. Medic!
3:00 pm: Biden talked briefly, then “hushed” himself. Congressman next to Rep Ryan swooned when he said the bill was “gimmicks & smoke & mirrors.” Remember: Ryan wants to privatize Social Security, and kill Medicare.
3:06 pm:“Do we believe in the CBO or not?” Rep. Becerra pointedly asks Rep. Ryan. “You know I believe that,” Ryan concedes.
3:25 pm:“The 800 pound gorilla” and “biggest unfunded liability” is Medicare, which will “go broke in 8 years.” Sen. Kent Conrad dispenses unpalatable medicine: “5% use 50% of the money in Medicare… the chronically ill.” Goes on to talk about pharmaceuticals working against each other that he shouldn’t be taken: “We’ve got chaos.”
3:33 pm: Mr. Boehner, master of the politically obvious. You can script this guy before he starts talking. “New entitlement program, bankrupt country…” Finally he gets to the abortion issue. It’s THE reason to “scrap the bill.” I love it when MEN talk about women’s self-determination. To summarize: Obama flicks Boehner off shoulder. Shorter O: You’re a gnat. Your talking points are nakedly obvious. AND you’re boring me.
4:12 pm:“I have doubts about whether Rep. are going to help you,” says Waxman. “We’re not making campaign speeches,” Obama snaps. Nice smack on one of your own, Mr. Obama. Traditional media tribe will love this one. See Chris Cilizza.
4:30 pm: GOP Rep. Barton just gave a backhanded smack to Pres. Obama, saying he would make a good “moderator” in the caucus. Pres. Obama is supposed to be LEADING. That, in a nutshell, encapsulates the Dem problems on healthcare over the last year, while nailing Obama’s presidential style.
5:28 pm: One thing is for sure, can’t imagine any Rep. handling a health care summit like Obama did today. McCain? Ha! Palin? …maybe Romney. Obama clearly seeing “procedural arguments” ahead in House & Senate; clearly giving an outside window of “6 weeks.” We’ll see. Will they get something passed?
Governor of a big state uses his powers to help a key aide hide thuggery against a woman, said governor also using the police to nudge the woman into being, shall we say, a bit more cooperative. What century are we in?
Mr. Johnson, 37, has also on three occasions been involved in altercations with women, two of which led to calls to the police. As recently as October, the police responded to a complaint of harassment at a Bronx address of a woman involved with him. It is unclear if the altercation was verbal or physical or both, but the case is listed as closed.
Mr. Johnson has a history of repeated problems with aggression towards women, which Gov. Paterson has dismissed, because he believes in him. The latest is not going to go away, with Paterson’s reported behavior unethical and immoral.
Last fall, a woman went to court in the Bronx to testify that she had been violently assaulted by a top aide to Gov. David A. Paterson, and to seek a protective order against the man.
In the ensuing months, she returned to court twice to press her case, complaining that the State Police had been harassing her to drop it. The State Police, which had no jurisdiction in the matter, confirmed that the woman was visited by a member of the governor’s personal security detail.
Then, just before she was due to return to court to seek a final protective order, the woman got a phone call from the governor, according to her lawyer. She failed to appear for her next hearing on Feb. 8, and as a result her case was dismissed. …
In the Times piece today, the reporting is clear that Johnson has been protected, but also that the woman now involved is obviously scared due to the powers involved in the case. Paterson has championed Johnson, promoting him higher and closer to power.
The woman was allegedly choked, with Johnson beating her.
She told the police that Mr. Johnson, who is 6-foot-7, had choked her, stripped her of much of her clothing, smashed her against a mirrored dresser and taken two telephones from her to prevent her from calling for help, according to police records.
The woman was twice granted a temporary order of protection against Mr. Johnson, according to the proceedings in Family Court in the Bronx.
“I’m scared he’s going to come back,” she said, according to the proceedings, in which a court referee at the initial hearing noted bruises on the woman’s arm.
But Gov. Paterson judged that Johnson didn’t have a problem with women, because he had “grown significantly over the years,” as the Times reports it.
Ask any expert, domestic violence is not self-treatable. It certainly doesn’t go away when you have powerful males like the governor of New York protecting you.
Paterson has suspended Johnson without pay, asking the AG to investigate.
So, this nightmare just landed on Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo’s lap.
This report is so damning, with others alleging Paterson called the woman just before her case went to trial, according to her lawyer, though it’s also being alleged she called him, Gov. Paterson may not survive politically.
But the question now is: What do you expect from tomorrow’s televised health care summit between Obama, Democrats and Republicans? Looking forward to reading your debate.
Kevin Madden was Mitt Romney’s former campaign aide. Not bad on the eyes, obviously smart and a favorite among the Beltway set, Madden dispenses analysis on Twitter like mini shots of political caffeine, delivering short bursts of cherry-picked political nuggets easily digested by people with little time to click and learn the full facts, which is what most partisans rely on through their tweets.
On Twitter, it’s very convenient to use the 140 character limit to skate your responsibility to actually offer the full picture, but that’s not Madden’s job. Madden and many others using Twitter to get out talking points that support their side, painting a very different picture than reality. He chose to use the the CNN polling date link, skipping down to question #11, which appears on page 3. Conveniently ignoring questions #9 and #10 on page 2, because the answers didn’t set up Republicans as he’d like.
The first question not great for Obama, especially given his bend over backwards, waste of time, bipartisanship or die trying policy self-destruction. Michael Gerson simply calls it judgment.
9. In your view, is Barack Obama doing enough to cooperate with the Republicans in Congress, or not? Answer: Yes, doing enough = 47%; No, not enough, 52%.
To be fair, Madden’s rebuttal to me included that he thought the most interesting point was that in one year, the “not enough” number for Obama had gone from 25% to 52%, which on-the-outs GOPer Mike Murphy retweeted. Oliver Willis calling both of them out: cant yall be honest about *anything*? The answer to that is an unequivocal no.
