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TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 8, 2009, 1:03PM

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Ed Rendell, Fort Hood, George Casey, Health Care, Joe Lieberman, Joseph Cao, Lindsey Graham, Michael Steele, Mike Pence, NY-23, Roundup, Sunday Shows, Tim Kaine

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Cao: Health Care Vote Was Proper Decision For My District
Appearing on State of the Union, Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) explained his vote for the House health care bill. "I felt last night's decision was the proper decision for my district even though it was not the popular decision for my party," said Cao, also adding: "A lot of my constituents are uninsured, a lot of them are poor. It was the right decision for the people of my district."

Graham: House Health Care Bill 'Dead On Arrival' In Senate
Appearing on Face The Nation, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) predicted that the health care bill just passed by the House will be "dead on arrival" in the Senate. Graham added: "I just think the construct out of the House and what exists in the Senate is not going to pass, and I hope and pray it doesn't because it would be a disaster for the economy and health care."

Gen. Casey: 'Concerns Are Real' About Backlash Against Muslim Soldiers
Appearing on Meet The Press, Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey said that there could be a backlash against Muslim soldiers in the ARmy, as a result of the shooting at Fort Hood: " I think those concerns are real and I, and I will tell you, David [Gregory], that they're, they're fueled partially, at least, by the speculation about--based on anecdotal evidence that people are presenting. I think we have to be very careful with that. Our diversity not only in our Army, but in our country, is a strength. And as horrific as this tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that's worse."

Lieberman: I Will Investigate The Lead-Up To Fort Hood
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Sen. JOe Lieberman (I-CT) said he will launch an investigation into the shooting at Fort Hood: "I am intending to begin a congressional investigation of my Homeland Security Committee into what were the motives, what were the motives of Hasan in carrying out this brutal mass murder, if a terrorist attack, the worst terrorist attack since 9/11, and to ask whether the Army missed warning signs that should have led them to essentially discharge him."

Kaine: NY-23 'A Gift That Keeps On Giving'
Appearing on This Week, DNC chairman Tim Kaine preferred to focus on the NY-23 race among the 2009 election:" George, let me talk about New York 23, because it is a gift that keeps on giving and it's going to play out forward. The year for the GOP started when the chairman said he was going to come after any Republican that voted for the stimulus. Senator Specter said I'm not going to wait, I'm going to join the Democrats right away. The year is ending with Dede Scozzafava ... they let right-wing radio and talk show hosts chase her out of the race, with Sarah Palin, and she ended up supporting us."

Steele To Kaine: 'You Could Not Deliver' In Your Home State
Also on This Week, RNC chairman Michael Steele responded to Kaine's boasts about NY-23: "The reality of it is, you know, hang your hat on that hook. I take the hat back come next November. Your problem right now, Governor, is that you lost New Jersey, you lost Virginia -- your home state. You could not deliver."

Pence: Democratic Party 'Going To Be History' In About A Year
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) predicted that the Democratic Party is "going to be history" in the 2010 midterm elections: "I think the American people are deeply frustrated with a liberal establishment in Washington, D.C. that is ignoring their will. Nancy Pelosi last night said that they were answering the call of history. Well, I -- I've got to tell you, if Democrats keep ignoring the American people, their party's going to be history in about a year."

Rendell: Gubernatorial Elections Weren't About Obama -- NY-23 Was, And Dems Won
Appearing on Meet The Press, Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA) said that the gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia did not necessarily reflect badly on President Obama, citing the Democratic win in NY-23 as evidence: "When things are bad, incumbents are held responsible for them. But it wasn't about President Obama," Rendell said, later adding: "Governors' elections are about leadership. That's how people make their decisions. Congressional elections reflect more what's going on in Washington. And the one big one, the one mega one, Democrats won a seat that they haven't held in 100 years. So I'm not sure you can draw any conclusions, but I am sure of one thing: a year in politics is light years, is light years."

