TPMDC Morning Roundup
Dem Congressman: Obama Willing To Be One-Term President Over Health Care
Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA) told a local town hall meeting that President Obama told him he would deal with health care -- even if it cost Obama re-election. Said Boswell: "And he said, 'No, if it makes me a one-term president, I'm going to, we're going to take it on because the country is in need of us taking this on.' I respected that very much."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama and the First Lady will depart from the White House at 10:40 a.m. ET, arriving at 2:30 p.m. ET in Belgrade, Montana. Obama will hold a town hall at 2:55 p.m. ET, on health insurance reform.
Biden's Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will attend the funeral of Eunice Kennedy Shriver in Hyannis, Massachusetts. He will then return in the afternoon to Wilmington, Delaware, where he has no public events scheduled.
Bill Clinton To Netroots: Obama Needs Your Help
Former President Bill Clinton spoke at the Netroots Nation conference last night, attacking the Republicans for using "crazy" scare tactics such as the "death panel" smear -- and urging the crowd to support President Obama on health care. "The president needs your help and the cause needs your help," Clinton said. "We have to preserve this progressive majority now."
NYT: False "Death Panel" Rumor Has Familiar Roots
The New York Times reports on how the "death panel" smear has originated from the highest ranks of conservative commentary, who had previously defeated Bill Clinton health care in the 1990s -- and how its tenacity has taken reform campaigners by surprised. "I guess what surprised me is the ferocity, it's much stronger than I expected," said AARP executive vice president John Rother. "It's people who are ideologically opposed to Mr. Obama, and this is the opportunity to weaken the president."
Webb To Go To Burma
Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) will visit Burma and meet with military ruler Than Shwe, the first time a high-ranking American politician has done so. Webb could potentially use the trip to press for the release of John W. Yettaw, an imprisoned American who had attempted to meet with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
$57 Million Spent On Health Care TV Ads This Year
CNN reports that $57 million has been spent on TV ads about health care policy so far in 2009. This includes $24 million on ads in support of President Obama's proposals, $9.6 million against it, and the remainder from groups that have not taken a clear political side.
The Hill: Pork-Barrel Spending Increases In 2009
The Hill reports that earmark spending has been on the rise this year. Earmarks added up to $19.9 billion in 2009, compared to $18.3 billion in 2008. Although earmarks were kept out of President Obama's stimulus bill, they nevertheless were put into other spending measures.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
A Surefire Way to Really Put the Town Hall Nuts Over the Edge
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=8234
August 14, 2009 9:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
1. One term president over healthcare! Now that is leadership. Is there any room on Rushmore for this guy? What a great, great president.
2. Webb is the man as well. Going to freaking Burma? Wow. What a difference an election makes. And of all the people to go to Burma and knock heads, Webb is the one. Another awesome leader for the dems. It's amazing how things can change in such a short period of time.
August 14, 2009 9:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
No one's a bigger booster of the guy than me (at least, that's what the folks here who aren't keep saying to me), but even I have to note that the thing most likely to make him a one term president is not getting it done this year.
August 14, 2009 10:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
Truism. But his statement speaks volumes.
August 14, 2009 10:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Very noble, indeed (no facetiousness intended). But his compatriots in Congress surely do not share that one-term attitude.
August 14, 2009 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
Nonsense. Hey let's get Bush/Cheney back...Or some other republican since they are all the same and their policies haven't changed a bit People here are upset because Obama can't fix Bush's disaster fast enough???
What a joke. If Obama doesn't get HC ins reform passed it certainly won't be from a lack of trying nor will it be seen as his fault. What better dem is there for this task. No, he will get a 2nd term for sure but some other dems may not get reelected if they don't start pushing for the people's agenda.
McCain was an idiot and the repubs have no credible candidates anyplace because they refuse to change just become worse. FDR didn't get all his policies through his first term either. There is no doubt Obama will get a second term in spite of all the demonizing from the republicants. The Paliens are self destructive idiots..I mean we have no one else to get this done because we are battling a fascist corporatism spending millions to defeat a dem agenda...but it won't work because they are represented by fools insanely waving death panels at the willfully ignorant who are still very much a minority. Nevermind
August 16, 2009 3:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama will be a guaranteed one term President if he continues to negotiate healthcare or anything else with republicans who openly want him to fail. Stick to your own party and get them in line. All he is getting now from republicans are watered bills with no teeth that the republicans will vote no on that are killing his presidency. If he wants another term he to needs grow a set of balls. Wake up and realize you dont republicans for anything
August 14, 2009 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Call me crazy, but I am guessing that he is using the repukes to get the bluedogs in line. The guy is too smart. He makes it look like he is reaching across the aisle and seeking bi-partisanship, knowing that the repukes will chop his arm off. It plays well with the public that he is trying to work with them and when they don't play ball, which they won't, he can use it against them. The repukes are being so extreme that it gives the blue dogs lattitude to get on board.