I’ve said innumerable times that Pres. Obama has failed utterly in messaging, with his bipartisan efforts completely wasted, which the 25% to 52% numbers certainly prove. Madden gladly tweeting this pointmultiple times.
…the number of Millenials who lean towards the Republican party has jumped 10 points, from 30 percent to 40 percent.
One of the questions, from the prior CNN link, Madden and Murphy ignoring because it wasn’t good for their side.
10. In your view, are the Republicans in Congress doing enough to cooperate with the Barack Obama, or not? Answer: Yes, doing enough = 31%; No, not enough, 67%.
It’s why Madden skipped to the third page to begin his Twitter analysis:
11. Do you think the Democratic party or the Republican party is more responsible for the lack of cooperation between the two parties in Washington? Answer: Democratic party = 35%; Republican party = 37%; Both: 25%.
Not knowing who the hell I was and not caring either, mimicking his own Twitter readers who won’t click on a link he provided with the cherry picked factoids, which Madden counts on, he called me a “dude.” Madden inadvertently proving why adding a link to his tweets was a lame excuse for not providing the full picture.
Republican and Democratic analysts don’t much care about providing truth to their tweet peeps or beyond, whether written or TV audience. Pres. Obama addressed this today at the business round table he participated in. They just feed them enough information to keep them loyal to the political party line the analyst is pimping. The other guy is always worse, which is why many people no longer care who they vote for as long as it’s not the person currently in power. After all, could it get any worse?
This atmosphere absolutely benefits Republicans in 2010, but as Sen. Scott Brown on his rightly cast jobs’ bill vote, the public is fickle and they’re angry. They’ll turn on the latest star in a heart beat if that person doesn’t vote as expected. Activists rarely understanding that a Massachusetts Republican simply must vote his constituents, who don’t look at all like they do in South Carolina.
While the Democrats certainly haven’t proven they can change things even while owning all the power, even as Republicans run around without an idea or answer among them.
There is one constant in politics that continues. Protecting the status quo, which both parties do at the expense of the American people. Kevin Madden example A for what’s wrong with politics, though he’s got lots of company.
Nobody can be as bad as the Republicans and Democrats currently holding court. Even if one has been reduced to Twitter and tweets, with the other owning Washington.
“The gathering storm is the 2010 elections,” one top official said. … The themes for Obama’s campaign are not yet chosen, but a top adviser said not to expect a radical surprise: “He knows who he is.” – Exclusive: White House privately plots 2012 campaign run
Mike Allen’s “exclusive” coming after David Plouffe re-joins the White House is not a surprise to anyone who follows politics closely.
The “gathering storm is the 2010 elections” the foreshadowing of the rough road Republicans will present to Pres. Obama in the re-election campaign, whether they can unite and excite behind one candidate or not. Because even as Obama “knows who he is,” there will be no blush the second time around, as knowing who Obama is and isn’t goes both ways now.
It all really revolves around whether Obama’s opposition can offer something drastically different that isn’t a set of sales points. A qualified independent would have as good a chance as anyone, but there is no hint at a Michael Bloomberg run at the presidency right now, regardless of Howard Wolfson’s presence in his Administration, with Bloomberg having the kind of money it would take to walk into the right’s headwinds, organization and financing, with Wall Street in 2009 tilting towards Republcians, because whether Republicans can beat Obama or not they will amass in large numbers and great fury to try.
The wealthy securities and investment industry, for example, went from giving 2 to 1 to Democrats at the start of 2009 to providing almost half of its donations to Republicans by the end of the year, according to new data compiled for The Washington Post by the Center for Responsive Politics.
Commercial banks and their employees also returned to their traditional tilt in favor of the GOP after a brief dalliance with Democrats, giving nearly twice as much to Republicans during the last three months of 2009, the data show. At the same time, total political donations by the major banks and investment houses alike dropped in the waning months of that year.
Of course, this Wall Street “shift,” as it’s now being deemed also lends Obama a convenient aid, looking like the presidential outsider because he dared to take on the banks, even if he actually didn’t. For people trying to keep food on the table and pay the bills details often don’t matter, as we’ve seen in elections many times before.
The wild card is whether Obama can gather the same enthusiasm on the left for a second run. Will Mitt Romney or someone similar galvanize Democrats? Certainly not like Sarah Palin, whom the left loves to hate. But as of now there is considerably less loyalty and enthusiasm in Obama’s base than there was the first time around, but that can change once Obama’s allies realize that the Republicans will be much worse for their cause, the “coming home” syndrome something all incumbent presidents bet will be in play.
However, as you countdown the states that went for Obama, Virginia, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, which McCain won but Obama made a close race, a very different picture presents itself today. It’s too far out to tell what can happen to rally people around Pres. Obama in 2012, but he’s definitely going to have to campaign for it hard. It’s not going to be anything like Clinton’s re-election in 1996, when Republicans weren’t exactly enamored with Bob Dole, who is a great war hero, but not a very good candidate. It’s going to be tougher than 2008, too, when the voters were pining for change and candidate Obama was the man of the moment. That’s past.
The people have also seen Obama’s “change” and it’s not all that. However, voting often comes down to the lesser of two bad choices. Winning by default because the other guy is worse is still a win.
Below is an excerpt of an interview with Fox’s Major Garrett and former President Bill Clinton, which hits on the new book, “The Death of American Virtue” by law professor Ken Gormley. One of the revelations in it has to do with the investigation behind what happened when Lewinski was held by FBI agents.
