Happy Hour Roundup: “Small”
* Obama, in an interview with Jake Tapper, on the inclusion of the Stupak amendment: “This is a health care bill, not an abortion bill.” He also promises that this will be negotiated over, and seems to reiterate his pledge: “We’re not restricting women’s insurance choices.”
* MoveOn launches an ad that will make Rahm Emanuel ecstatic: It hits Dems who voted No on the reform bill as “small” for failing to rise to the moment:
The spot could be as much about the coming vote on the final bill as it is about the one that already took place: It’s an effort to signal to Dems that there are political consequences for a No vote.
* Blue Dog Dem Jim Cooper says voting for the reform bill was “one of the best votes I ever cast.” Right, but will Cooper — who backed Stupak — cast such a heroic vote if Stupak is stripped from the final bill?
* Marc Ambinder: The White House doesn’t like Stupak, but wouldn’t sacrifice the final bill over it.
* Jane Hamsher, appearing on ABC News’ Top Line, says Stupak got into the bill because everyone was “asleep at the wheel,” and adds: “Getting it stripped out of conference is going to be, I think, incredibly difficult. You don’t start your battle after the bill is passed.”
* The DNC says Republicans in districts that went for Obama are vulnerable on their health care vote, and vows to make them pay.
* I noted over the weekend that passage of the health care bill was something of a victory for Organizing for America, which has reconstituted Obama’s campaign apparatus to drive his agenda. OFA emails that since October 20th, they orchestrated over half a million calls to members of Congress in all 50 states.
* Hillary opens up (a bit) about what it’s like to work with Obama. Comes at the end of the interview, worth reading.
* Funny poll from Rasmussen: Only 32% agree with Obama that the world is a “commuity of nations.” Next question Rasmussen will be asking: Do you agree that the president should approach international affairs as a global community organizer?
* And the question of the moment: Will concerns about legacy have any impact whatsoever on the final health care decision of “centrist” Senators like Blanche Lincoln?
Got anything else?
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Will the Hillary interview be on PBS tonight? I always like to watch the body language when an answer is given. A Transcript is just too dry, to tell much from.
Greg,
Did you catch the part where Charlie Rose referred to her as: “my dear”. Are they close friends?
I did, Liam…I think they do go way back.
also, I just added a link to Jake Tapper’s interview with POTUS, just posted. Very interesting comments on Stupak.
You mentioned this on the morning plum and said it was getting ugly and it is:
http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/fox-analyst-fort-hood-suspect-a-protected-species.php
yep, thanks Andy — pretty nasty.
“Notably, the White House refused to divulge the president’s position on the language. By not divulging the president’s position, the White House effectively divulged the president’s position: he doesn’t like the language, but he wouldn’t want to sacrifice the bill.”
Really. I guess we don’t follow the President very closely. He’s shown pretty clearly that he refuses to draw a line in the sand until he has to. AS Gibbs said, “There’s…” oh wait no more poetry.
I think the military is always at a loss about what to do with such people, regardless of what ethnic or religious background they are from.
Timothy McVeigh appeared to have shown some signs of being disturbed, when he was in the military, and flunked out of some special forces training camp.
What is most disturbing to me is the fact that the last administration got every thing they wanted in when it came to online monitoring and phone taps. The authorities appear to have been aware that this guy was getting in touch with Terrorists sites, but they did nothing much about it.
If they had just monitored his activities they could have discovered that he was purchasing weapons in August, and a lot of ammo. Since he was been deployed overseas, and would not have any need for those guns,that should have set of warning bells.
What the hell was the point in taking away some of our communications civil liberties, if the authorities are still just as inept as ever.
Andy — fair point. I guess I’d add that Ambinder is very well sourced within the White House so sometimes he really seems to be writing stuff that reflects internal thinking. But yes, it’s true, Obama doesn’t draw that line until he has to.
A very shocking, frightening and sad statistic:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091109/ap_on_he_me/un_un_women_s_health
We have the American Taliban, and the cabal in Vatican City opposing all kinds of contraception while this is happening:
“GENEVA – In its first study of women’s health around the globe, the World Health Organization said Monday that the AIDS virus is the leading cause of death and disease among women between the ages of 15 and 44.
