The final leg in the health reform debate marathon may seem like a distant memory. The media has been focused on financial reform, immigration reform and most recently, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the man who tried to bomb Times Square.
But some recent health care news provides good reason to look back on what pushed …
Health reform proponents got another round of bad headlines today, as the chief actuary for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a report saying that the new law will increase costs. According to an AP story by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, the report is “a worrisome assessment for Democrats,” showing that while cost …
For the most part, Americans don’t understand the details of the new health reform law. This is understandable – the law is complicated, it’s not in effect yet and the political noise of the past year obscured a lot of the policy. I took a stab on Time.com yesterday at explaining 5 of the “immediate benefits” Democrats are so eager …
A flashpoint in a partisan legislative battle. Check. Check.
A favorite GOP talking point used to reduce a massive piece of legislation into two, scary-sounding words. (“permanent bailout” and “government takeover”) Check. Check.
Relatively insignificant in the grand scheme of reform. Check. Check.
The public option was …
Michael and I have both written before about Mitt Romney’s health care quandary. He was the architect of the Massachusetts reform plan that closely resembles the new national plan that just became law. Yet, he’s also a presumed candidate for president in 2012 and would be vying for the nomination of a party that has staked its …
Yes, there are 16 actually, according to a fascinating new USA Today article reporting that 47 physicians are running for seats in the House and Senate this fall. All but six are Republicans, which is noteworthy, especially given that nearly all of the doctors currently in Congress are also from the Grand Old Party. Republican doctors in …
I wasn’t planning to write any more about Bill O’Reilly, but it seems I have to do one more round of fact checking about The Factor.
After I pointed out that O’Reilly had erroneously said Fox News never told viewers they could be jailed for failure to obtain health insurance or pay a penalty, O’Reilly attempted to defend …
The Democratic National Committee has already pledged to spend $50 million on congressional elections this year. And now Ben Smith gets word that the White House will devote a senior aide to selling health care full time. Which senior aide will take up this responsibility isn’t yet known, but presumably they will do some of what was …
A little more than a week ago, Tom Coburn did something fairly courageous by political standards. At a town hall meeting in Oklahoma, the conservative Republican senator referred to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a “nice lady” and criticized Fox News. (He was briefly booed for the Pelosi comment.) After an audience member mentioned …
I was planning to write about the ridiculousness of Republicans claiming the health reform law will require 16,000 new IRS agents, but many others beat me to it. Here’s the whole scoop on this lie. (Here’s a crib sheet from Ezra Klein.)
Distortions like this chip away at the credibility of Republican critics of health reform. There …
Mitt Romney is a competent politician and competent politicians usually know how to duck questions about topics they don’t want to talk about. They respond briefly and vaguely and then turn to something slightly related, but far less politically toxic. This is the pivot and it’s a skill every politician must have down pat. So why does …
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a possible contender for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, has announced he will join a growing number of states challenging the legality of the health reform law.
This further distinguishes Pawlenty from another top contender for the nomination, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. (Romney, you may …
So what are Democratic members of Congress facing out there, as they return to their districts in the wake of passing sweeping health care legislation? Are they encountering angry mobs shouting “repeal and replace”? Are they being showered with bouquets and greeted as liberators?