“I wouldn’t have touched her with a 10-foot pole,” said the lawyer hired to examine the episode, Jo Ann Harris, breaking her silence about her findings on the effort to lure in Lewinsky for questioning. “The minute she says, ‘Can I call my lawyer?’ you stop…. And when she says it for the sixth or seventh time, you really stop….There are limits.” – Jo Ann Harris
Jo Ann Harris was appointed to investigate the alleged improper questioning of Monica Lewinski at a hotel in Pentagon City, just outside of Washington, D.C., on January 16, 1998. The same day A.G. Janet Reno approved an expansion of Starr’s investigation, and one day before Clinton was to testify in the Paul Jones case. Robert Ray, according to Gormley’s book, ran smack into Jo Ann Harris’s critical assessment of the handling of Lewinski, which he didn’t agree with, that led to one of Starr’s prosecutors getting an attorney to petition a judge to put the whole investigation by Harris under seal for reasons of privacy or some other nonsense.
As for the driver of impeachment, the late Rep. Henry Hyde, he wasn’t so picky about lies during Iran-Contra. What Hyde said at the time of Iran-Contra about lying.
“It just seems to me too simplistic to condemn all lying. In the murkier grayness of the real world, choices must be made.” – Rep. Henry Hyde (source: Washington Post, “The Lost Art of Lying,” by Michael Powell)
Ri-ight, and when it’s about sex, lies matter, because Hyde was after something different during Clinton’s day. The anti abortion crusader wanted his cultural scalp.
The rest is history.
GARRETT: Two quick questions about (INAUDIBLE). Ken Starr has said, if he was in your presence, he would say to you, “I’m sorry.” What would you tell Ken Starr?
CLINTON: Well, I’m sorry too. I’m sorry it happened. But I thought that — I haven’t read (INAUDIBLE) book. I read a few newspaper articles about it, I did talk to him. But I never thought — I thought Starr was caught up in a system that he was a willing participant in, but it was really bad.
When President Nixon was investigated, Leon Jaworksi had supported Nixon for president. When President Reagan was investigated, Lawrence Welch had supported President Reagan. When I was investigated, Bob Fisk was a career Republican, but he was a career prosecutor, first special prosecutor. So I didn’t mind being investigated — I knew there was nothing to Whitewater, everybody else did too. And so, I was fine about it.
Kenneth Starr was put in that position because he was politically opposed to me and Henry Cisneros, the HUD secretary, and Mike Espy, the Agriculture secretary, they both were opposed by people who were not only ardent republicans, investigated by people were ardent republicans, and had a personal conflict. So you had three of them there and they got to predictable results. They’re the only special counsels in the history of the special counsel law — every one has jury trials. They all got waxed when they went to court, and it’s because they politicized this whole thing to an extent never seen.
But I always through Starr was just an actor in a play that had been scripted for — to get the exact results it got, and I am sorry. I’m sorry it happened.
GARRETT: In an interview with my colleague Greta Van Susteren, Starr said that the investigation was done with honor and integrity, do you agree?
CLINTON: No. There are at least four people who have testified who have said that they were told in no uncertain terms that if they would say something damaging about me, that they wouldn’t go after them. And then, when they said, we don’t know anything, they were told it didn’t have to be true, they just had to say it. That is not honor and integrity.
There were things done in Arkansas by Mr. Ewing (ph) under Mr. Starr’s direction that were unforgivable, lots of them. And so no, I don’t not agree that it was done with honor and integrity. When you tell someone that — one person even said, Susan McDougal, they told her they should say something that was damaging to me even if it wasn’t illegal, just tell them anything and it didn’t have to be true. Now that’s not honor and integrity.
GARRETT: Last question, Mr. President, an yet, before you left office, you admitted to giving evasive answers and you gave up your law license ball lists (ph). What does that tell America about sum total of the investigation?
CLINTON: Well, first of all, this was an investigation about Whitewater. Kenneth Starr was put in for one thing, to make sure it went past the ’96 election. Mr. Gromley talks about how it was unbelievably slow. And they were desperate to find anything. I made a mistake, they tried to legalize it. What I did was wrong and I said it was wrong. Being evasive to them I thought was the only thing I could do at the time, but I regret very much the underlying misconduct which caused it. And I am sorry about that and I said it many times.
But it’s a great mistake to look at that whole thing and think that’s all it was about. This thing went on for years and years and years. I mean, on the day my mother died, the republican leaders were calling for a special counsel, and they never stopped. I went from my mother’s funeral to an important meeting in Russia and all they talked about was how we had to get to the bottom of this Whitewater thing. A deal that I lost money on, by the way.
There was — the whole thing was, if there had been a special counsel law in place, ironically, there never would have been a special counsel, because it didn’t meet the standards of any law every passed. And I trusted the justice system and I trusted the press to cover it right, and I didn’t realize what the real game was. I was my fault as much as anything else for agreeing to be investigated, but I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong. And so they just kept it going on and on and on. It was a nightmare. And I think, as a result of it, we’ll never have it again. The only good thing to come out of it was, it killed this whole system. I don’t think there’ll ever be another one like this again.
Updating up front (4:00 pm), the remark from Robert Gibbs on the public option is one for the books:
“We have seen obviously that though there are some that are supportive of this, there isn’t enough political support in a majority to get this through,” Gibbs responded. “The president… took the Senate bill as the base and looks forward to discussing consensus ideas on Thursday.” – Sam Stein, Huffington Post
So, if you’re doing the calculation on why the American public is walking away from both political parties you’ve got it. The Republicans are ignoring the support the Medicare buy-in public option has because of their own political egos; while the Democrats are so weak in Democratic priorities, including the people our party has put into office, that not even with a majority in Congress and the presidency can they get through an idea supported by the American public.
It’s no wonder Sen. Jay Rockefeller is a “no” on health care reconciliation. It’s his Harry Truman moment, where he’s telling Dems the truth and many are feeling a blast of hell. But after perusing Pres. Obama’s health care proposal from yesterday, I’d say anyone who signs on to that monstrosity mistake deserves to get his head handed to him by the voters.
