In addition to getting a sweetheart deal for his home state, Ben Nelson also got Harry Reid to offer more than the Casey abortion language in the manager’s amendment. In addition to providing stronger conscience protections for medical institutions and health workers opposed to abortion, and expanding adoption tax credits, the manager’s …
What A 60th Vote Costs…
We suspect it can be found in this language on page 98 of the manager’s amendment to the health care bill:
‘‘(3) Notwithstanding subsection (b) and paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection, the Federal medical assistance percentage otherwise determined under subsection (b) with respect to all or any portion of a fiscal year
…
Senate: The Deal Looks Done on Health Care
Multiple sources are now reporting that Nebraska’s Ben Nelson, the last Democratic holdout, is now saying he will support the latest version of the health care bill. That makes 60 votes, enough to overcome a fillibuster.
So what’s actually in this bill? And what did it take to get the last votes? I’m still going through it, and will …
The Week In Review and What’s Next for Health Reform
Word is that Majority Leader Harry Reid will unveil changes to the Senate’s health reform bill on Saturday morning. The timing is part of Reid’s effort to get a final vote on the legislation by Christmas Eve. Of course, even the most carefully plotted timeline means nothing without the 60 votes Reid needs to break an expected GOP …
In the ArenaHealth Care
More Health Care Sanity
Over at TNR, Jonathan Cohn has this interview with Andy Stern of the Service Employees International Union.
Re: The War on the War on Christmas
And speaking of the War on Christmas….this is as good an excuse as any to post my favorite song from the brilliant “A Colbert Christmas” special. Take it away, Toby Keith!
[vodpod id=Groupvideo.4236335&w=425&h=350&fv=autoPlay%3Dfalse]
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The War on the War on Christmas
Bill O’Reilly and the rest of the Committee to Save Christmas may get all worked into a lather over the fact that some retailers prefer “Seasons Greetings” or “Happy Holidays” to “Merry Christmas.” But a growing Christian counter-movement says they’re missing the point. The Advent Conspiracy urges Christian to slow down, spend less, and …
In the ArenaUncategorized
Would You Make This Deal?
Senator Lindsey Graham thinks he can get Republican votes for a deal that would tax (or “put a price on”) carbon emissions if offshore drilling and nuclear power is added to the cocktail. I’m no fan of offshore drilling, but if carbon emissions are being taxed into submission, I”d rather see the carbon come from the Gulf of Mexico than …
In the ArenaUncategorized
Krugman Nails It
I don’t always agree with Paul Krugman, but he certainly makes the strongest possible argument for passage of the health care bill in the Times today.
Update: And Ron Brownstein adds a significant explanation for why Howard Dean and others on the digital left are acting in so cavalier a fashion:
Maybe one reason former Vermont Gov.
…
Why God Invented C-SPAN
Franken tells Lieberman he’s had it:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVRp52op918&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
(H/T our friends at C-SPAN)
In the ArenaUncategorized
Making Things Up
The odious Michael Goldfarb of the Weekly Standard has written an item claiming that I made up the fact that Avigdor Lieberman, the extremist anti-Arab bigot who sadly serves as Israel’s Foreign Minister, walked out of meetings with George Mitchell when the topic of East Jerusalem was raised. My sources for the item are several …
Catholics Support Senate Health Reform?
Well, some Catholics. The Catholic Hospital Association (CHA) released a statement today offering tentative support for the Senate version of health reform if Senator Casey’s abortion language becomes part of the bill: “Especially now that a public health insurance option is no longer on the table, we are increasingly confident that …
Depressing Trend Story of the Day
is this one from Laredo, Texas