It’s not a good sign that, less than an hour into this health care summit, they are already arguing about process–and, specifically, the use of reconciliation to pass this bill on a majority vote in the Senate, rather than the 60 votes that it would take to stop a filibuster.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered what, for my money, is the …
There’s little bipartisan agreement on what President Barack Obama’s health care summit on Thursday will truly be, though low expectations are popping up across the political spectrum.
“What’s disturbing is the continued media reports that [Democrats] already have their plan to move forward … no matter what the result is of …
It is no secret that Mitt Romney has presidential ambitions. Since his loss to John McCain in the 2008 Republican primary, the former governor has remained focused on positioning himself for another run. Like many of his potential 2012 rivals, he has written a book, raised money through a political action committee, weighed in on a few …
The White House just released details for the Feb. 25 bipartisan health care summit President Obama called for. (h/t Greg Sargent) Here are the invitees and here is a letter about the format, in which Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says that before the summit, “we will post online the text of a proposed health …
Talking Points Memo, a progressive outlet, is taking quite a bit of joy in House Minority Leader John Boehner wondering if President Obama’s upcoming health care summit will be simply a “political event.” Under the headline, “Boehner: How Dare Obama Televise The Health Care Debate After I Demanded He Televise The Health Care …
It’s been a good couple weeks for Rep. Paul Ryan, the rising Republican star from Wisconsin, as his name is increasingly becoming synonymous with actual Republican policy. Obama called Ryan’s budget plan a “serious proposal,” while Ezra Klein calls it a “radical document.” (As Joe notes below, Ryan’s rising star has been targeted by …
Perhaps to President Obama’s relief, Republican health reform plans are the ones being scrutinized now, in advance of the Feb. 25 bipartisan summit on health care that the president called for over the weekend.
* David Herzenhorn of the New York Times sees a way that the summit could be useful, informative and game changing…if …
As Karen just noted, in an interview with Katie Couric that aired just before the Superbowl, President Obama called for another bipartisan meeting on health care. After being pummeled by accusations of back-room deals and sharp partisanship, Obama said he would convene a half-day meeting where Republicans and Democrats would be able to …
The Grand Ole Opry may have been next door but Sarah Palin preached to the choir on Saturday at the National Tea Party Convention and brought down the house. The two-day event, held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Hotel, had been a relatively placid affair – Tea Partiers learned how to social network and reach out to young …
The New Yorker’s Atul Gawande wrote one of the most influential stories about health care in 2009. The piece, published in June, was about geographic disparities in health spending, specifically why McAllen, Texas is one of the most expensive places in the country to get medical care. The article raised so many vital questions about …
Here’s a newsflash for those fretting that Democratic health reform will lead to a “government takeover of the health care system” – the feds will account for more than half of all U.S. health spending by 2012 even if nothing changes. According to a report out today from economists at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, …
In the ArenaUncategorized
The Chinese, who have been acting pompous and huffy on the global stage in recent years, are upset that Hillary Clinton has challenged them on internet censorship. Too bad. This is a good fight to have–and a very good moment to show the Chinese that we’re not going to be pushed around.
Not all human rights issues are good fights. I …
