Sarah Palin

Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold, Virginia Palin Fans Say

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 5, 2009, 1:48PM

Neither rain, nor sleet nor snow could keep a crowd of about 500 from Sarah Palin in Northern Virgina this afternoon. Perhaps due to the horrible weather conditions (bitterly cold with the first snowfall of the season) or perhaps due to the fact that this was the part of Virginia famously dubbed "fake" by Nancy Pfotenhauer last year, the crowd for Palin's booksigning at a BJ's Wholesale in Fairfax didn't resemble that of earlier stops on Palin's book tour in either size or sheer enthusiasm.

Which is not to say Palin didn't get a warm welcome. Conservative Virginians in the crowd were excited to see the Republican rockstar a month after they turned the state red again in statewide elections.

"The tables have turned," one said when asked if he thought Palin would win a 2012 rematch with President Obama in Virginia. "If she chooses to run, this is Sarah country now."

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Harry Reid

Face Off: Liberal And Conservative Democrats Huddle To Reach Public Option Compromise

Brian Beutler | December 4, 2009, 6:32PM

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

It's crunch time! In a rare face-to-face meeting between conservative and liberals members, a number of key Democrats huddled behind closed doors tonight to discuss the public option in the hopes of reaching some sort of compromise in time to salvage the health care bill.

On hand were Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)--who's been trying to broker a compromise between competing factions for months--Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE)--who's been floating a potential compromise modeled on Olympia Snowe's trigger--and Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), and Ben Nelson (D-NE).

According to Rockefeller, the range of views is an indication that things are coming down to the wire.

"There's no question about that," Rockefeller told reporters. "This should have started a long time ago and thankfully Harry Reid caught it in time to put us together."

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Health Care

A Very Hawaiian Health Care Bill?

Christina Bellantoni | December 4, 2009, 5:56PM

President Barack Obama

The White House has long been saying President Obama wants a health care bill on his desk this year.

That's the messaging used by the DNC's Organizing for America, pro-health reform groups and, as Brian reported this week, the Democratic leadership is prepared to work "right through Christmas."

A reporter today asked White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs about the lag as the Senate debates its version of the bill.

"Given that it took four days to vote on the first two amendments in the health care bill do you think realistically you're looking at a date closer to the state of the union for a bill?" the reporter asked in the morning gaggle.

"I'm not going to wiggle on a date," Gibbs said.

TPMDC followed up asking Gibbs about the First Family's annual Hawaiian vacation. The dates aren't public yet, but Obama will be in the Aloha state for a good chunk of time in late December.

"If the bill is passed the president would be happy to sign it in Hawaii - I could think of any number of picturesque locations," Gibbs said.

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Climate Change

Change Of Plans: Obama Going to Copenhagen At End Of Climate Talks

Christina Bellantoni | December 4, 2009, 4:54PM

President Barack Obama and the Earth

President Obama was all set to go to Copenhagen for the global climate change talks next week, but the White House has announced a change of plans.

Environmental experts and other nations questioned the effectiveness of the president's decision to attend the conference at the beginning instead of at the end when other world leaders were gathered there.

One reason for the shift is that Obama intended to get things kicked off. Before the conference has even started China and India announced major carbon reduction plans for the first time ever, and Europe and Australia have settled on a $10 billion per year to help developing countries meet whatever is established as the new framework.

The White House says Obama always wanted to attend the talks when his presence would be most meaningful, and given the early positive signs, it made sense for him to delay the trip.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs just released a statement saying that Obama will do just that.

"Based on his conversations with other leaders and the progress that has already been made to give momentum to negotiations, the President believes that continued US leadership can be most productive through his participation at the end of the Copenhagen conference on December 18th rather than on December 9th," Gibbs said.

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Sunday Shows

The Sunday Show Line-Ups

Eric Kleefeld | December 4, 2009, 4:01PM

Secretary of State Clinton and Defense Secretary Gates at Afghanistan hearing.

Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:

• ABC, This Week: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI).

• CBS, Face The Nation: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

• CNN, State Of The Union: National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ), former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA).

• Fox News Sunday: Gen. David Petraeus, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).

• NBC, Meet The Press: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).

Health Care

The Week That Was: What Happened In Health Care This Week, And What To Look Forward To

Brian Beutler | December 4, 2009, 3:59PM

Democratic Senators Harry Reid, Chris Dodd and Tom Harkin

It's been a busy week by the standards of the United States Senate, but it's also been fairly confusing. With the Senate's long, lumbering push for reform now in its final stages, we've seen debate, votes, and back room wheeling and dealing on contentious issues like the public option and abortion. So what does all of it mean.

To break it down into simpler terms, the crucial developments--the ones that will determine whether this bill passes or fails--have yet to come. In the mean time, there are tea leaves, and technical developments, but that's about it. If the Senate health care bill is in a slow motion run to the finish line, we'll know next week whether it breaks through the ribbon, or staggers and falls to the ground.

In the past week, members have filed (i.e. announced their intent to introduce) scores of amendments. A small handful have actually received votes, and more will come to the floor this weekend. But none, so far, have been particularly politically weighty. In other words, the amendments that will make or break this bill, are still being hashed out.

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Arlen Specter

Specter To Lieberman, Collins: Reread The Fine Print On The Public Option

Brian Beutler | December 4, 2009, 12:49PM

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA)

I just watched an interesting public option colloquy of sorts between Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) on the one hand and, Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and a newly in-the-mix Susan Collins (R-ME) on the other. It was the first time I've seen a senator call out his colleagues, however politely, on their misrepresentations of the public option.

The trio spoke at an event in support of a cost containment amendment to the health care bill that they hope to introduce shortly. About 15 minutes in, though, Specter, who's tacked significantly to the left since he switched into the Democratic party, put his colleagues on the spot about their public option opposition.

"I continue to support a robust public option," Specter said. "There are differences on that, and my two colleagues have expressed their own reservations."

"This bill may be so good, look so good, to Senator Lieberman that he may be willing to make some accommodations."

Lieberman and Collins both demurred.

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Afghanistan

Hungary Sending 200 More Troops To Afghanistan

Christina Bellantoni | December 4, 2009, 12:25PM

Vice President Joe Biden and Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai

Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai said after a meeting with Vice President Joe Biden that his country, a member of NATO, is sending 200 more troops to Afghanistan.

It's an increase of 60 percent that Biden deemed "significant" due to the country's relatively small population he estimated is about 10 million.

Bajnai said Hungary "made clear we agree with the strategy" President Obama laid out this week for the war in Afghanistan and that his country is "ready to participate" and will send "up to 200 new" troops.

Bajnai said the new troops are to help the situation "get done." He said Hungary has "a duty" to help. "We believe in the strategy," he said.

Biden said the U.S. is "grateful" for Hungary's support and said they discussed a stable Pakistan in addition to Afghanistan "as the president always does."

Biden said "most Americans" might say 200 troops seems like few, but "this is a significant commitment" since there will be a total of 500 troops in Afghanistan from a country he said has about 10 million people.

Biden said it is a "politically important and courageous decision."

They also spoke about the U.S.-Hungarian relationship and the economy.

Later today Bajnai will meet with National Security Adviser Gen. Jim Jones and Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner.

As press left, Biden turned to Bajnai and said "I hope Jim Jones is buying you lunch."

Roy Herron

Is The NRCC Using Anti-Gay Innuendo Against Dem Candidate?

Eric Kleefeld | December 4, 2009, 11:58AM

TN-08 candidate Roy Herron (D)

The NRCC has been quick to attack Tennessee state Sen. Roy Herron, who has emerged as the Democratic candidate for the seating of retiring Blue Dog Rep. John Tanner -- and along the way, they seem to be using some rather interesting rhetoric.

Herron is a former minister and an attorney, and he has taught at both the divinity and law schools at Vanderbilt, his alma mater. He has been married for 22 years, and has three sons. He has also written several books, including Tennessee Political Humor, How Can a Christian Be in Politics?, and God And Politics. However, the NRCC says Herron isn't being honest about his social liberalism.

Over the course of the past week, the NRCC has mounted a series of attacks on Herron that taken together could suggest they're trying to say that Herron is gay or effeminate. The NRCC denies that's their line of attack, and the Herron camp hasn't publicly raised the issue (see late update below), but take a look at what the NRCC has been saying.

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Ben Nelson

Casey, Unlike Nelson, Not Inclined To Filibuster Health Care Bill Over Abortion

Brian Beutler | December 4, 2009, 11:31AM

Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA)

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) said yesterday that he'd filibuster Senate health care legislation if it does not ultimately contain restrictive, Stupak-like abortion language. That's touched of fairly frantic negotiations, and Nelson has postponed filing his amendment. But for another pro-life Democrat, the issue isn't so black and white.

"I already voted back in July, where we had a number of amendments in [the Senate HELP] committee on abortion, where I voted as a pro-life Democrat but also supported the bill coming out of committee, and that's what I'll do here," Casey told reporters this morning.

Aside from the public option, perhaps the biggest hurdle Democrats face if they want to make it through this period of debate and amendments, and pass a health care bill, is abortion.

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White House

White House: Look! We're Changing Washington!

Christina Bellantoni | December 4, 2009, 10:46AM

White House

The White House is pleased with a new Congressional Research Service report showing that since taking office in January, President Obama has made "historic" change to how lobbyists interact with the executive branch.

Norm Eisen, special counsel to the president for ethics and government reform, blogged today at WhiteHouse.gov a long item boasting about the report's findings.

Read more »

Russia

Gibbs: U.S. And Russia Will Continue START Treaty

Christina Bellantoni | December 4, 2009, 10:35AM

President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said it is "unlikely" the outstanding issues between the U.S. and Russia will be resolved in the next 24 hours so the two world powers will instead issue a joint statement agreeing to continue the expiring nuclear arms START treaty until the new agreement is inked.

Gibbs said President Obama spoke with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and they agreed on the statement, which the Kremlin has already sent out a day early.

The treaty expires Dec. 5 and the statement agrees to keep with what is in place now for an indefinite period.

Gibbs declined to discuss the sticking points but said he believes they can "work through" them and come to a new agreement.

Robert Gibbs

Gibbs On Unemployment Numbers: Moving In Right Direction

Christina Bellantoni | December 4, 2009, 10:12AM

White House Press Sec. Robert Gibbs

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said today's unemployment figures are the best released in the last 22 months.

"The numbers today show that we continue to make much needed progress in getting this economy going again," Gibbs told reporters in his morning gaggle. "We are clearly moving in the right direction."

He said there will still be "bumps" ahead and credited the $787 billion economic stimulus plan with improvements to the unemployment statistics. Gibbs said President Obama is "pleased" the jobless claims were lower than expected but added that Obama believes any jobless claims are "too many."

Health Care

Landrieu: Public Option Skepticism Rooted In Fierce PR Campaign

Brian Beutler | December 4, 2009, 9:36AM

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE)

Conservative and moderate Democrats met with Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) last night to discuss possible changes to the Senate health care bill, including the potential need for a public option compromise.

Attending the meeting were key health care swing votes Sens. Ben Nelson (D-NE), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), and a number of freshman Democrats, including Kay Hagan (D-NC) and Mark Begich (D-AK).

The meeting resulted in few revelations, or major developments--"Generally speaking I didn't hear anything that changes my mind," Lieberman told reporters. But afterwards, I asked Landrieu whether she's concerned that Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)--a public option stalwart--might not be willing to compromise on the public option any further.

"Senator Brown knows what we know, that we've just got to try to find a way forward, and we're going to continue to work with him," Landrieu said. "He's put in a tremendous amount of time and effort."

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NV-SEN

Harry Reid In Serious Trouble Back Home, Poll Finds

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 4, 2009, 9:20AM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

Senate Majority Leader is already facing an uphill climb as he attempts force health care reform through an irascible Senate in Washington. But a new poll shows that fight could be nothing compared to what he faces back home in Nevada. In a new Mason-Dixon poll of Nevada voters out today, Reid has just a 38% approval rating -- and is losing in a hypothetical matchup with both of the leading contenders for the Republican nomination.

It's not news that Reid is facing a tough reelection battle. But the new poll today shows he's made very little progress in regaining the trust of his constituents after weeks of trying.

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Sarah Palin

Palin: The Public Is 'Rightfully' Making Obama's Birth Certificate An Issue

Eric Kleefeld | December 4, 2009, 9:17AM

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin has now endorsed the Birther cause, telling a right-wing radio host that "the public, rightfully, is still making it an issue" -- and she even seemed to suggest that that the McCain campaign should have gone there last year.

