Barack Obama

Obama's Next Economic Push To Be Staged At Home Depot

Christina Bellantoni | December 12, 2009, 4:04PM

President Barack Obama

President Obama will be hosting a discussion about his new home retrofitting proposal at a Washington-area Home Depot.

The White House announced this afternoon that Obama will speak at an invitation-only event at Home Depot Tuesday about the "economic impacts of energy saving home retrofits."

He will "solicit ideas from members of the labor, manufacturing, and small business communities," the White House said.

Obama last week detailed a plan to use some of the remaining Troubled Asset Relief Program funds to stimulate economic growth and job creation.

He asked Congress to create incentives for homeowners who make their property more energy efficient.

Late Update: Obama on Monday is meeting with "members of the financial industry to discuss economic recovery, small business lending, improving lending practices for homeowners and the administration's plans for financial reform," the White House said. He'll also give a brief statement to the press.

On Wednesday, Vice President Joe Biden is holding a Middle Class Task Force meeting on the future of manufacturing, the White House said.

Guantanamo Bay

Gov. Quinn, Sen. Durbin 'Encouraged' Obama Memo Suggests Thomson To Be Gitmo Replacement

Christina Bellantoni | December 11, 2009, 6:57PM

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Gov. Pat Quinn said they are encouraged that a draft memo has surfaced indicating Thomson Correctional Center may be the choice to replace the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Andrew Breitbart has the memo here.

An administration official tells TPMDC it is a "draft, predecisional document that lawyers at various agencies were drafting in preparation for a potential future announcement about where to house GTMO detainees."

"Drafts of official documents are often prepared for any and all possibilities, regardless of whether a decision has been made about the policy or if the document will be used," the official said.

Read more »

Health Care

McCain Calls New Report 'Dagger In The Heart' Of Health Care Reform

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 11, 2009, 5:55PM

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

Republicans on Capitol Hill were overjoyed today by a new Department of Health and Human Services audit of the Democratic health care reform bill in the Senate they say shows the reforms will weaken America's health care system rather than strengthen it.

"This report should put the dagger in the heart of the Reid bill," Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) told reporters this afternoon.

But the Democrats and the White House say Republicans are just reading the report wrong to further their plans to scuttle the bill.

Read more »

Abortion

Nelson Says Abortion Amendment Discussions Continue, But He's Not Satisfied Yet

Brian Beutler | December 11, 2009, 4:42PM

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE).

Here's how Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) characterizes the behind-the-scenes discussions that could very well result in a change in the abortion language in the Senate health care bill.

"There are a lot of people talking. So there might be something that comes up, and there might not. I've been very vocal about the Stupak-type language, and I haven't seen anything yet that would adequately replace the Stupak language at this point in time. That doesn't mean that people aren't going to continue to work on it, and perhaps they'll find it."

Not a definitive statement, but seems like leadership is looking into it.

CT-SEN

Biden: Dodd Is Getting 'Living Bejesus' Beaten Out Of Him

Rachel Slajda | December 11, 2009, 4:34PM

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Vice President Biden

Vice President Biden attended a fund-raiser in Hartford today for Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), who's facing a tough re-election campaign next year -- and he didn't sound too optimistic about his friend's chances.

"Chris is getting the living hell beat out of him, the living bejesus beat out of him,'' Biden said, according to the pool report. "Why? Because he's being a leader. This is going to be a hell of a race and it's an uphill race, but Chris Dodd will prevail.''

Dodd was scheduled to attend the $500-a-ticket fund-raiser, but stayed in Washington instead for votes.

Dodd has taken a big hit for his role as chairman of the banking committee through the time of bailouts and TARP. He had also been accused receiving sweetheart mortgages from Countrywide, although the Ethics Committee found he did nothing wrong.

Read more »

Health Care

Snowe: Slow Things Down If You Want My Vote

Brian Beutler | December 11, 2009, 4:01PM

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME)

As I noted earlier, the Democrats' self-imposed Christmas deadline to pass health care reform is very much in doubt. But if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid does push the issue, he may lose one key health care swing vote, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME).

"The more they try to, sort of, drive this process in an unrealistic timeframe, the more reluctant I become about whether or not this can be doable in this timeframe that we're talking about," Snowe told reporters today.

Throughout the health care debate, Snowe has often pushed the principals to slow things down. So what might make her less reluctant?

"There's always January," Snowe said. "Frankly, I understand the value of deadlines, but this is getting, I think, unrealistic in terms of where we stand today. I mean you have to start filing cloture votes just to get done by Christmas. That's going to have to happen pretty soon. Like maybe Wednesday."

Neil Abercrombie

Dem Congressman From Hawaii, Also Running For Governor, To Resign

Eric Kleefeld | December 11, 2009, 3:56PM

Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI)

Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), a candidate for Governor of Hawaii in 2010, is resigning from Congress.

Abercrombie said he is resigning in order to "allow someone to be elected who will carry on the work of this office." An effective date for his resignation has not yet been announced.

Democrats should probably hold on to this district pretty easily, in heavily Democratic Hawaii. The district voted 55%-39% for Al Gore in 2000, 52%-47% for John Kerry in 2004 -- and then for Barack Obama by a whopping 70%-28% in 2008.

Two Democrats and one Republican were already running for the open seat, and could potentially be running in the special election: Former Rep. Ed Case and state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa on the Democratic side, and Republican Honolulu city councilman Charles Djou.

Late Update: Those three candidates are officially in. Also, we got this comment from Stephanie Lundberg, press secretary for House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), on the timing of Abercrombie's resignation: "It is our understanding that Rep. Abercrombie will be present to take the vote on final health reform legislation."

2010 elections

Could It Happen Again? GOP Aims For 2010 To Be '94 Repeat

Christina Bellantoni | December 11, 2009, 3:40PM

Left photo: Former Speaker of the House Newt. Gingrich (R-GA) and Former Sen. Bob Dole (R-KA) Right photo: Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), backed by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), (L) Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS), (2nd R) and Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) (R)

The Republicans are planning to fight furiously to try and recapture control of the House of Representatives in 2010, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who helped orchestrate the Republican revolution 15 years ago, thinks it's possible for a repeat.

"I think you could easily have a bigger backlash in 2010 than we had in 1994," Gingrich (R-GA) told Newsmax TV recently.

Looking at generic polls of party preference, Republicans like what they see, and most Democrats acknowledge they will lose seats next fall.

But a Republican House takeover? Pretty unlikely it seems, as TPMDC explored the question by talking to political consultants and campaign hands to see what conditions existed in 1994 and whether they exist now.

Read more »

Rush Limbaugh

Limbaugh: McConnell Told Me Republicans Are Proposing Amendments In Order To Stop Health Care Bill, Not Improve It

Eric Kleefeld | December 11, 2009, 2:52PM

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Rush Limbaugh.

On his radio show today, Rush Limbaugh said that none other than Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told him that the Republicans are offering amendments to the health care bill, not to improve the bill, but as a parliamentary maneuver to "flush out" Democratic centrists Ben Nelson and Jim Webb, and to try to peel them away and thus stop the bill:

"Plus there are the Republicans using procedures, parliamentary procedures, and offering all these amendments. Now the purpose -- I talked to Sen. McConnell about the purpose of the amendments. He said we're trying to flush out with these amendments, just who it is that really we have to focus on here. And the two names that he mentioned were Ben Nelson and Jim Webb in Virginia. Because there's something that Webb is not going along with the Democrats on, I forget specifically what it is. My point in mentioning all this is, that the Republicans in the Senate are using parliamentary procedures, they are offering all these amendments, not to make the bill better, but to flush out and to find out who it is that they really need to work with to stop this. That is their objective, to stop it.

When contacted by TPM, McConnell's office could not immediately comment.

CBO

Time Running Out On Senate Health Care Bill Before Christmas

Brian Beutler | December 11, 2009, 12:46PM

Democrats better hope for a good CBO report on a public option compromise, and agreement among party members, to take shape quickly. Because if everything doesn't fall into place almost precisely as planned, they'll blow right through Christmas without passing a health care bill.

Here's what Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) said yesterday: "The scenario could be...if we reach the point where we want to move forward with the manager's package, there will be three cloture votes before final package: Manager's, substitute, and the original bill."

That's a lot of Senate jargon, but here's what it means. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will offer one last big change to the bill as soon as the CBO weighs in on a public option alternative. That "manager's amendment" will be subject to a cloture vote, in order to be added to the health care package being debated on the Senate floor.

Read more »

Abortion

Reid To Change Abortion Language In Health Care Bill?

Brian Beutler | December 11, 2009, 12:22PM

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

Before the Senate can vote on health care legislation, Democratic leaders have to make sure they have 60 votes lined up to end the filibuster, and that means dealing with the concerns of a number of swing voters, including Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE). The vehicle for addressing those concerns will be a manager's amendment, which will include the final version of a public option compromise that's taken shape in the last several days.

But will it also include abortion? Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) suggests very strongly that it will.

After a press conference yesterday afternoon, another reporter asked Durbin how wide the scope of that managers amendment would be: "[I]s the scope of that just going to be to deal with the public option...or is it going to be broader than that--is it going to include abortion language?"

Read more »

White House

Obama's Favorite Gift Revealed In Oprah's Christmas Special, First Family Says Bo Obama Gets A Stocking

Christina Bellantoni | December 11, 2009, 11:50AM

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and Oprah Winfrey

"Christmas at the White House: An Oprah Primetime Special" will be light on news, but heavy on holiday cuteness, if the excerpts are any indication.

Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions just released a few choice bits of her exclusive interview.

She tells viewers in a preview:

"The President gave himself a grade. This was not about grilling the President, this was really about me wanting to come and experience Christmas at the White House - their first Christmas with them. So I wasn't here to grill him, I was curious as to what he thought he had done, what kind of job he thought he had done and ask him for his grade. You'll see what the grade is. The grade might surprise you."

(Obama graded himself as "passing" after he hit his first 100 days mark.)

Read more »

Deficit

With Unemployment In Double-Digits, Congress Set To Clash On Debt And Deficits

Brian Beutler | December 11, 2009, 10:44AM

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND)

If and when health care passes, the White House and the Congress will be tugged in two seemingly different directions. On the one hand, with unemployment in the double digits (and an election around the corner), Democrats will have to do something about jobs--and that means another spending bill. The House has already begun its work and the Senate will have to follow suit if the economy is to improve, and if Democrats want to avoid a political blood bath. But the White House, and a bipartisan bloc in the Senate, have made very clear that they'll pay equal, or greater, attention to addressing the country's perilous fiscal situation. And that could touch off yet another tug of war between liberal Democrats and centrist legislators over the country's priorities.

Last month, liberals were taken by surprise when a number of senators--including several Democrats--issued a chilling ultimatum: let us tinker with entitlement programs and taxes, they said, or we'll block raising the amount of debt the government can take on. According to Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), 11 or 12 senators have said they will not vote for must-pass legislation to raise the country's debt ceiling unless they are authorized to create an external commission with extraordinary power over Medicare, Social Security and so on.

This week, Conrad and several of his supporters unveiled their proposal, and it turns out, liberals may have had less to worry about than it seemed at first blush. Not because the members of the commission would like to be gentle to American welfare programs, but because its authors seem to have set it up to fail.

