Lieberman to Oppose Public Option

Mon Nov 09 — 3:03pm

As quoted on Fox News Sunday:

"If the public option plan is in there, as a matter of conscience, I will not allow this bill to come to a final vote, because I believe the debt can break America and send us into a recession that's worse than the one we're fighting our way out of today. I don't want to do that to our — to our children and grandchildren."

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MSM on Reid's Health Care Problems

Mon Nov 09 — 3:01pm

Senator Reid isn't lucky enough to have the overwhelming Democratic margin that Speaker Pelosi has in the house. Some main stream media reports on his upcoming problems pushing through the bill:

· New York Times: In the Senate, where proposals differ substantially from the House-passed measure on issues like a government-run plan and how to pay for coverage, the bill is stalled while budget analysts assess its overall costs. The slim margin in the House — the bill passed with just two votes to spare, and 39 Democrats opposed it — suggests even greater challenges in the Senate, where the majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, is struggling to hold on to all 58 Democrats and two independents in his caucus … But for all the exultation, there was a sense inside the White House and on Capitol Hill that the hardest work is yet to come.

· Wall Street Journal: President Barack Obama's health-care overhaul faces an uncertain battle in the Senate after a narrow weekend victory in the House revealed the continuing divide among Democrats … But its narrow passage in the House, where the Democrats have a large majority, underscores the difficulties ahead. Senate Democrats are struggling to agree on how to pay for the overhaul and whether to create a new public insurance plan to compete with private insurers, as the House did. Friction over how the bill treats abortion, which almost derailed the House vote, is likely to divide the Senate too.

· Associated Press: Don't look for the Senate to quickly follow the House on health care overhaul. A government health insurance plan included in the House bill is unacceptable to a few Democratic moderates who hold the balance of power in the Senate. They're locked in a battle with liberals, with the fate of President Barack Obama's signature issue at stake.

· Los Angeles Times: Even though the House is a bastion of liberalism, the healthcare overhaul was a tougher sell than expected and the bill turned out to be more conservative in its price tag, more limited in the scope of its government-run insurance option and tighter in its restrictions on abortion funding than many Democrats had hoped. Moreover, the narrow victory -- 220 to 215 in a chamber where Democrats hold 258 seats -- was unsettling for liberals because moderate Democrats have a louder voice in the Senate and Republicans have more stalling power. What is more, the political climate has become more challenging for progressivism than it was when Obama's agenda for change was launched in his 2008 presidential campaign and ratified with his resounding election one year ago.

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Boxer's Climate Bill

Fri Nov 06 — 3:12pm

Yesterday Senator Boxer rammed her Climate Bill  through Committee without any Republican support.

Since, Senators on both sides of the aisle have expressed their dipleasure with the process and some have their doubts about the bill.

Two great articles discussing the bill:

Politics Daily

Politico

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Bad News for Dodd

Thu Nov 05 — 4:12pm

Bad news for Chris Dodd as the GOP saw Mayoral victories across Connecticut on Tuesday.

Read more here.

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Is Stimulus Money Creating Jobs?

Thu Nov 05 — 4:01pm

Earlier this year Democrats rammed the "stimulus" through money....is it working in its promise to create jobs?

The New York Times looks into where money is actually going.

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White House Exaggerating Jobs Numbers From Stimulus

Wed Nov 04 — 3:58pm

A Wall Street Journal analysis finds the administration exaggerating the number of jobs actually created as a result of the bloated spending bill. The number of jobs the Obama administration credits to federal stimulus money could be overstated by at least 20,000 of the 640,000 claimed, a Wall Street Journal analysis found. Recipients of the government grants and contracts appear to have made mistakes when estimating the number of jobs that have been saved or created, according to the Journal's review.

Moreover the Associated Press discovers that pay raises are being considered as a "saved" job.

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GOP Wins Big in VA and NJ

Wed Nov 04 — 3:51pm

Republicans had a great night last night with big victories in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial elections. As the Democrats try to spin this as not a referendum on Democrats or President Obama it's important to remember these 2005 comments from Rahm Emanuel regarding that year’s elections on the 2006 midterms:

In an interview last week, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) said that regardless of the results, the gubernatorial outcomes stand to have a huge effect on how 2006 is viewed. "Whatever the outcome of those elections, it will have an impact on people's interpretations of the upcoming election," Emanuel said, adding that Democratic wins across the board could have a positive impact on the party's 2006 recruiting efforts." (Lauren Whittington, "Vote Could Offer Clues," Roll Call, 11/8/05)

For more coverage on the ramifcations of last night's GOP victories on 2010 check out these stories from the New York Times, Associated Press, Washington Post, LA Times and the Houston Chronicle.

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Boxer to Jam Cap and Tax Through With No GOP Input

Tue Nov 03 — 3:06pm

As Barbara Boxer ignores GOP input and prepares to jam her cap-and-tax legislation through her Environment and Public Works Committee, Politico’s Lisa Lerer notes that even Democrat aides are complaining about Boxer’s hyper-partisan style, accusing the California Senator of "poisoning the waters."

"Barbara Boxer may not only force her climate bill through the Environment and Public Works Committee without any Republican votes; aides say she could also do it without any Republicans in the room at all. Boxer (D-Calif.) could exploit a loophole in committee rules that will allow her to approve the bill with a simple majority of the 12 Democrats on the committee, even if no Republicans are present. Republicans have vowed to boycott the proceeding. This end run around Republicans - ignoring the usual rules that require at least two Republicans to be present for a quorum - could further hinder the chances for an already troubled cap-and-trade bill.

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KRCG on Carnahan's Cozy Relationship With ACORN

Tue Nov 03 — 3:04pm

In Missouri, KRCG, the CBS affiliate in Columbia/Jefferson City, reports on Robin Carnahan’s "cozy" relationship with the ethically-challenged ACORN.

"The Senate race may be a year away but Republicans are coming out swinging. 'We're calling on the secretary of state to say ACORN is a bad organization,' said Lloyd Smith, executive director of the Missouri Republican Party. 'And [that] we will no longer do business with 'em here in our state.' In the first attack ad of the race to replace retiring Sen. Kit Bond, Republicans are targeting Robin Carnahan, linking her with the controversial housing group ACORN. The state GOP released an Internet attack ad calling Carnahan's relationship with ACORN 'too close for comfort.'

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And the scariest Democrat winner is...

Fri Oct 30 — 7:47pm

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