Dems Lack Votes for a Public Option

Wed Oct 28 — 3:03pm

Some of the coverage on the issues arising from Sen. Reid's health care bill:

· New York Times: Senate Democrats voiced deep disagreements on Tuesday over the idea of a government-run health insurance plan, suggesting that the decision by the majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, to include a public plan in major health care legislation had failed, at least initially, to unite his caucus.

· Washington Post: Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid's risky decision to bring to the chamber's floor a health-care bill containing a government insurance plan was met with skepticism by moderate Democrats, who said they still do not know whether they could support a public option on a final vote.

· USA Today: Lieberman's decision complicates Reid's effort to corral support from 60 senators needed to shut down filibusters and proceed to a final vote on a bill. Without Lieberman, Reid must find support from Republicans, none of whom say they back the idea.

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Join Tim Pawlenty At Our Fall Meeting

Wed Oct 28 — 1:22pm

Below is a message from Tim Pawlenty who will be a keynote speaker at the NRSC Fall Meeting on November 16.

A few weeks ago, I launched Freedom First PAC, an organization dedicated to turning back the growth of the federal government and renewing the promise of freedom. America is successful in large part because we are the freest people the world has ever known. These freedoms are now being threatened by the rapid expansion of our government led by liberal Democrats in Washington.

The NRSC is committed to electing more Republicans to the Senate to stem this encroachment on our liberties, and that's why I'm pleased to be speaking at their Fall Meeting held in Washington, D.C. November 16th and 17th. I look forward to sharing the message of Freedom First with supporters from across America who are helping us rebuild our conservative ranks in 2010.

 

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Reid's Political Calculations On Health Care Bill

Tue Oct 27 — 2:13pm

Multiple media outlets yesterday and today have noticed the political calculation behind Majority Leader Reid’s decision to include a government-run component in the health care legislation, as he attempts to shore up his shaky left flank heading into his difficult re-election bid:

Las Vegas Sun: Even more, by putting the public plan in the bill, Reid wins a reprieve from the political left, which counts the public option as its highest priority in health reform. Liberal and progressive groups have been hounding Reid for the past week over his failure to do more than profess his own preference for the public option. One progressive group has been running TV ads in Nevada asking if he’s tough enough to include it ... Reid will certainly help shore up his own base for reelection with Monday’s decision.

 

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Portman Winning Money Race

Tue Oct 27 — 2:11pm

In Ohio, the Associated Press observes the wide fundraising disparity between Democrat Senate hopefuls Lee Fisher/Jennifer Brunner (who are still locked in a divisive primary) and GOP frontrunner Rob Portman. Fisher and Brunner have raised a combined $3.1 million, half the $6.2 million Portman, a former congressman and Bush budget director has raised without a significant well-known opponent ... But even the best campaign cannot survive forever without money, Levinthal said. "There’s a perception element, then there’s just the ability-to-function element," he said. "In statewide campaigns and congressional campaigns, candidates often need to raise large sums of money to stay on TV, to buy advertisements, to hire staff, to buy office space. All these things are basic these days to run a competitive campaign."

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Reid Toils for Deal

Mon Oct 26 — 1:48pm

Senator Reid's close ties with the Obama administration concerning health care are costing him votes back home in Nevada:

But Republican Party officials say they believe Reid is doing himself harm by playing such a dominant role in crafting the health care bill.

They point to a recent statewide poll by Rasmussen Reports showing that 52 percent of Nevadans oppose Obama's health care proposal, while 45 percent support it. In the same September poll, 54 percent of Nevadans said they had an unfavorable opinion of Reid.

"If you look at the polls in Nevada, Reid is seen as a partisan bully," said Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "When you're writing a bill behind closed doors and seeming to ram it through Congress on a partisan vote, that plays into that image. He's on dangerous political ground here."

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Voters Trust Republicans

Mon Oct 26 — 1:39pm

Great news for the GOP from Rasmussen Reports:

For the first time in recent years, voters trust Republicans more than Democrats on all 10 key electoral issues regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports. The GOP holds double-digit advantages on five of them.

Republicans have nearly doubled their lead over Democrats on economic issues to 49% to 35%, after leading by eight points in September.

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Fall Golf Outing Winner

Mon Oct 26 — 12:34pm

Congratulations to Ron from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin for winning the opportunity to attend the NRSC October golf outing! On November 9 Ron will travel to Naples, Florida where he'll start the day with lunch and a golf clinic hosted by Peter Jacobsen. After he's tested the tips he's learned from Peter on the course, he will attend a cocktail reception as well as take photos with Peter and Republican members of the U.S. Senate.

Thank you to everyone who participated. Be on the look out soon for another opportunity to meet Republican members of the U.S. Senate in November.

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Meek Flip Flops

Fri Oct 23 — 6:03pm

From the Miami Herald:

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Democrats Worried, Max Out to Lincoln, Dorgan

Thu Oct 22 — 2:32pm

National Democrats are worried about the shifting political landscape in the country. Their concern is seen in the DSCC's recent maxing out to both the campaigns of Senators Lincoln and Dorgan.

Roll Call has more.

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Reid Mishandles "Doc Fix" Bill

Thu Oct 22 — 2:22pm

Numerous news organizations noted bad news for Senator Reid on his mishandling of the "doc fix" bill.

· Las Vegas Sun: “Reid is hyper-skilled at knowing almost precisely how each member of his Democratic caucus will vote on an issue. That is why it left Washington shaking its head Wednesday afternoon when the so-called doctors’ fix bill went down in defeat.”

· New York Times: “The Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada, needed 60 votes to proceed. He won only 47. And he could not blame Republicans. A dozen Democrats and one independent crossed party lines and voted with Republicans on the 53 to 47 roll call.”

· Los Angeles Times: “But the setback for Reid represented a warning about the unpredictable road ahead for the far more controversial and expensive propositions at the core of President Obama's healthcare overhaul.”

· Wall Street Journal: “In a defeat for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.), who had pushed the Medicare bill, Democratic leaders failed to advance a plan that would have halted years of payment cuts to doctors under Medicare's reimbursement schedule.”

· The Hill: “The setback immediately raised questions among fellow Democrats over Reid’s handling of healthcare reform strategy and gave Republicans an opening.”

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