Read more »

Deficit

Coming Up In 2010: All About The Deficit

Christina Bellantoni | December 11, 2009, 10:09AM

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD)

Once a health care bill is finalized, the White House and Congressional Democrats will be swiftly transitioning to cutting the deficit.

Top aides on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue say 2010 will be the year of fiscal responsibility, even if President Obama has to battle with progressive Democrats to make cuts they won't like.

"Next year the focus will be jobs and fiscal responsibility," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told TPMDC in a briefing with two reporters Thursday.

Read more »

Michele Bachmann

Bachmann On Team Obama: 'These People Are Not Connected To Reality'

Eric Kleefeld | December 11, 2009, 10:04AM

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) denounced the Obama administration yesterday, citing a lack of private-sector experience.

"These people are not connected to reality," Bachmann said on a conference call hosted by the Republican National Committee, the Minnesota Independent reports.

"We're going to kill socialism," Bachmann also said on the call, adding: "They can't have our country. We're not going to let them win."

Fox News

Fox Poll: Does Obama Want To Cut Taxes, Or Is He Corrupt Instead?

Eric Kleefeld | December 10, 2009, 5:30PM

Recently, Fox News has declared their intention to crack down on distortions, false statements and other such violations of proper journalistic behavior. They might not be off to the best start, though, with the new Fox News poll, containing an amazingly loaded question.

To be specific, here's what the poll asked: "What do you think President Obama would like to do with the extra bank bailout money -- save it for an emergency, spend it on government programs that might help him politically in 2010 and 2012, or return it to taxpayers?"

The basic assumption here, of course, is that the only reason Obama would want to spend money on the economy is to use the cash as a sort of political slush fund -- not simply saying that one disagrees with spending the money or thinks it's a bad idea, but that it is inherently illegitimate -- while saving the money or cutting taxes have purer motives.

Health Care

Reid Cancels Fundraiser To Work Through Weekend

Rachel Slajda | December 10, 2009, 5:18PM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has canceled a fund-raiser scheduled for this Saturday in New Orleans.

An aide to Reid's re-election campaign confirms to TPMDC that the fund-raiser, said to start at $1,000 a plate, has been canceled in order to keep the Senate working through the weekend.

Republicans took to the Senate floor this morning to demand that Reid keep the Senate in session over the weekend.

"The majority leader said we'd be working every weekend. We take him at his word. We expect to be here this weekend -- and we look forward to it," said Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Sens. John McCain and Mike Enzi joined the call.

Read more »

Health Care

Grijalva Says The Senate Public Option Compromise Is A Non-Starter

Brian Beutler | December 10, 2009, 5:05PM

Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)

An influential progressive in the House of Representatives says that the public option compromise taking shape in the Senate might not survive the lower chamber--particularly if the Senate tries to jam its health care bill through the House.

In an interview this afternoon, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) said he met with the Congressional Progressive Caucus' health care task force yesterday and they all agreed. "There is consensus within the progressive caucus," Grijalva said. "Personally I'm in agreement with them. I don't think very much of it."

"We're questioning whether you can define [what's coming out of the Senate] as a robust PO, and we don't think you can," he told me.

"There's rumors that we will skip conference--that we won't do conference--and bring their bill directly to the floor, and we are very, very opposed to that," Grijalva said.

Read more »

Health Care

Lieberman 'Increasingly Troubled' About Medicare Buy-In

Rachel Slajda | December 10, 2009, 4:01PM

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT)

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) tells Politico that he's not totally on board with a proposal to expand Medicare.

"I am increasingly troubled about the proposal," Lieberman said. "I am worried about what impact it will have on the Medicare program's fiscal viability and also what effect it will have on the premiums paid by people benefiting from Medicare now and whether the whole thing is viable. If you separate it from Medicare, it will be an extremely expensive program."

Lieberman had remained neutral on the buy-in proposal since it was brought up Tuesday night, saying he would wait to make a decision until he saw legislative language and a score from the Congressional Budget Office.

Read more »

Abortion

Family Research Council Doing Calls On Health Care, Malaria And 'Taxpayer Funded' Abortion

Christina Bellantoni | December 10, 2009, 4:01PM

The Family Research Council is doing a robo-call on health care reform suggesting the bill includes taxpayer funded abortions but also asking about malaria.

TPM readers have flagged a handful of calls coming in the last few days.

Reader WK of Northern Virginia said the call was an ABBC survey sponsored by the Family Research Council and reader PC in South Dakota said it was from UMBI.

FRC spokesman JP Duffy told TPMDC the calls are part of a "very expensive campaign."

He said they are going into every home in Arkansas, Louisiana and South Dakota, and to pro-life households in Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Read more »

Health Care

Missouri GOP Seeks Statewide Vote On Opting Out Of New Federal Health Care Plan

Christina Bellantoni | December 10, 2009, 3:25PM

Republicans in the Missouri state legislature are trying to opt the Show Me State out of any health care changes passed by the U.S. Congress.

The St. Louis Beacon reported about State Sen. Jane Cunningham's effort to secure enough votes to put an opt-out proposal on the 2010 ballot.

"We want to shield Missouri from unconstitutional mandates,'' Cunningham said.

Read more »

Brian Baird

Can Dems Hold Baird's Open Seat -- And Will There Be Others?

Eric Kleefeld | December 10, 2009, 3:24PM

Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA).

The retirement of Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA), the third Democrat to do so in the last three weeks, has opened up a new swing sweat for Democrats to defend. So what's the outlook for the seat -- and for the party environment itself?

"It's a tough district," a Democratic source in Washington state told us, also adding: "It's a rural district and a suburban district. It's a swing district, but it's been trending Democratic."

Baird's district voted twice for George W. Bush by narrow margins -- 48%-46% in 2000, and 50%-48% in 2004 -- before switching to Barack Obama in 2008 by a 53%-45% margin.

Read more »

CBO

Lieberman: Even Unpullable Trigger Is An 'Irritant' That I Will Filibuster

Brian Beutler | December 10, 2009, 3:04PM

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT)

Since the details of a looming public option compromise have begun to leak out, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) has reiterated his opposition to a triggered public option--which is reportedly part of a new health care agreement. I asked him today whether he still intends to filibuster, even if the Congressional Budget Office says it's unlikely to be filled. He drew a line in the sand.

"I've told them that I can't support a trigger--no, actually, to be more explicit: If they say that it's unlikely to be [pulled] then it's unnecessary," Lieberman said. "It's an irritant. And I keep saying to my colleagues: the underlying bill, that I would say 60 of us in the caucus support, that is, the parts that we support in the underlying bill, are so full of progress--let's get that done, and stop trying to squeeze in things that some of us, respectfully, just won't accept."

The trigger being considered would be pulled, according to a Senate aide briefed on the compromise, if private health insurers, managed by the federal government, do not offer nation-wide non-profit plans starting in 2014. If pulled, it would create a national public option. The measure was added to the agreement at the last moment at the insistence of Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI). But it may still prove an obstacle to passage of the health care bill.

Tea Party

GOP Rep To Tea Partier Claim That Revolution Is Coming: 'Good Point'

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 10, 2009, 2:43PM

Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA).

Hey tea partiers, you say you want a revolution? Well, you know Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) understands.

At a recent town hall meeting in his Montross, VA-area district, Wittman told an angry constituent he sees where conservatives looking for an actual fight with their government are coming from. Told by a tea partier that the government is "gang-raping" the people and that it's getting close to time when "people will have no recourse but to take things into their own hands," Wittman wasn't fazed.

His response to the tea partier's call for revolt? "Good point."

Read more »

Abortion

With Health Care Reform At Stake, Dems Map Out Perilous Way Forward On Abortion

Brian Beutler | December 10, 2009, 1:53PM

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

Pro-choice House members are reaching out to certain pro-life Democrats and co-ordinating with members of the Senate ahead of a potential clash over abortion that threatens to kill far-reaching health care legislation.

At her weekly press conference this morning, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she's not worried that divisions among Democrats over abortion will imperil the push for reform. "I think that will be worked out," she said.

The House health care bill includes a provision--known as the Stupak amendment--that would prevent millions of people from buying insurance policies that cover abortion. The Stupak amendment was adopted at the last minute, when a group of Democrats joined with the Republican party in a threat to kill the whole reform bill if the adoption language wasn't added to it. The Senate bill contains much more neutral abortion language, but one Democrat--Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE)--has in the past threatened to filibuster the bill if Stupak-like language isn't included in the bill.

Read more »

Guantanamo Bay

American Justice System Too Weak For Terrorists, GOPers Say

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 10, 2009, 1:33PM

Rep. Steve King (R-IA)

Standing in front of the Supreme Court this morning, a group of Republican lawmakers railed against the court system run out of the building behind them. A sign affixed to the plexiglas podium each spoke at in turn spelled out the reason for their concern. "Protect our homeland," it read. "Keep terrorists out of America."

The justice system laid out in the Constitution, they said, is just too weak to protect American citizens from wiley terror suspects. From "activist judges" to courtroom sketch artists, the group reeled off a list of reasons the Obama administration decision to bring Guantanamo Bay detainees to the U.S. for trial could quite possibly end in, as Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) suggested, a nuclear attack on the United States.

Read more »

Michele Bachmann

Palin's Autograph To Bachmann: 'Michele, We Love You'

Eric Kleefeld | December 10, 2009, 12:56PM

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) met Sarah Palin Monday night, the Star Tribune reports -- and just as Bachmann hoped, she was able to get an autographed copy of Going Rogue.

Palin had been in Minnesota as part of her book tour, while Bachmann was paying a visit back home to headline a state Republican Party rally at the state Capitol, to promote a proposed state constitutional amendment to limit spending.

The two of them both attended a private fundraiser that night.

Palin signed Bachmann's book, with this personalization: "Michele, we love you."

Communications Workers of America

CWA-Commissioned Poll: Overwhelming Opposition To Cadillac-Plan Tax, Support For Tax Increase On Very Wealthy

Eric Kleefeld | December 10, 2009, 12:48PM

On a conference call with reporters just now, the Communications Workers of America union announced a new poll showing widespread national opposition to the proposed taxes on high-end health insurance plans int he Senate health care bill -- and support for raising taxes on the rich instead.

The poll surveyed likely 2010 voters across ten states, all of which could have high-stakes House or Senate races: Arkansas, Louisiana, Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana and North Dakota. Seven of these states voted for Barack Obama in 2008, but in 2004 eight of them had voted for George W. Bush. It was conducted by the Democratic firm of Anzalone Liszt.

Respondents opposed the tax on high-cost plans by 70%-19%, and by a 63%-22% margin said they would be less likely to vote for their member of Congress if that person voted for it. By contrast, respondents favored a tax increase on individuals making over half a million dollars per year, and households making over a million, by a 54%-42% margin, and said by a margin of 49%-43% that they were more likely to vote for a member of Congress who supported it.

The poll showed the numbers being very similar across all regions. "The fact that these are red states," said pollster John Anzalone, was an important message. "Support for an alternative for what's currently in the bill is certainly in there."

Health Care

McCain v. Obama, Part II - Health Care Plan Wasn't So Bad

Christina Bellantoni | December 10, 2009, 12:46PM

President Obama and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).

With Sen. John McCain back in the spotlight leading the Republican opposition to health care, the biggest fight he and Barack Obama had last year over the issue has evaporated.

In 2008, McCain proposed taxing employer- based health care benefits, an idea Obama derided as dangerous.