Radio talker Rusty Humphries gave Palin questions submitted by his listeners, including this one: "Would you make the birth certificate an issue if you ran?"

"Um, I think the public, rightfully, is still making it an issue. I don't have a problem with that," said Palin. "I don't know if I would have to bother to make it an issue, because I think enough members of the electorate still want answers."

Palin implied that the McCain campaign should have used this issue in 2008, discussing her long-standing complaint that the campaign didn't go hard enough on Obama: "I think it's a fair question, just like I think past associations, past voting records, all of that is fair game. You know, I gotta tell you, too, I think our campaign, the McCain-Palin campaign, didn't do a good enough job in that area."

Palin has done a pseudo-backtrack in her Facebook account, denying that she in any way called on Obama to produce his birth certificate or suggested he wasn't born in the United States -- which would seem to contradict the plain text of what she said in the interview:

Voters have every right to ask candidates for information if they so choose. I've pointed out that it was seemingly fair game during the 2008 election for many on the left to badger my doctor and lawyer for proof that Trig is in fact my child. Conspiracy-minded reporters and voters had a right to ask... which they have repeatedly. But at no point - not during the campaign, and not during recent interviews - have I asked the president to produce his birth certificate or suggested that he was not born in the United States.

VA-GOV

McDonnell Spent $2M More Than Deeds In Final Weeks Of Va. Campaign

Christina Bellantoni | December 4, 2009, 8:59AM

VA-GOV Candidates Creigh Deeds (D) and Bob McDonnell (R)

New reports for the final weeks of the Virginia governor's race show the Republican Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell dramatically outspent Democratic State Sen. Creigh Deeds before crushing him in a landslide.

According to the Virginia Public Access Project, a nonpartisan group that posted all the data covering from Oct. 22 to Nov. 26, Deeds spent $1.8 million while McDonnell spent $3.8 million.

Deeds had $91,590 in his campaign account as of Nov. 26 and McDonnell had nearly $600,000 left in his account.

More detail from the Washington Post here.

Tea Party

Conservatives Debate: Is 'Teabagger' Their 'N-Word'?

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 3, 2009, 6:11PM

Protesters at the 9/12 Tea Party March on Washington

In the latest issue of National Review, Jay Nordlinger details the history of 'teabagging' and reports on the conservative debate about what to do about it. But it's not what you think -- no, really, it's not what you think.

Nordlinger's article isn't about tea bagging in the fun sense, nor is it about the long-term effects on the GOP from teabagging in the tri-corn hat-and-time-on-your-hands sense. Rather, it's the story of how conservatives are trying to fix the mess they made when they first decided to call for the "teabagging" of Nancy Pelosi with a straight face.

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Health Care

New NARAL Ad Asks Stupak 'Why' He Injected Abortion In Health Care Debate

Christina Bellantoni | December 3, 2009, 5:35PM

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI)

As Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) is drafting his own anti-abortion amendment to the health care bill, NARAL Pro-Choice America is taking to the airwaves to fight against Rep. Bart Stupak's (D-MI) measure that passed the House last month.

The ad asks why abortion has been injected into the health care debate. NARAL says the ad will run in midsize media markets, including Richmond, Va., Raleigh N.C. and the Portland and Bangor markets in Maine. It also will run in Stupak's Michigan Congressional district.

NARAL president Nancy Keenan, who has been attempting to get the White House to demand abortion be stripped from the health care debate, said the ad aims to "help us enlist even more Americans into our campaign to defeat the Stupak abortion-coverage ban."

Watch the ad after the jump.

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CAIR

Discrimination Up, Hate Crimes Down: Picture Mixed For American Muslims, CAIR Report Shows

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 3, 2009, 4:56PM

The state of Muslim America in 2008, according to a new report from the Council on American-Islamic Relations out today: Civil rights for Muslims are in peril, even as America becomes a less dangerous place to practice Islam.

The data comes from CAIR's annual "Seeking Full Inclusion" report, which aggregates and analyzes the civil rights violations reported to the group throughout the year. The report on 2008 was released today, and shows a rise in discrimination against school-age Muslims and Muslim institutions, but a sharp decline in hate crime violence. Despite the increases, though, there are signs that the country is becoming more tolerant toward Muslims.

Eight years after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., CAIR legislative director Cory Saylor told TPMDC the report suggests the darkest days American Muslims faced after 9/11 have past.

"Our thinking is that the spike after 9/11 has dissipated," he said. "I hate to say it like this, but it's looking like violence against Muslims in America has returned to normal level."

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Abortion

Nelson: Abortion Amendment 'Is Not Ready'

Brian Beutler | December 3, 2009, 4:40PM

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) and Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE)

In addition to the public option, Democrats in the Senate are also working hard on abortion language that will satisfy Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE), who's threatening to filibuster if language restricting federal funding of abortions isn't dramatically strengthened. That will have to wait, likely until next week.

"The language is not ready," Nelson said of an amendment he's working on, which he says is modeled on a restrictive amendment to the House health care bill written by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI). "I'm ready but the language is not."

In all likelihood, the amendment will be offered once it's clear that it won't blow up the entire reform effort. So there you have it. Next week is shaping up to be a busy one.

Health Care

Brown: No Negotiations On The Public Option, As Far As I'm Concerned

Brian Beutler | December 3, 2009, 4:22PM

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

One of the most dogged public option advocates in the Senate--and a key liaison between progressives and leadership--says no way, no how to yet another compromise.

"There's no negotiations as far as I'm concerned," insisted Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH). "We've compromised the public option three times, maybe four, depending on how you define it. This bill is not going to continue to become more pro-insurance company."

So the opt out is where you draw the line?

"Yeah, the opt out was not our first choice. Delinking from Medicare was not our first choice," Brown said.

Several conservative Democrats have entrenched their positions against the public option, and have threatened to filibuster the health care bill if it's not further compromised

"I think in the end that none of my colleagues want to be on the wrong side of history," Brown said. "I think that no Democrat wants to kill the most important bill in their political lives--in their careers--on a procedural vote."

That creates some complicated math. With Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) insisting that he'll filibuster any bill that includes public option of any kind--even a trigger--Reid has a maximum of 59 votes in his caucus for a health care bill. That means to retain a public option at all Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) must be brought aboard, and she's said the measure must be changed to a trigger of some sort.

Brown says he won't be helping in that effort: "I'm not drawing a line in the sand. I am not part of any effort to give the insurance companies more."

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Ronald Reagan

Worshipping Reagan: There's An App For That

Eric Kleefeld | December 3, 2009, 4:18PM

Former President Ronald Reagan

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library has come up with a new way for Reaganites to bask in the glory of Ronaldus Magnus: A free iPhone application!

I just spent the last few minutes downloading and fiddling around with the app. It has a gallery of pictures of Reagan in all his glory, for an admirer to cycle through with only the swipe of a finger (such as the pic shown above). There is also Reagan playing mini-golf in the Oval Office, Reagan visiting with the Pope, Reagan with his horse, Reagan in front of an American flag, and other such glorious memories.

There is also ready access to the library's YouTube account, to watch Reagan's 1980 Republican acceptance speech, his 1981 inaugural address, his 1961 speech opposing the creation of Medicare, and other great moments in Reagan history.

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State Dinner Crashers

Peter King: Rogers Must Testify, But Salahis Have A Lot Going On

Christina Bellantoni | December 3, 2009, 3:57PM

Rep. Peter King (R-NY)

Sounds like Michaele and Tareq Salahi have Rep. Peter King (R-NY) on their side.

King, who says he wants to subpoena White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers over Party Crasher Gate, seems to be more forgiving of the Salahi couple who started the whole affair.

He said this morning on CBS it was up to them if they wanted to testify.

"I think they have enough legal problems without increasing it by testifying," King said.

Rogers, on the other hand, is covering up for the White House by declining to testify, King suggested, asking today what she had to hide.

Read more »

Health Care

With Health Reform At Stake, Senators Scramble To Reach Public Option Compromise

Brian Beutler | December 3, 2009, 2:12PM

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)

Key Democrats in the Senate, accompanied by party leadership, are bearing down on a solution to the public option problem that has dogged the caucus for months now. They're holding a constant series of meetings, bringing liberals and conservatives together to reach a compromise--seemingly modeled on a trigger--that can garner 60 votes. And interestingly, one key public option supporter seems pleased.

"There's sort of a new initiative on the public option, which is highly useful, without saying anything more about it," said Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV). "There's going to be a group of people representing various points of view who are going to just closet themselves and try and resolve this so we can have something on the floor that can pass," he said.

"It's been taking place, it's ongoing, several different rooms, several different groups," said Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin.

Included in the meeting, according to Durbin, are the well-known public option skeptics, and, on the other side of the party, Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

"I'm doing my best to do what I can do," Sanders said.

"It's one of the two, i think, really critical issues remaining, with the issue of abortion," Durbin said.

Read more »

Health Care

Insurance Lobby Exec Says Costs Not Addressed In Health Care Bills

Christina Bellantoni | December 3, 2009, 2:03PM

AHIP President and CEO Karen Ignagni

America's Health Insurance Plans CEO Karen Ignagni is speaking today about health care at the Detroit Economic Club and says the bills being debated do not sufficiently address cost containment.

"As far as cost containment is concerned, it's as though the house is on fire and the strategy is to rush to the scene with an eight-ounce glass of water," she said.

Readers will recall that in October AHIP commissioned PriceWaterhouse Coopers to do a report showing that insurance premiums would rise under the bills being considered on Capitol Hill.

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Blanche Lincoln

Poll: Lincoln Could Be Vulnerable In Primary

Eric Kleefeld | December 3, 2009, 1:35PM

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)

A new Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll of Arkansas finds that Sen. Blanche Lincoln could be vulnerable to a Democratic primary challenge -- potentially putting her between a rock and a hard place as she fights for re-election in a conservative-trending Southern state.

In a match-up against Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, who is not a candidate at this time but has been rumored as a possible challenger, Lincoln has only 42% support to Halter's 26%. The margin of error is ±5%.

Democratic voters were also asked: "If Senator Blanche Lincoln joins a Republican filibuster of the Democratic health care reform plan, for whom would you vote for in the Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate if the choices were between Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter and U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln?" The answer here is Lincoln 37%, Halter 27%.

Both Lincoln and the lesser-known Halter would be in for a tough race against the Republicans. Lincoln edges state Sen. Gilbert Baker by 42%-41%, while Baker leads Halter by 42%-34%. Lincoln is ahead of businessman Curtis Coleman by 44%-39%, while Coleman leads Halter by 40%-35%. Lincoln leads Tom Cox by 45%-31%, and Halter is ahead of Cox by 36%-32%. Lincoln leads state Sen. Kim Hendren by 46%-30%, and Halter leads Hendren by 36%-31%. The margin of error is ±4%.

Health Care

Sen. Rockefeller Hints About Public Option Compromise

Christina Bellantoni | December 3, 2009, 12:42PM

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)

From Brian Beutler on the Hill:

Sen. Jay Rockefeller didn't offer much detail, but told reporters on Capitol Hill this afternoon there are new talks going on to negotiate a public option that's amenable to both conservative Democrats and those who share his views on wanting a more robust public option.

"There's sort of a new initiative on the public option, which is highly useful, without saying anything more about it," said Rockefeller (D-WV).

"There's going to be a group of people representing various points of view who are going to just closet themselves and try and resolve this so we can have something on the floor that can pass," he said.

Health Care

First Health Care Amendment Passes, Guaranteeing Coverage For Women's Preventive Services

Rachel Slajda | December 3, 2009, 12:26PM

Sens. David Vitter (R-LA) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)

An amendment to the Senate health care bill, sponsored by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), became the first amendment voted on in the Senate.

Mikulski's amendment requires insurers to cover preventive care and screenings for women, at no cost to the patient. The amendment passed 60 to 39.

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) attached a secondary amendment to Mikulski's last night, which states that new mammogram guidelines released this year by the U.S Preventive Service Task Force cannot prevent women from receiving mammograms.

Read more »

Health Care

Nelson: I'll Filibuster Without Stupak-Like Amendment

Christina Bellantoni | December 3, 2009, 12:05PM

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE)

Brian Beutler reports in from Capitol Hill:

Sen. Ben Nelson told reporters today he will filibuster the health care bill if it doesn't contain an abortion amendment similar to Rep. Bart Stupak's amendment that passed attached to the House health care bill last month.