August 14, 2009 10:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, it's a bit more complicated than that. In order to garner respect from conservatives, you've got to be willing to fight for what you believe in. They may not agree, but they will respect you for fighting.
I'm born and raised in the South, currently live in Georgia and have lived with wingnuts my whole life. They all have one belief in common, if you have no backbone, you have no respect. If your word doesn't mean anything, you don't mean anything. Obama going into the lions den may not win a lot of votes on this specific issue (healthcare), but it will bring him more votes later for other issues.
Good luck Barak, fight the good fight. You set an example for us all.
August 14, 2009 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Passing any bill in the Senate, unless that bill meets the rules to be called a "budget reconciliation measure, requires 60 votes. That is tantamount to giving up on Democracy, but it is still the Senate rule. So, Obama does need Repub votes to pass any bill. There would be 60 Democratic votes available, but two of those votes reside with very ill Senators, who may or may not be able to vote. And, several are "blue dog democrats" who are as close to being Repubs as you can get while still being Democrats.
As the days go by I get closer to agreeing with Obama that, for now, the best we can get is a bill that will make it possible for everyone to have health insurance, but which will do very little, if anything, to reduce the rapid rise in health care costs. And, that is because any reduction in health care costs means a cut in profits and compensation in the health care and insurance industry. At this moment in our history, you just can't interfere with the ability of the very wealthy to become very, very, very wealthy. That will change when we have a revolution.
August 14, 2009 12:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey don't confuse people. 60 votes are required to end a filibuster so a vote can be taken. But only 51 votes are needed to pass any bill. I know you know this but your comment could be misleading for those who don't. Plus not all parts of the bill meet the rules for being passed by the reconciliation process. However...it only takes 51 votes to change the senate rules and end this badly abused filibuster rule which no longer serves any useful purpose. I personally hate the senate and what it has become. They don't represent the population and have become basically an obstructionist arm of government. In my mind we could do without a senate altogether since they don't fairly represent the people anyway. 2 senators for Montana and 2 senators for California hardly seems fair or equal. Nevermind
August 16, 2009 3:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
There really are very few filibusters in the Senate now. None are needed to stop bills. Bills are not voted on until the debate stops, and that requires a vote on "cloture", which requires 60 votes to pass. The effect of this is to require every non-budget reconciliation measure to get 60 votes in order to pass.
I have some use for the Senate - it is a great place for elderly ex-Congressmen to retire to for debates, golf games, conviviality, etc. It should be restricted to that and nothing else. If I could change Congress I would require the Senate to debate House bills for a maximum of 2 weeks, then make a recommendation to the President about whether he should sign it. Beyond that it would be a very Odd Fellow's club.
August 16, 2009 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Commenter NC Steve has it right, which is why this "one term president" comment makes no sense. If he gets it done this year, he'll be re-elected easily.
What's the context for this "one term president" vow? How could getting health care insurance reformed possibly cause a defeat in 2012? (Perhaps if the final Baucus-ized bill totally screws up health care finance and delivery?)
August 14, 2009 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sadly, that last sentence is not exactly looking like just a remote possibility right now.
August 14, 2009 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
If he can't get it done until 2011, meaning it doesn't get implimented in time for people to see that it doesn't entail Democrat Death Squads sneakin' into hospitals to snuff Grammie or taxing poor white people to give shiftless blacks private rooms and free bon-bons, he'd be better off, politically, not doing it at all.
But I don't think he'll do that. I think if the choice was 2011 or not at all, he'd go with 2011. So he is sincere in that respect, but it's hypothetical because not getting it done this year also means losing seats in Congress.
August 14, 2009 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Actually it being implemented in 2011 or such isn't a bad thing. After about a year, when people realize their insurance hasn't changed and they actually have LOWER premiums his approvals will go up. They are scared and once that fear is qulled he will be good to go.
August 14, 2009 2:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
If he can't get it done until 2011, meaning it doesn't get implimented in time for people to see that it doesn't entail Democrat Death Squads sneakin' into hospitals to snuff Grammie or taxing poor white people to give shiftless blacks private rooms and free bon-bons, he'd be better off, politically, not doing it at all.