What part of the current climate doesn’t the White House understand?
A signature campaign for a public option that the President supports but won’t fight for is hardly inspiring. That’s because since he didn’t put it in his health care bill HE DOESN’T REALLY SUPPORT IT. Sorry to scream, but honestly, Ezra Klein is being obtuse.
That traditional media outlets are saying Rockefeller’s blunt talk is a “very bad sign for the public option” proves how worthless this tribe is at analysis. This whole resurrection tap dance has been pure politics from the start, because Mr. Obama has no intention of fighting for the public option, which means it’s been dead for over a year now.
The White House bill is as bad as any of the proposals to come out of the Democratic Party’s long, twisted, inept, never ending, costly, too long, ineffectual health care efforts since Obama became president. That it won’t help Democrats in November is a side issue, because it doesn’t look like anything will.
Get a load of this chart and this analysis, which is now making the rounds after it was posted this past Sunday.
With current polling in conjunction with Bafumi et al.’s paper predicting a Republican national vote between 53.6% and 54.7%, the Republicans could easily gain 50-60 seats from their current 178. Gains of greater than 60 seats also look quite possible. Even in the best case scenario for the Democrats, it would seem that holding the House would be very, very difficult. It looks like a red blizzard is going to sweep through Washington in November. – Republican Blizzard on the Generic Ballot
The potential for an epic political slaughter in November is very real, according to most analysts who are experts at watching polls, those who have followed electoral history, and from people who have experience in polls via outcomes, including newcomers like “Harry Joe,” who is quoted above. It’s particularly real since the talking points on November this far out continue to get grimmer by the day. The whole notion of a self-realizing prophecy taking hold, especially when you have a Democratic base that really doesn’t give a crap if Democrats are elected or not, because they haven’t done anything worthwhile that people can feel for over a year, so who cares?
Whether you believe the “epic” prognostications or not, which I’m not signing on to one way or the other, those not still mesmerized by the Obama Choir echoes can agree that whatever political carnage is wrought in November the Democrats in Congress, Speaker Pelosi and Pres. Obama have earned.
This post has been updated, with the title changed from “Buh-Bye Speaker Pelosi.”
Sarah Palin has started quite a conversation. Riffing off of a Daniel Pipes column, though it was actually a mis-read of Patrick J. Buchanan’s article at Townhall, Palin on Iran has had its desired outcome. Now, I’ve already written about this, including Dick Cheney’s shot at Sarah, but Palin’s Iran comments have brought a lot of people forward to take her on over the last weeks. Interesting that Fareed Zakaria weighed in on Sarah Palin‘s bomb, bomb, bomb Iran advice for Pres. Obama. No doubt an exciting outcome for Sarah Palin’s foreign policy gurus, which include Randy Scheunemann.
It is important to recognize the magnitude of what people like Palin are advocating. The United States is being asked to launch a military invasion of a state that poses no imminent threat to America, without sanction from any international body and with few governments willing to publicly endorse such an action. Al-Qaeda and its ilk would present it as the third American invasion of a Muslim nation in a decade, proof positive that the United States is engaged in a war of civilizations. Moderate Arab states and Muslim governments everywhere would be on the defensive. And as Washington has surely come to realize, wars unleash forces that cannot be predicted or controlled.
Of course, Mr. Zakaria is far too smart not to know Pres. Obama will not bomb Iran. But the traditional media tribe is restless.
Today, Anne Applebaum invokes Sarah Palin in order to take a walk into the storyland reality of Israel hitting Iran. She’s joined there by Richard Cohen, though he doesn’t invoke Sarah Palin, but instead suggests Obama go down the “Madman Theory” of spooking Ahmadinejad. It’s a Nixonian era insanity not worth quoting, except that all this Washington Post print on Iran was driven by Sarah Palin.
But Zakaria, one of the only people to bluntly ask Michael Oren about Israel’s nuclear capabilities, does use Sarah Palin’s moment on Iran to weigh in on others things of importance. First, Zakaria asks a question: Can we live with a nuclear Iran? As I’ve said many times, it’s not a question of if or whether Iran becomes a nuclear nation, but when. As to Zakaria’s question, he answers it simply: Well, we’re living with a nuclear North Korea (boxed in and contained by its neighbors). And we lived with a nuclear Soviet Union and Communist China. Anne Applebaum takes it to the next step, however indirectly, that boils down to asking: can Israel live with a nuclear Iran?
Then Zakaria takes on something else. Sect. Clinton’s comments that Iran is resembling more and more a “military dictatorship.”
The most significant recent development in Iran has been the displacement of the clerical elite by the Revolutionary Guards, a military organization that is now the center of power. Clinton confirmed this when she warned of an emerging “military dictatorship” there. I’m not sure which is worse for the Iranian people: rule by nasty mullahs or by thuggish soldiers. But we know this: Military regimes are calculating. They act in ways that keep themselves in power. That instinct for self-preservation is what will make a containment strategy work.
It’s a shot across the Administration’s bow, through Sect. Clinton’s cage rattling words, with no proof whatsoever offered that Iran would be any bigger threat to the United States if the Revolutionary Guards had the power. The rest is about Israel.
Evidently in the Obama era, it stops with Rahm, anywhere but with Barack Obama.
That’s because Democrats are having a terrible time figuring out what they do if the problem really is the President. He’s got three more years, then a re-election, so if this far out he’s the one gumming up governing and leading, the Democrats are in for it.
This all began recently when Ed Luce wrote a column in the Financial Times saying that, not only does Obama need to enlist a larger group of advisers, but before corralling them, Rahm Emanuel, his chief of staff, has to go. Then, because it fits the navel gazing narrative of the Concerned Crowd, it’s repeated over and over again, with other Smart People chiming in that something was wrong in the Inner Obama, so that now everyone’s chattering.
