Articles from Contributor
Coffee, Tea or…
Okay, I’m switching to decaf. Our colleague Sophia Yan files this dispatch about a new online phenom:
Bunning: No Excuse
Why is Jim Bunning blocking the extension of unemployment benefits?
“Excuse me. This is a ‘Senator Only’ elevator.”
Maybe he wants to savor the experience. After all, he won’t be riding that elevator much longer.
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Underplayed Story of the Day
Writing law from anecdotes is generally a bad idea. Today, we see why in a story buried on page A16 of the New York Times. After a heinous episode in which a 17-year-old girl who was seven months pregnant paid a man to beat her in hopes of inducing a miscarriage, Governor Gary Herbert is trying to decide whether to sign into a law a …
POTUS: “Fit For Duty”
The White House has released the results of Barack Obama’s first routine physical as President. Some vital stats:
The doctor also recommends that Obama “continue smoking cessation efforts.” No word on whether he’s been sneaking any smokes.
Health Care: Can Nancy Pelosi Get It Done?
Today’s NYT has what looks like a pretty pessimistic assessment. While my predictions are worth just what you are paying for them here, my sense has been the opposite. I think a major health care bill is more likely than not to pass.
After what she managed to get her caucus to do last year, I would never, ever bet against the Speaker …
A Last Word On The Health Care Summit
Common ground? Not so much. Here’s my story for TIME.com.
“She Wore Her Dead Sister’s Teeth.”
For my money, New York Congresswoman Louise Slaughter made the most riveting presentation of the morning:
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You can read her comments after the jump:
Dingell Dispatch
No one in the room at the health care summit has worked longer on the issue than John Dingell, the senior member of the House. Indeed, for him, this cause has been a family legacy. I checked in with him at the lunch break by email, and here’s what he thought of the morning:
1,000 Words: Bro Hug Edition
From our White House Photo Blog. What’s with the matching outfits? These guys look like flight attendants for the same airline:
Re: Lunch Break
Here’s the lunch break pool report. Judging from Obama’s comments, it would seem he’s been reading Kate’s Swampland post.:
Pretty Cool
The Sunlight Foundation is streaming this health care summit. Every time someone speaks, Sunlight shows their top donors. Check it out here.
The Process! The Process!
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 …