"I will not vote to take it off the floor," said Nelson (D-NE).

"Now I don't know that it's going to come down to that, because I don't know that Stupak's not going to pass, number one," he said. "Number two I don't know what kind of alternative legislation may be offered as an alternative bill. I don't know what the next steps are, but I've made it clear that whatever is finally considered has to have that language in it."

We'll update as senators react to this latest.

Afghanistan

Pelosi Asks For More Information On Afghanistan Strategy From Obama War Council

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 3, 2009, 12:02PM

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters this morning she wants more information on President Obama's new strategy for Afghanistan. Though she said "the president has spoken," when asked if Democrats in the House would attempt to stand in the way of Obama's new plan, she said there are still questions about the strategy Congress needs answers to "so we can make some judgment about the nature of the threat" in Afghanistan.

Pelosi called on Obama's war council to come to Congress and brief all members on the details of the strategy. The Secretaries of State and Defense as well as other Pentagon leaders have come to the Hill this week to take questions on the strategy, but Pelosi said those committee appearances were not enough.

Read more »

DE-SEN

Poll: GOPer Castle Narrowly Ahead In Delaware Senate Race

Eric Kleefeld | December 3, 2009, 10:53AM

Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) and state Atty. Gen. Beau Biden (D-DE)

The new survey of Delaware by Public Policy Polling (D) shows Republican Congressman Mike Castle ahead in the 2010 race for Vice President Biden's former Senate seat, against likely Dem candidate (and Biden son) state Attorney General Beau Biden -- but not by much.

The numbers: Castle 45%, Biden 39%, with a ±4.1% margin of error. This is nearly the same as the last PPP survey of this race from way back in March, which put Castle ahead by 44%-36%.

From the pollster's analysis: "There had been some speculation about whether Castle's vote against the health care bill in the House last month would hurt his prospects but 46% of voters say they're opposed to the plan with only 43% in support, an indication that Castle may have actually been on the right side of public opinion on that particular issue."

Interestingly a poll from a few weeks ago by Republican firm Susquehanna put Biden ahead by 45%-40%. So we have the novel situation of a Dem pollster saying the Republican candidate is ahead, and a GOP pollster saying the Dem is ahead.

Filibuster

Reid Smacks Back At Gregg's Obstruction Memo

Brian Beutler | December 3, 2009, 10:23AM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took direct aim at Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH)--ranking member on the Budget Committee--for authoring a detailed memo advising Republicans on the procedural tricks they can use to delay health care legislation.

"[T]he Republican plan we've waited weeks and months to see [is] not even about health care at all," Reid said on the Senate floor this morning. "The first and only plan Senate Republicans could be bothered to draft is an instruction manual on how to bring the Senate to a screeching halt."

"The Senate might be interested to learn that the architect behind this blueprint is none other than the Ranking Member of the Budget Committee, the senior Senator from New Hampshire," Reid said. "It's worth noting that this Senator - who, more than any other, often speaks publicly about how to properly use citizens' tax dollars - has now signed his name to a plan with the explicit goal of wasting the taxpayer's time and money."

Read more »

Michaele and Tareq Salahi

Gibbs Reacts To King's Push To Subpoena WH Social Secretary

Christina Bellantoni | December 3, 2009, 10:20AM

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs reacted this morning to reports that Rep. Peter King (R-NY) said he would push to subpoena White House social secretary Desiree Rogers over last week's infamous party-crashing incident, saying that "we'd be happy to look at it."

He said there is a history of White House staff being able to advise the president confidentially with the few exceptions of Watergate, 9/11 and Whitewater.

"I don't think even Peter King would have the audacity to in some way put the Salahis in the trifecta of Watergate, 9/11 or some of the financial dealings," he said.

Late Update: King responds to the Gibbs dig:

"The only audacity I had was 'the audacity of hope' that the White House would be honest. Unfortunately, they are more interested in covering up and stonewalling."

Health Care

Senate Wades, Slowly, Into Health Care Debate

Brian Beutler | December 3, 2009, 9:36AM

Democratic Senators Harry Reid, Chris Dodd and Tom Harkin

The Senate has been "debating" health care reform legislation for days now, but so far it's basically amounted to a series of boring speeches. Today, after breaking through the GOP's first obstructive hurdle, Democrats will hold votes on a handful of amendments, including two authored by Republicans.

One of those Republican amendments--authored by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)--is actually a motion to send the bill back to the Finance Committee, and strip it of billions in Medicare savings. If it passed, it would likely kill the bill. As such, it's expected to fail, but receive overwhelming support from the Republican side of the aisle. In fact, it's probably fair to use the vote on the McCain motion as a proxy for the GOP's role in the entire debate, so keep an eye on which Republicans vote against it.

But just because Democrats will make some headway today, it's not at all guaranteed that the Republicans will allow the legislative process to move smoothly from this point forward. Today's votes are being held on the basis of an agreement between parties that only applies to these amendments. Other senators could introduce their own, separate amendments today--Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) has said he may unveil his Stupak-like abortion amendment this afternoon--but that doesn't mean they'll be brought up for a vote in short order.

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Blanche Lincoln

Poll: Lincoln Trails All GOP Opponents

Eric Kleefeld | December 3, 2009, 9:16AM

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)

A new Rasmussen poll has Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) trailing all four Republican candidates in her 2010 re-election fight.

State Sen. Kim Hendren leads Lincoln by 46%-39%; State Senate Minority Leader Gilbert Baker is ahead by 47%-41%; businessman Curtis Coleman is ahead by 44%-40%; and businessman Tom Cox leads Lincoln by 43%-40%.

The pollster's analysis says that the state's opposition to the health care bill -- particularly the intense opposition -- is a factor: "Against all four Republicans, she leads by wide margins among those who favor the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. The senator even leads by a wide margin among those who Somewhat Oppose the legislation. But among those who Strongly Oppose the health care plan, Lincoln trails every potential Republican challenger by more than 50 percentage points."

State Dinner Crashers

Salahis Decline Invitation To Visit Congress

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 2, 2009, 10:25PM

President Obama greeting Michaele Salahi

Congress just found the one spotlight the Salahis would rather stay out of. The AP is reporting that the couple known for crashing the White House state dinner Nov. 24 has decided against accepting the House Homeland Security Committee's invitation to the hearings being held on the state dinner incident tomorrow.

They may not have a choice, however. FishbowlDC reported that Homeland Security Committee chair Rep. Bernie Thompson (D-MS) said he'd subpoena the Salahis should they decline his invitation to appear.

Read more »

Health Care

Baucus, Dodd: Votes Likely Tomorrow

Brian Beutler | December 2, 2009, 6:59PM

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and key health care principals met with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Nancy-Ann DeParle, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and other officials to discuss, among other things, the GOP logjam preventing progress on a reform bill.

After the meeting, Sens. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Max Baucus (D-MT) said there would likely be many votes tomorrow--the first of the debate.

Republicans, who have a long menu of obstructive options before them, have been blocking amendments for several days now, provoking the ire of Democratic leaders.

State Dinner Crashers

House Panel Hears Lone Doorman Theory On Salahis

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 2, 2009, 6:11PM

Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY)

Members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform emerged from a closed-door briefing on the White House party crashers this afternoon placing blame for the security breach squarely on the shoulders of a single, unnamed Secret Service officer.

"It's very clear that there was one person who allowed these two individuals to go from Station 1 to Station 2," Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the ranking member on the committee, told reporters. "One person's error appears to have led to a person having literally hand-to-hand contact with the Vice President."

Committee chair Edolphus Towns (D-NY) didn't confirm Issa's take on the closed-door briefing with Secret Service officials, but expressed his confidence that an internal investigation into the party crashing by the Secret Service will find a solution to the problem.

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Arlen Specter

Specter Goes To The Left Against Sestak On Afghanistan Surge

Eric Kleefeld | December 2, 2009, 6:03PM

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) and Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA)

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), who switched from the Republicans to the Democrats earlier this year, is now trying to seize the left ground against his primary challenger, Rep. Joe Sestak. Specter's campaign is accusing Sestak of flip-flopping by supporting the Afghanistan surge, when he'd previously wanted a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq -- and Sestak is firing back that Specter supported George W. Bush on Iraq and Afghanistan.

Specter's campaign has posted this on their Web site:

Not only does Joe Sestak support expanding the war in Afghanistan, he also opposes a timetable for withdrawal, a clear flip flop from his 2006 Congressional campaign when he strongly urged the use of a timetable in Iraq.

Advocating "an exit strategy of measurements," on MSNBC last night, Sestak said of President Obama's commitment to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 18 months: "I wish he hadn't set a definitive timetable."

That plea comes in stark contrast to Sestak's 2006 support for a strict timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.

Read more »

Al Franken

Senate GOPers: It's Al Franken's Fault We're Being Attacked For Votes Against Anti-Rape Amendment

Eric Kleefeld | December 2, 2009, 5:36PM

Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Al Franken (D-MN).

The Politico reports that Senate Republicans are outraged at Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) due to their votes against an amendment he introduced, to crack down on the rape of employees of military contractors, now being used against them:

The Republicans are steamed at Franken because partisans on the left are using a measure he sponsored to paint them as rapist sympathizers -- and because Franken isn't doing much to stop them.

"Trying to tap into the natural sympathy that we have for this victim of this rape --and use that as a justification to frankly misrepresent and embarrass his colleagues, I don't think it's a very constructive thing," Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said in an interview.

...

"I don't know what his motivation was for taking us on, but I would hope that we won't see a lot of Daily Kos-inspired amendments in the future coming from him," said South Dakota Sen. John Thune, No. 4 in the Senate Republican leadership. "I think hopefully he'll settle down and do kind of the serious work of legislating that's important to Minnesota."

No, this is not The Onion.

Gate Crashers

Darrell Issa: People Have Crashed White House Parties Before. For Example, Me

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 2, 2009, 5:13PM

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA)

At a press gaggle just now, Rep. Darrell Issa told reporters that the Salahis didn't invent White House party crashing.

"This is not the first time -- this has happened before," he said. "I got into the White House when my name wasn't on a slip during the Clinton administration."

As Issa told it, his party crash came in 1995 -- before he was a Representative -- at a NAFTA event held on the White House South Lawn. Issa said he was supposed to be on the list of attendees, but wasn't on the list the gate keepers had. So was turned away at the door. That's when he decided to pull a Salahi and waltz in anyway.

"My name wasn't on, I was rejected, I then walked through with what I recall was the Xerox group," he said. "We just came in en masse."

An Issa aide told TPMDC after the gaggle that Issa's breach did not result in a Secret Service investigation. Or, it seems, a shot at reality TV fame.

State Dinner Crashers

White House Releases Its Own Review After Party Crashers

Christina Bellantoni | December 2, 2009, 4:57PM

Michaele and Tareq Salahi at the State Dinner.

We reported earlier that the White House has changed its procedures for parties after the incident at the state dinner last week.

They just posted the new guidelines on the White House Web site.

The memo, written by Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina, praises the Secret Service and details that they failed to stop the crashers when they weren't on the guest list.

The money line in the conclusion goes to the heart of the problem that allowed Michaele and Tareq Salahi to get into the dinner and hobnob with Vice President Joe Biden, chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and others.

After reviewing our actions, it is clear that the White House did not do everything we could have done to assist the United States Secret Service in ensuring that only invited guests enter the complex. White House staff were walking back and forth outside between the check points helping guests and were available to the Secret Service throughout the evening, but clearly we can do more, and we will do more.

The memo in full after the jump.

Read more »

Health Care

Baucus On Public Option Compromise: Liberals Know We Have To Get 60 Votes

Brian Beutler | December 2, 2009, 4:51PM

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)

There's a lot of action going on behind the scenes in the Senate, particularly regarding a public option compromise, and the big question is will liberal (or conservative) Democrats go for it.

Leadership is working with them, and that might explain the silence, but I ran into Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) earlier today, who said he's working with "various senators" on the compromise.

I asked him whether caucus liberals have been receptive to the ongoing talks.

"They know we have to get 60 votes," he said.

Not a whole lot to go on there, but it doesn't sound like they're making a huge stink. Expect more on this soon.