Enter Dana Milbank, the wisecracking, klieg light obsessed Washington Post op-ed columnist who got everyone in an uproar yesterday over two little sentences.
Let us now praise Rahm Emanuel.
No, seriously.
Stenographer! Channeling Rahm! How dare he betray the core of the Obama Choir, Gibby, Axe and Val!
But at least Milbank is doing his job, bringing hits to the Washington Post, because no one could resist taking a big bite at such bait written by someone everyone loves to hate.
I wasn’t going to touch this one because it all seemed so silly election season obvious.
But then Les Gelb went at again today on the Daily Beast, a follow up to his “Replace Rahm” starter piece, when he also asked for a scrambling of the deck chairs, not to mention the firing of Gen. Jim Jones (though it’s hard to argue with his suggestion to dump Larry Summers, who should never have been hired in the first place). Gelb asserting today that Rahm Emanuel has used Dana Milbank, who’s denying he talked to Emanuel for his piece, to strike at Gelb.
And maybe Rahm is actually out the door or perhaps someone is opening it for him and pushing him out, something that concerns me not in the least. However, what all this says about Pres. Obama is troubling.
This is all very interesting for people who can’t afford or won’t deal with the obvious. The people who are trying furtively to figure out what’s gone so terribly wrong with Obama in the first year, including on foreign policy which has stalled in several arenas, but particularly as some see Obama’s Afghanistan strategy as a real policy blunder. Working mightily on their inner guru to make sure the proper pressure is brought to bear, Rahm Emanuel simply must be exposed for who he really is. Operation Pressure the President meant to make it too hot for Rahm to stay. After all, it’s all his fault.
The alternative is just too terrible to consider.
But I assure you people outside Washington, D.C. have never heard of or care one whit about some guy chosen by Pres. Obama to be his chief of staff. To normal, average Americans watching this colossally incompetent circus go ’round and ’round in circles, it’s about Obama, and it will be even if Rahm Emanuel gets axed.
Chief of staffs are notoriously strong and seldom liked. See Don Regan v. Nancy Reagan. Alexander Haig, who recently died, was chief of staff to Nixon, managing also to get out unscathed from Watergate, reportedly also responsible for convincing Nixon to resign. Haig was also chief of staff for Ford, replaced eventually by Donald Rumsfeld. Jim Baker and his iron hand, velvet tongue, an Arabist without getting caught, and the man who maneuvered the 2000 post-election fight and gave Democrats a collective ulcer some of us are still nursing. But what of the presidents they served?
Barack Obama’s first year didn’t come off very well. The electorate is restless. Independents have buyer’s remorse. Republicans are out for blood. There’s got to be a fix, a fall guy. It can’t be the President, because after all we’ve got him for 3 more years, plus a re-election.
But what if the problem isn’t Rahm?
It’s the question most Democrats can’t, won’t or refuse to face, because they can’t do anything about the answer. Because if they pretend it’s all about Rahm, hoping for his ouster, at least Democrats might get a re-set. With Gibby, Axe, Val and now even Dave still around, it’s better than nothing.
“You know, they are saying, ‘Ignore the wishes of the American people. We know more about this than you do. And we’re going to jam it down your throats no matter what,’ ” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on “Fox News Sunday.” – Washington Post
Linda Douglas convened the call, with Nancy-Ann DeParle, Jason Furman also on the line to coincide with the President’s health care meeting proposal. Pheiffer said the “President would have signed both the House and the Senate bill” if either of them had come to his desk.
There is no public option in the bill, with Dan Pfeiffer, White House Communications Director, however, the President supports it. You figure that one out. This answer came in answer to a question later in the media call, Is a public option in the plan and what about reconciliation?
“There is not a public option in here. As you know the President supports a public option. … … We have made no determination (about reconciliation) … going forward. … The people deserve an up or down vote. … – Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer also said the President is working from the Senate bill.
“Our take on how to bridge those differences… The opening bid for the health meeting. … We took our best shot of bridging the differences. … It is our hope that the Republicans will come together with their plan” (and post it online, too) … – Dan Pfeiffer
This includes mandates, known as “Improve Individual Responsibility”:
All Americans should have affordable health insurance coverage. This helps everyone, both insured and uninsured, by reducing cost shifting, where people with insurance end up covering the inevitable health care costs of the uninsured, and making possible robust health insurance reforms that will curb insurance company abuses and increase the security and stability of health insurance for all Americans. The House and Senate bills require individuals who have affordable options but who choose to remain uninsured to make a payment to offset the cost of care they will inevitably need. The House bill’s payment is a percentage of income. The Senate sets the payment as a flat dollar amount or percentage of income, whichever is higher (although not higher than the lowest premium in the area). Both the House and Senate bill provide a low-income exemption, for those individuals with incomes below the tax filing threshold (House) or below the poverty threshold (Senate).The Senate also includes a “hardship” exemption for people who cannot afford insurance, included in the President’s Proposal. It protects those who would face premiums of more than 8 percent of their income from having to pay any assessment and they can purchase a low-cost catastrophic plan in the exchange if they choose. …
Employer responsibilities are not mandated, like what’s in the Senate bill. However…
Under the Senate bill, there is no mandate for employers to provide health insurance. But as a matter of fairness, the Senate bill requires large employers (i.e., those with more than 50 workers) to make payments only if taxpayers are supporting the health insurance for their workers. The assessment on the employer is $3,000 per full-time worker obtaining tax credits in the exchange if that employer’s coverage is unaffordable, or $750 per full-time worker if the employer has a worker obtaining tax credits in the exchange but doesn’t offer coverage in the first place. The House bill requires a payroll tax for insurers that do not offer health insurance that meets minimum standards. The tax is 8% generally and phases in for employers with annual payrolls from $500,000 to $750,000; according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the assessment for a firm with average wages of $40,000 would be $3,200 per worker. Under the President’s Proposal, small businesses will receive $40 billion in tax credits to support coverage for their workers beginning this year. Consistent with the Senate bill, small businesses with fewer than 50 workers would be exempt from any employer responsibility policies.