The proposal shaping up in the health care bill (follow our updates here) isn't exactly what McCain proposed, but it turns out Obama wasn't as opposed to it as it seemed in 2008.

Read more »

Health Care

Pelosi: Let's Wait And See What Public Option Compromise Comes Out Of The Senate

Brian Beutler | December 10, 2009, 11:52AM

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

At her weekly press conference this morning, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested today that the House could embrace a compromise emerging among Senate health care negotiators that would replace the public option with regulated national non-profit insurance companies and an opportunity for people aged 55-64 to buy into Medicare.

In the past, Pelosi has described the public option as a must-have provision, but today she said the House included the public option in its health care legislation because members believed it's "the best way to keep insurance companies honest...and also to increase competition."

Now, it's wait and see. "As soon as we see something in writing from the Senate, we'll be able to make a judgment about that," she said.

Read more »

Health Care

John McCain Suddenly Back In Spotlight Leading GOP Charge On Health Care

Christina Bellantoni | December 10, 2009, 11:48AM

In a flurry of Senate floor speeches on health care, one of the most frequent speakers in recent weeks has been Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).

Republican leadership asked McCain to take charge on the issue, being the front man in what could be united GOP opposition to the Democratic health care bill.

He also was tapped by the National Republican Senatorial Committee to pen an email accusing the Democrats of stopping at "nothing" to push health care.

McCain asked supporters in the email to sign a petition "to let Democrats know that you do not support the government takeover of your health benefits."

McCain is no stranger to the Senate floor but this is the most prominent role he's played on a non-Armed Services issue in years, since the immigration debates.

Read more »

Pres '12

Poll: Huckabee Still The Strongest Republican Against Obama, In A Dead Heat

Eric Kleefeld | December 10, 2009, 10:57AM

President Obama and Former Gov. Mike Huckabee.

The new national survey from Public Policy Polling (D) finds President Obama with leads of various margins over potential Republican challengers -- with Mike Huckabee as the strongest one for now.

Obama is in a dead heat with Huckabee, with 46% to Huck's 45%. Obama leads Sarah Palin by 50%-44%, has a stronger lead of 48%-35% over Tim Pawlenty -- likely because of Pawlenty's lower name recognition -- and is ahead of Mitt Romney by 47%-42%. The margin of error is ±2.8%.

From the pollster's analysis: "There is no evidence that Huckabee's been hurt by the bad publicity stemming from the murders committed in Washington last month by an inmate whose sentence Huckabee had commuted. His favorability rating of 35/35 is basically unchanged from 36/37 a month ago."

That could very well be true for now, with only high-information voters knowing about the case. But give Mitt Romney or Sarah Palin some money for attack ads in Iowa and New Hampshire, and they might be able to change that.

Health Care

Steele To GOP Lawmakers: Use 'Every Bit Of Capital And Energy' To Stop Health Care

Christina Bellantoni | December 10, 2009, 10:50AM

RNC chairman Michael Steele

RNC Chairman Mike Steele, who has been calling for a delay in the health care bill process, told members in a strategy memo today that he wants them to stall using every possible tactic.

Steele writes:

But people with a broad range of health reform ideas should be able to come together and realize we need to delay the trillion dollar Obama-Pelosi-Reid health care experiment until next year when we see what the shape of the economy will be.

He tells members to "spend every bit of capital and energy you have to stop this health care reform."

"The Democrats have accused us of trying to delay, stall, slow down, and stop this bill," Steele wrote. "They are right. We do want to delay, stall, slow down, and ultimately stop them from experimenting on our nation's health care. And guess what, so do a majority of Americans."

As we've been reporting on our health care wire, Republicans are trying to keep the Senate in session over the weekend.

Read the memo in full after the jump.

Read more »

Nobel Peace Prize

Obama's Nobel Speech: Seeking Peace, While Explaining The Reality Of War

Eric Kleefeld | December 10, 2009, 9:41AM

President Obama accepted his Nobel Peace Prize earlier today in Oslo, Norway, with a speech in which he addressed both the yearning for peace and the importance of pursuing it -- and the responsibility of fighting necessary wars.

Obama acknowledged the criticism that it is too early for him to receive this honor -- and said that the skeptics are right:

In part, this is because I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labors on the world stage. Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize - Schweitzer and King; Marshall and Mandela - my accomplishments are slight. And then there are the men and women around the world who have been jailed and beaten in the pursuit of justice; those who toil in humanitarian organizations to relieve suffering; the unrecognized millions whose quiet acts of courage and compassion inspire even the most hardened of cynics. I cannot argue with those who find these men and women - some known, some obscure to all but those they help - to be far more deserving of this honor than I.

One line in particular -- in which Obama recognized the implications of accepting a peace prize at the same time as he is escalating a war in Afghanistan -- should be regarded as especially important because of what he says about America's other war:

But perhaps the most profound issue surrounding my receipt of this prize is the fact that I am the Commander-in-Chief of the military of a nation in the midst of two wars. One of these wars is winding down. The other is a conflict that America did not seek; one in which we are joined by forty three other countries - including Norway - in an effort to defend ourselves and all nations from further attacks.

By identifying Afghanistan as "a conflict that America did not seek," the obvious implication is that the Iraq War is a war that America did seek -- that America was the aggressor, violating the laws of war that have developed through the centuries.

Read more »

Health Care

Democrats Take Aim At GOP Flip Flops On Medicare

Brian Beutler | December 10, 2009, 9:26AM

For decades, the Republican party has been the scourge of Medicare, hostile to it as a wasteful government program, and happy to see it, in the words of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, "wither and die on the vine." Over the past several months, as Democrats propose paying for health care reform with savings wrung from waste in Medicare, Republicans have tried to position themselves as Medicare saviors. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) took to the Senate floor recently to warn that health care reform will make seniors "die sooner."

Now, though, Democrats are pondering a Medicare expansion of sorts. They want to let people between the ages of 55 and 64 buy insurance through Medicare. And suddenly, Republicans are stuck in a booby-trapped rhetorical space, defending Medicare from all attackers--real and perceived--and also lashing out at the idea of letting more people benefit from it.

Read more »

Health Care

Labor Steps Up Pressure On Health Care Taxes

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 10, 2009, 8:13AM

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

The AFL-CIO is ratcheting up its opposition to excise taxes found in the Senate health care reform bill this week. As Democrats huddle together in Senate meeting rooms trying to hash out a bill that can get 60 votes, organized labor is joining the chorus of opposition to aspects of the Senate reform package on Capitol Hill today with a rally outside the Senate and a print advertising blitz in Capitol Hill newspapers.

The AFL-CIO is among the strongest proponents of health care reform, but the Democratic proposal to impose an excise tax on "cadillac" health care plans to help pay for the reform bill has divided organized labor from its traditional allies in the Democratic leadership for a while now. As Senate negotiations seem to near an end, the unions are to making their case against the excise taxes -- which they say could apply to some health care plans enjoyed by union workers -- yet again.

Read more »

Health Care

Shh, Anthony Weiner -- The Moderates Might Hear You

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 9, 2009, 7:08PM

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

Republicans say Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) let the cat out of the bag on the Senate health care reform compromise today. After the ardent public option supporter extolled the virtues of the Senate compromise plan that expands Medicare coverage, Republicans seized on his comments as evidence that the plan was a backdoor to government-run, single-payer coverage.

Weiner told the New York Daily News that the Medicare buy-in plan under discussion in the Senate "would perhaps get us on the path to a single payer model."

"[T]his is one idea I like a lot," he told the paper.

Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and John McCain (R-AZ) seized on Weiner's comments when they stopped by the Senate press gallery to talk Medicare with reporters this evening. They clearly enjoyed attacking the fragile Democratic compromise with the words of one of the party's own.

Read more »

Brian Baird

Swing-Seat Dem Brian Baird Retiring

Eric Kleefeld | December 9, 2009, 6:15PM

Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA).

House Democrats now have another open swing seat to defend in 2010, with Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA) announcing his retirement.

Baird's district could have a close race. It voted twice for George W. Bush by narrow margins -- 48%-46% in 2000, and 50%-48% in 2004 -- before switching to Barack Obama in 2008 by a 53%-45% margin.

Health Care

SEIU Takes On McConnell's 'Job Killer' Claims On Health Care Reform

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 9, 2009, 6:02PM

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

The SEIU fired back at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell after he and other prominent Republicans dismissed the Democratic health care reform package in the Senate as a "job killer bill." McConnell joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in calling on Democrats to scrap the bill and start over.

SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger said the coalition "desperate to throw a monkey wrench into the system and kill the bill entirely" now that the Senate is "on the verge of passing real reform."

Read more »

CBO

Nelson: No Serious Objections To Public Option Package Sent To CBO

Brian Beutler | December 9, 2009, 5:28PM

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE).

As readers are well aware, the line of the day is that the emerging public option compromise in the Senate can't and won't be finalized until the Congressional Budget Office weighs in on the cost.

That raises the question of whether the negotiators thought the ideas sent to CBO--Medicare buy-in etc.--were worthy on the merits. I asked Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE), whose objections to the public option helped lead to the new plan being discussed, whether he would have a problem with any of the options even if the CBO give them a passing grade.

"I'm not aware of anything that was raising serious objections about it, I think it was about, 'Well, that sounds okay, let's see how it scores,'" Nelson said.

That's likely to quiet some heartburn among leading Democrats, who really need this new initiative to succeed, so they can get 60 votes to pass the bill. Now let's wait for CBO.

Health Care

Health Care Relief In 2013 Giving Dems Heartburn

Christina Bellantoni | December 9, 2009, 4:01PM

2012 calendar and The Capitol, Washington, DC

Though the health care bill is far from signed, one thing is becoming clear - when it does become law, some of the reforms won't kick in for several years.

Political hands are worried that delay could spell trouble in the 2010 midterm Congressional elections and, tougher still, in 2012 when President Obama starts a reelection bid.

"It's a huge problem, a bigger picture problem," said James Boyce, a Democratic consultant who has worked on presidential campaigns and who advises the team behind Public Option Please.

Read more »

Congressional Progressive Caucus

Key House Progressive: This Public Option Compromise Stinks

Brian Beutler | December 9, 2009, 3:57PM

Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, isn't pleased with the public option rumblings she's heard out of the Senate, and suggests that, unless the final product has the same impact as a public option, her Caucus could reject it.

"I am looking at, Where's the competition in this compromise?" Woolsey told me today. "Are we offering competition to the private insurance providers? I don't see where that is. That's what the public option was all about was having competition so that premiums don't spike."

"We have 30 million new customers for the insurance industry, and what, we don't let them choose an option that would be less expensive?" she said incredulously.

Woolsey said the Medicare buy-in plan is a good one, though too limited.

Read more »

Michele Bachmann

Bachmann Doesn't Condemn Voight's 'Subconscious Programming To Damn America' Attack On Obama

Eric Kleefeld | December 9, 2009, 3:54PM

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and actor Jon Voight.

Appearing on ABC's "Top Line" Web cast, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) refused to distance herself from actor Jon Voight, who made this remark about President Obama at last month's Capitol Hill Tea Party: "His only success in his one-year term as president is taking America apart, piece by piece. Could it be he has had 20 years of subconscious programming by Rev. Wright to damn America?"

Jonathan Karl asked Bachmann whether she agreed with Voight, or if it was instead over the line. "I like Jon Voight I think he's a great American," said Bachmann, "and the 20,000-plus Americans who spontaneously gathered were there for one reason and one reason only and it was to say 'we want to make the decisions about our healthcare, we don't want government to take over.'

