TPMDC Morning Roundup
Two Sides Taking Health Care Debate Outside Washington
The Obama Administration and its opponents will be spending the August recess heavily promoting their sides of the health care debate. "Our job is to help folks understand how this will help them," said David Axelrod. On the other end of the spectrum, Sens. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and John Barrasso (R-WY) will be going on the road with their "Senate Doctors Show," warning against the Democratic plan.
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will deliver remarks at 11:05 a.m. ET, on the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. At 12:30 p.m. ET, he will meet with Shaykh Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah, Amir of Kuwait, and the two of them will be joined by Vice President Biden for lunch at 12:45 p.m. Et. Obama will meet with Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Biden's Day Ahead
At 10:30 a.m. ET, Vice President Biden will join President Obama, Sec. of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA), former Sen. John Warner (R-VA) and others to mark the implementation of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. He will join President Obama at 12:45 p.m. ET, for lunch Shaykh Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait. Afterwards, Biden will meet separately with the Amir. He will spend the remainder of the day in private meetings.
Hillary Going On Tour Of Africa
Sec. of State Hillary Clinton is embarking today for an 11-day tour of Africa. Her trip will begin in Kenya, where she will speak to a trade and development forum, and take her to South Africa, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Liberia and Cape Verde.
Report: U.S. Weighs New Sanctions Against Iran
The New York Times reports that the Obama Administration is speaking to Congress and international allies about imposing new economic sanctions against Iran and companies that do business there, if Iran fails to respond to Obama's offer to negotiate about the nuclear program. But will it work? Said an American diplomat: "The question we have to face, is whether any sanction at this point can really deter them, given how close they are now."
Hatch: I'll Be "Shocked" If Grassley And Enzi Support Dem Health Care Bill
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) told The Hill that he would be "shocked" if Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Mike Enzi (R-WY) signed on to the health care bill with the Democrats. "The real problem is their [Democrats'] ideas are out of this world," Hatch added. "They're saying they're going to get $400-plus billion out of Medicare and Medicare is in debt right now."
GOP Finds Unity Easier As Obama Slips
Roll Call reports that due to President Obama's recent decline in his approval ratings, Republicans are finding unity a lot easier now -- such as on the Sotomayor confirmation vote. "Absolutely," said a senior Republican leadership aide. "If Republicans were not making inroads with independents on virtually every other issue, this would be a much more perilous vote."
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
The GOP's Double-Barreled Attack: Combines the 'Birther' and 'Health Scare' Tactics
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=8097
August 3, 2009 9:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Lame again, as usual. The occasional worthwhile compositions are coming very infrequently now. Don must be getting bored and/or lazy.
August 3, 2009 10:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don'tknow how you can get a "bipartisan bill" with peoplewho don'tknow what the hell a fact is. Go watch Orin Hatch debate Senator Sanders. This guy Hatch was spewing everything BUT a fact it was ridiculous absolutely ridiculous.
August 3, 2009 9:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hatch has ALWAYS been a creep. The NY Times and other mainstream media have treated him as a statesman and policy partner to Ted Kennedy (who got snookered more than once during the W years), when there's nothing statesmanlike about Hatch at all except the aura the media give him. Hatch is clever -- but a clever demagogue not a clever statesman
August 3, 2009 12:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
That Roll Call piece just illustrates that the GOP cares more about their unified message than getting the message right. They are like a bunch of Lemmings. Its an obvious misstep to flatly oppose everything the Dems are doing. When things work, it will be easy to attack the GOP. Now they are making it easier to pick targets, because its all of them. Stupid.
On top on that, they continue to be delusional when it comes Obama's support. I was listening to some giddy right wing talk show host this morning breathlessly read Obama's latest poll numbers, "We are winning!" Perhaps he stopped reading and missed the numbers that indicate that the people trust Obama with 2-1 (sometimes 3-1) margins over the GOP on issue after issue. If that's "winning," I'm confused.
As an example of delusion, see if you can stomach this. Make sure you read the comments:
Republicans and Shadow Diplomacy (Red State)
August 3, 2009 9:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm surprised more is not being made of Malkin's labeling of the Tea Baggers as a "counterinsurgency." Freedom Fighters til the end.
August 3, 2009 10:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Obama's Day Ahead"
"Biden's Day Ahead"
"Hatch: I'll Be 'Shocked'..."
and
"Hillary Going On Tour Of Africa"
Is there some reason Secretary Clinton can't be shown the same respect as the men?
August 3, 2009 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Perhaps because "Clinton" is ambiguous, as it can also be construed as referring to the former President, where only one of the Clintons is named Hillary.
August 3, 2009 10:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
That and that is how she marketed herself durring her campaign. She spent millions on signage and adds saying 'Hillary' not 'Clinton'.
There is much real sexism in the world but this ain't part of it.
August 3, 2009 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
Really? Coburn and Barasso with the "Senate Doctor's Show"? Obama and the Dems should keep their powder dry, stay out of the way, and watch these bozos sink the Republican opposition to health care reform.
August 3, 2009 10:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, I think that just staying out of the way has gotten dangerous. Republicans are spouting lies about health care reform as though they were given facts and now many people are starting to believe that these lies are given facts. What I would love to see on this site is a daily fact check that parses the statements made by the Republicans and counters them with talking points from the other side. The other thing I would love to see is something that forces the Republicans hand, like a banner that says XX days since the Republicans have offered real solutions to the health care crisis. Because if you really listen to them, they give scare tactics and no solutions. The constant and unrelenting questions for Republicans should be: Do you think the health care system in the United State is fine the way it is? And, if not, what do you think needs to be done to fix it? It doesn't seem to me that anyone is forcing them to answer that basic question.
August 3, 2009 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed. I think Bill Maher said it best recently...and while he was referring to the birthers, etc, I think it applies here (is "they want to euthanize seniors" any more wacky than the birther silliness?):
"Well, you may ask, how something as inane as Whitewater or Swift Boats or the birther-thing gains traction? Well I'll tell you how, the same way that the story of Elton John almost dying from ingesting too much of Rod Stewart's sperm gained traction in my high school, dummies talking to other dummies.
It's just easier now because of the internet. And because our mainstream media does such a lousy job of talking truth to stupid.
Lou Dobbs said recently, "People are asking a lot of questions about the birth certificate." Yes, the same people who want to know where the Sun goes at night and where to put the stamp on their e-mail. And Lou, you're their new king.
Which is why it is so important that we, the few, the proud, the reality based, attack this stuff before it has a chance to fester and spread. This is not a case of Democrats versus Republicans. It's sentient beings versus the lizard people.
And it is to the lizard people that I offer this deal, I will show you President Obama's birth certificate when you show me Sarah Palin's high school diploma."
August 3, 2009 12:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
The problem, which Maher completely ignored, is that attacking it or just telling the truth doesn't magically make it go away. Countering BS carefully (or with mockery) sometimes helps, but it's been proven that just repeating it and debunking it can end up attaching more authority to it.
That doesn't mean that ignoring it is a good idea, but frankly, I found Maher's implying that people are stupid if they don't "just kill it" to be pretty obnoxious. It's not that easy to kill it, and it is easy to do yourself more harm than good.
August 3, 2009 12:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
What do you suggest?
August 3, 2009 1:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
News flash! Rich Republican doctors are against healthcare reform! It would be annoying for them and they might less money!
What? It's supposed to benefit patients? Including ones without money? Who cares about them?
August 3, 2009 12:35 PM | Reply | Permalink