Unsafe *** is the leading risk factor in developing countries for these women of childbearing age, with others including lack of access to contraceptives and iron deficiency, the WHO said. Throughout the world, one in five deaths among women in this age group is linked to unsafe ***, according to the U.N. agency.”
Mr. Sargent:
“* Obama, in an interview with Jake Tapper, on the inclusion of the Stupak amendment: “This is a health care bill, not an abortion bill.” He also promises that this will be negotiated over, and seems to reiterate his pledge: “We’re not restricting women’s insurance choices.””
I think that’s his way of yelling at the women under the HCR bus to be quiet.
If sbj is around still this is a response to an earlier post of his, not understanding why the Stupak ammendment goes too far.
“That’s because Stupak’s amendment doesn’t just apply to the public option—the lower-cost plan to be offered by the government. The House health care bill will also provide subsidies to help people and small businesses purchase plans on an exchange. This represents a lucrative new market for insurers: anyone earning less than $88,000 for a family of four qualifies for assistance, as well as certain small companies. But to gain access to these new customers, insurers will have to drop abortion coverage from their plans.
Around 87 percent of plans cover abortion (though not all employers choose to actually include it). But under the House bill, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that 21 million people will participate in the exchanges by 2019 and that 18 million of them will do so via government subsidies. In theory, insurers could create separate plans for women who don’t qualify for credits but still want to buy a plan on the exchange. In reality, this is unlikely to happen, meaning that even women who purchase plans entirely with their own money in the new market may be unable to obtain one that offers abortion coverage.”
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/11/price-health-reform-abortion-rights
This is probably the biggest news of all:
CBS News is reporting that President Obama has decided to give General McChrystal almost all the additional troops that he requested, and President Obama has committed to keeping a very large force in Afghanistan for a long time.
The CBS report went on to state that President Obama is fully aware that the mission will fail, if the Karzai government does not fully reform itself and become a reliable, competent and honest partner.
I think that this is a massive mistake by President Obama, and he will one day look back and see that this was the decision that destroyed his Presidency.
Karzai is a career crook, and he is in no position to get rid of the network of corrupt regional gangs that he has relied on.
@lmsinca: I’m here – thanks for thinking about me. I’m not sure that I agree that “even women who purchase plans entirely with their own money in the new market [would] be unable to obtain one that offers abortion coverage.” But I do think that it is possible that the Stupak amendment would impact the health insurance that people currently have – and would thus violate one of Obama’s promises. So I think that the exchange will need to be modified to appease the abortion foes.
Jon Walker at FDL has a good alternative:
“Change the way the exchange works slightly. Insurance companies would only be allowed to sell basic level coverage and people could only use tax credits to buy basic level coverage. Basic level coverage plans can’t cover elective abortion. But insurance companies can sell three levels of supplemental coverage to any of their customers that bought their basic plan. The supplemental coverage would bring the total coverage to where it would have been if they were selling standard, premium, or premium plus plans like originally proposed. Supplemental coverage packages could only be bought with private money, and therefore could cover abortion.”
Liam
You’re right this is big news. I wonder how well this is going to sit with the WH that this was leaked through the Pentagon. Gibbs as been saying that a decision has not been made and even today he said it was not likely anything would be announced before the President leaves for Asia. He also said it was unlikely anything would be said while the President was in Asia. He even mocked reporters about troop numbers that were reported over the weekend.
Liam, the president’s Afghanistan policy shouldn’t hinge on Karzai’s reliability. We had no “reliable partner” when we first invaded Afghanistan (although we worked with the Northern Alliance). FDR had no “reliable partner” in Italy when we landed in Salerno. Lincoln had no “reliable partner” in the South.
War opponents are exploiting doubts about Karzai in order to justify withdrawal.
Andy,
It almost seems as if there are some forces at play here, who are trying to paint the President into a corner, where he will feel compelled to go along with what they want.
