Public Option
Ryan Grim sees an opening. Don’t count on it. At least, not now and not nationally:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vuW6tQ0218&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
UPDATE: David Waldman sees one too.
Articles from Contributor
Health Reform: Will It Work?
In the cover story for the new issue of dead-tree TIME that hits newsstands tomorrow, Kate and I, along with our colleague Alice Park, explore five elements to watch closely as policymakers translate the sweeping legislation that Barack Obama signed Tuesday into a real-world transformation of the health care system.
Kate also …
Question Time
It’s deadline day around here, and we’ve nearly got dead-tree TIME put to bed. You’ll never guess what the cover story is this week.
Deirdre Van Dyk and I will be doing a podcast on health care to post later this week. Any questions you’d like us to address. Post them in the comments section. And, please, keep it clean.
Flashback: Candidate Obama on Health Care
Think Progress noted that today marks the third anniversary of a candidate forum on health care that I moderated in Las Vegas. It’s really remarkable to compare where Obama was then on this issue to where he is now.
He made a promise that day which turned out to be more than just campaign rhetoric: “I want to be held accountable for …
Frank Lautenberg: Make Them Filibuster
This just in from Ryan Grim, at the Huffington Post:
The Democratic senator from New Jersey announced Wednesday that he would introduce the “Mr. Smith Bill,” which would specifically require the minority to talk out a filibuster, a la Jimmy Stewart in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Once debate ends and no senator requests the
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1,000 Words: Home Alone Edition
H/T to Christopher Roughton, who alerted me (via Twitter) to this AP Photo. It shows House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers holding a Capitol Hill news conference today on health care legislation:
Roughton’s suggested caption:
Bueller? Anyone? Bueller?
Re: Morning Must Reads
It would seem that one of the benefits of being President is better access to shoe repair. Compare Adam’s post below with this photo that our incomparable Callie Shell took of Obama during his presidential campaign:
What Set Neugebauer Off
As Jay notes, Congressman Randy Neugebauer of Texas has owned up to shouting “Baby killer” last night on the House floor, and apologized for it. Here, from our friends at the C-Span Video Library, are Congressman Bart Stupak’s comments from last night.:
[vodpod …
Health Care: A Historic Win for Obama
Obama’s Big Day
From a White House official:
The President made a surprise appearance at an 11:00am meeting of senior staff.
He’s in the West Wing, getting updates, dropping in on staff, and like the rest of America, examining the rubble of his bracket.
He’s preparing to make and take member phone calls as we move toward the vote.
Bill Clinton
was a hit at last night’s 125th annual Gridiron Dinner, where he filled in for Barack Obama as the main speaker. The punchline of the evening was his prediction for the health care bill:
“It may not happen in my lifetime, or Dick Cheney’s, but hopefully by Easter.”
1,000 Words: Spring Fever Edition
Underplayed Story of the Day: Arizona Drops Children’s Health Insurance Program
Buried way back on A17 of the NYT, another reminder of how ugly it is out there:
Arizona on Thursday became the first state to eliminate its Children’s Health Insurance Program when Gov. Jan Brewer signed an austere budget that will leave nearly 47,000 low-income children without coverage.
The Arizona budget is a vivid
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