After Bachmann railed against the government taking over the private-sector economy, Karl asked her again: "So you don't think Jon Voight was over the line, right?"

"Just in this year government is taking over about 65% of the economy. That's not America," she responded "We need to look at what Washington is doing. That's why the approval ratings for the president and the democratic congress are plunging so dramatically. The American people don't want this."

Health Care

HCAN's Kirsch: Public Option Compromise Not Good Enough

Brian Beutler | December 9, 2009, 3:43PM

Richard Kirsch, leader of the reform campaign Health Care for America Now says there are some nice things about the emerging public option compromise in the Senate...but it's still not a public option.

"Our take is pretty simple," Kirsch told me in an interview. "We're glad to see there's a good public option for people 55 and over, and we're going to work hard to extend that."

Kirsch is refering to the Medicare buy-in, which would allow people 55-64 to pay for the same insurance seniors receive from the government. In essence, that amounts to a public option.

He went on, "We don't view non-profit insurers as a substitute for a public option. We're not going to compromise on our principles"

"Our position has always been that we want a national, robust public option," Kirsch said. "The closest thing we've seen to that is the House and that's our position today.

Health Care

Landrieu, Lincoln: No Final Public Option Deal Until CBO Weighs In

Brian Beutler | December 9, 2009, 3:29PM

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)

Health care negotiators have not yet sealed the deal to remove the opt out public option from the Senate bill. Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Sens. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA)--two health care swing votes who helped negotiate a bourgeoning compromise on the public option--said much still depends on what the CBO concludes about the menu of alternatives sent their way.

Lincoln was reluctant to describe last night's news as a deal.

"There was no compromise," Lincoln corrected, refusing to weigh in on the broad outline on the table. "There were a lot of ideas, where there was consensus that we needed more information to move forward."

Read more »

Health Care

GOP Leaders & Chamber Of Commerce: 'This Bill Is A Job Killer'

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 9, 2009, 2:50PM

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

Senate GOP leaders and the leadership of the U.S. Chamber Of Commerce joined forces today to paint the Senate health care reform bill as a "job killer."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sens. Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and John Cornyn (R-TX) addressed reporters with dozens of Chamber members lined up behind them, led by Chamber president Bruce Josten.

"This bill is a job killer," Grassley said, summarizing the group's complaints, mainly that the mandates and revenue streams found in the bill would prevent small buisness owners from hiring new workers for fear they'll be forced into a maze of government bureaucracy.

Read more »

Michele Bachmann

Bachmann: I Don't Know Why Liberals Hate Me -- 'I'm A Lovable Little Fuzz Ball!'

Eric Kleefeld | December 9, 2009, 2:09PM

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) sat down for an interview with MinnPost, and among other things was asked why she is the object of so much loathing among liberals.

"I don't know. I'm a lovable little fuzz ball!" said Bachmann. "I have no idea what they would have to fear. I guess you would have to ask them; they would have the better answer to your question. I am doing my job. That's what I was elected to do. I don't fear the left, and maybe that's part of the loathing that they feel toward me. I'm not afraid to speak out on conservative positions and on issues. We're a deep-blue state, we're a strong liberal, Democrat state."

Bachmann has previously wondered why Democrats don't like her. We've collected some of the reasons -- such as her having called for revolution against President Obama's Marxist tyranny, and calling upon conservatives to slit their wrists and become blood brothers in the fight against the Democrats on health care, and many other examples.

Health Care

Feingold On New Senate Deal: "I Don't Know Yet"

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 9, 2009, 2:03PM

Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI)

Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) says he's waiting on the CBO numbers to come in before he takes a stand on the new health care reform deal in the Senate.

"I don't know yet," he told reporters today when asked if the new deal has what it takes to unite the Democratic caucus. "I have some concerns myself."

He said he wants to see if the new plan saves as much money as the public option it replaces. Feingold said the CBO reported the Senate public option plan from the bill would save $25 billion.

Feingold said that even if the deal doesn't have what it takes to get to 60 votes, the negotiations have given Senators "psychological momentum" to push ahead to a final bill.

Health Care

Who Likes The Public Option Deal, Who Doesn't, And Will It Win 60 Votes For Health Care

Brian Beutler | December 9, 2009, 1:45PM

Democratic Senators Harry Reid, Chris Dodd and Tom Harkin

The Senate was remarkably quiet this morning, less than a day after Democratic leaders and health care negotiators announced a tentative deal to swap out the public option in health care legislation for a menu of other measures. But slowly, members have begun making their positions known.

Read more »

Mark Sanford

Polls Show Sanford Riding Out Storm -- South Carolinians Against Impeachment, Split On Resignation

Eric Kleefeld | December 9, 2009, 12:53PM

Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC)

New polls in South Carolina suggest that the political heat seems to have died down for scandal-plagued Gov. Mark Sanford, with voters opposing impeachment, and split on whether he should even resign.

A new survey today from Public Policy Polling (D) has a 47% plurality of South Carolina voters saying Sanford shouldn't resign, in a statistical dead heat with the 45% who say Sanford should resign. Voters oppose impeachment by an event greater margin: 58% against, 32% for. The margin of error is ±4.1%. Republicans widely support Sanford, Democrats oppose him, and independents are fairly close to the top-line results.

"South Carolinians are pretty unhappy with Mark Sanford but they also want this whole saga to go away," said PPP president Dean Debnam, in the polling memo.

A Rasmussen poll from last Friday had South Carolina voters opposing impeachment by 49%-36%, and similar dead of 42%-41% against resignation. A previous Rasmussen poll from June, in the heat of the scandal, favored resignation by 46%-39%, and opposing impeachment by 48%-40%.

Barack Obama

Obama Calls For Bipartisanship In Jobs Plan

Christina Bellantoni | December 9, 2009, 12:47PM

President Barack Obama

President Obama called on bipartisanship from Congress to help rebuild the economy, saying that spurring hiring and economic growth are not issues belonging to one party.

Obama, who had just finished a meeting with Democratic and Republican Congressional leaders in the Cabinet Room to detail his latest job creation idea, said he was calling on them to extend relief to state governments and seniors and to support his plan for credits to homeowners making their homes energy efficient.

"I am absolutely committed to working with anybody who is willing to do the job to make sure that we can rebuild our economy and make sure that Americans across the country regardless of political persuasion," Obama said.

Read more »

Health Care

Abortion Rights Groups Hail Nelson Amendment Vote, See Boost In Fight Against Stupak

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 9, 2009, 12:05PM

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

Abortion rights groups say the rejection of Sen. Ben Nelson's (D-NE) abortion amendment last night makes it easier for them to pressure House Democrats into rejecting a similar amendment included in the House health care reform bill by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI).

"It gives us a huge boost," Laura MacCleery, government relations director for the Center For Reproductive Rights, told TPMDC. "It's a huge step forward -- but we're not out of the woods yet."

Read more »

Health Care

Lieberman: I Continue To Oppose Any Kind Of Trigger

Brian Beutler | December 9, 2009, 12:01PM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT)

In a statement to reporters this morning, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) reiterated his longstanding position on the public option: Namely that he opposes any form of it, including if it's attached to a trigger mechanism.

"My opposition to a government-run insurance option, including any option with a trigger, has been clear for months and remains my position today," Lieberman says.

That's crucial because, as I reported last night, a (admittedly very stiff) trigger is part of the bargain liberal and centrist health care agreed upon last night. We'll try to pin down whether the announcement, or details, of the deal make Lieberman any less likely to filibuster the health care bill.

Read more »

Michael Steele

Steele To Reid: You Have 20-Seat Majority So 'Pass The Daggone Bill'

Christina Bellantoni | December 9, 2009, 11:58AM

RNC chair Michael Steele

RNC Chairman Mike Steele did the rounds on television this morning.

He blasted Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's comparison of health care to civil rights, but also said there's no reason Reid should not have the votes yet on the health care bill.

On MSNBC's Morning Joe today for a long segment, Steele said the bill is "whacked out" but said the Republicans have not been able to obstruct.

But in a bit of a math conundrum, Steele repeatedly says that Reid has a "20-seat majority" so, "why can't he pass the daggone bill?"

Watch:

Here's Steele v. Reid v. Donnie Deutsch on the civil rights comments.

Health Care

Weiner On Medicare Buy-In: 'This Is One Idea I Like A Lot'

Rachel Slajda | December 9, 2009, 11:33AM

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), one of Congress' fiercest supporters of the public option, has come out to support the Medicare buy-in proposal in the Senate Democrats' deal.

"This is one idea I like a lot," Weiner said in an email to the Daily News, calling the idea "remarkable."

Winning the support of Weiner, who has championed not only a public option but a universal single-payer system, could be a sign that the Dems' proposal may yet win over progressives, even without a public option.

Read more »

Health Care

Dorgan Reads From Lunesta, Flomax Ad Scripts On Senate Floor

Christina Bellantoni | December 9, 2009, 11:24AM

Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND)

Watching Senate floor debate isn't always exciting, but sometimes you hear the words "going urgently" and your ears perk up.

That was Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) lighting up the floor by reading the scripts advertising some of the most common prescription drugs and saying they always depict happy scenes of trees and green grass.

"If life is like that when you use the purple pill ... get me some purple pills," Dorgan said.

The fairly reserved senator read aloud from a scripts for Boneva, Ambien and even offered the catchphrase, "Maybe it's time to ask whether Lunesta is right for you."

Dorgan cited the Flomax ad to fight against "going urgently," quoting from the script, "For many men Flomax can make a difference in one week."

He also said he was "especially distressed" by "unbelievably dishonest" TV ads targeting the health care debate.

Watch:

Mark Kirk

Mark Kirk Going Right, Straddles Fence on Causes of Global Warming

Eric Kleefeld | December 9, 2009, 11:16AM

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL)

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL), who is working to solidify his hold on the Republican nomination for President Obama's former Senate seat, is providing another data point in his drift to the right and away from his previous position as a moderate Republican: A noncommittal answer on whether human beings are responsible for climate change.

The Associated Press asked the Illinois Senate candidates from both parties: "Do you believe human activity contributes significantly to global warming? Why or why not?"

"Many factors contribute to changes in climate, both man-made and natural," Kirk answered. "Regardless of your views on global warming, we should all agree that reducing our dependence on foreign oil and cutting air pollution without doing economic harm to our citizens will benefit our national security, environment and public health."

Kirk previously voted for the climate-change bill, with its cap and trade program based on the whole premise that humanity is responsible for climate change. Back in September, he amusingly changed his position in the middle of a speech to a local Republican crowd, telling them he would oppose it in the Senate if elected -- and the crowd cheered.

Health Care

Team Health Care: Tight White House Group Listening, Guiding As Congress Does Its Work

Christina Bellantoni | December 9, 2009, 10:59AM

Top to Bottom Left to Right: Vice President Joe Biden, President Barack Obama, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Sec. of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, Director of the Office of Health Care Reform Nancy-Ann DeParle, Former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle (D), Director of the Office of Management and Budget Peter Orzag, and Asst. to the President for Legislative Affairs Phil Schiliro

As the Senate's Gang of 10 reached a tentative compromise on health care last night, Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer was readying a blog post to say the White House was "pleased," and today key aides were briefed on the particulars.