If that is the case, then that should be all the more reason for him to not give into to them.
All he needs in Afghanistan is twenty thousand troops in one strategic province around Kaubel. That would be plenty to straighten the place out, one Province at a time, and still launch strikes to take out the leadership in the badlands.
I hope that the report proves to be incorrect. Should it turn out to be true, then I think that by 2012 the country will really be sick of all the bad news coming out of Afghanistan. In fact, as of right now, the people who will must back this decision, are the very same people who will never vote for him, under any circumstances.
I will say no more, until he announces his decision.
Why do you people keep talking about the health care bill like it is some done deal? Did you not see my interview on Fox News Sunday? Oh, I forgot you only watch news with the Echo Chamber Seal of Approval. I reiterated, for the umpteenth time, my promise to filibuster the Reid bill. The Health Care bill will not pass the Senate. How many times do I have to tell you people that?
As for the Stupak Amendment, evidently you people also missed Sen. Ben Nelson implying he would also filibuster the bill if the Amendment were stripped out. You people never learn.
edit:
who will most back this decision…..
I see the poor pathetic creature with low self esteem issues is back, thinking that pretending he is Traitor Joe will enhance his image.
I hope the reform bill will cover his Meds. bills.
Why does a right wing troll show up on a left wing blog impersonating a senator while stating the self-evident to no purpose (beyond trying to attract attention to “himself”, not unlike said useless impersonated senator)?
Liam
I am waiting for his decision as well. I hope he doesn’t send more troops in but I think he will, I want to see how he designs our strategy there and how soon he thinks we can get the heck out. From his interview with Trapper which was interesting on several fronts.
“So, there are a whole host of those questions that we have worked through systematically. I have gained confidence that there’s not an important question out there that has not been asked and that we haven’t asked — that we haven’t answered to the best of our abilities.
And as a consequence of the process that we’ve gone to, I feel much more confident that when I issue my orders, that not only do we have a better prospect of success and we are serving our men and women in uniform well, but that we are not also looking at an indefinite stay in — where we have bought, essentially, a — a permanent protectorate of Afghanistan that I think would be unsustainable.”
sbj
As a compromise maybe.
@lmsinca: “As a compromise maybe.”
Just wanted to point out that if we change things such that the govt will now subsidize abortion services via private insurance, then the h/c reform debate will shift to one about abortion rights – that is not where the Dems want to take this…
@Insimca,
All I am convinced of is that there is no such thing as the nation of Afhganistan. There is no cohesive national identity in that region. Without that bedrock we can never build Afghanistan House, and hope to keep it standing.
Jumping on the Tiger’s back is always the easiest part. Getting off is where the trouble really starts. The best way not to get mauled, is to never jump on the unreliable beast’s back in the first place.
I take no comfort from those words that you cited. It sounds to me like the President has become Bubbleized, and has swallowed a whole bottle of Wild Rosy Scenario.
I hope he sobers up, before it is too late.
It’s already there and there may be no going back but I imagine the pro-choice folks will fold or at least compromise. As someone mentioned earlier women are used to being thrown under the bus.
There are other issues in there as well that could be stripped out of the Stupak Sepsis Ammendment that might be considered compromise. Such as the very narrow language of rape, incest or the “life” of the mother.
“Cases that are excluded: where the health but not the life of the woman is threatened by the pregnancy, severe fetal abnormalities, mental illness or anguish that will lead to suicide or self-harm, and the numerous other reasons women need to have an abortion.”
I have some family matters to attend to, so I will say good night. Will the last one remaining please turn off the blog lights, and please lock up the place.
I know Liam, it depresses me. Why couldn’t Bush have just done the job and finished it and never gone into Iraq? I’m feeling weary today of all the drama and arguing. I think I’ll stay away from the news and the conversation for awhile. Have a good night, talk to you manana.
Just a reminder that the WH made it clear once again today that there is always reconciliation for the filibuster lovers.
On Afghanistan, it was fun watching Lou Dobbs tonight complain that the President was taking his time making a decision. He then turned to one of his guests Matthew Hoh and asked him, in a leading way, isn’t the President wrong in taking his time. Hoh said no, he was pleased the President was taking his time. Sorry Lou.