Judd Gregg

Judd Gregg Lays Out Maximally Obstructive GOP Game Plan On Health Care

Brian Beutler | December 2, 2009, 4:29PM

Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH)

If Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) gets his way, the dilatory tactics that have marked the early days of the Senate health care debate will grow more and more severe.

"We, the minority party, must use the tools we have under Senate rules to insist on a full, complete and fully informed debate on the health care legislation - as well as all legislation - coming before the Senate," Gregg wrote in a letter to Republican colleagues yesterday. "As laid out in the attached document, we have certain rights before measures are considered on the floor as well as certain rights during the actual consideration of measures. Every Republican senator should be familiar with the scope of these rights, which serve to protect our ability to speak on behalf of the millions of Americans who depend on us to be their voice during this historic debate."

Gregg says Republicans should be prepared to filibuster every motion, "with the exception of Conference Reports and Budget Resolutions, most such motions are fully debatable and 60 votes for cloture is needed to cut off extended debate."

Read more »

Liz Cheney

Liz Cheney Slams Obama For Leaving Doubt On America's Commitment To Afghanistan

Eric Kleefeld | December 2, 2009, 4:26PM

Former State Dept. Official Liz Cheney

Liz Cheney, a daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney and herself a former State Department official, has released this statement on President Obama's Afghanistan speech:

"I support President Obama's decision to send additional troops to Afghanistan to defeat the enemy. I do not support the establishment of timelines for withdrawal. Success must be our only exit strategy. The delay in making the decision has done real damage. It has left doubts among our friends and enemies about America's commitment to winning the war. Afghanistan is a necessary war that must be won. America's military men and women are the best the world has ever known and I have no doubt they can do what is necessary to take this fight to the enemy and win."

It's interesting to see Liz Cheney complain about how a delay in decision-making on Afghanistan "has done real damage." She is, of course, totally innocent of being involved in any administration that might have delayed on Afghanistan...

AARP

Leading Seniors Groups Strongly Oppose McCain Medicare Hail Mary

Brian Beutler | December 2, 2009, 3:55PM

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) says that health care reform will spell bad news for America's seniors and has introduced an amendment to recommit the entire health care bill to the Finance Committee and have it stripped of all its Medicare fixes.

And for his efforts, two of the largest senior citizens organizations in the country are saying thanks, but no thanks.

"[W]e oppose the amendment offered by Senator McCain to recommitt [Senate health care legislation] to the Senate Finance Committee," reads a letter from AARP to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

CEO Addison Barry Rand says "the legislation does not reduce any guaranteed Medicare benefits."

Similarly a letter from the Alliance for Retired Americans to members of the Senate reads, "The Alliance for Retired Americans, on behalf of its nearly four million members throughout the nation, opposes the motion by Senator John McCain to commit the Patient Protection and Affordable Care America Act, H.R. 3590, to the Finance Committee. We urge its prompt defeat by the Senate."

Read more »

Barack Obama

White House Fact Checks Republican Health Care Distortions

Brian Beutler | December 2, 2009, 1:45PM

President Barack Obama

If you were wondering what the White House views as the most pernicious distortions in the health care debate, a new fact check might shed some light on that.

"As the Senate debate gets into full swing this week, we thought we'd address a half dozen of the myths you will most certainly hear from critics of health insurance reform," writes White House spokesman Dan Pfeiffer "If it feels like you have heard these arguments before, it is because you have... you have heard them over and over and over again. You heard them during the mark ups in the House and the Senate, you heard them at townhalls this summer, and you heard them on the House floor. However, repetition does not equal veracity. These claims have been proven false by independent fact checkers time and again."

The reality check, posted on the White House website, hits back at some of the most common Republican claims about the health care bill. Specifically it address their claims that reform will cut Medicare benefits, require government funding of abortion, burden small businesses with a new mandate, cost the country jobs, and raise insurance costs.

You can read the entire post here.

Donald Rumsfeld

Rumsfeld: 'The President's Assertion Does A Disservice To The Truth'

Selena Hill | December 2, 2009, 1:14PM

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld released a combative statement in response to President Obama's speech on Afghanistan last night. Here's the full text:

Read more »

White House

A White House Christmas: 'Reflect, Rejoice, Renew'

Christina Bellantoni | December 2, 2009, 12:59PM

First Lady Michelle Obama

The theme of this year's White House Christmas is "Reflect, rejoice, and renew" and it's reflected in the refurbished ornaments festooned on the 18-foot tall White House Christmas tree.

First Lady Michelle Obama introduced the holiday decorations, which were inspired by the White House's "residential, warm atmosphere," her office said.

The 800 ornaments on display throughout the house and on the Christmas tree are from past administrations. They were sent out to communities to be personalized - with decopage and beading to reflect local landmarks and flavor.

The first lady said her favorite depicted Chicago's Lincoln Park zoo. The decorations included "natural materials" such as flowers, berries and dried roots from the White House kitchen garden.

Obama also announced a new "Feed a neighbor" initiative via Serve.gov to help fight hunger across the country.

The program would allow citizens to volunteer to help homebound seniors and start community gardens.

Obama encouraged giving to Toys for Tots and said she would personally deliver the toys collected at the White House to Quantico later this month.

She thanked the volunteers who put in more than 3,000 hours to flock the home, saying their work "has really transformed the White House." She noted that more than 50,000 visitors would take tours this season.

Ben Nelson

Dems To GOP: Obstruct Health Care Debate, And We'll Be Here 'Til Christmas

Brian Beutler | December 2, 2009, 12:47PM

Sen. McConnell (R-KY) Sen. Reid (D-NV)

A fragile gentleman's agreement between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is breaking down, and now, three days into the health care debate, having held not a single vote on a single amendment, Democrats are saying enough is enough. And if they have to stay in session through Christmas to pass the bill, that's what they'll do.

After an impromptu caucus meeting on health care, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) told reporters, "the Republican leadership is stalling us and we have decided that we are going right through Christmas." If it comes to that. "We go through as long as it takes, including Christmas day, if it takes it to pass it."

In response to a question from TPMDC, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin told reporters, "unless the Republican leadership comes forward with a reasonable approach to these amendments, I think our patience is wearing thin."

"We're just not going to sit here forever and watch this bill go down," he said.

"There was a lot of talk about, if we have to be here Christmas, we'll be here Christmas," said Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)

Read more »

John Tanner

Tanner's Retirement Opens Up Race In Swing Southern Seat

Eric Kleefeld | December 2, 2009, 11:53AM

Rep. John Tanner (D-TN)

The retirement of Rep. John Tanner (D-TN) appears at first glance to give the Republicans a decent pickup opportunity in 2010, in a district that voted heavily for John McCain in 2008 -- but the Dems could have a shot at keeping the seat, too.

The district's recent voting history in presidential elections suggests a Republican trend. It voted for Al Gore in 2000 by 51%-48%, but in 2004 went for George W. Bush by 53%-46%, and in 2008 for John McCain by 56%-43%.

However, a Democratic source told us that the picture isn't so simple. "The biggest misnomer out there right now is this a Republican seat," the source said, pointing out that the district also voted for the Democratic candidates in the 2002 gubernatorial and Senate races -- Dems narrowly won the former, and substantially lost the other -- and also voted for Harold Ford Jr. in his unsuccessful 2006 Senate race.

Read more »

Health Care

Like Wearing A Seatbelt: Osrzag Says Health Coverage To Become 'Cultural Norm'

Christina Bellantoni | December 2, 2009, 11:32AM

CBO Director Peter Orszag

White House Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag said today the penalty for not having health insurance will be plenty motivational for the uninsured to purchase coverage.

Speaking with reporters at an event sponsored by Health Affairs at the National Press Club, Orszag dismissed critics who say the fine that essentially mandates coverage will work because he believes it is more of an issue of being socially acceptable.

As an example, Orszag cited seatbelt use, saying that there is more adherence to seatbelt laws than speeding laws because of social norms.

Orszag argued that if someone got in a car and driver was a bit over the speed limit they wouldn't complain, but a person would say something if the driver weren't wearing a seatbelt.

He said reporters should remember the implementation of mandating coverage is more important than the amount of the penalty for not having it.

He said he disagrees with the "econ 101 approach to life" and cited the $750 fine in Massachusetts where coverage had a more "dramatic" increase than expected.

Orszag said advertising at Fenway Park was more important than the fine since it "created a social norm" and "everyone knew about it and you were expected to have insurance."

Some lawmakers in the House have argued for a stiffer fine. As a candidate, President Obama argued the fine wasn't the best approach since most people wanted health care coverage.

Read more »

Afghanistan

Anti-War Activists Plan 'Emergency' Rally In D.C. To Protest Afghanistan Escalation

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 2, 2009, 11:15AM

Former Rep. and 2008 Green Party Presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney, and former Sen. Mike Gravel (D-AK)

A new coalition led by more than 100 anti-war activists has announced an "Emergency Anti-Escalation Rally" to protest President Obama's new strategy for Afghanistan. The rally, scheduled for Dec. 12 in front of the White House, will include speeches by former U.S. Senator Mike Gravel and 2008 Green Party presidential nominee Cynthia McKinney.

The new coalition, called EndUSWars.org, has posted an "open letter" to Obama on its website, where it calls for an end to all U.S. military action in the Afghanistan region, including Predator drone airstrikes and covert intelligence operations.

Read more »

Health Care

Playing Hard to Get: Maine's Senators Suddenly Back in Play on HCR?

Brian Beutler | December 2, 2009, 9:55AM

Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), two fingers, Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME)

What a difference a week makes. After casting votes to kill the Senate health care bill, Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME) are meeting with high-level White House officials as Democrats try to reach sixty votes.

When Harry Reid announced that his health care bill would include a public option, but that Washington would allow individual states to opt out, it left him basically no wiggle room. He lost the cautious support of Snowe and suddenly needed to run the table in his caucus.

In the hours and days afterward, it became clear that a clean sweep would be difficult, if not impossible. Days before Thanksgiving recess, leaders began negotiating with conservative Democratic hold outs on a possible compromise, modeled on Snowe's trigger plan. And if you wanted some evidence that, on balance, the discussions are currently favoring the centrists, Tuesday offered a pretty clear picture of that.

Read more »

Tea Party

Tea Partiers' New Gift To Congress: Rubber Chickens

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 2, 2009, 9:55AM

The health care debate has been something of a prize bonanza for members of Congress facing the ire of the Tea Party Patriots. First, tea partiers sent members thousands of tea bags. Since then, there's been salt and pink slips. And today comes the rubber chickens.

According to a Tea Party Patriot email sent early this morning, tea partiers will gather on Capitol Hill at 11:30 this morning to deliver rubber chickens to each Senator that voted to allow debate on the health care bill on Nov. 21.

Read more »

Peter Orszag

Orszag: Every Public Option Compromise On The Table

Brian Beutler | December 2, 2009, 9:16AM

CBO Director Peter Orszag

Speaking at the National Press Club this morning, White House Budget Director Peter Orszag confirmed that in high level discussions between Democratic health care principals just about every possible public option compromise is on the table.

"There are many sensitive discussions that are ongoing," Orszag said. "I'll just say there are a lot of those discussions going on - opt outs, opt ins, triggers and I'll leave it at that"

Last month, TPMDC broke the news that Senate Democratic leadership had initiated discussions with Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) and Democratic health care swing voters about a compromise that would require only states that failed to meet insurance affordability standards to offer a public option.

Pressed on the public option, Orszag offered up his support for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

"My job is hard enough, I'm going to let Senator Reid do his," Orszag said. "He is managing the movement in the senate and he is confident he is going to get where he needs to be."

Additional reporting by Christina Bellantoni

Afghanistan

Obama Lays Out 'Way Forward' In Afghanistan

Christina Bellantoni | December 1, 2009, 10:15PM

President Obama told the American people tonight his rationale for sending 30,000 new troops to Afghanistan by offering a stern rebuke of mistakes made with the Iraq war and promising to be tough on Pakistan.

In his less than 35-minute speech, Obama did not offer a firm commitment for when the nearly 100,000 troops who will serve in combat in Afghanistan will return home, and instead assured cadets at West Point Military Academy and military families across the country that his decision did not come lightly. He also declared Afghanistan was no Vietnam.

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Afghanistan

Increasing Troop Levels In Afghanistan: Yet Another Sign Obama Is Not A Socialist

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 1, 2009, 9:48PM

President Barack Obama

If you needed any more evidence, tonight's decision on Afghanistan may prove once and for all that President Obama is no Socialist. Following Obama's war speech this evening, a quick perusal of American Socialist sites proved that the political movement Obama is so often falsely associated with wants nothing to do with his plans for Afghanistan.