According to the White House spin, which they provided prior to the call this morning, Pres. Obama’s plan will, for one thing, offer “policies to improve affordability and accountability”:
Increase Tax Credits for Health Insurance Premiums. Close the Medicare Prescription Drug “Donut Hole”. Invest in Community Health Centers. Strengthen Oversight of Insurance Premium Increases. Extend Consumer Protections against Health Insurer Practices. Improve Individual Responsibility. Strengthen Employer Responsibility.
There are also policies to “crack down on waste, fraud and abuse,” as well as policies “to contain costs and ensure fiscal sustainability.”
Nancy-Ann DeParle, Obama’s health care czar, we’re talking bout the Senate bill with important provisions, including getting rid of the “Nebraska provision,” with help offered to all states, details offered in the President’s Proposal. Closes the Medicare “donut-hole”:
Close the Medicare Prescription Drug “Donut Hole”. The Medicare drug benefit provides vital help to seniors who take prescription drugs, but under current law, it leaves many beneficiaries without assistance when they need it most. Medicare stops paying for prescriptions after the plan and beneficiary have spent $2,830 on prescription drugs, and only starts paying again after out-of-pocket spending hits $4,550. This “donut hole” leaves seniors paying the full cost of expensive medicines, causing many to skip doses or not fill prescriptions at all – harming their health and raising other types of health costs. The Senate bill provides a 50% discount for certain drugs in the donut hole. The House bill fully phases out the donut hole over 10 years. Both bills raise the dollar amount before the donut hole begins by $500 in 2010. Relative to the Senate bill, the President’s Proposal fills the “donut hole” entirely. It begins by replacing the $500 increase in the initial coverage limit with a $250 rebate to Medicare beneficiaries who hit the donut hole in 2010. It also closes the donut hole completely by phasing down the coinsurance so it is the standard 25% by 2020 throughout the coverage gap.
…strengthens the Senate bill for families, invests in community health centers, stronger consumer protections against health insurer practices, increases threshold for excise tax to $23,000 to over $27,500 for a family plan (2018 for all plans), creates a new Health Care Rate Authority that will provide oversight on unfair increases. Obama will adopt the “hardship exemption” from the Senate plan, with premiums more than 8% of your income or at 100% of poverty.
Jason Furman answered the first question on the excise tax, from ABC News, dental and vision wouldn’t count in the calculation. David Corn followed up pointing to the House Dems not liking this provision at all, drawing to the point Obama made that if people liked their health care plan they wouldn’t have to change it. Jason’s response, in part was, “This entire plan is about giving insurance companies more of an incentive to be more efficient… this provision is just part of it.”
Wall Street Journal asked the total cost of the plan. DeParle said the whole plan is “offset,” going into details with the bottom line being that it would be deficit neutral.
Mark Knoller used his question to make the statement that what the White House is offering is much more than what the Republicans are expecting.
Abortion language was another question. Looks like women will be able to buy abortion coverage with a separate check. Once the President’s actual proposal in unveiled we’ll know more, but what I’ve heard so far is that it’s definitely not Stupak.
From the summary,
The President’s Proposal puts American families and small business owners in control of their own health care:
It makes insurance more affordable by providing the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history, reducing premium costs for tens of millions of families and small business owners who are priced out of coverage today. This helps over 31 million Americans afford health care who do not get it today – and makes coverage more affordable for many more.
It sets up a new competitive health insurance market giving tens of millions of Americans the exact same insurance choices that members of Congress will have.
It brings greater accountability to health care by laying out commonsense rules of the road to keep premiums down and prevent insurance industry abuses and denial of care.
It will end discrimination against Americans with pre-existing conditions.
It puts our budget and economy on a more stable path by reducing the deficit by $100 billion over the next ten years – and about $1 trillion over the second decade – by cutting government overspending and reining in waste, fraud and abuse.
The President’s Proposal bridges the gap between the House and Senate bills and includes new provisions to crack down on waste, fraud and abuse. It includes a targeted set of changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Senate-passed health insurance reform bill. The President’s Proposal reflects policies from the House-passed bill and the President’s priorities. Key changes include:
Eliminating the Nebraska FMAP provision and providing significant additional Federal financing to all States for the expansion of Medicaid;
Closing the Medicare prescription drug “donut hole” coverage gap;
Strengthening the Senate bill’s provisions that make insurance affordable for individuals and families;
Strengthening the provisions to fight fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid;
Increasing the threshold for the excise tax on the most expensive health plans from $23,000 for a family plan to $27,500 and starting it in 2018 for all plans;
Improving insurance protections for consumers and creating a new Health Insurance Rate Authority to provide Federal assistance and oversight to States in conducting reviews of unreasonable rate increases and other unfair practices of insurance plans.
Preventing Delays in Access to Generic Drugs. Currently, brand-name pharmaceutical companies can delay generic competition through agreements whereby they pay the generic company to keep its drug off the market for a period of time, called “pay-for-delay.” This hurts consumers by delaying their access to generic drugs, which are usually less expensive than their branded counterparts. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently estimated that this could cost consumers $35 billion over 10 years. The President’s proposal adopts a provision from the bipartisan legislation that gives the FTC enforcement authority to address this problem. Specifically, it makes anti-competitive and unlawful any agreement in which a generic drug manufacturer receives anything of value from a brand-name drug manufacturer that contains a provision in which the generic drug manufacturer agrees to limit or forego research, development, marketing, manufacturing or sales of the generic drug. This presumption can only be overcome if the parties to such an agreement demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that the pro-competitive benefits of the agreement outweigh the anti-competitive effects of the agreement. The proposal also requires the Chief Executive Officer of the branded pharmaceutical company to certify to the accuracy and completeness of any agreements required to be filed with the FTC. Policies to Contain Costs and Ensure
About 31 million Americans will get coverage, but as far as I can see it’s still a maze and quite expensive. California’s Anthem gave the White House a great target. They shot, they scored.