Spokesman: Schumer Open To Public Option Negotiations, But They Haven't Started

Lieberman Repeats Claim That Public Option Not Part Of 2008 Presidential Campaign

Reid: 'I Welcome Schumer, Landrieu, And Carper, As They Work On Public Option Compromise'

Spokesman: Schumer's Not Initiating Any Trigger Negotiations

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10 comments

Recommend Recommend (1)

johnmccsf

November 8, 2009 1:09 PM

Stick a public option reconciliation up Lieberman’s sagging ass and then kick it out of the caucus

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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve

November 8, 2009 2:56 PM

Jesus Effing Esposito on a Whole Wheat Cracker!

There are five hundred and thirty five members of Congress, and yet, somehow, the asshats who book the Sunday shows believe the Republic simply cannot go a weekend if at least one, and preferably at least two, of the McCain-Lieberman-Graham circle jerk club isn't booked on their shows. The three tools who are the absolute furthest away from being in a position to influence policy, none of them in leadership, none of them offering any significant legislation of their own and only one of them with so much as a lousy committee chair, each and every one of them thoroughly despised by and alienated from the members of their own parties. There's more of interest in a high school biology class petri dish culture than in one word that these hacks utter, and yet the Sunday asshats hang on each word like it's a drop of gold.

I mean, seriously, what the hell? How does the inability of the Sunday show bookers to resist the inexplicable allure of their relatively powerless cocktail weenie pals do anything other than expose the descent of the Sunday shows into utter insignificance?

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CT Voter

November 8, 2009 3:10 PM

Joe wants to convene his committee and do some investigating?

Joe needs to be reminded why he has that committee. Now is the perfect time, Harry and Democrats.

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Overreach THIS!

November 8, 2009 5:52 PM in reply to CT Voter

Good comment!

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Icon

November 8, 2009 4:17 PM

Pence: It's that false, baseless rhetoric that is the problem with your party right now. You make big claims about where the future is going, but you have no logic to back it up with.

The American people, in general, support the public option. Maybe your constituents don't (or at least you believe they don't), but the rest of the country does.

If anything, the fact that the Dems were willing to pass this bill will help them, not hurt them, because the American people are on their side. All of the uninsured people who will finally have health care because of this now have a reason to head to the polls to vote for Dems next year.

Orrin Hatch predicted recently that if the bill passes so many people will like the program that it would endanger the GOP. I think his prediction is a bit hyperbolic, but to claim that it will hurt the Dems in the polls is so incredibly ridiculous that it's a wonder you've been elected into any office, anywhere.

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storm

November 8, 2009 4:37 PM in reply to Icon

how long till it goes into effect? that needs to be ammended or nobody is going to like the bill.

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Richardxx

November 8, 2009 8:52 PM

Now that the House Democrats have passed a health care reform bill, it is going to resonate with the majority of Americans who want both health care reform and the public option. Even if the Senate were to successfully kill the bill now, the majority of American voters have a clear idea of what health care reform can look like, and who is for and against the reform.

This will carry over to the 2010 election, either as proof that the Democrats are taking action against America's problems or that the Republican's refuse to act against America's problems.

The other 2010 election problem for the Democrats is the economy. They have nearly a year now to position themselves as being in support of the American people and to further paint the Republican Party as the Party of No.

I'd say that last night Nancy Pelosi pulled out a really big win for both America and for the Democratic Party. All the Republicans have left is bluster and some ability to tie up the Senate. Neither of those are going to go over too well in an economy that isn't doing well, as is almost certainly going to be the case in November 2010.

Lieberman is also in a weaker position now. How would you like to be a Democratic Senator how could be blamed for killing the HCR bill now? And if Joe were to block a vote and kill the Senate bill, do you think the real Democratic Senators would look on his actions kindly?

The rest of the Senators in the Democratic Caucus would gain a lot of street cred by getting rid of Joe. And at that point, his only choice would be to become a Republican when the Republicans are a powerless minority. And how much seniority are the Republican Senators going to give up to donate to a traitor Democrat? Would he even become a ranking member on some committee?

Yesterday's House vote has a lot of resonance.

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