Paul Ryan

Ryan Gets A Little Help From His Friends - 9 Co-Sponsors Sign On To His Budget Roadmap

Christina Bellantoni | February 8, 2010, 6:32PM

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)

TPMDC has been searching far and wide for public supporters of Rep. Paul Ryan's "Roadmap" budget blueprint, a measure that Republican leaders insist is Ryan's alone and which grips the political third rail of Social Security and Medicare cuts.

But it turns out Ryan, who says he is willing to lose his job over the plan if it means ending the deficit, isn't as lonely as it may seem.

He has nine Republican friends co-sponsoring the measure, which would effectively privatize Social Security if it becomes law. That's unlikely, and both GOP leaders and Ryan's office say this will not be the Republican budget alternative that gets a floor vote this spring.

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FL-SEN

Pence Endorses Rubio

Rachel Slajda | February 8, 2010, 6:03PM

Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) and FL-SEN candidate Marc Rubio (R)

Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), chairman of the House Republican Conference, today endorsed Marco Rubio, the conservative candidate challenging Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) for the Republican nomination for Senate.

Pence, who is rumored to have his own intention for higher (that is, Oval) office, said today that Rubio "will be a courageous check and balance on the current Washington establishment."

"Marco Rubio's faith in free markets, limited government and traditional moral values make him the right choice for Republicans in this race," Pence said in a statement.

Health Care

Been There, Done That? Why This Year's Health Care Summit Will Be Different From Last Year's

Brian Beutler | February 8, 2010, 5:55PM

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), President Obama, and Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

About a year ago, President Obama kick started the health care debate by hosting a bipartisan summit designed to build momentum for what he hoped would be his signature domestic policy initiative. The March 5, 2009 meeting was marked by pleasantries, and engagement between Republicans and Democrats--and that figured. Republicans were facing a popular President, pushing a popular initiative, in the aftermath of a big victory on the stimulus bill.

Fast forward to February 2010, and a lot of people in Washington--liberals, Democrats, even some pundits--are asking a question: Why is President Obama wasting his time with yet another summit. After all, he tried this a year ago and...well, just look how well that's paid off.

Times have changed, though. And now Democrats see an opportunity not so much for bipartisan co-operation, but for the President to magnify the differences between his own party, and the hell-bent-on-obstruction GOP. Whether they're right or wrong, though, the politics have simply changed. After a year of smears and bad faith, with Republicans locked into opposition, this month's summit simply won't be a redux of the same event.

Take Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)--ranking member on the Senate Finance Committee. Here's what he said to Obama at the time: "I think you served with us in the Senate long enough to know that Max Baucus and I have a pretty good record of working out bipartisan things."

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Budget

Blackburn Advocates Individual Social Security Accounts (VIDEO)

Rachel Slajda | February 8, 2010, 5:50PM

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), one of the co-sponsors of Rep. Paul Ryan's Social Security-slashing budget proposal, went on Fox today to advocate privatizing both Social Security and Medicare.

Blackburn never used the word "privatize." But her idea to change the entitlement programs so people have separate accounts with their money is privatization.

"We need to make sure that individuals get the money out that they have placed in," she said. "This is one of the reasons we have had the discussion over and over for our younger earners of having accounts that have their Social Security number and their information on it, so you have that personal account."

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NY-GOV

With A Little Help From Roger Stone, Spitzer's Madam Planning Her Political Debut

Evan McMorris-Santoro | February 8, 2010, 5:32PM

Kirstin Davis

Notorious Republican political operative Roger Stone is getting involved in the New York gubernatorial race. But he's got nothing good to say about the Republican frontrunner in the race. No, Stone told me today, in one of the state's darkest hours New Yorkers should turn to the woman Eliot Spitzer called when he was feeling down -- convicted madam Kristin Davis.

Davis has said she was one of the madams Spitzer dealt with before he resigned from the governor's office in 2008. She spent four months in jail for her crimes and is still in probation. Now, Stone said she's got the platform to shake up the race for Spitzer's old job. He describes it as "pure libertarianism."

"Prostitution, marijuana, gay marriage and guns," Stone said, listing the things Davis would push to legalize if elected.

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Health Care

Obama Administration Demands Justification For Blue Cross Rate Increase

Christina Bellantoni | February 8, 2010, 3:29PM

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

The Obama administration has been decrying a California insurer's 39 percent rate hike as an example of why health care reform is so important, and today they put some muscle behind the complaints.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebeilus wrote a letter to Anthem Blue Cross today insisting they have an obligation to explain why the "extraordinary" increases are justified.

Sebelius writes: "Your company's strong financial position makes these rate increases even more difficult to understand. As you know, your parent company, WellPoint Incorporated, has seen its profits soar, earning $2.7 billion in the last quarter of 2009 alone."

An Anthem spokeswoman has not returned our calls.

The full letter after the jump.

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Health Care

Why The Heck Not! Dems, Reformers See Little Downside To Health Care Summit

Brian Beutler | February 8, 2010, 2:04PM

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), President Obama, and Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

Top Democratic aides and health care reformers are of basically a single mind about President Obama's planned February 25 health care summit: Why the heck not!