The White House team claims a hands off approach as Congress does its business, but they are closely monitoring each and every incremental negotiation.

An administration official told TPMDC the team is "very deeply in the middle of this thing."

"We follow everything very closely," another official told TPMDC. "We're not in every meeting but we are in a bunch."

The official said the philosophy is that it's in the senate's hands to "strengthen and shape" since "they like to do their thing," but the White House team is leaving no detail unexamined.

The official stressed, "It's a very active team, very present. But we are not orchestrating this behind the scenes."

Read more »

Kent Conrad

Conrad: Medicare Buy In Not A Deal Breaker

Brian Beutler | December 9, 2009, 10:59AM

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND)

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) has been sharply critical of a proposal, now part of a tentative deal between key Democratic health care negotiators, to allow people aged 55-64 to purchase insurance through Medicare. Now that the deal seems all but locked in, I asked Conrad whether the compromise is a deal breaker for him.

"No," Conrad said. "What I've told the leadership and what I've told your colleagues, other reporters, is, I have to see a CBO analysis, and I have to see what has been proposed in writing. All I've seen is, kind of, thumbnail descriptions, and I've not seen CBO analysis. And that's very important to knowing whether or not I can support it.

Conrad's resistance to growing Medicare rolls is based on his complaint that the program doesn't pay hospitals and doctors in North Dakota enough for their services. That critique has drawn sharp rebuke from his colleague, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), who helped negotiate the buy-in proposal.

Barack Obama

Poll: Obama In A Close Race With...George W. Bush!

Eric Kleefeld | December 9, 2009, 10:41AM

Pres. Obama and Fmr. Pres. George W. Bush

In a major sign of just how polarized American politics has again become, a new national survey from Public Policy Polling (D) asked Americans whether they would rather have President Obama in office, or former President George W. Bush -- and it's a close race.

The numbers: Obama 50%, Bush 44%, with a ±2.8% margin of error. Self-identified Democrats pick Obama by 83%-14%, Republicans pick Bush by 83%-10%, and independents go for Obama by 54%-39%. Obama's approval rating in this poll is 49%, in a statistical dead heat with 47% disapproval.

Respondents were also asked whether they would support impeaching Obama for his actions in office so far. The numbers was 20% yes, 67% no, and 13% not sure. Among Republicans, the breakdown was 35%-48%-17%. PPP communications director Tom Jensen writes: "I'm not clear exactly what 'high crimes and misdemeanors' they are using to justify that position but there may be a certain segment of voters on both the right and the left these days that simply think the President doing things they don't agree with is grounds for removal from office."

On the Obama/Bush match-up, Jensen writes: "The closeness in the Obama/Bush numbers also has implications for the 2010 elections. Using the Bush card may not be particularly effective for Democrats anymore, which is good news generally for Republicans and especially ones like Rob Portman who are running for office and have close ties to the former President."

White House

Obama Briefing Bipartisan Congressional Leaders On His Latest Economic Plan

Christina Bellantoni | December 9, 2009, 9:01AM

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

Before heading to Oslo to scoop up his Nobel Peace Prize, President Obama will talk to members of Congress about jobs, jobs, jobs.

Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will huddle in the Cabinet Room with key lawmakers to outline "next steps for growing the economy and creating jobs."

Yesterday Obama detailed ways to spend some of the leftover TARP funds to stimulate the economy and create jobs.

He said the money would go to small businesses, for infrastructure investment to improve highways, bridges and airports and a new rebate for homeowners dubbed "cash for caulkers" to reward people who retrofit their homes to be more energy efficient.

Obama's economic adviser Christina Romer told reporters yesterday that jobs is the constant refrain at the White House.

"The president asks us nearly every day are we doing enough on jobs," she said.

The White House's list of today's expected attendees after the jump.

Read more »

2010 elections

$1 Billion Spent On Political Ads This Year, Expert Says

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 9, 2009, 8:53AM

Meet Patriot Baby

This was the year to invest in a TiVo -- if you didn't have a fast-forward button on your TV, chances are you wished you did during the health care debate. A leading expert in political advertising says $1 billion was spent on political ads this year, with the vast majority of that coming from issue advocacy groups.

The health care debate fueled much of the spending this year, according to Evan Tracey of TNS Media Intelligence. But, ironically, the stepped up pace of political advertising may not continue through to next year's midterm election In an interview with Media Life magazine yesterday, Tracey said economic factors could keep candidates next year from passing 2006's midterm election record of $3.4 billion in ad spending.

Read more »

CBO

Democrats Agree To Tentatively Trade Opt-Out For Trigger, Medicare Buy In, And More

Brian Beutler | December 8, 2009, 10:19PM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

An aide briefed on the negotiations among the gang of 10 offers up the rundown of the most important aspects of the public option compromise being sent to CBO.

If this trade-off carries the day, the opt out public option is gone.

In its place will be many of the alternatives we've been hearing about, including a Medicare expansion and a triggered, federally-based public option, the aide said.

As has been widely reported, one of the trade-offs will be to extend a version of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan to consumers in the exchanges. Insurance companies will have the option of creating nationally-based non-profit insurance plans that would offered on the exchanges in every state. However, according to the aide, if insurance companies don't step up to the plate to offer such plans, that will trigger a national public option.

Beyond that, the group agreed--contingent upon CBO analysis--to a Medicare buy in.

Read more »

MA-SEN

Coakley Wins Dem Primary In Massachusetts, Is Likely Next Senator

Eric Kleefeld | December 8, 2009, 10:01PM

Massachusetts Atty. Gen. Martha Coakley (D)

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has won the Democratic nomination in the special election for Senate -- close to a win in the general election itself, in this Democratic state, in the race to succeed the late Sen. Ted Kennedy.

With 94% of precincts reporting, Coakley has 47%, well ahead of her nearest opponent, Rep. Mike Capuano, with 28%. Coakley will face Republican state Sen. Scott Brown in the general election, which will be held on January 19, and in which the Democratic candidate will be heavily favored.

Coakley, who was elected attorney general in 2006 after having previously been Middlesex County District Attorney, was the only statewide official in the race. She began the primary as the clear frontrunner, and easily fended off efforts by Capuano to out-flank her on the left.

It should be noted that Capuano is not done with politics or out of office -- this was a special election, and he did not have to risk his current House seat for the race.

Harry Reid

Few Know Details Of Health Care Deal But Aides Say Public Option 'Not Dead'

Brian Beutler and Christina Bellantoni | December 8, 2009, 9:56PM

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

Other news outlets are walking back reports that the public option has been scotched from the Senate health care bill, after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid insisted the popular provision is still alive.

Apparently the confusion isn't just among the news outlets.

We hear from a Senate Democratic aide that offices are being deluged with calls after the "tentative deal" the health care gang of 10 reached tonight.

The aide tells TPMDC even Reid senior staff are trying to piece it together.

The bottom line is they "swear" the public option is "not dead," the aide said.

"Few outside ten members themselves have details, including Reid," the aide said, adding that staffers were kicked out of the negotiating room when they neared a deal.

Late Update: The White House team says they are pleased.

CBO

Senators Reach Tentative Public Option Deal--Withhold Details As They Await CBO Score

Brian Beutler | December 8, 2009, 8:45PM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)

Ten Democratic Senators emerged tonight from a long series of meetings having reached a tentative agreement on a public option compromise. None would comment on the actual provisions in the deal, saying they first want to hear back from the Congressional Budget Office, which will begin scoring the new package tomorrow.

"We've made a lot of progress," said Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE). Now, he says, Democrats will "take the next step and ask the CBO to score what we've been discussing...we don't expect them to respond to us within 24 hours. Apparently it will take a couple days."

Within the past week, the 10 liberal and conservative Democrats hashing out a compromise have discussed a number of potential alternatives to the opt-out public option in the current bill, including tighter insurance reforms, an extension of the competitive market that insures Federal employees, and, most notably, a measure that would allow certain people between the ages of 55 and 64 to pay into Medicare.

Read more »

MA-SEN

Turnout Low In Massachusetts Senate Primary

Eric Kleefeld | December 8, 2009, 6:37PM

The late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)

Turnout in today's Democratic primary for the Massachusetts special election for Senate -- tantamount to election for Ted Kennedy's seat, in this deep-blue state -- is turning out to be astonishingly low.

The Boston Globe reports that as of 3 p.m. ET, only 35,000 people had voted in Boston, less than 10% of the city's registered voters.

The Boston Herald speculates that the lower turnout could possibly benefit Rep. Mike Capuano, who is widely seen as the underdog against state Attorney General Martha Coakley. For what it's worth, Capuano's home town of Somerville, where he served as mayor before his election to Congress in 1988, is having a relatively higher turnout -- at 1 p.m., it was a whopping 12.5 percent.

Abortion

Nelson: Failure Of My Abortion Amendment Makes It Harder For Me To Support Health Care Bill

Brian Beutler | December 8, 2009, 6:16PM

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE)

After his abortion amendment did not win the day on the Senate floor, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) did not come out swinging. Though he insisted that the failure of his abortion amendment "makes it harder to be supportive" of Senate health care bill, he did not reiterate his pledge to filibuster the bill.

"We'll just have to see what develops," Nelson told reporters. "I have no plan B."

That allows him substantial wiggle room, if he ultimately decides not to defect from the health care bill, and indeed, after the vote Nelson returned to private negotiations with liberals and other conservative Democrats over the public option.

He's not a firm no vote just yet.

"Not at this point in time. I want to continue to work on the [public option compromise] to see if that can improve the bill from my perspective."

Polls

Gallup Fights Back: Fluctuating 'EKG' Of Tracking Poll Is From 'A Lot Going On'

Christina Bellantoni | December 8, 2009, 4:27PM

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

In a blog titled "The Value of Daily Tracking," Gallup is hitting back at White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs suggesting today their presidential approval daily tracking poll could be drawn in crayon by a 6-year-old.

"I'm certain Gibbs didn't intend to impugn the value of presidential job approval polls in general. It appears he was reacting more to the fact that the president's approval numbers are not stable, but, in fact, in a period of some change," Gallup editor-in-chief Frank Newport wrote on the blog. "But this type of movement is the nature of the beast."

As we reported, Gibbs said: "If I was a heart patient and Gallup was my EKG, I'd visit my doctor."

Newport responded: "I think the doctor might ask him what's going on in his life that would cause his EKG to be fluctuating so much. There is, in fact, a lot going on at the moment -- the healthcare bill, the jobs summit, the Copenhagen Climate Conference, and Afghanistan."

He also suggests Obama's presidential campaign "paid a great deal of attention to their own tracking polls measuring how his candidacy was doing as the events of the campaign rocketed across the news each day."

Read Newport's post in full here.

Abortion

Will Health Care Reform All Come Down To Ben Nelson?

Brian Beutler | December 8, 2009, 3:19PM

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE), Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-MA)

Half a day later, we know a lot more about where the key players who will determine the fate of health care reform stand on a burgeoning public option compromise. Unfortunately, there's still a substantial lack of clarity about where we go from here.

The long and short of it is this: It is possible that Democrats will reach a consensus on a plan to trade the public option for several concessions, including a plan, supported by progressives, to allow people age 55-64 to buy into Medicare. That could be the grand bargain that allows health care to pass the Senate. But not a single Republican--including Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME)--seems to support the ideas on offer. And with Democrats unable to lose a single vote, one of them--Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE)--could defect over the issue of abortion.