Democrats are going to get something passed, that much seems clear (or go down trying). It remains to be seen if the Mitch McConnell quote at the top will frame Obama or if there is enough in the Democratic package to sink Republicans if they stiff arm Obama on Thursday.
The Obama plan costs a trillion dollars, puts government in control of personal health decisions, and allows the government to set prices in the private market. That mirrors the Pelosi/Reid plans that have already been soundly rejected by the bipartisan majority of Americans.
Ron Paul has ended Mitt Romney’s three-year run as conservatives’ favorite for president, taking 31 percent of the vote in the Conservative Political Action Conference’s annual straw poll. – Fox News
How embarrassing, Ron Paul won the straw poll. Mitt Romney was second with 21% of the vote, with Sarah Palin (AWOL at CPAC) at a measly 7%, Pawlenty (he attended the conference) at 6%, Mike Pence at 5%, and Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee at 4%, with the biggest stars, after Romney, following well behind Paul.
But the most embarrassing performance I’ve seen so far was Andrew Breitbart leveling an unhinged diatribe in Max Blumenthal’s face. This just isn’t the way it’s done if you are sure of your case and want to engage in debate, but it’s Breitbart’s carnivalesque style. As is convenient for wingnut hit jobs, you can’t hear anything Blumenthal says, while Mr. Breitbart’s non-stop harangue is caught on tape perfectly, like what’s done in media hit jobs so familiar from Bill O’Reilly. Invoking Sidney Blumenthal, Max’s dad, Breitbart’s monologue seems stuck in a never ending loop. Max takes it in stride, as he’s been on the hunt for wingnuts, having also published a book on the “Republican Gomorrah.” His recent article on ACORN nemesis James O’Keefe for Salon.com bringing a lot of attention as well, including correction’s of Blumenthal’s piece (though Mr. Breitbart ignored that fact). You’d think as a grown man Breitbart could confront Blumenthal in a manner that wasn’t reminiscent of the stalkerazzi.
It was Ron Paul’s win, however, that embarrassed the CPAC establishment. After all, Mr. Paul was against the Iraq war and is conservative on all interventionist, or Wilsonian, notions of foreign policy, something that clearly runs counter to the Cheney neoconservative wing of the Republican Party that has such a grip on movement conservatives from coast to coast and will certainly be represented in whoever the Republicans pick as their nominee. From Politico:
CPAC organizers were plainly embarrassed by the results, which could reduce the perceived impact of a contest that was once thought to offer a window into which White House hopefuls were favored by movement conservatives.
Even as opportunities abound, the conservatives, from Republicans to CPAC to the Tea Party, can’t find a direction to save their political souls. That they actually make Democrats look good tells you how utterly useless the main engines of American politics are right now.
Glenn Beck on fire.
Only the goal of electing a Republican House in 2010, but also a new president in 2012, holds the right together, even as the conservative Establishment have lost control over that process. Ron Paul’s win at CPAC reveals something is happening in the grass roots arena on the right. It continues to play out.
Too bad the left is stuck in reactionary mode, with neither Obama or Democratic leaders worthy of the power voters bestowed on them over the last two election cycles.
Disarray on the right.
Total incompetence on the left.
The playing field is ripe for an independent run in 2012.
Everyone is writing posts with blaring headlines about “breaking news,” new developments, sign on, get busy, the public option is back, seeing a “revival” or some other lingo that offers hope for health care legislation that means something. I’m not buying it. It’s all political kabuki.
Yes, there has been “breaking news,” just nothing that will amount to anything. The public option is as unlikely to happen now as it was in the Senate before. There is nothing I’ve gleaned from anyone that tells me otherwise. Plus it’s an election year, which means everyone is running around saying and signing on to things that look good but they’ll never have to publicly defend, while privately worrying they’ll get caught in Barack Obama’s bipartisanship guillotine next week if they step too far out. Of course, some are real believers, but they’re like the Dirty Dozen at this point, which won’t cut it.
More from the New York Times, with the lines in bold a real problem, as I’ve written before. Offering mandates without competition, well, the Democrats should choke on it. As for the excise tax, it’s worse, but a favorite of the Dem establishment and their media enablers.
“There will be one proposal,” Ms. Sebelius said.
The president’s plan would require most Americans to obtain health insurance or face financial penalties; it would bar insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing medical conditions, and it would give tax subsidies to help moderate-income people buy private insurance.
Officials said the president’s bill was expected to include a version of the Senate’s proposed tax on high-cost, employer-sponsored insurance policies. It would reflect a deal reached with labor union leaders to limit the impact of the tax on workers.
More recently, some labor officials have expressed dissatisfaction with that deal, and many House Democrats remain opposed to the excise tax.
Democrats said it was still unclear how the president would deal with other disagreements, including the issue of insurance coverage for abortions.
Abortion remains “a wild card,” said a Democrat on Capitol Hill. …
Ah yes, women’s self-determination is now a “wild card” to Democrats where health care legislation is concerned. Looks like we were better off when Obama was voting “present.” Sorry, but this is now beyond all tolerance.
Anyway, I’m getting emails from readers that they’re excited, ready to work and push for the public option. I get it, believe me, and it’s unconscionable that Obama and the Dems have proved so utterly feckless, but it’s all a 2010 political game at this point.
Like Lawrence O’Donnell said on “Countdown,” Clinton health care had 35 sponsors and it died a bloody death on the Senate floor.