I guess the WH is pissed:
“Washington (CNN) – White House National Security Adviser Retired Gen. Jim Jones issued a rare public statement Monday vehemently denying media reports suggesting President Obama has privately decided to send close to 40,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, as tensions between the White House and Pentagon appear to be flaring up over exactly what the president will announce.
“Reports that President Obama has made a decision about Afghanistan are absolutely false,” Jones, who generally keeps a low public profile, said in a prepared statement Monday night. “He has not received final options for his consideration, he has not reviewed those options with his national security team, and he has not made any decisions about resources. Any reports to the contrary are completely untrue and come from uninformed sources.”
The statement was issued shortly after CBS News’ veteran Pentagon Correspondent David Martin reported that Obama has “tentatively decided” to send four more combat brigades to Afghanistan and several thousand more support troops starting early next year. That would bring the total number of new troops to close to the 40,000 figure originally requested by Gen. Stanley McChrystal.
Two other senior administration officials flatly told CNN that the CBS report and other similar speculation is false. The Associated Press reported Monday that Obama is “nearing a decision to add tens of thousands more forces to Afghanistan, though not quite the 40,000 sought [by] his top general there.”
The two senior administration officials suggested the information is being leaked by Pentagon sources who are trying to box Obama in by setting public expectations that he will send close to 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan as McChrystal requested.”
Imsinca, if you’re around more tonight, I wanted to respond to your comment on an earlier thread. I’m very sorry about your daughter’s insurance situation and the loss of your niece due to her insurance being rescinded. It’s a shame and disgrace that can happen in a country with our wealth, though I sometimes think our wealth is seriously exceeded by our greed.
Why couldn’t Bush have just done the job and finished it and never gone into Iraq?
Iraq was all they ever wanted to do. They weren’t going to go to Afghanistan at all until Tony Blair insisted on it.
You’re right oddjob, I was just day dreaming about how everything would have been so different. I guess I’m feeling wistful today. Thanks for bringing back to reality. LOL
And ABC,
Thanks for the kind words. I don’t like to bring personal stuff up very often but sometime it just creeps in. I am like a rabid dog for HCR but they threw me for a loop with this Stupak Sepsis Ammendment and I’m still trying to get my head around it.
Enough!!!
Greg, maybe tomorrow you can look into what’s taking the CBO so long to score the Senate bill. Any kind of ETA would be nice since that will most likely be the next catalyst to get HCR moving again.
I was just day dreaming about how everything would have been so different.
I understand.
He’s by no means my favorite politician but now & then one is tempted to wonder how things would have been if Colin Powell had actually had primary influence in that administration instead of Cheney.
Andy, I believe the score is expected later this week. Meanwhile, morning roundup posted:
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/the-morning-plum-8/
Note to MoveOn. Where is Chet Edwards’ little message? The bum decided that it was better to not take a chance that the CBO was wrong than to see to it that his constituents got health care. He stated in his web page that the reason he was voting against the bill was that he had no assurances that the bill would actually reduce the deficit in ten years. You’ll notice that there are also no assurances that allocating more money to the Pentagon will reduce the budget, but he doesn’t seem to have any problem with that. And the Pentagon already gets more money than the whole rest of the world spends on military affairs.
What is about history repeating if you don’t learn from it? We backed Batista and got Castro. We backed Somoza and got Ortega. We backed the former power structure in Venezuela and got Chavez. We backed the Shah and got Khomeini (sp?). Every time we back someone who is intent on using a power position to live the good life at the expense of his country, we end up with someone worse and the people hate us. It is now time to tell Karzai to either shape up or we will cut our losses and leave. Backing him will just make matters worse.
“You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, know when to run.” – Kenny Rogers
Amen, “Texas Aggie”, right wingers keep counting their money while they’re still sittin’ at the table, long before the dealin’ is done.
You can add to your list: We backed the Mujahedeen against the Soviets and ended up with the Taliban.