As Capitol Hill enters a critical 48-hour stretch, the sense on the Hill is that momentum is gaining, however incrementally, …
Nancy Pelosi
Five Things for Liberals to Like in the Debt Ceiling Deal
As the broad strokes of the debt ceiling deal began to leak out over the weekend, progressive groups filled reporters’ inboxes with outraged e-mails. “Seeing a Democratic President take taxing the rich off the table and instead push a deal that will lead to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefit cuts is like entering a …
Still Stalled: Debt Talks Splinter as Negotiators Go Their Own Ways
Washington’s debt-ceiling talks have entered a new and desperate phase. With two weeks to go until the U.S. begins to cut government services to avoid defaulting on its credit obligations, negotiators are further apart on a plan …
With Debt Talks Stalled, Democrats Try to Divide and Conquer the GOP
A day after a testy exchange between Barack Obama and Eric Cantor capped debt-limit negotiations at the White House, Democrats launched a coordinated attack against the House Majority Leader, portraying him as a primary obstacle …
Debt-Limit Divide Deepens as Talks Approach the Brink
As the U.S. hurtles toward a potential debt-limit default that would shake the fragile economy, the chasm between the two parties widened on Tuesday, as Republican opposition to tax increases calcified and Democrats bristled at …
Has Nancy Pelosi Been Marginalized in the Debt Debate?
At Thursday’s White House meeting between President Obama and congressional leaders, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner laid out in stark terms the awful economic repercussions of allowing the debt ceiling to lapse. Everyone in …
Democrats, in the Dark, Dig in Their Heels
Forgive House Democrats if they’re fuming a bit about the hairpin turn in the debt-limit negotiations. Reports that the White House is willing to consider cuts to entitlement programs as part of a grand bargain that far exceeds prior proposals caught them by surprise. At a briefing with reporters Thursday afternoon, House Minority Leader …
The Politics of Oil (Spills)
The White House turned its mid-day briefing into a press conference about the massive oil spill in the Gulf. Clues about how the mess will play politically are beginning to seep out. Janet Napolitano, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said the leaking underwater oil well is a “spill of national significance” as the …
A GOP Silver Lining
The passage of health care reform hasn’t been easy for the GOP. But there is a silver lining (though, some Republicans might argue that encouraging their party chairman is not exactly in the Party’s best interests): Michael Steele has finally figured out a way to raise money. The RNC’s webite, www.firenancypelosi.com, which depicts the …
Democrats Seem Poised for a Victory on Health Care
“We feel like we’ve been pregnant for 17 months, let’s get on with it already.” Those were the words of Democrat Rep. Louise Slaughter, chairwoman of the House Rules Committee, on Saturday, as she moved health reform one step closer to the finish line.
Well put. After all the hearings and debates and town halls; after the Gang of Six …
Pelosi’s Sticks & Carrots
A story from me today about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s whip style as we head into the final sprint on health care.
“This City is the City of the Perishable”
Those are Nancy Pelosi’s words today on why she wants to get health reform done as quickly as possible.
But even among Hill reporters, there’s some confusion over what procedurally will happen this week. Democratic leaders, including Pelosi, are keeping quiet about their precise parliamentary strategy for three reasons. One, if they …
Bye Bye Public Option Dreamers
At a press conference today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared the public option dead. Here’s what she said:
I’m quite sad that a public option isn’t in there. But it isn’t a case of it’s not in there because the Senate is whipping against it. It’s not in there because they don’t have the votes to have it in there…We had
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