Congressman David Obey, who called for a tax to pay for the war in Iraq two years ago, has done it again. He’s calling for a tax to pay for Afghanistan. It’s a very good idea for several reasons: 1. A war is, one would hope, a temporary aberration from budget norms, requiring a jolt [...]
There are a couple of aspects of this historic vote that deserve notice here: 1. My favorite provision requires that all members of Congress give up their federally-funded health care benefits and join the health care exchanges that will be set up by this bill. This is brilliant politics, addressing the tide of populist anger [...]
Sunday morning brings a glimmer of good news from Afghanistan, courtesy of the amazing Dexter Filkins. The U.S. is beginning to support tribal militia fighting the Taliban. This is important because the weakest link in the military’s Afghan plan is the idea that we can train a 250,000 man Afghan army and 150,000 police officers. [...]
2:30 EST: They’ve got 60. Lincoln says she will vote to proceed. See update below With Senator Mary Landrieu’s announcement this afternoon on the Senate floor that she will support the motion to proceed to debate on the health care bill–with the caveat that this does not guarantee her support for the final product–Majority Leader [...]
Senate Democratic leaders are wooing Senators Mary Landrieu, Ben Nelson and Blanche Lincoln — the last three hold outs who have not pledged to vote for the motion to proceed tomorrow night to start the debate on health care reform. Lincoln, an embattled Arkansas centrist, has been demanding 72 hours to read the bill — [...]
Forget WWJD. The new question is apparently What Would MLK Do? A coalition of politically and theologically conservative Christian leaders, including nine Roman Catholic bishops, who have just signed a declaration saying they will not comply with laws that could require them to recognize same-sex unions or allow their institutions to support abortions are arguing [...]
I’ve always had trouble understanding the opt-out version of the public option. Or more specifically, I’ve had trouble understanding why any state would actually opt out of something that some might find ideologically objectionable, but that doesn’t actually cost them anything, gives their citizens a choice, and might actually bring in some government money down [...]
I’m still wading through the Congressional Budget Office’s preliminary analysis of the health care bill that Majority Leader Harry Reid will be taking to the Senate floor, but here’s a Power Point circulating among Senate Democratic staffers that gives you a basic tour of the bill, with some comparisons to other versions. UPDATE: For those [...]
