Former President Bill Clinton was the guest at the Senate Democrats’ weekly policy lunch. The subject: health care. Taking responsibility for the collapse of his attempt to pass health care reform in 1994, Clinton urged the caucus not to waste this opportunity. “I do think it’s good politics to pass this and pass it as soon as you …
Senate
Kerry, Graham & Lieberman Launch Climate Change Framework
Yesterday, when Republicans on the Senate Environment and Publics Works Committee boycotted a mark up of Senators Barbara Boxer and John Kerry’s climate change bill, things looked bleak for getting a bipartisan measure to the Senate floor. The atmosphere poisoned even the most eager Republican for a climate change bill, retiring Ohio …
Chuck-ing Health Care
We’re in the grip of election fever here in DC. Could (gasp!) Jon Corzine lose the governor’s race in New Jersey? What might a Bob McDonnell victory in Virginia mean for Republicans? For that matter, what could a Doug Hoffman win in the NY23rd mean? But, just in case you forgot, there is still a national debate going on on heath care …
Lieberman To Filibuster The Public Option.
HCAN Protests AHIP
A dispatch from TIME’s Sophia Yan:
“Congress, We Are Watching You!” was scrawled across handmade signs, bobbing above the heads of the few hundred rallied by Health Care for America Now to show support for a public option. “We need a public option, not a stock option,” shouted one woman. Some came out to support family
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Lieberman Takes on Obama’s Czars
There aren’t many Democrats that would be willing to take on their own White House on the sensitive topic of czars – especially since the mere mention of the word by virtually any elected official sends Fox News in paroxysms. Russ Feingold weighed in a couple of weeks ago. And today at 2:30pm, Senate Homeland Security and Government …
Resuscitating the Docs Fix
The $247 billion bribe bill to help the nation’s doctors may be stalling out on the Senate floor this week (here’s my story). But Dems have won at least one concession from the group: an agreement not to push for the inclusion of medical liability reform in the broader bill. From Rebecca J. Patchin, M.D., board chair of the AMA:
Remember Roland Burris?
Yup, he’s one of those 60 crucial votes on health care. And like most of his colleagues, he’s got some demands. Gotta love this AP lede:
WASHINGTON – For Democrats determined to get a health care bill, Sen. Roland Burris is like the house guest who couldn’t be refused, won’t soon be leaving and poses a plausible threat of ruining
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How Do You Solve a Problem Like Olympia?
The Republicans’ famed discipline is cracking. As Politico’s Lisa Lerer and Manu Raju reported this week, Lindsey Graham’s wheeling and dealing on global warming. And, of course, Olympia Snowe is the lady of the hour, week and month on health care (as much as Nancy Pelosi downplays her importance).
How does the GOP prevent …
Harry Reid Runs His First Campaign Ads
These spots give us two indications of how deep the trouble is for the Senate Majority Leader back home in Nevada. First, it is very unusual for a four-term incumbent to have to re-introduce himself to voters with a bio spot. (The campaign argues that many new residents have moved into the state since Reid last ran.) Second, it is even …
Another Mainer
That didn’t take long. Susan Collins is signaling she’s open to voting for health care reform if Dems can “fix the flaws” in the bill…
It’s Harry’s Show Now
So, four months after its first deadline, the Finance Committee is finally done. Now the spotlight turns to Harry Reid. The fates must have some small sense of irony to burden the largest bill of just about anyone’s career (unless you’re Bobby Byrd and were here for the passage of the Civil Rights Act) on the most vulnerable 2010 …
Forecasting the Chances of Snowe
Olympia Snowe didn’t make a liar out of Max Baucus, who had been predicting for months that he would have at least some GOP support when passing his health care reform bill out of the Finance Committee (all along most of us read this as one person: Snowe). For the chairman this must be a huge relief. But Snowe made it clear that her …