Read more »

Afghanistan

Progressive War Vets 'Not Ready' To Back New Afghanistan Plan

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 1, 2009, 9:12PM

VoteVets.org, which represents progressive American veterans reports its members are still ambivalent about President Obama's plan to add troops to the Afghanistan war -- and end the conflict by 2012.

From a statement by Jon Soltz, the chairman of VoteVets, released after Obama's West Point speech this evening:

"We have been supportive of every move the President has made since he was elected, and have supported an increased focus on Afghanistan since our inception, but given the serious questions that are unresolved, we aren't ready to support what he's laid out."

Read more »

Afghanistan

Obama Takes On 'Dithering' In Afghanistan Speech

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 1, 2009, 8:46PM

For the past 90 days, President Obama has been hammered by opponents on the right who claim he's taken too long to announce his plan for the war in Afghanistan. In his speech at West Point this evening, Obama said the entire debate was unfounded. Obama's plan dispatches 30,000 additional troops to the conflict starting in January -- the earliest deployment date called for by his generals, he said.

From the speech:

Let me be clear: there has never been an option before me that called for troop deployments before 2010, so there has been no delay or denial of resources necessary for the conduct of the war. Instead, the review has allowed me ask the hard questions, and to explore all of the different options along with my national security team, our military and civilian leadership in Afghanistan, and with our key partners. Given the stakes involved, I owed the American people - and our troops - no less.

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Afghanistan

White House Fact Sheet On Afghanistan

Brian Beutler | December 1, 2009, 8:43PM

In case Obama's remarks weren't substantive enough for you, the White House has released a fact sheet outlining how they arrived at this point, what went into their decision making, and how (they hope) it will all play out. You can read it below the fold.

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Afghanistan

No Surge Here: Obama Doesn't Use The Term

Christina Bellantoni | December 1, 2009, 8:35PM

TPMDC wrote earlier that Obama administration officials seemed quite comfortable with the term "surge" that was used to characterize President George W. Bush's increase in troops to Iraq.

Tonight, President Obama did not use the term surge as he detailed the 30,000 more troops he will send to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan

Obama Punts On War Funding

Brian Beutler | December 1, 2009, 8:29PM

President Obama has officially announced his intent to expand the war effort in Afghanistan--but he hasn't been exactly clear how, exactly, the expansion will figure into the federal budget.

In his Westpoint speech, Obama said "All told, by the time I took office the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan approached a trillion dollars. Going forward, I am committed to addressing these costs openly and honestly. Our new approach in Afghanistan is likely to cost us roughly 30 billion dollars for the military this year, and I will work closely with Congress to address these costs as we work to bring down our deficit."

Obama has taken some preliminary steps to make the accounting for the war more clear, but none of them have suggested a way to pay for the efforts--i.e. to keep it from further adding to the deficit.

In Congress, some have suggested imposing a small war tax on wealthy Americans to fit the bill. But without Republican or conservative Democratic support, that suggestion is looking more and more improbable. Today, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) floated the idea that the war should be paid for with bonds (i.e. by borrowing). In other words, whether Afghanistan will be paid for--let alone how--remains an unanswered question

Afghanistan

Obama: Afghanistan Is Not Vietnam

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 1, 2009, 8:22PM

As President Obama met with his war council to consider the next move on Afghanistan over the past three months, a growing chorus of dissenters worried that the eight year conflict is in danger of becoming a quagmire like the one that cost the lives of 50,000 U.S. soldiers more than 30 years ago. In his speech outlining his new plans for the Afghan conflict this evening, Obama confronted those critics head on.

The "argument" that Afghanistan is becoming another Vietnam "depends upon a false reading of history," Obama said.

Read more »

Afghanistan

Obama Blames Iraq War For Deterioration In Afghanistan

Christina Bellantoni | December 1, 2009, 8:17PM

President Obama started his remarks tonight reminding the American people that the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were the reason the U.S. and NATO waged war on Afghanistan eight years ago.

Obama said the feeling of global united and a new government gave Afghans "reason to hope" until 2003 when the United States invaded Iraq.

He said while he did not want to rehash the arguments against that war, which he campaigned against, "the Iraq War drew the dominant share of our troops, our resources, our diplomacy, and our national attention."

"[T]he decision to go into Iraq caused substantial rifts between America and much of the world," Obama said.

The president went on to detail his plan to remove all combat troops from Iraq by the end of summer 2010 in what he calls a "responsible end" to the war.

"That we are doing so is a testament to the character of our men and women in uniform," Obama said, earning his first applause during the speech from the 4,250 cadets and their family members in the audience at West Point Military Academy.

"Thanks to their courage, grit and perseverance , we have given Iraqis a chance to shape their future, and we are successfully leaving Iraq to its people."

Read the president's remarks as prepared here.

Afghanistan

Team On Hand: Who Rode Air Force One With Obama

Christina Bellantoni | December 1, 2009, 7:57PM

President Barack Obama

President Obama's national security team hopped a ride on Air Force One tonight to West Point Military Academy for his speech laying out a surge in troops.

The White House told reporters that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, National Security Adviser Gen. Jim Jones, Gen. David Petraeus, Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were aboard the president's plane.

The only elected official joining him was Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), who also accompanied Obama on a trip to Afghanistan last summer when he was a candidate.

Read more »

Afghanistan

Obama Presents Afghanistan Exit Strategy

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 1, 2009, 7:25PM

In his speech before the cadets at West Point this evening, President Obama outlined plans to begin withdrawing U.S. troops starting in July, 2011. Obama gave Afghan forces 18 months of an increased U.S. military presence in their country -- after that, he said American troops will begin to leave the theater they first entered in 2001.

From the speech:

And as Commander-in-Chief, I have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan. After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home. These are the resources that we need to seize the initiative, while building the Afghan capacity that can allow for a responsible transition of our forces out of Afghanistan.

Read more »

Health Care

HCAN Slams Coburn Over 'Die Sooner' Remark

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 1, 2009, 6:54PM

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK)

Health Care For America Now ripped into Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) for his claim that the Democratic health care bill before the Senate will cause seniors to "die sooner." HCAN executive director Richard Kirsch called the statement "a measure of the Republican party's fear mongering" before taking aim at Coburn, who is an M.D.

"The truth is that the Senate health care bill will lower Medicare drug prices for seniors, enhance prevention, stop insurance company overcharges, and strengthen the Medicare trust fund," Kirsch said, "As a medical professional, Senator Coburn should know better than to lie to people who've instilled their trust in him and his alleged expertise."

Afghanistan

Reid Praises Obama Strategy In Lead Up To Speech

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 1, 2009, 6:24PM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said tonight he expects President Obama's new Afghanistan strategy will have what it takes to meet the administration's goals in the country.

Reid met with Obama about the strategy this afternoon, and released a statement afterward praising the process that led to the new war plan.

"It is clear that the President's deliberative approach to his decision, which allowed him to hear from a wide range of military, civilian and Congressional voices, will strengthen the clarity and focus of our mission," Reid said in a statement. "Tonight, I expect the President to present a comprehensive strategy that will keep Americans safe at home, deny al Qaeda a safe haven in Afghanistan and honor our troops and their daily sacrifices."

Chuck Grassley

Chuck Grassley: 'I've Lived Off The Public Tit All These Years'

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 1, 2009, 5:35PM

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

The news: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said "tit" on national television earlier today.

(Also, he admitted to enjoying government subsidies as a farmer for decades while calling government subsidies for health care "socialism." But, c'mon: "tit"!!)

The transcript of Grassley talking farm subsidies with a caller on C-SPAN's Washington Journal today (h/t ThinkProgress):

GRASSLEY: For the first 16 years I made $3,000 every other year as a state legislator. Now do you expect me to live on $3,000 every other year? No I was a factory worker for 10 years and I was a farmer for that period of time and I farm with my son now. So if you're trying to make a case that I've lived off the public tit all these years, I think you're saying correctly in the years I've been in the Congress but not the years before I came to Congress.

Read more »

State Dinner Crashers

House Panel Getting Briefing On Party Crashers

Christina Bellantoni | December 1, 2009, 5:23PM

Tareq and Michaele Salahi

A Capitol Hill source tells TPMDC that members of Congress are getting a briefing about the state dinner incident tomorrow.

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Wednesday at 4 p.m. is holding a members-only briefing about how Michaele and Tareq Salahi were able to get into the state dinner at the White House last week.

Follow TPM's coverage here.

Tom Coburn

Is Coburn's 'Die Sooner' The Same As Grayson's 'Die Quickly'?

Eric Kleefeld | December 1, 2009, 5:21PM

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK)

Republicans howled with outrage when Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) said that the Republican health care plan was for people who get sick to "die quickly." So we thought it would be fun to check in with some of them about Sen. Coburn's (R-OK) remark that seniors will be told to "die sooner" under the Dems' bill in the Senate.

I asked NRCC spokesman Andy Seré -- who has frequently criticized Grayson's (D-FL) outspoken attacks against the Republicans -- what difference there could be between the two. Seré told me that Grayson's signs and theatrical approach are important.

"I think what Alan Grayson did was go on to the floor of the House with ready-made props, in an attempt to get on TV and make noise, and followed it up with several intentionally inflammatory and hyper-partisan statements," said Seré, "So I think that is what made the Grayson comments so disturbing, it was all about him."

"Grayson accused Republicans of wanting people to die," Seré added. "That is a wildly irresponsible indictment of what's in the hearts of half of his constituents."

Read more »

Afghanistan

Uncle Ben? Nelson Says America Should Finance Afghanistan War With Bonds

Brian Beutler | December 1, 2009, 5:16PM

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE).

President Obama is preparing to send 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, and liberals in the House say the government better be ready to pay for it. Led by Rep. David Obey (D-WI) they're proposing a war tax, which would be levied on wealthy Americans.

At least one key senator says no way no how.

"Some people jumped right out and said you need a war tax, and I said, Whoa! We didn't have a war tax in the Second World War," Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) told reporters. "Fortunately or unfortunately I'm old enough to remember some of that."

Nelson was born in 1941. In fact, tax revenue increased, during World War II, thanks to a consensus that rates should rise and the base should broaden--though not as much as President Franklin Roosevelt wanted.

"The fact that we had bonds, war bonds, and people invested in their country in that fashion made a lot of sense back then. I don't know why it might not make sense today, certainly in lieu of jumping to a tax."

Perhaps Nelson's correct on the narrow question of whether there was ever anything called a "war tax" back in the early 1940s. In any case, war bonds, like all bonds, have to be repaid, and, like deficit war spending, kick the pay date down the line. But with a growing demand that the continued war effort be paid for, expect to hear more about this throwback idea in the near future.

Afghanistan

Surge Details: Drawdown Starting 2011 Is 'The Beginning Of a Process'

Christina Bellantoni | December 1, 2009, 4:50PM

President Barack Obama and his war council

President Obama tonight will not set a date for the war in Afghanistan to end, but instead will say that a drawdown could start in the summer of 2011, based on conditions on the ground.

Senior administration officials briefed reporters this afternoon to offer a bit of detail before Obama gives a speech at 8 p.m. from West Point Military Academy.

The officials, speaking on a condition of anonymity since Obama has not yet made the formal announcement, said the "top development priority from here forward will be agriculture."

One official said Obama settled on this option after nine meetings of his war council because it "gets more troops into Afghanistan faster than any option that was previously presented to him."

"It does put everyone under pressure to do more sooner," the official said. "That pressure of the timeline begins with the U.S. government itself."

Read more »

Afghanistan

Deja Vu All Over Again: Former Bush War Spox Defends Obama's Surge

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 1, 2009, 4:34PM

Dan Senor, former chief spokesperson for the Coalition Provisional Authority

Dan Senor spent years defending President George W. Bush's war strategy as spokesman for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. Today, the Republican National Committee made him available to reporters so he could put on his war strategy defender hat again for President Obama.

Senor criticized the length of time it's taken Obama to make a decision about a strategy for Afghanistan, but he said that now that the details are out, Obama's plan to add troops to the conflict "is a really good decision." Much as he did during the years of the Iraq occupation under Bush, Senor then called on reporters to take the long view.

"It's going to take a couple of years to see real, coherent progress," Senor said. "We need to give the president time."