As I reported this afternoon, Snowe (R-ME) says she's not a fan of the ideas coming out of series of meetings between Democrats seeking accord on the public option. Snowe didn't explicitly say she'd filibuster the health care bill if that compromise emerges, but she has told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid she doesn't support the idea.

That makes it seem quite likely that Reid needs all 60 of his members to support whatever compromise comes out of the negotiations. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) made no promises, but seemed open to the trade-off on the table. Optimistically, that makes 59.

Read more »

Harry Reid

Nevada Poll Looks Tough For 'Reid' -- Both Father And Son

Eric Kleefeld | December 8, 2009, 3:06PM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and NV-GOV candidate Rory Reid.

The recent Mason-Dixon poll of Nevada finds that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid continues to be in trouble for his 2010 re-election bid -- and what's more, his son Rory, a Clark County (Las Vegas) commissioner, isn't polling well for his gubernatorial campaign, either.

The Senate race poll found Harry Reid trailing Republican Sue Lowden by 51%-41%, and trailing Republican Danny Tarkanian by 48%-42%. In the gubernatorial poll, Rory Reid trailed Republican frontrunner Brian Sandoval by 49%-34%, and came in third place in a potential three-way race involving Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman as an independent: Goodman 35%, Sandoval 32%, Rory Reid 24%.

To the best of my knowledge, this could be the first time ever that a father and son have been on a statewide ballot before, and it's a case of some very high-profile politicians, too. It does present some interesting potential ramifications -- that the two could end up rising or falling together.

"Harry Reid has always been kind of a cat on a hot tin roof here," said UNLV political science professor Ted G. Jelen, regarding the Senator's lackluster poll numbers, in an interview with TPM. "He's never been particularly comfortable. He has been winning elections, but it is a swing state, and it's also difficult to run in a swing state from a leadership position."

Read more »

Joe Lieberman

Lieberman Open To Medicare Buy-In, So Long As Public Option Scrapped

Brian Beutler | December 8, 2009, 2:05PM

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT)

With Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) unlikely to support a trade off that would replace a public option with a measure allowing certain people to buy into the Medicare program, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) is a must have vote. He just gave his Democratic colleagues some breathing room.

Lieberman said he's open to both the Medicare buy-in idea, and a separate proposal to extend the private system that insures federal employees to individuals and small businesses.

On the Medicare buy-in--which has significant appeal among liberals--Lieberman was open, but non-committal. "I'll take a look at it," Lieberman said. "I think the good news is, however, that the current bill will, for the first time, provide people 55 and over who are not yet eligible for Medicare with subsidies to go on to the exchanges and buy, so they can buy for a lot less than it costs them in the marketplace now."

Read more »

Barack Obama

Obama 'Flattered' By Indonesian Statue

Christina Bellantoni | December 8, 2009, 1:46PM

President Barack Obama

We asked the White House what they think about the statue going up in Jakarta honoring President Obama's few years living in Indonesia as a young boy.

"The president is flattered," National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer told TPMDC.

"He recalls fondly his time growing up in Indonesia and looks forward to visiting next
year," Hammer said.

Afghanistan

Ben Nelson Unveils War Bonds Proposal, Calls For 'Shared Sacrifice And Fiscal Discipline'

Eric Kleefeld | December 8, 2009, 1:28PM

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE).

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) has formally introduced his war bonds bill, proposing to finance the Afghanistan surge and other military efforts through a targeted borrowing endeavor.

Nelson is pitching this as an alternative to war-tax proposals that have been floated by liberals.

"I believe that we need shared sacrifice and fiscal discipline in financing the war effort," Nelson said in a statement. "I don't believe our first instinct should always be a rush to tax. The government has gone to great lengths to address the economic downturn and adding new taxes right now could undermine those efforts."

As we reported last week, Nelson previously told reporters: "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." In fact, taxes were increased during World War II, in addition to the war bond campaign, thought the tax increases were not literally called a "war tax."

Abortion

Snowe Says She Opposes Medicare Buy-In Idea

Brian Beutler | December 8, 2009, 1:08PM

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME)

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) says a Medicare buy-in approach will be a hard sell with her. She told reporters this afternoon that she's not inclined to support the idea, currently being discussed by liberal and conservative Democrats seeking a compromise on the public option.

"We looked at it...we evaluated that, because it's an attractive approach. This has appeal...but we examined that issue this summer and a number of issues cropped up."

She's expressed her doubts to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. "I told him I have concerns," she said. "The Medicare buy in is problematic."

A reporter asked if that meant she's not inclined to support the idea. "Correct," she said.

Read more »

HCAN

HCAN: Public Option Must Be 'Operating Nationally When The Exchanges Start'

Eric Kleefeld | December 8, 2009, 12:53PM

The influential reform campaign Health Care for America Now says thanks but no thanks to the idea of trading away the public option for a system modeled on the one that covers members of Congress.

The statement declares that "a public option must be publicly established and accountable and operating nationally when the Exchanges start. Using nonprofits to replace a public option won't work."

Note that HCAN does not address the prospect of a Medicare buy-in option for people aged 55-64, so this may not be the final word from the group. But it's an early sign that they don't like what they're hearing.

The full statement is available after the jump.

(Additional reporting by Brian Beutler.)

Read more »

Abortion

Durbin: Nelson Abortion Amendment Will Likely Fail

Brian Beutler | December 8, 2009, 12:50PM

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)

The Senate's chief vote counter told reporters today that the votes likely aren't there for Sen. Ben Nelson's controversial abortion amendment to the Senate health care bill.

A tired and concerned looking Dick Durbin told reporters, "The whip count says it's close, but at this point it appears there are more senators who would vote to table than those who would oppose table."

Durbin cautioned that even if Nelson does defect from the bill, there's no sense in wondering what might have happened if the abortion amendment had passed. "This is a zero sum situation. We could gain one senator and lose several other [pro-choice Democrats]," Durbin said.

If Nelson joins a health care filibuster, both Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) would become must-get votes for Democrats. I asked Durbin if he knew, one way or another, whether either senator supported the ideas being kicked around to replace a public option.

Read more »

Health Care

Hoyer: Senate Medicare Compromise "Worth Consideration"

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 8, 2009, 12:49PM

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD)

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters today that he understands it's hard out there these days for his counterpart on the other side of the Capitol. That in mind, he suggested that House Democrats would be willing to embrace the Medicare age compromise reportedly on the table in the Senate to ease a health care reform bill through.

"I congratulate him for the extraordinary, herculean efforts that he is making to to bring 60 votes together to get something done in the United States Senate," Hoyer said of Harry Reid, "so I think that's an idea worth consideration."

"I don't want to anticipate what is acceptable or not acceptable," he said of the Medicare compromise plan's chances in the House. "I think it's an interesting idea," he added.

Read more »

Tech diplomacy

State Department Technology Adviser: 'Connectedness' Is Key In Efforts Abroad

Christina Bellantoni | December 8, 2009, 12:44PM

Alec J. Ross, State Department Senior Adviser for Innovation.

As I wrote earlier, the Obama administration has been using social networking technology to spread his foreign policy message abroad.

The State Department has been at the forefront of the technology push, coordinating with the private sector abroad with a focus on connectivity.

Alec Ross, senior adviser for innovation at State, told TPMDC about several projects being done in Afghanistan and Pakistan to help bridge those communities in ways diplomats thing will help forge peace.

"The premise is that connectedness is a net positive," Ross said.

"The more voices there are, the more points of view," the better it gets, said Ross, who ran technology media and the telecommunications policy for the Obama campaign, including the text message rollout of Joe Biden as the Democratic vice presidential pick.

Read more »

Sarah Palin

Palin, On Third-Party Run For President: 'That Depends'

Eric Kleefeld | December 8, 2009, 12:04PM

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

In an interview last Friday with conservative talk radio host Lars Larson, Sarah Palin left the door wide open to running for president in 2012 -- as a third-party candidate, not a Republican.

"That depends on how things go in the next couple of years," said Palin, when asked whether she would consider the move.

She further explained: "If the Republican party gets back to that [conservative] base, I think our party is going to be stronger and there's not going to be a need for a third party, but I'll play that by ear in these coming months, coming years."

Tech diplomacy

Technology Diplomacy: How The WH Pushes Obama's Message Abroad

Christina Bellantoni | December 8, 2009, 11:26AM

The Obama administration wants to make sure people in Afghanistan and Pakistan heard six key sentences in the president's announcement about sending more troops - telling them "America seeks an end to this era of war and suffering."

The State Department took President Obama's comments and similar remarks made by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (they also promised the U.S. has no interest in "occupying" Afghanistan) and translated them into several languages to be spread via compressed video that can be watched on cell phones and mobile devices.

Clinton taped videos directly to the people of Afghanistan and translated into Arabic, Dari, Pashto, and Urdu and one to people in Pakistan, dubbed in Punjabi.

"Building on the lessons of 21st century statecraft, we are aiming to continually listen, learn and engage people around the world," the State Department's Katie Dowd wrote. "It is our hope that we can continually leverage new tools and technology to reach and engage people whether they are 10 or 10,000 miles away."

Alec Ross, senior adviser for innovation at State, told TPMDC that citizens in Afghanistan and Pakistan may lack traditional Internet access in computers with high-speed broadband but they are increasingly getting mobile access. (Read more about Ross' efforts here.)

Read more »

Ben Nelson

Carper: Lieberman And Snowe Have Been Very Constructive In Public Option Negotiations

Brian Beutler | December 8, 2009, 11:02AM

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE).

Today, we may learn the answer to two very related, very important questions. First, what will Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) do if his abortion amendment fails? And second, if he decides he'll join a filibuster, what does that mean for the public option alternatives, currently under discussion. If he's out, then Democrats need both Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) to back whatever public option compromise emerges from meetings between conservative and liberal Democrats.

This morning, Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), who's played a key role in these negotiations, told me and one other reporter, "Senator Lieberman and Senator Snowe have been very much involved in discussions not just with me but with a lot of folks on our side, and I'm sure on the Republican [side].... I think they're being very constructive."

Read more »

White House

Gibbs Dismisses Obama Gallup Drop

Christina Bellantoni | December 8, 2009, 10:13AM

White House Press Sec. Robert Gibbs

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs scoffed at President Obama's 47 percent approval rating in the Gallup daily tracking poll, the lowest the firm has recorded at this point in a presidency.

"If I was a heart patient and Gallup was my EKG, I'd visit my doctor," Gibbs told reporters in his morning gaggle.

Gibbs said the swing in the poll could be duplicated by a "six-year-old with a crayon" and said he doesn't put a lot of stake in the daily poll and "never have."

MA-SEN

Today: Massachusetts Picks Dem Nominee For Senate -- And Effectively The Next Senator

Eric Kleefeld | December 8, 2009, 10:01AM

Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)

Today is a big day in Massachusetts, with voters headed to the polls in the Democratic primary for the special Senate election -- and in a heavily Democratic state, this will be tantamount to electing the successor to Ted Kennedy.

The four main candidates are state Attorney General Martha Coakley, Rep. Mike Capuano, City Year founder Alan Khazei, and businessman and Boston Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca. The favorite for the Republican nomination is state Sen. Scott Brown, against frequent GOP candidate Jack E. Robinson.

