Ryan Grim sees an opening. Don’t count on it. At least, not now and not nationally: UPDATE: David Waldman sees one too.
Early this morning, the Senate parliamentarian identified some technical problems with the student loan provisions included in the reconciliation bill. This means if and when the Senate passes an altered bill, it will have to go back to the House for another vote. Of course, the Senate bill is already law, so this does not [...]
Well Charlie Crist’s latest radio ad certainly throws a healthy dose of cold water on those whispers about him switching parties: There were never any credible reports he was mulling a flip, but musings about the Florida governor and Republican Senate hopeful taking desperate action were understandable given the brutal beating he has taken in [...]
Yesterday, I wrote about the rhetorical flare up between Obama aide David Axelrod and the spokeswoman for John McCain. Today, the taunting continued, this time with White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs taking the lead. From today’s briefing: Q McCain said he’s going to oppose everything. MR. GIBBS: Well, yes, I find it curious that [...]
It’s deadline day around here, and we’ve nearly got dead-tree TIME put to bed. You’ll never guess what the cover story is this week. Deirdre Van Dyk and I will be doing a podcast on health care to post later this week. Any questions you’d like us to address. Post them in the comments section. [...]
Think Progress noted that today marks the third anniversary of a candidate forum on health care that I moderated in Las Vegas. It’s really remarkable to compare where Obama was then on this issue to where he is now. He made a promise that day which turned out to be more than just campaign rhetoric: [...]
Yesterday I reported that the GOP storm on health care seemed to be subsiding. Indeed, reconciliation looks on schedule to go through by Friday, though Senator Tom Coburn says he believes he’ll be able to successful strip out certain provisions forcing the Senate to send the bill back to the House for final passage. It [...]
As Joe noted earlier, reports of ugly incidents in the wake of the health-care vote keep trickling in. As the Kansas City Star reports (h/t Ben Smith), Democratic Party headquarters in Wichita were vandalized over the weekend; assailants allegedly hurled a brick inscribed with anti-Obama rhetoric through a plate-glass window. A former militia leader took [...]
This just in from Ryan Grim, at the Huffington Post: The Democratic senator from New Jersey announced Wednesday that he would introduce the “Mr. Smith Bill,” which would specifically require the minority to talk out a filibuster, a la Jimmy Stewart in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Once debate ends and no senator requests the [...]