Read more »

Ben Nelson

Carper: With Blessing From Leadership, We Will File A Public Option Amendment

Brian Beutler | December 1, 2009, 4:25PM

Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE)

On the Saturday before Thanksgiving recess, the Senate agreed to debate a health care bill, which includes a public option with a state opt-out clause, and Democratic leaders were in early discussions with moderates--who have made their objections to the opt-out perfectly clear--on an alternative proposed by Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE). With the Senate back in session, it seems those negotiations are continuing.

Carper will soon be meeting with conservative Democrats to discuss the progress of the alternative. "[Senator Carper] got something set for tomorrow night," Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) told me. "we'll know more then, hopefully."

Carper demurred on the exact date and time of the meeting, but indicated that discussions continue apace, and that he will move ahead with an amendment once leadership gives him the high sign. "I'm not sure that there's a meeting tomorrow--I lose track of these things," Carper said in response to a question from TPMDC. "We'll certainly file an amendment--if encouraged by our leadership."

"I think--at the end--the reason why we're going through this effort is to try to find a way to get to 60," Carper said.

Read more »

Bart Stupak

Nelson Crafting Abortion Amendment 'Nearly Identical' To Stupak's

Brian Beutler | December 1, 2009, 3:45PM

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE)

If it seemed like the congressional row over abortion coverage in health care reform had ebbed, it was probably just an artifact of Thanksgiving recess. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) is charging ahead, and plans to introduce an amendment to the Senate health care bill in the spirit, if not the precise letter, of the controversial Stupak amendment.

"It's as identical to Stupak as it can be," Nelson told CongressDaily.

Senate experts will be unsurprised to hear that it will likely have the support of Pennsylvania Democrat Bob Casey.

"I think it's likely to be one of the amendments we'll vote on," Casey said.

But it's unlikely that such an amendment can pass without 60 votes, and without the support of more than a trivial number of Democrats, it's hard to see how it can reach that threshold. Particularly if Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and/or Susan Collins vote against it.

Health Care

Reid: Daschle And Salazar Provide Needed Expertise And Camaraderie

Brian Beutler | December 1, 2009, 3:32PM

Fmr. Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD)

Last night, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid met with White House officials and associates, including former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and former Senator Ken Salazar. That's an interesting duo. Daschle has worked for high-powered lobbying firms over the years, and Salazar, though a former senator, hasn't really been distinguished by his health care expertise or influence. But he is currently the Secretary of the Interior.

At a press conference today, I asked Reid what role the two men are playing in the negotiations.

"I've served with a lot of Senators," Reid said. "There are none who have more quality than those two men. And as you know, Senator Daschle was the lead person in the Senate for getting the Clinton health care bill through. He is an expert in health care. Senator Salazar is an expert at getting along with people."

So there you have it...

Afghanistan

That Settles That: Obama Administration Calls It A 'Surge'

Christina Bellantoni | December 1, 2009, 3:14PM

President Barack Obama

Senior administration officials are briefing the press about President Obama's speech tonight detailing the 30,000 more troops he'll be sending to Afghanistan.

They say he will outline a "new window of opportunity" and a "new approach" to the region.

But another talking point emerged, with language we've heard before.

An official told reporters that tonight at West Point Military Academy Obama will announce he will "surge American forces" to reverse the momentum of the Taliban and with the main goal of training Afghan forces.

The official repeated a bit later that "this surge, if you will, will be for a defined period of time" and said it again later in the call.

More coverage here.

Barack Obama

Is Obama Failing On AIDS?

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 1, 2009, 2:26PM

World AIDS Day 2009 is a date that many U.S. activists in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS thought would be a high water mark in their decades-long struggle against the deadly disease. President George W. Bush had dramatically increased U.S. AIDS funding during his term in office -- albeit with caveats activists say hurt some of their efforts -- and President Obama had promised to do even more on the campaign trail.

But as activists nationwide take time today a day to focus on a disease that's killed more than half a million Americans, some of them say the promises of a renewed focus on AIDS that came with Obama haven't been realized.

"It's heartbreaking," Matthew Kavanagh, director of U.S. advocacy for Health GAP told TPMDC. His group was among four U.S. AIDS groups that gave Obama a "D+" on AIDS policy yesterday. Kavanagh said that to his shock, he felt Bush had a better record on AIDS research than Obama. "I could not imagine I would be saying that now [last year]. Many folks in the global AIDS movement were so looking forward to stepping up the fight with Obama."

Read more »

Stimulus

Biden: 'Experts Have Spoken' On Jobs Created By Stimulus

Christina Bellantoni | December 1, 2009, 1:33PM

Vice President Joe Biden

Coming off a rough few weeks after problems with the reporting of jobs created by the stimulus program, the White House has a bit of good news from the Congressional Budget Office.

In a new report, the CBO estimates the $787 billion economic stimulus has created 600,000 jobs this year.

Read more »

Gay Marriage

Gay Marriage Passes D.C. City Council

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 1, 2009, 1:30PM

The Pentagon in the Washington, D.C. skyline.

By a vote of 11-2, the D.C. City Council voted to legalize same sex marriage in the nation's Capitol today. DCist has the story:

The historic legislation still needs to pass a second vote in the Council in the next month, at which point it will be sent to D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty for his signature. Fenty has promised he will sign the bill.

The second vote (which will make the bill official) is seen as a formality by marriage equality proponents in the city. Former D.C. Mayor/now Ward 8 councilmember Marion Barry (D) and Ward 7 councilmember Yvette Alexander (D) were the lone "no" votes on the bill. Congress, which has the power to overrule any D.C. legislation is not expected to take any action on the bill, meaning the first same sex weddings could take place in D.C. starting in the spring.

Tom Coburn

Coburn: Democrats' Health Care Plan Will Make Seniors 'Die Sooner'

Brian Beutler | December 1, 2009, 12:59PM

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK)

Remember how there was that big row when Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) said the Republican health care plan amounted to 'don't get sick, and if you do, die quickly'? Demands for apologies, etc? Well, Republicans may have a new Alan Grayson of their own: Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK)

"If it doesn't raise costs, and we're truly going to take this money from Medicare, what it's going to do to our seniors is, I have a message for you: 'You're gonna die sooner.'"

It's hard to see how this allegation is any different than Grayson's. Let's see if it becomes the media's (and the Democrats') main point of interest for the rest of the week.

Late Update: One senior Senate Democratic aide told us: "His insights on health care are about as helpful as his marital advice to Senator Ensign."

Susan Collins

Collins 'Not A Fan' Of Carper Public Option Amendment

Brian Beutler | December 1, 2009, 12:53PM

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)

White House officials and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have been courting Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)--likely the only other 'gettable' Republican on health care--for some time now. With the bill on the floor, though, it's crunch time for Democrats if they hope to bring her from the "no" column into the "yes" column--or at least into the "I won't filibuster" column. And they're not there yet.

Collins has long been opposed to all manner of public option proposals, including the trigger compromise offered by her Maine colleague Olympia Snowe. Today, Collins told reporters she isn't budging: "I made very clear that I could not support the bill as it's currently drafted, and that there would have to be substantial changes, but I certainly hope that that will be possible."

What about a public option compromise--proposed by Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE)--modeled in part on Snowe's trigger? "I'm not a fan," Collins said.

Afghanistan

Fine-Tuning His War: How President Obama Arrived At Afghanistan Decision

Christina Bellantoni | December 1, 2009, 12:40PM

Top Left: Afghanistan and Pakistan Map Bottom Left: President Obama with War Council Right: President Obama

By June 1, there will be about 100,000 troops in Afghanistan with a mission of weakening the Taliban, rooting out Al Qaeda and helping the Afghan government bolster its own forces.

President Obama's wartime decision comes after weeks of private Situation Room meetings between key Cabinet members, generals and his national security team. After nine of those meetings, Obama also has spoken with world leaders and allies who are backing him by sending more troops of their own.

Republicans after weeks of blasting Obama for taking too long already are hailing the decision as the right one. Meanwhile, left-leaning groups question the cost in both blood and treasure, and Code Pink is out with a tough new flier mocking Obama's "hope" slogan and marching in front of the White House today.

Obama at 8 p.m. in a speech at West Point will set a timetable for withdrawing those troops and benchmarks, the White House says, for evaluating success there.

Mindful of the political repercussions, the DNC tells the 2.7 million on the Obama Twitter feed that he will "lay out the path forward" in Afghanistan.

Read more »

Health Care

Leahy To Introduce Amendment To Repeal Insurers' Anti-trust Exemption

Rachel Slajda | December 1, 2009, 12:39PM

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) announced today that he will introduce an amendment to the Senate health care reform bill that will repeal the anti-trust exemption granted to health insurers.

"This amendment will prohibit the most egregious anticompetitive conduct - price fixing, bid rigging and market allocations - conduct that harms consumers, raises health care costs, and for which there is no justification," Leahy said in a statement. Leahy had also introduced a separate bill repealing the exemption in September.

The House version of the bill also has a provision to end the exemption.

MA-SEN

Six Candidates Vie For Kennedy's Seat A Week Before Primaries

Rachel Slajda | December 1, 2009, 12:23PM

Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)

In primaries next Tuesday, Massachusetts voters will choose the Democratic and Republican nominees to run in January's special election for the late Ted Kennedy's Senate seat.

Four Democrats and two Republicans have taken the field. Of the Democrats -- Attorney General Martha Coakley, U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano, City Year co-founder Alan Khazei and Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca -- Coakley is the clear front-runner, up 15 points over her closest opponent in a recent Rasmussen poll.

The poll showed Coakley 36 percent of the vote compared to Capuano's 21 percent. Khazei and Pagliuca each had 14 percent.

Read more »

DNC

DNC: John McCain's Hypocrisy Highlights Republican Hollowness

Brian Beutler | December 1, 2009, 12:02PM

Suddenly, it's 2008 all over again. The DNC has a longer memory than Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) would like.

"John McCain's hypocrisy highlights the hollowness of Republicans labeling savings in Medicare from eliminating waste, fraud and abuse under the reform bills as 'cuts.' By the same definition, McCain wanted to 'cut' Medicare nearly three times as much from Medicare," reads a statement from DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan.  "While Democrats are proposing reforms which will strengthen Medicare for the long haul by eliminating wasteful subsidies to the health insurance industry and eliminating over payments to providers and other waste in the system, Senate Republicans continue to lob erroneous and - in this case - hypocritical attacks on legislation that will improve the quality of life for millions of Americans."

As I noted earlier today, Democrats are jumping all over McCain, whose proposed amendment to the Senate health care bill would strip it of its cuts to Medicare. During the campaign, and in the years before that, though, McCain sought much deeper 'cuts.' According to the Wall Street Journal, McCain intended to pay for his campaign health plan "with major reductions to Medicare and Medicaid...in a move that independent analysts estimate could result in cuts of $1.3 trillion over 10 years to the government programs."

Virginia Foxx

GOP Rep. Foxx Denounces Liberal 'Character Assassination,' Previously Said Health Care Bill Scarier Than Terrorism

Eric Kleefeld | December 1, 2009, 11:58AM

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)

In a profile piece for the Winston-Salem Journal, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) made an interesting declaration about Democrats -- that without ideas, all they have to use against the conservative opposition is character assassination.

"I'm a small-government conservative, and that's not very fashionable in Washington," said Foxx. "The liberals have no new ideas, and so they're reduced to character assassination."

The accusation of character assassination seems a bit peculiar, coming from Foxx. She has previously said of the health care bill: "I believe we have more to fear from the potential of that bill passing than we do from any terrorist right now in any country." And she's also implied that the Dems' health care plans would "put seniors in a position of being put to death by their government."

Rush Limbaugh

Poll Data: Conservatives Really Do Like Limbaugh -- And Dems Could Be Under-Estimating Glenn Beck

Eric Kleefeld | December 1, 2009, 11:10AM

Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh

The recent Vanity Fair/60 Minutes poll finds that Rush Limbaugh is widely seen as the single most influential conservative in America -- but the poll internals, provided to TPM by Vanity Fair and the CBS polling department, also suggests that Democrats could be seriously underestimating the pull of Glenn Beck.

The poll had asked: "Who among the following do you think is currently the most influential conservative voice in America?" The top-line result was Rush Limbaugh 26%, Glenn Beck 11%, Sarah Palin 10%, Dick Cheney 10%, Sean Hannity 8%, and John Boehner (the only current elected official in the poll) at 4%.