Unfortunately, there's been surprisingly little public polling on this race. The last survey was a Rasmussen poll from two weeks ago, which put Coakley ahead with 36%, Capuano at 21%, and Khazei and Pagliuca at 14% each. In addition, special elections are inherently difficult to predict with their low and irregular turnout patterns and heavy reliance on get-out-the-vote efforts. So while Coakley is viewed as the frontrunner, anything could have happened in the last two weeks, and anything could happen today.

Read more »

Ben Nelson

Nelson: There's Support For New Medicare Option

Brian Beutler | December 7, 2009, 6:21PM

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE)

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) is perhaps the Democrat most reluctant to sign on to major health care legislation. Cautioning that he and the rest of the group of 10 senators negotiating a public option compromise have plenty of work left to do, he says that the newest option--allowing some under 65 to buy insurance through Medicare--has some traction.

"This is not necessarily a final decision for all those 55-65, it would be one option," Nelson told reporters. "You're still faced with What do you do for the people below that?"

Nelson described it as, "just another idea being kicked around, that there probably is support for--the question is how much."

A fairly positive sign, given the source. More developments are expected tomorrow.

Tom Daschle

Obama Confidant Tom Daschle Still Has Hand In Health Care

Christina Bellantoni | December 7, 2009, 6:17PM

Tom Daschle

He's a once-disgraced former senator straddling two worlds and with a finger on the pulse of health care debate, influential with former colleagues and close to President Obama, but not even employed by the White House.

TPMDC set out to find out what exactly is Tom Daschle's role in the health care debate.

Some question whether Daschle should be part of the process since he does health care consulting for influential groups who do health care lobbying. He's not a registered lobbyist. (He was with Alston and Bird most of this year, but just joined DLA Piper).

TPMDC spoke with lawmakers, administration aides and Senate staffers, who said Daschle has been crucial as they negotiate health care. Some said that his role is playing out exactly as they had hoped it would when Daschle was first nominated to be HHS Secretary.

Read more »

Health Care

Orrin Hatch, Cosponsor Of Abortion Amendment: There's No Way It Will Pass

Brian Beutler | December 7, 2009, 5:14PM

The conventional wisdom on Capitol Hill is that a restrictive abortion amendment to the Senate health care bill, authored by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) does not have the votes to pass, and that its failure presents substantial risk to the legislation's prospect for passage.

Well, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), a cosponsor of the amendment, seems to agree. I asked him if he sees any way for his plan--which would prevent millions of consumers from buying insurance that covers abortion--to make it into the greater bill.

"No," Hatch said laughing, "I don't think it has the votes. That's the game."

"He did say he would vote against cloture," Hatch said. "That's very important."

Read more »

Health Care

Rockefeller Whacks Conrad For Criticizing Medicare Buy-In: 'I'm Tired Of Hearing About That From Him'

Brian Beutler | December 7, 2009, 5:11PM

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND)

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) is one of the first senators to publicly criticize a Medicare buy-in proposal offered by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), telling reporters today that he opposes plans that use Medicare levels of reimbursement, which he's long said would harm hospitals in North Dakota.

Conrad says he needs answers: "If you expand medicare, what kind of a risk pool is that going to be? How is that going to affect the Medicare risk pool? What's that going to do to rates, what's that going to do to medicare solvency?" he asked rhetorically. "We don't have answers to those questions."

Rockefeller didn't take too kindly to this.

"I'm really very tired of hearing about that from him," an exasperated Rockefeller told reporters. "And it's always about North Dakota, and it's never about any other part of the country. And I thought, you know, that's what we're trying to do--we're trying to do the best thing for the country as a whole."

Ouch! We'll try to get more clarity on how far Conrad's opposition stretches. The key question in all of this, after all, is whether the compromise that comes out of the negotiating sessions between liberal and conservative Democrats can garner 60 votes. A Medicare buy-in would allow some people under the age of 65 to purchase their insurance through Medicare, which would likely charge much lower premiums than the private market.

Read more »

Jay Dardenne

Louisiana GOPer Dardenne Considering Forming Exploratory Committee, Conducting A Poll For Potential Vitter Challenge

Eric Kleefeld | December 7, 2009, 4:55PM

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) and LA Sec/State Jay Dardenne (R)

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), the staunch social conservative who was implicated in a prostitution scandal and admitted to a "serious sin," could be facing a challenge in the Republican primary from Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne. But before he gets in the race, Dardenne wants to conduct a poll -- which would involve forming an exploratory committee.

Dardenne told the Baton Rouge Advocate that he's considering having a poll conducted. "I've had a lot of people suggest that I do that. I'd have to raise some money. I may do that," said Dardenne. He added: "A lot of people have suggested that's a step that should be taken before making a final decision."

Health Care

Key Senators Confirm Medicare Buy-In As Part Of A Public Option Compromise

Brian Beutler | December 7, 2009, 4:47PM

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)

A number of key Senators--including Chuck Schumer (D-NY), John Kerry (D-MA), and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) confirmed today that a Medicare buy-in is being discussed as an option as part of a grand compromise on a public option.

"It's an option, it's being discussed, it does have some issues that are being raised, but it remains--it's on the table," Kerry told reporters.

The idea was introduced to the discussion by Rockefeller, who told reporters that it's still unclear whether it would ultimately be a replacement for the public option.

"I think that's one of the reasons it was brought up, but you don't do everything in juxtaposition with something else always."

Read more »

Health Care

Reid Spokesman: Republican Fake Outrage 'Hard To Believe'

Brian Beutler | December 7, 2009, 3:50PM

Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's office is criticizing the GOP's "feigned outrage" in response to comments he made on the Senate floor this morning. In his speech, Reid whacked Republicans for attempting to kill health care reform, comparing their obstructive tactics to those used to prolong slavery and stall women's suffrage and civil rights.

Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all the Republicans can come up with is this:, 'slow down, stop everything, let's start over.' If you think you've heard these same excuses before, you're right. When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said, 'Slow down, it's too early, let's wait, things aren't bad enough.'

When women spoke up for the right to speak up, they wanted to vote, some insisted they simply, slow down, there will be a better day to do that, today isn't quite right.

When this body was on the verge of guaranteeing equal civil rights to everyone regardless of the color of their skin, some senators resorted to the same filibuster threats we hear today.

Republicans lashed out.

Read more »

Abortion

Guttmacher: Nelson Abortion Amendment Virtually Identical To Stupak

Brian Beutler | December 7, 2009, 3:02PM

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

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) promised that his abortion amendment would be "as identical to Stupak as it can be," and one key women's rights groups says he's made good on his promise.

"As with Stupak-Pitts, this amendment would restrict abortion coverage well beyond the status quo and could have profound implications even for coverage in the private market, paid for with private funds," emails Adam Sonfield, senior public policy associate of the Guttmacher Institute. "It also, like the Stupak-Pitts amendment, takes what had been even-handed language respecting and protecting the conscience of providers on both sides of the abortion divide and turns it into biased language that allows for discrimination against health care providers willing to provide or refer for abortions."

So there you have it. Now the questions is what happens if it fails somehow? Nelson has threatened to join a filibuster of the health care bill if his language isn't adopted. Will he make good on that promise? Or will a new round of negotiations begin. If Nelson defected, it could dramatically impact the course of negotiations over the public option and, indeed, imperil the legislation. We'll be keeping a close eye on this. You can read the language of the Nelson amendment below the fold.

Read more »

Health Care

Senators Consider A Menu Of Options, Including Medicare Expansion, As Public Option Alternative

Brian Beutler | December 7, 2009, 2:36PM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)

Several outlets are reporting, and I can confirm, that Senate Democrats are considering a Medicare expansion as one item on a menu of concessions conservative Democrats would agree to in exchange for weakening or eliminating the public option in the health care bill.

Currently, Medicare exists as a single-payer system for seniors 65 and older. According to Hill sources, the idea would be to allow people under the age of 65 to buy in to Medicare. The option would be limited to people older than a certain age, though that age--and indeed the entire proposal--has yet to be agreed upon.

If Democrats sacrifice the public option, there will likely be a long list of alternatives in its place. This buy in could be one of them, as could a separate plan to allow the federal government to negotiate premiums with insurance companies for some consumers. These are the two ideas receiving the most buzz.

We'll know more of this in a day or two, when the 10 senators negotiating a public option compromise emerge with a concrete proposal. Follow along.

Barack Obama

Gibbs: 'Nobody' In WH Aware Of Baucus' Girlfriend Issue

Christina Bellantoni | December 7, 2009, 2:36PM

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was asked to respond to the news Sen. Max Baucus recommended his girlfriend for a U.S. attorney post.

"Senator Baucus did not give us any information about those three names," Gibbs said.

"Nobody here was involved in it," Gibbs said, adding, "I don't mean anybody besides those who know Senator Baucus, I mean nobody."

The RNC called for an investigation, but there has been relatively little reaction as Baucus talks about health care most of today on the Senate floor.

Michele Bachmann

Bachmann: I Hope Palin Signs Her Book For Me

Eric Kleefeld | December 7, 2009, 2:04PM

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) is set to meet Sarah Palin tonight, Minnesota Public Radio reports.

Palin is in Minnesota today for her book tour, and is scheduled to attend a private fundraiser where Bachmann will also be showing up. "I hope I can get a book and maybe get it signed," Bachmann told reporters.

Bachmann was also asked about the potential presidential candidacies of both Palin and her own governor, Tim Pawlenty -- and didn't immediately commit to either one. "I like both of them, " Bachmann said. "They're great. Of course I'm very partial toward our own governor. I think he's marvelous, but I love Gov. Palin. And I'm sure that there will be a lot more choices out there as well. So, I'll withhold judgement as to who I'll be supporting."

Health Care

Biden Calls For End To 'Malarkey' In Health Care Debate

Christina Bellantoni | December 7, 2009, 12:46PM

Vice President Joe Biden

The White House has deployed Vice President Joe Biden again on health care, this time to blast what he says are "distortions" on Medicare.

In a new Web video at WhiteHouse.gov, Biden says he's spent his career fighting for Medicare.

He says health care critics are using "malarkey" and scare tactics, and even mention's Sen. Tom Coburn's "die sooner" health care remarks on the Senate floor.

"We're not raiding Medicare," Biden says in the nearly 5-minute long video, which you can watch after the jump.

The White House says the video is an attempt to explain to seniors how the bill being debated on Capitol Hill will "strengthen and preserve Medicare and provide benefits for seniors."

Read more »

Debbie Stabenow

Stabenow: If We Can Scrap The Public Option And Gain Support, 'That Works For Me'

Brian Beutler | December 7, 2009, 12:27PM

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

After a press event supporting a patient's bill of rights, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)--a staunch public option supporter, told reporters she'd be happy with a health care bill without a public option, so long as it accomplishes the public option's imperatives of lowering costs and providing competition.

"If we can do the same thing [as a public option] through another mechanism, and get broader support, I'm willing to look at that," Stabenow said.

"For those of us who want a public option, we have to look at why did we want it: Not the name I didn't support the public option because of its name. I supported a public option because of what it did. So if we can accomplish it without calling it that, that works for me."

Stabenow said the CBO will play a big part in determining whether any of the compromise proposals actually succeed on that score. "That's why these things, we can't immediately say yes or no to, because we have to look at it in the context of the whole bill, making sure we're keeping our commitment to lower the deficit," she said.