Moments after Obama made the announcement in an interview with Katie Couric, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued pre-cooked statements supporting the President's call, suggesting a high degree of co-ordination. That could ease the concerns of liberals, some of whom worried that Obama might be repeating the same mistakes he made last year in a quixotic quest for bipartisanship.

"If this is what it takes--if doing this will make Democrats say, ok, go ahead and use their majorities to pass reform, then do it," said Richard Kirsch, director of the reform campaign Health Care for America Now.

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Campaign Finance

Poll: Two-Thirds Of Americans Unhappy About Citizens United Ruling

Evan McMorris-Santoro | February 8, 2010, 1:44PM

Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito may not have wanted to hear it during the State Of The Union address, but a new poll shows the majority of Americans agree with President Obama's take on the Citizens United ruling. More than 60 percent of respondents say it was a bad idea.

The opposition was found across party lines, and according to the pollsters was especially common among independents -- the group both parties have desperately fought over for a decade now. The pollsters said that result suggests that the parties would be well-served to take on the ruling and reinstate campaign finance regulations canceled out by the ruling with new law.

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2010 elections

Dems Find Their Wedge Issue And Aim To Force GOP Vote On Ryan Plan

Christina Bellantoni | February 8, 2010, 12:29PM

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)

House Democrats want to kick House Republicans where it hurts, and are exploring ways to force the minority party to take a stand on Rep. Paul Ryan's budget "roadmap" that has become a political minefield in advance of this fall's elections.

A Democratic leadership source told TPMDC they are considering options for putting the Ryan plan on the floor, forcing Republicans to vote for or against a plan they don't want to talk about. This appears to be the Ryan bill, with seven GOP co-sponsors.

While conservative groups love the plan - which cuts Social Security and Medicare benefits before effectively privatizing the entitlement programs - and Ryan says he's willing to lose his job over presenting new policy ideas, GOP leaders are backing away.

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Democrats

Republicans Continue To Block Progress On Jobs Plan

Brian Beutler | February 8, 2010, 12:09PM

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Remember how Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid predicted there'd be a vote on a jobs bill today? Well, maybe that was a bit premature.

Two major obstacles now stand between Democrats and the jobs package they'd like to pass before next week's President's Day recess: A ton of snow, and equally substantial GOP obstructionism. The question is: which will thaw first?

The snow has pushed the Senate floor schedule back at least a day--a significant amount of time given the crowded nature of the calendar. But Democrats still don't have enough votes to overcome a filibuster, and unless they can win over at least one Republican, they may adjourn this coming weekend empty-handed.

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Health Care

Sebelius Says Obama Views Bipartisan Health Care Talks As 'Closing The Loop'

Christina Bellantoni | February 8, 2010, 11:56AM

Sec. of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius

A top member of President Obama's health care team said today that his summit with Republicans and Democrats will help move the health care reform measure forward.

"I think he sees this as a step to actually accelerating the process forward. He wants to move forward. He wants a bill at his desk and he sees this as kind of closing the loop and let's go," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told Huffington Post after a speech today at an event sponsored by health care magazine Health Affairs.

She also said Obama wants to tell Republicans, "Rather than just sitting on the sidelines and saying 'We don't like this, we don't like that,' come forward and show us your plan."

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Pete Sessions

Nat'l Dems Step Up Attacks On Pete Sessions In Texas

Evan McMorris-Santoro | February 8, 2010, 11:50AM

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)

Two weeks ago, we told you about one of the DCCC's unlikely 2010 targets: Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX). National Democrats say Sessions is vulnerable, and they've placed him on their list races to watch this year. Last week, as Sessions launched his reelection campaign the DCCC stepped up its attacks on the well-known conservative.

National Democrats are eager to highlight Sessions' ties to alleged Ponzi schemer Alan Stanford. After Stanford came under investigation from the SEC last year, Sessions, who accepted tens of thousands in donations from Stanford for the NRCC, sent Stanford a note that suggested their relationship was a close one.

The DCCC couldn't be more pleased. It didn't take the group long to go after Sessions after he opened his new campaign headquarters last week.

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GOP Shadow Budget

Ryan On Social Security Cuts Plan: 'If I Lose My Job Over This, Fine'

Christina Bellantoni | February 8, 2010, 11:26AM

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)

Rep. Paul Ryan is blaming the "Democratic attack machine" even though members of his own party don't publicly support his plan to dramatically cut Medicare and Social Security and effectively privatize those entitlement programs to end the deficit.

In an interview with the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, Ryan (R-WI) defended his "Roadmap" budget blueprint as a way to "prevent a fiscal crisis" in a government that's on a "path to insolvency."

Ryan insisted in the interview his plan was to get ideas on the table and end the policy stalemate in Washington. As we have been reporting, GOP leadership has backed far away from the Ryan plan and instead is touting their skeletal plan from 2009.

"The Democratic attack machine is in full throttle," Ryan told the newspaper. "It's sad but predictable."

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