My honest expectation, before receiving the internal data, was that Democrats would be overestimating the pull of Limbaugh, while self-identified Republicans and conservatives -- the best people to ask if you want an answer for who is the most influential conservative -- would shy away. But not so at all.

Read more »

Harry Reid

Reid Spokesman: McCain Amendment A 'Big Fat Wet Kiss' To The Insurance Industry

Brian Beutler | December 1, 2009, 10:49AM

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

Yesterday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) went on quite a tear on the Senate floor. McCain is the author of the first proposed Republican amendment to the Senate health care bill, which, if passed, would send the legislation back to the Finance Committee and have it stripped of hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicare savings, most of which come from ending over-payments to private insurers under Medicare Advantage.

"I will eagerly look forward to hearing from the authors of this legislation as to how they can possibly achieve a half a trillion dollars in cuts without impacting existing Medicare programs negatively and eventually lead to rationing of health care in this country," McCain said.

In all likelihood, his amendment would kill the bill. But in any case, it's peculiar that he finds cuts to Medicare so anathema--after all McCain himself proposed larger cuts many times in the past, including during the 2008 presidential campaign.

So much for that! Now, obviously, insurance companies are all for these over-payments, and Democratic leadership isn't letting McCain off the hook for doing their bidding. Jim Manley, senior spokesman to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, tells me, "the self-described foe of all earmarks is with one single amendment providing a big fat wet kiss for his friends in the insurance industry. All at the expense of millions of senior citizens."

Read more »

Afghanistan

Obama Sending 30,000 More Troops To Afghanistan

Christina Bellantoni | December 1, 2009, 10:28AM

President Barack Obama

President Obama will send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, an administration official tells TPMDC.

The official, speaking on a condition of anonymity because Obama has not announced the new strategy yet to the nation, said the president "intervened" to make sure the military deploys these troops to the region faster than initially planned.

This will bring the total troops in Afghanistan to more than 100,000 - a jump of more than 60,000 since Obama took office in January.

They will be there within six months, the official said.

The New York Times describes it as a "more, sooner" policy. The president reached the conclusion after nine meetings of his war council.

In his speech tonight at West Point, Obama will talk about a timeframe for withdrawal. The official said after the nine meetings, "consensus" has emerged among the key players, which "will make it easier to implement."

Before leaving for West Point late this afternoon, Obama will meet with Congressional leaders to discuss the decision.

Dick Cheney

Cheney: 'I Basically Don't' Think Bush Administration Responsible For Afghanistan Problems

Eric Kleefeld | December 1, 2009, 9:59AM

Former Vice President Dick Cheney

In an interview with the Politico, former Vice President Dick Cheney attacked President Obama over Afghanistan -- and also insisted that the Bush administration is not responsible for the situation in that country:

But Cheney rejected any suggestion that Obama had to decide on a new strategy for Afghanistan because the one employed by the previous administration failed.

Cheney was asked if he thinks the Bush administration bears any responsibility for the disintegration of Afghanistan because of the attention and resources that were diverted to Iraq. "I basically don't," he replied without elaborating.

As Spencer Ackerman points out, Cheney's statement comes right on the heels of a Senate report saying that the United States missed an opportunity to capture Osama bin Laden in December 2001, in Tora Bora. And even without that relevant piece of news, the fact remains that the Bush Administration handed off the Afghanistan situation to Obama in the eighth year of the conflict.

Blanche Lincoln

Democrats Demanding Entitlement Reforms Voted To Blow Hole In Budget With Estate Tax Cut

Brian Beutler | December 1, 2009, 9:46AM

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN)

Yesterday, I posted this letter, signed by a dozen moderate and conservative Democrats, which raises concerns about the national debt. Many in the party are now demanding that the government get serious about entitlement cuts, and they say they're dead serious.

But at least two of the signatories to the letter--Sens. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Evan Bayh (D-IN)--haven't been shining examples of fiscal probity this Congress. This spring, when Congress was hashing out its budget, both senators voted for an amendment, sponsored by Sens. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), that would have slashed the estate tax for multimillionaires.

According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, the measure would've blown a $250 billion hole in the budget. Keep that number in mind for one moment. Because the letter warned, "Deficits and debt matter for everyone. In 2008, the American taxpayer paid more than $250 billion to our creditors in interest payments alone." [Emphasis in the original.] Oh cruel irony.

To be fair, the Lincoln-Kyl amendment's price tag would've been spread out over 10 years. But still: How does one square a vote to diminish the estate tax with fiscal discipline? I'll ask today.

Afghanistan

Dem Leaders, Cantor, McCain Among Last To Speak To Obama Before Troops Speech

Christina Bellantoni | December 1, 2009, 9:39AM

President Barack Obama

President Obama tonight will announce he is sending between 30,000 and 35,000 more troops to Afghanistan, offering his rationale for the surge in a speech to West Point Military Academy.

As TPMDC has reported, Obama has been phoning world leaders

White House officials tell TPMDC Obama also spoke for one hour via video teleconference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai this morning. ABC News reported that Obama's message to Karzai is there will be no more "blank check" for Afghanistan.

Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will meet with Defense Secretary Robert Gates in the Oval Office this afternoon.

But critical as the president faces pressure on his decision, right before leaving for West Point, Obama will brief more than 30 members of Congressional leadership and the chairmen and ranking members of relevant committees.

Lawmakers are among the most frequent leakers of information coming from the White House, so it's a safe bet to host them at the last minute.

Among the invited members are Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA), along with Democratic critics including Rep. David Obey (D-WI).

The list of invited Congressional leaders, per the White House, after the jump.

Read more »

Health Care

Bayh Reassured By CBO Health Care Analysis

Christina Bellantoni | December 1, 2009, 8:59AM

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN)

Sen. Evan Bayh, one of the moderate Democrats whose health care vote is in question, said the Congressional Budget Office analysis he requested "alleviates a major concern."

Bayh (D-IN), said in a statement:

"My primary focus has been making health insurance better and more affordable for average Americans. This report alleviates a major concern that has been raised--that insurance costs will go up across the board as a result of this legislation.

"This study indicates that for most Americans, the bill will have a modestly positive impact on their premium costs. For the remainder, more will see their costs go down than up. Hopefully, we can continue to focus the Senate debate on additional ways to make health insurance even more affordable for all Americans."

Barack Obama

New Poll Shows Strong Support For Obama, Congress Among Latinos

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 30, 2009, 6:45PM

President Barack Obama

Support for President Obama and the Democratic Congress has dipped a bit this year, according to a new poll commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation out this week. But it's unlikely the declining support will cause Obama or the Democrats to lose any sleep -- 74% of respondents said they approve of the job Obama is doing (down from 81% in April) and just 23% said they disapprove of the way Obama is doing his job.

For Congress, the drop was more worrisome. In April, 67% of respondents to the poll approved of the job Congress was doing. Now that number has dropped to 52%.

Read more »

Ambassadorships

Obama Names Top Campaign Bundler To Ambassador Spot

Christina Bellantoni | November 30, 2009, 6:45PM

President Barack Obama

President Obama tonight named another top donor to a plum diplomatic post.

In an evening release with several other nominations, Obama said he would appoint attorney Allan Katz to be ambassador to Portugal. Like all ambassadorships, it is subject to senate confirmation.

Katz, a former City Commissioner from Tallahassee, Florida, pulled together more than $500,000 in donations to the Obama campaign as one of the Democrat's top "bundlers."

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Health Care

White House Officials, Reid, Meet Tonight To Discuss Health Care

Brian Beutler | November 30, 2009, 5:46PM

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel

With the health care debate under way in the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid will be in continuous discussion with top White House officials regarding legislative strategy and other issues until a bill can pass with 60 votes. Tonight, Reid will meet with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Tom Daschel and others, and an aide says "they'll continue to be highly involved throughout the process."

Sometimes these meetings pass without incident. Other times they're the font of big news. We'll keep you posted on major developments.

Michele Bachmann

Bachmann: Just Over A Year Ago, The Private Economy Was 100% Private

Eric Kleefeld | November 30, 2009, 5:44PM

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has often warned that America is being transformed under President Obama from a free-market system into a totalitarian socialist one -- and now she's employing an interesting piece of tautology, depicting the pre-Obama era as some kind of perfect free market.

Bachmann told the Christian Examiner site: "I think it is jaw dropping when you think that under his watch, the federal government has taken ownership or control of the private economy. People know that something has really changed. The federal government now owns or controls 30 percent of the private economy. Just over a year ago, you couldn't say that. Just over a year ago, 100 percent of the private economy was private. Today, 30 percent is owned or controlled by government."

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Blanche Lincoln

Republican Interest In Transparency Trumped By Interest In Obstructionism?

Brian Beutler | November 30, 2009, 4:56PM

Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY)

For months, Republicans have sought to slow down the pace of health care reform legislation by demanding unprecedented gestures toward transparency from Democrats. They've insisted that all aspects of the legislation be posted on the internet for days at a time before action can be taken.

Well, now that the bill is on the floor, and a flood of amendments is the surest form of obstruction, Republicans are perfectly willing to dispense with the whole transparency thing. This time around, it was the Democrats seeking to impose transparency requirements on the amendment process. Republicans no longer seem interested.

"In light of some of the trust problems and transparency problems we have, while this appears to lead to greater transparency, we can also see ways that this can limit the ability for the minority to offer amendments," said Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY), and, therefore, I object."

Enzi was objecting to an idea proposed by Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) to require all amendments be posted online before they're considered on the floor. Looks like that won't be happening.

Larry Sabato

Why Are Dem Voters Now Less Motivated Than Republicans?

Eric Kleefeld | November 30, 2009, 4:32PM

Prof. Larry Sabato, University of Virginia

So what should we make of the recent Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll, showing that Democratic voters are much less motivated than Republicans are to vote in 2010? Prof. Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia gave us some perspective -- and said that even if the Democrats pass major programs like health care, it won't necessarily be enough to turn things back around.

"Well, look first let's stress it's a year ahead of the election, so a lot can change," Sabato cautioned. "The second point I'd make is, this is not terribly unusual. This is the norm for off year elections."

"Now why does this happen?" Sabato also explained "The opposition has a great advantage in off-year elections. Their numbers tend to be frustrated and angry about A-B-C, D-E-F. There are a lot of reasons why they're angry. The supporters of a president inevitably become somewhat disillusioned by the process of governing."

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Bennie Thompson

House Chairman Reads The Riot Act To Secret Service Director

Brian Beutler | November 30, 2009, 4:18PM

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS)

For the most part, members of the media have focused on the spectacle of pranksters crashing a state dinner at the White House. But this week, we may finally get some clarity on the substantive issue underneath the gag: namely: how, exactly, Michaele and Tareq Salahi manage to slip by the Secret Service?

In a difficult to parse, but harshly worded statement, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) laid into the bureaucrats who may have been at fault, and suggested dire ramifications if it turns out they were asleep on the job.

"The intent of this Administration may be openness and transparency, but a security breakdown that allowed anyone who looked the part to walk off the street into a State Dinner is a slap in the face to the Secret Service employees who put their lives on the line to protect our form of government and its leaders," Thompson said.

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Health Care

Reactions Vary To New CBO Health Care Analysis - Dems: YAY! Republicans: BOO!

Christina Bellantoni | November 30, 2009, 3:42PM

Deputy White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer

As the debate kicks off in earnest today, the parties are predictably using the new Congressional Budget Office analysis of the Senate health care bill to their own benefit.

The White House is hailing the report as "more good news" about what the bill would mean for families.

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Health Care

Dems, GOPers Ready Amendments For Senate Health Care Bill

Brian Beutler | November 30, 2009, 3:00PM

Democrats and Republicans will begin considering amendments to far-reaching health care legislation on the Senate floor momentarily. This process will go on for weeks, and involve hundreds of proposed changes. But to touch things off, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will likely introduce Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) who will offer a women's preventive health care amendment, according to a Senate Democratic aide--the first amendment of the process.

By contrast, the first Republican amendment will come from Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who will propose that the bill be recommitted to the Finance Committee, which would be instructed to strip it of its Medicare cuts. At a 60 vote threshold, the amendment won't pass, but if it did, it would likely be the end of health care reform this Congress.

In other words, we're dealing with two very different species of amendments.

Mark Kirk

GOP Senate Candidate Kirk: Health Care Bill Would Deny Women Mammograms!