Whether liberal and conservative Democrats can reach accord on the public option--and what accord they actually reach--are perhaps the most crucial unresolved questions hanging over the Senate health care debate. We'll be keeping an eye on all of it.

Abortion

Stabenow Says Nelson Abortion Amendment Unlikely To Pass

Brian Beutler | December 7, 2009, 12:09PM

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

Pro-choice Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) says she's confident an abortion amendment to the Senate health care bill--written by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) and modeled on the restrictive abortion provision in the House legislation--does not have the votes to pass

"I don't believe it's going to pass, whether it's today or tomorrow," Stabenow said at a press event this morning. "I truly believe that the votes are there in order to stop it."

"I believe it goes too far," Stabenow went on. "I believe that we made a commitment entering this debate that this was a debate about expanding coverage--expanding coverage--for women."

Stabenow hasn't seen the actual language. "It's my understanding from talking to Sen. Nelson yesterday that it would parallel the Stupak language," she said. That means it would likely prevent millions of people receiving government assistance to buy health insurance from purchasing policies that pay for abortions. Nelson has said that he'll filibuster the bill if his amendment--or something like it--don't win the day. We'll be looking at this, and all major health care developments, very closely.

2008 campaign

Battle Of The Books As Obama Hand Plouffe Challenges Fans To Outsell Former Rival Sarah Palin

Christina Bellantoni | December 7, 2009, 11:54AM

Former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe is challenging his fans and political readers to a literary duel with "our old friend Sarah Palin."

In a new Web video, Plouffe announces a one-day-only attempt for his book on the 2008 campaign to out-sell Palin's "Going Rogue," which, he notes, has sold over a million copies.

"It's selling about like a distortions and mistruths would at a tea party rally," Plouffe says in campaign-style Web video you can watch after the jump.

"We thought it might be fun, a fun little exercise, on one day to see if we can use some of our old organizing techniques and spread the world to see if we might be able to beat her for just one day," Plouffe said. The challenge is for Tuesday at noon.

Read more »

Climate Change

Obama Meeting With Gore Today On Climate Change

Christina Bellantoni | December 7, 2009, 11:25AM

President Barack Obama and the Earth

The White House adds a new meeting to President Obama's schedule: former Vice President Al Gore.

The Oval Office huddle takes place as global climate talks begin in Copenhagen.

The White House says the private, 4:40 p.m. sit-down is "in advance of his Wednesday meeting with business and environmental leaders" about Copenhagen

Gore will attend, and Obama will go at the end of the conference.

Read more »

DE-At Large

Poll: Dem Candidate Ahead For GOP-Held House Seat In Delaware

Eric Kleefeld | December 7, 2009, 11:24AM

House candidate John Carney (D-DE).

The new survey of Delaware by Public Policy Polling (D) finds the Democrats favored to pick up the state's open House seat, with former Lt. Gov. John Carney leading the Republicans candidates by wide margins.

Carney, who narrowly lost the 2008 Democratic primary for governor, leads former state Sen. Charlie Copeland by 44%-32%. Carney also leads businessman Fred Cullis by 47%-24%.

The seat has opened up due to incumbent Republican Mike Castle opting to run for Senate in 2010, seeking Vice President Joe Biden's former Senate seat. While Castle is a strong recruit for the Republicans on the Senate side, their gain could be the House GOP's loss.

"The Delaware House seat is a rare strong pick up opportunity for Democrats in what's shaping up as a Republican year," said PPP president Dean Debnam, in the polling memo. "The lack of a strong Republican bench in the state is going to make it hard to hold onto the seat Mike Castle has held for the last 18 years."

Nobel Peace Prize

Obama To Use Afghanistan Decision In Nobel Speech

Christina Bellantoni | December 7, 2009, 11:08AM

President Barack Obama

President Obama on Thursday will talk about his decision to send 30,000 more troops to fight the war in Afghanistan when accepting his Nobel Peace Prize.

A White House aide gave TPMDC a little preview of Obama's speech in Oslo when he accepts the award the Nobel committee surprised the world with when granting it to the new president in October.

"The president will talk about what it means to receive a Nobel Peace Prize in the wake of his Afghanistan decision," the aide said. "He will also focus on ways in which the international community can more effectively prevent needless conflict and promote peace across the globe."

The speech comes in the week following Obama's final decision of sending the surge of troops to Afghanistan, and as global climate negotiations kick off in Copenhagen.

What's still to be determined is what Obama will do with the $1.4 million in prize money. As we have reported, Obama will give it to more than one charity but we don't know much beyond that - yet.

Read more »

PA-SEN

Barney Frank Cites 'The Integrity Of The Political System' In Backing Sestak Over Party-Switcher Specter

Eric Kleefeld | December 7, 2009, 10:32AM

Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)

On a conference call with reporters just now, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) talked about why he is endorsing Rep. Joe Sestak's (D-PA) challenge in the Democratic primary against Sen. Arlen Specter, who switched form the Republicans to the Dems in April -- and said that the integrity of the political system is an issue in the race.

Sestak said that when word had first got out that he would be running against Specter in the primary, Frank approached him and said, "Joe, I would love to support you."

Frank laid out the reasons he was for Sestak, citing his record on issues such as national security and the economy. "I also think frankly that this is important for the integrity of the political system," said Frank. "Sen. Specter has a very distinguished political career but he made it clear that he ad left the party he had been in for along time solely because he didn't think he could be re-elected in that party, and he changed his views on a number of issues."

I asked Frank whether he meant that President Obama, Vice President Biden and other Democrats were damaging the party's credibility by supporting Specter. "I think they are mistaken," said Frank. "I think - I understand the impulse, it is that we want to encourage converts, and I understand that. I do think though in this case, given the strength of a candidate like Joe Sestak, that they're making a mistake."

"I understand why he would want to focus on getting to the 60th vote," Frank later added. "I understand that, but it doesn't bind the rest of us."

Read more »

Ben Nelson

Checkmate: How Joe Lieberman Turned The Public Option Fight On Its Head

Brian Beutler | December 7, 2009, 9:40AM

From left to right Top: Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) Bottom: Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Center: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

After Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) threw down the gauntlet on the public option, political observers and liberal critics had no shortage of theories. Lieberman was rebelling against the liberal base. Lieberman harbors animosity about 2006. Lieberman is an egotist and wants the spotlight. Any or all of these theories might be true, but they obscured the more important, strategic rationale for his decision: With a 60 member caucus, and little to no Republican support, every Democrat has a pocket veto of the health care bill. Lieberman's explicit threat to use his veto was, in effect, checkmate on the public option in the Senate, and created breathing room for other public option skeptics to create the bloc that is now negotiating away the public option entirely.

"I think we all came to a similar conclusion. He came to the timing of his announcement, I think, pretty much on his own," conservative Democrat Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) told me of Lieberman's threat.

So you all sort of knew where each other stood?

"Yes of course. We continued to talk about it. Each of us had a problem, to one degree or another, with the public option."

I asked, "Did you see it as helpful to your own negotiating on the public option?"

"I don't think it hurt," Nelson said.

Read more »

Tea Party

Poll: 'Tea Party' Beats Republican Party In Popularity Contest

Eric Kleefeld | December 7, 2009, 9:11AM

Protesters at the 9/12 Tea Party March on Washington

A new Rasmussen poll suggests that the Tea Party movement is far and away more popular than the Republican Party it seeks to influence -- so much so that if it were a full-fledged political party, it would overtake the GOP on the generic Congressional ballot.

The question was phrased as follows: "Okay, suppose the Tea Party Movement organized itself as a political party. When thinking about the next election for Congress, would you vote for the Republican candidate from your district, the Democratic candidate from your district, or the Tea Party candidate from your district?"

The results: Democratic 36%, Tea Party 23%, Republican 18%.

The pollster's analysis makes clear that for multiple reasons an actual political party would be unlikely to stay viable -- but the potential exists for the Tea Party crowd to gain traction within the existing institutions, such as taking over the GOP. "In practical terms, it is unlikely that a true third-party option would perform as well as the polling data indicates," the analysis says. "The rules of the election process -- written by Republicans and Democrats -- provide substantial advantages for the two established major parties. The more conventional route in the United States is for a potential third-party force to overtake one of the existing parties."

MA-SEN

Bill Clinton Backing Martha Coakley For Kennedy Seat

Christina Bellantoni | December 6, 2009, 9:23PM

Massachusetts Atty. Gen. Martha Coakley (D)

Former President Bill Clinton is wading into the race to replace Sen. Ted Kennedy, backing Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley before Tuesday's Democratic primary.

The Coakley campaign said Clinton recorded a robocall for 500,000 primary voters asking them to choose the Democratic candidate and saying, "You can trust her to get results in the Senate."

"Martha Coakley will go to Washington to fight every day to create good jobs with good benefits and to get health reform with a strong public option," Clinton says on the call, which you can listen to here.

Health Care

Senators Mum On Public Option Negotiations

Brian Beutler | December 6, 2009, 4:05PM

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

The jury is still out on whether President Obama has cinched 60 needed votes for health care legislation. But before there's any clarity liberal and conservative Democrats will have to reach accord on the public option--an issue Obama eschewed in his presentation to the caucus this afternoon. So where are things now?

With the blessing of leadership, and the help of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), liberal and conservative Democrats are continuing to meet to find a solution. "I called and personally asked five moderates and five progressives to work things out and the issues that they care a lot about: Public option, small business," Reid said at a press conference after a rare Sunday caucus meeting. "And they've had, I don't know how many meetings, but many."

"Progress is being made and that's not just talk. They've made a lot of progress."

Read more »

Health Care

Obama Rallies Dems To Wrap Up Health Care Bill

Brian Beutler | December 6, 2009, 3:45PM

President Barack Obama

President Obama evoked Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the creation of Social Security today in a rare weekend meeting with the Democratic caucus, in a bid to keep his party united behind a historic health care reform bill currently being debated on the Senate floor. But liberal and conservative members, who are struggling to reach an agreement on the public option and other issues, didn't sound as if they were any closer to resolving their differences.

"He reminded us why we're here," said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL). But, he cautioned they're not quite there on the public option and abortion. "Close on both, not quite there," he said.

A number of senators suggested Obama's remarks provided the party and the legislation with much-needed momentum.

"I think it helped, more than significantly," said Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT).

"I can tell you, it would be very hard to have listened to the president's presentation and not have been persuaded of the historic importance of what's being discussed here," said Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND). "It was a powerful speech."

Read more »

Barack Obama

Obama To Rally Dems, As They Clash Over Public Option

Brian Beutler | December 6, 2009, 1:32PM

President Barack Obama

President Barack Obama will meet with Senate Democrats this afternoon, to build momentum as they enter the final stretch on far-reaching health care legislation. The rare visit to Capitol Hill comes as liberals and conservatives in his party clash over the contentious issues of abortion, and, especially, the public option.

Liberals, like Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) would like to see the President encourage moderates to support the health care bill in its current form. Conservative Democrats, meanwhile, are hostile to the public option and are threatening to filibuster the bill if it's not modified or removed. The two factions are currently discussing various compromises, including a variation on the "trigger" compromise, and a new initiative--distinct from a government insurance plan--which would give the federal government the power to negotiate private insurance premiums for some consumers.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is currently huddling with his leadership team, and White House officials, and the two sides of his caucus will meet late this afternoon, after the President's visit, to continue negotiations. The flurry of activity suggests real developments are afoot. We'll let you know what happens.