My recap of where things stand, from the new issue of dead-tree TIME.
2012 Election
The Ref Is Already Getting Beaten Up
Here’s a new story from me on the Senate Parliamentarian who’ll be refereeing the process of reconciliation on health care reform. Apparently, Republicans — and keep in mind, Alan Frumin was hired by Trent Lott — aren’t waiting for the process to begin. They’re preemptively calling his foul.
Rangel Steps Down: Who’s Next?
Charlie Rangel today announced he’ll temporarily lay down the gavel to the Ways & Means Committee, Congress’s top tax writing panel, after being admonished by the Ethics committee for two corporate sponsored trips to the Caribbean. So, the question is: who succeeds him? ABC News reported that Michigan’s Sander Levin, the No. 3 …
Morning Must Reads
–Charlie Rangel, embroiled in an ethics investigation, temporarily relinquished the powerful Ways and Means chairmanship this morning. As far as replacements go, Democrats have pretty slim pickings on the committee. Pete Stark or Sandy Levin may take the baton for now.
–President Obama will announce “the way forward” on health care …
That Was Quick
This morning Ben Smith over at Politico floated the idea that billionaire Mort Zuckerman might challenge Kirsten Gillibrand for Hillary Clinton’s old Senate seat in New York. This evening in a post on the New York Daily News, a paper he owns, he says he’s not gonna run. With Harold Ford out as well, this has been a good week for …
Bunning Caves
More than five days after he began but two days too late to prevent a cut off in services that will now have to be fixed retroactively, Senator Jim Bunning gave up his one-man filibuster of a $10 billion bill to extend unemployment benefits for 30 days. The measure passed with large bipartisan support 78-19. The Kentucky Republican said …
Rangel’s Chairmanship Hangs in the Balance
Five days after he was admonished by the Ethics Committee for two corporate-sponsored trips to the Caribbean, ABC News and NBC News are reporting that New York Democrat Charlie Rangel will “temporarily” give up the gavel of the Ways and Means Committee. Rangel tonight denied the reports, telling reporters on Capitol Hill that he …
Withdrawal from Afghanistan?
Meanwhile, on the other side of Capitol Hill, Dennis Kucinich introduces legislation to end the war in Afghanistan:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwQKfwAGgEA&feature=player_embedded]
Make ‘Em Filibuster: Bunning Edition
Senate Democrats are looking to force Jim Bunning, who has single handedly blocked a bill extending unemployment insurance benefits (amongst other provisions) causing them to lapse on Sunday, into an actual filibuster. Well, sort of. Roll Call reports that Dems are lining up a series of senators who will attempt to move for a vote on the …
Bunning Budges?
Third Floor U.S. Senate
The GOP Senate conference is downstairs having their weekly policy lunch on the second floor of the Senate. I hear Kentucky’s Jim Bunning is getting an earful in the meeting and rumors are swirling that he may cave and accept Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s offer to have a vote on his plan to use stimulus …
Health Care Endgame: A Timeline
Inside Heath Policy (pay wall) gets a peek at a Democratic memo nailing down specific target dates for passing health reform. The three steps outlined in the missive largely track with what we already know to be the most realistic path to passage, and they gel with the Easter recess deadline being bandied about by Democrats and …
Morning Must Reads
–Texas holds its primaries today, and most national attention is directed at the Republican gubernatorial contest. Current Governor Rick Perry is expected to come away with a win after having successfully defined his opponent, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, as too Washington for the Lonestar crowd. The real question is whether he can …
Re: For All You Health Care Junkies
Everybody is trying to count votes. The AP sniffs out 10 Dems who say they are open to switching their votes in favor of reform.
Ten House Democrats say they have not ruled out the possibility of switching their earlier “no” votes to “yes” on the big health care overhaul. That’s giving Democrats a glimmer of hope in the face of
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