Eric Kleefeld | November 30, 2009, 2:59PM

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL)

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL), who is running for President Obama's former Senate seat in 2010, is now embracing an offshoot of the "death panel" line -- warning that the health care bill could result in women being denied mammograms!

As Greg Sargent reports, Kirk's campaign sent out an e-mail, officially a "questionnaire":

This month, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended eliminating mammograms for women ages 40-49. The panel concluded that while thousands of women's lives would be saved by continuing the test, "the net benefit is small" for the population as a whole.

Currently, this is only an advisory recommendation. But under the health care bill moving through the Senate, this recommendation could become law.

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK: Should women between the ages of 40 and 49 be denied access to life-saving mammograms?

However, the fact is that the Senate health bill would not do such a thing. But that panel recommendation has become a big talking point of the right in the past couple weeks, warning of government-rationed care -- and this e-mail is a strong sign of how conservative Kirk is going in this statewide race, after years of maintaining a moderate profile in a Democratic district.

Tea Party

Mark Your Calendars: Thursday Is Tea Party Recruitment Day

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 30, 2009, 2:55PM

Don't be surprised if someone asks you if you love freedom this Thursday. The national organizers of Tea Party Patriots have singled out Dec. 3 for a national recruitment drive, calling on all good tea partiers "to reach out to 1 new person who is not a member of Tea Party Patriots" and ask them to join up.

From the TPP email sent to tea partiers today and obtained by TPM:

Tell them why you are a member of the tea party movement and ask them if they agree with our core principles of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government, and free markets ... If you send emails, follow up with phone calls to the people to add a personal touch.

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Afghanistan

Phoning Allies: Obama, VP Biden, Cabinet Detailing Afghan Strategy

Christina Bellantoni | November 30, 2009, 2:32PM

President Barack Obama

President Obama is calling world leaders all day to outline in general terms his decision for sending more troops to Afghanistan and he's also deployed Vice President Joe Biden and key Cabinet secretaries to phone allies today and tomorrow in the lead up to the announcement.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama added Danish Prime Minister Anders Rasmussen to his list of calls on Afghanistan.

"The president expressed his appreciation for Denmark's leadership in this process. The president also updated the prime minister on his review of our strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and thanked him for his country's significant contribution to the effort in Afghanistan," Gibbs said.

In addition, Obama is calling President Karzai, President Zardari, Chancellor Merkel, Prime Minister Tusk of Poland, President Hu of China and Prime Minister Singh of India to offer details of his decision, to be formally announced during a speech tomorrow night..

Gibbs said administration officials, including Biden, General Jim Jones, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Adm. Mike Mullen of the Joint chiefs are will "make consultation calls to our allies over the course of the next many hours before the speech."

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State Dinner Crashers

Gibbs: Social Office Not Problem With Dinner Crashers

Christina Bellantoni | November 30, 2009, 1:52PM

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the investigation into the state dinner party crashers was focusing exclusively on the Secret Service, not administration staffers.

Reporters pressed Gibbs on whether the White House social office was also being investigated since the checks at large events were part of protocol in previous administrations.

"My understanding is Secret Service will look at what the Secret Service did," Gibbs said. "The Secret Service, through the director, has admitted that somebody who wasn't on a list and wasn't waived in was allowed into an event that clearly he said shouldn't be."

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Gay Marriage

Report: Support For Gay Marriage Collapses In New Jersey Legislature

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 30, 2009, 1:11PM

New Jersey Gov.-elect Chris Christie (R)

Same sex marriage advocates are seeing the end of the line for their cause in an unlikely place: New Jersey. Marriage equality was once expected to be all but inevitable in the Garden state, but as Newark Star-Ledger political columnist Tim Moran reports today, all that changed with the election of Gov.-elect Chris Christie (R).

Christie promised on the campaign trail to veto the same-sex marriage law that Moran reports many expected the state legislature to pass this year. Christie's defeat of Gov. Jon Corzine (D), coupled with a stepped up opposition campaign by the Catholic Church, has led one-time supporters of marriage equality in New Jersey to change their tune.

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Barack Obama

Dems Add Entitlement Reform To Packed Agenda Ahead of 2010 Elections

Brian Beutler | November 30, 2009, 1:04PM

President Barack Obama, Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND)

Moderate and conservative Democrats want to empower an outside entitlement commission to reshape major domestic spending programs like Medicare and Social Security, and they're threatening a truly nuclear option to get their way. If Congress does not create this commission, they say, they will vote against must-pass legislation to raise the nation's debt ceiling, which would trigger a default, and, perhaps, economic calamity.

"I will not vote for raising the debt limit without a vehicle to handle this," Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) told McClatchy. "This is our moment."

On the one hand, the threat is so outlandish as to be self-defeating. Would Democrats really extract such a devastating toll, both on their own political fortunes, but also on the national and global economy, just to prove that they're serious about entitlement reform?

But on the other hand, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid may not want to rock the boat too hard in the midst of a health care debate in which Democrats are hanging their political fortunes on many of the same centrist senators making the threat. And the Obama administration has been broadly supportive of the idea of reining in deficits and paying down the national debt for some time now.

So it seems fairly likely that, whether this commission passes in the form deficit hawks would like to see, debt reduction will be a key theme, both at the White House and on Capitol Hill, after the fight over health care is over.

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Rasmussen

Rasmussen: How Poll Questions Affect The Answers (And Why Our Obama Approval Numbers Are Different)

Eric Kleefeld | November 30, 2009, 1:00PM

President Barack Obama

Rasmussen has released a new set of polls illustrating how the exact questioning of a poll can subtly affect the answers -- and perhaps explaining why their own daily survey puts President Obama's approval lower than nearly everyone else.

Respondents were asked their approval of Obama using Rasmussen's usual format: Do they strongly approve, somewhat approval, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove? The answer here is 47% approval, with 28% strongly approving, to 52% disapproval, including 41% who strongly disapprove.

However, Rasmussen got a different result when they asked the question as a simple "approve" or "disapprove." Obama then enters positive territory at 50% approval, 46% disapproval -- in line with a lot of other polls, such as the Gallup survey.

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Jim DeMint

DeMint: My Senate Votes Are About The United States -- Not South Carolina

Eric Kleefeld | November 30, 2009, 12:47PM

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC)

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), who is up for re-election in 2010 and is heavily favored to win, has made an interesting admission: That he's not thinking about South Carolina when he votes in the Senate, but about larger conservative principles.

From The State:

DeMint, 58, makes no bones that he's more focused on advancing conservative goals nationwide than on pursuing the parochial interests of his state.

"All of you all over the country - please remember that Senate seats are not about a particular state," DeMint told more than 4,000 listeners on the recent conference call. "They're about our country. Every vote I take is not about South Carolina. It's about the United States of America."

In practice, legislative governance is often a balancing act between the immediate interests of one's constituents and the greater national interest. Sometimes, choosing one can mean short-changing the other in immediate terms. But it's rare to see a legislator so bluntly acknowledge that his votes aren't about his constituents.

Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin: Hero Of Talk Radio Listeners -- But Anyone Else?

Eric Kleefeld | November 30, 2009, 12:13PM

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

The new Washington Post poll illustrates the extent to which Sarah Palin's political appeal is a disproportionate one, focused on the harder line of the Republican Party -- which also happens to be where the GOP's energy is these days. The key question we have to really answer in the next few years, then, is how far Palin's disproportionate support among the hard right can really get her, and whether she can expand from there.

Overall, Palin had an 18% plurality when Republicans and GOP-leaners were asked who their choice for president was in 2012. But among Rush Limbaugh listeners it was a whopping 45%, and also a third among Glenn Beck viewers (we can probably assume that these two groups overlap to some extent). When asked who best represents the GOP's core values, Palin attracted 17% support -- with 48% among Limbaugh fans, and 35% among Beck's audience.

Palin certainly has built up a following with these two hosts and their audiences. She's not ruled out a Palin-Beck ticket in 2012 -- though Beck has ruled it out with some very colorful language. Limbaugh has praised Going Rogue as "one of the most substantive policy books I've read." And no less a voice than Bill Kristol, a frequent advocate of Palin's, has said that the GOP's "center of gravity, I suspect, will instead lie with individuals such as Palin and Huckabee and Gingrich, media personalities like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh."

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Congressional Budget Office

CBO: Health Care Reform Will Lower Out-Of-Pocket Burden For Most Consumers

Brian Beutler | November 30, 2009, 12:10PM

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN)

A new CBO report, requested by Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) contains some helpful, though not unexpected information about the impact of Senate health care legislation on insurance premiums, particularly in the individual market.

According to CBO, average premiums in the individual market would increase 10 to 13 percent because of provisions in the Senate health care bill, but, crucially, most people (about 57 percent) would actually find themselves paying significantly less money for insurance, thanks to federal subsidies for low- and middle-class consumers, than they would under current law.

Those are two separate findings, but it seems likely that Republicans will use the former finding to attack reform, claiming it will raise people's premiums, and leave people confused about the second finding, which is actually the one that impacts people's pocket books.

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State Dinner Crashers

Gibbs Says Investigation Into State Dinner Crashers Ongoing

Christina Bellantoni | November 30, 2009, 11:52AM

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs had no new information this morning about the party crashers Michaele and Tareq Salahi.

"As best I know the Secret Service continues to look into that situation," Gibbs said in his morning gaggle with reporters. "When there is something complete we'll have it."

The Salahi couple, who made a splash by attending the state dinner honoring India without an invitation, have maintained they were invited. Secret Service is doing an internal investigation as to why their names weren't verified from the guest list.

As we reported earlier, they have been called to testify before Congress.

Afghanistan

Obama Issues New Orders On Afghanistan

Christina Bellantoni | November 30, 2009, 11:13AM

President Barack Obama

President Obama huddled at 5 p.m. Sunday with his top military and national security team, issuing orders for the Pentagon to implement his plan for sending more than 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that Obama "issued orders" from the Oval Office to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Gen. David Petraeus, Adm. Mike Mullen, National Security Adviser Jim Jones, Gen. James Cartwright and chief of staff Rahm Emanuel. Before that meeting he spoke via phone with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"The president communicated his final decision on the strategy ... and issued orders on the strategy's implementation," Gibbs said.

Obama also will be in "close consultation with our friends and allies throughout the day" because the administration believes the war "is a shared international challenge."

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Jobs summit

Google Exec, Columbia Prof, Union Leaders Among Invitees To WH Jobs Summit

Christina Bellantoni | November 30, 2009, 10:33AM

President Barack Obama

President Obama Thursday is hosting a jobs summit at the White House, with the administration putting its full attention toward the economy and unemployment.

Among the 130 attendees are small business owners, experts from the "green jobs" sector, business leaders, academics, city officials and representatives from nonprofits, the White House said.

Some names that jump out right away are Eric Schmidt of Google (he is an informal Obama adviser), New York Times columnist and Nobel economics prize winner Paul Krugman, Columbia Business School professor Joe Stiglitz and Anna Burger of the Change to Win union.

Full list of confirmed attendees after the jump:

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CT-SEN

After Green Party Rallies, Nader Still Undecided On CT-Sen

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 30, 2009, 10:16AM

"More than 100 people" turned out at Ralph Nader's book signing in West Hartford and, as expected, the AP reports that "some of them" were holding signs calling on Nader to run for Senate. (Click here for our story last week on the grassroots effort to recruit Nader by the Connecticut Green Party.)

Nader remained undecided on a run, he told reporters after the signing. But he suggested the final decision rested in the hands of his supporters. From the AP:

"It really depends on what kind of momentum there is and how many people are willing to roll up their sleeves because I'm very accustomed to people saying 'run Ralph run' and then they drift away, predisposed and preoccupied with their daily life," he told reporters. "It has to be bottom up."

Health Care

Biden Goes On The Attack As Senate Begins Health Care Debate

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 30, 2009, 9:56AM

Vice President Joe Biden

Senators will gather this afternoon to start banging out a final health care reform bill. Vice President Biden is doing a little hammering of his own in advance of the debate, taking on reform opponents in a new video posted to the White House website. Biden enlists a slew of health care providers advocating reform to take on those who have criticized the Obama administration's efforts to drive health care reform.

"When it comes to explaining what health care reform means to you, who do you trust?" Biden asks in the video. "Do you trust the people who defend the status quo, who say you'd be better off leaving things just the way they are? Or, would you rather hear from the people who actually know something about what's going on in our health care system?"

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