But I don't think he'll do that. I think if the choice was 2011 or not at all, he'd go with 2011. So he is sincere in that respect, but it's hypothetical because not getting it done this year also means losing seats in Congress.
August 14, 2009 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
He is saying he rather be a one term President than not doing what is right and being a two term President.
August 14, 2009 2:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good News !
A staff writer at The New Yorker and some experts have examined Medicare data from the successful hospitals of 10 regions, and they have found evidence that more effective, lower-cost care is possible.
Please be 'sure' to visit http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/opinion/13gawande.html?hp for credible evidences !
Some have followed the Mayo model with salaried doctors employed, Other regions, too, have found ways to protect patients against the pursuit of revenues over patient.
And a cardiac surgeon of them said they had adopted electronic systems, examined the data and found that a shocking portion of tests were almost certainly unnecessary, possibly harmful.
According to analysis, their quality scores are well above average. Yet they spend more than $1,500 (16 percent) less per Medicare patient than the national average and have a slower real annual growth rate (3 percent versus 3.5 percent nationwide).
Surprisingly, 16 % of about $550 billion (the total of medicare cost per year) is around $88 billion per year, except for Medicaid (total cost of around $500 billion per year), medicare 'alone' can save $880 billion over the next decade.
In addition, under the reform package, along with the already allocated $583 billion, the wastes involving so called "doughnut hole" , the unnecessary subsidies for insurers, abuse, exorbitant costs by the tragic ER visits etc are weeded out, the concern over revenue might be a thing of the past.
(( Net Medicare and Medicaid savings of $465 billion + the $583 billion revenue package = $1048 billion - the previously estimated $1.042 trillion cost of reform = $6 billion surplus - $245 billion (the 10-year cost of adjusting Medicare reimbursement rates so physicians don’t face big annual pay cuts) = the estimated deficit of $239 billion ))
In modernized society, the business lacking IT system is unthinkable just like pre-electricity period, nevertheless, the last thing to expect is happening now in the sector requiring the best accuracy in respect to dealing with human lives. Apparently the errors by no e-medical records have spawned the crushing lawsuits (Medical malpractice lawsuits cost at least $150 billion per year), and these costs have led to the unnecessary tests, treatments, even more profits so far. And in different parts of the U.S., patients get two to three times as much care for the same disease, with the same result.
Thank You !
August 14, 2009 11:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
God what happened to this site. Josh is talking about how McCain might have won if he'd gone the death panel route and how he pushed that lMcCain is gonna win crap all during the election where any dem, after the disaster of Bush and with the other repub candidates being such a joke, any dem nominated would have won since republicants were soundly rejected. We even have some poster here saying Cheney's gonna run for president etc. I think the site has just gone nuts.
Why would anybody even be listening to the very people that brought us this current disaster much less posting about them as being even the slightest bit credible. If these dems fail or Obama doesn't get the dem agenda accomplished we certainly won't be running back to the tried and failed policies and people responsible for our current situation, especially since they haven't changed a bit. "I'm mad as hell and I want you to cut the taxes on the rich even more" is the insanity that pervades TPM lately.
Grassley and Palin should be laughed off the public airwaves. Cheney couldn't get elected if he confessed to personally killing all those dangerous git-mo detainees and promised to give all the Black water contract money back.
Provoking the "it could happen" meme to project this horseshit is demeaning.. Seriously...get rid of your 'consultants' who are charging you a fortune to make your business better when in the end they just want paid for what your staff would have done eventually anyway. Hire some hound dogs to piss on Grassley's remarks and make Conrad defend supporting a filibuster no matter how he wants to vote. If he opposes what the majority wants he's stupid, but if he prevents the majority from even being able to vote then he's worthless and a hypocrite saying he wants what is best for the people but not what the people think is best or what they want.
Forget bipartisan as you can't compromise with death. Remember gov is (according to our constitution and the founders) "of" the people, "by" the people and "for" the people and these idiots so willfully ignorant and misinformed who chow up at these townhalls fall into the last "for" the people category since they have no interest in 'Knowing" what they are talking about.
Just turn the light off on Fox and watch the country start getting along again and the fears and anger subside because they make their fortunes by keeping things stirred up and shockingly insane. There. Oh hell, nevermind
August 16, 2009 3:24 AM | Reply | Permalink