Pres. Obama has never led on the issue and at this point is just trying to pass anything to prove he’s done something. Democrats are rightly freaked they’ll go into the 2010 elections with nothing, but they should be more worried that Republicans will beat them over the heads with forcing people into a rigged system that also taxes their benefits. It’s the worst of all worlds, but that seems to be the White House’s idea of “leadership.”
Never has a president and his political party been given so much and done so little with what they’ve been handed, which includes public support for a Medicare buy-in public option that would make the Democratic Party heroes for another generation and beyond, if they only had the guts to follow the public’s lead, leaving the Republicans and the fairy tale of bipartisanship behind.
Newsweekwas here first. Michael Isikoff and Daniel Klaidman getting the story at the end of January.
DOJ official David Margolis has overruled the Office of Professional Responsibility, saying John Yoo and Jay Bybee were not guilty of misconduct on the Bush-Cheney era torture memos, they simply “exercised poor judgment”. Ya think?
Bush administration lawyers who wrote memos that paved the way for waterboarding of terrorism suspects and other harsh interrogation tactics “exercised poor judgment” but will not face discipline for their actions, according to long-awaited Justice Department documents released Friday.
The decision rejects recommendations by the department’s ethics investigators. They had twice urged that allegations against John C. Yoo and Jay S. Bybee be sent to state disciplinary authorities for further action, including the possible revocation of their licenses to practice law. …
And the hits just keep on comin’.
The attorneys who concocted the logic and the legalize to make Cheney’s waterboarding dreams come true are getting off. The decision to overrule on Bybee and Yoo handing the Republicans a win on Bush-Cheney torture memos, in an election year no less, that will send the conservatives at CPAC into paroxysms of orgiastic euphoria.
One person who supports the “Family Guy” staff is Andrea Fay Friedman, the 39-year-old actor and public speaker who played Ellen in that episode. Like the character, Ms. Friedman also has Down syndrome.
“I guess former Governor Palin does not have a sense of humor. I thought the line “I am the daughter of the former governor of Alaska” was very funny. I think the word is “sarcasm.”
In my family we think laughing is good. My parents raised me to have a sense of humor and to live a normal life.”
While in Washington, CPAC snubs Sarah Palin, though to update this post, the emails I’m getting say she actually snubbed them. (See update below.) What will her advisers do now that Grover Norquist has basically said she’s a “spokesperson making a living,” not a presidential candidate? Her fans won’t care, but it’s not good for Sarah. As this is the conservatives’ conservative event. Mitt was there, Dick and Liz Cheney, Marco Rubio wowed the crowd. But no Sarah. She was the queen of the Tea Party convention. It does draw a clear distinction, one that won’t help make Sarah’s presidential dreams come true, because this is the conservative event of the season. Maybe she’ll win the straw poll, like is being hinted. But not being at CPAC was an amateur blunder. (This paragraph has been updated, 6:30 pm.)
Meanwhile, the kerfuffle over “Family Guy” has taken a turn for the worse for the Palins. The producers hiring an actress with Down syndrome to play the voice in the cartoon show that has Sarah’s skivvies in a bunch.
I thought the bit was funny, but then I loathe political correctness, especially culturally.
Does Sarah, and the “Family Guy” critics, understand what a great opportunity this was for Ms. Friedman? It’s huge.
Sarah needs to learn a lesson from Ms. Friedman. A good laugh at herself might loosen her up. Besides, the country has serious problems and Sarah going off on a cartoon no less proves how odiously pious she would be in office. Something the American people would tire of pretty quickly. Palin’s shelf life at about one day right now.
Just imagine if Sarah Palin was on TV as much as Pres. Obama. Got that picture? Well, it’s just another test any candidate will have to pass before they’ll take the keys to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave away from Barack Obama.
It’s clear from Sarah’s reaction to “Family Guy” that besides her other challenges, we should mark overwrought, humorless earnestness among them. It also won’t do Trig any good.
TM UPDATE: First, there have been a myriad of reasons printed why Palin isn’t at CPAC; it’s because the John Birch Society is involved, Dave Keene is a money grubber, or they wouldn’t pay her fee, etc. Bottom line is that she’s not there and nobody is talking about her, while Mitt Romney looks like Mr. Conservative at the most important establishment event of the season.
Secondly, I’ve been fair to Mrs. Palin in every single instance, innumerable times since the ’08 election, and will continue to be. I’m calling this as I see it and correctly, because Palin was wrong. The “Family Guy” creators went to the trouble of getting an actress with Down syndrome, but Palin didn’t bother to get the facts before piping up. I’ve gotten many emails today, but this is the most uninformed:
My goodness, you protest too much. After Obama anyone would be a good choice, I like Sarah Palin and her common sense solutions. Every time someone knocks her it makes me like her more. – Barbara Lay, Houston, TX
Here are just a couple of comments from Palin supporters after I posted “Underestimating Sarah” on HuffPo. I’ve made a pledge to be fair to Palin and I will. But when she’s wrong she’s wrong; though the “Family Guy” stuff is not nearly as damaging as not being at CPAC.
I saw your comment on Sarah Palin’s website, which led me to your piece, so, you can thank her for that, because now, I will continue to read your work. You do sound fair and unbiased and I really do appreciate that. – Claudia
“Hey just took a look at your article you posted on Sarah Palin’s facebook page. I noticed it was on the Huffington Post which in my opinion has become a punching bag for Sarah but I have seen your name mentioned on Conservatives4Palin as pretty fair when it comes to her. I just wanted to say thanks for atleast treating her with respect. I am young still so I don’t know if this has been the norm for other people in politics but the media treats her as if she was never a mayor or Gov. so again thanks for the respect. I am writing this quickly because I need to take off to work but I hope to maybe see some of your other friends to follow your lead. Take care! Palin 2012:)hehe” – Courtney
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