Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 6, 2009, 9:01AM

Poll: Public Wants Congress To Keep Working On Health Care
A new CNN poll has mixed news for the health care bill, with a total of 59% saying that Congress should continue to work on it. However, only 26% said the current bills should be passed with only minor changes, with 33% saying major changes should be made. Only 24% said to start over on new bills, and only 15% said to pass no bill at all.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will sign at 11 a.m. ET the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, extending unemployment benefits and other aid in the recession. He will depart the White House at 2:20 p.m. ET, and will visit Walter Reed Army Medical Center at 2:35 p.m. ET. He will arrive back at the White House at 4:15 p.m. ET. He will meet at 4:25 p.m. ET with Congressman-elect Bill Owens (D-NY), and will meet at 5:10 p.m. ET with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Saturday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | October 3, 2009, 1:10PM

Obama: Small Businesses Need Health Care Reform
In this weekend's YouTube address, President Obama pitched the Democratic health care proposals as being good for small businesses:

"Altogether, they create roughly half of all new jobs. And right now, they are paying up to 18 percent more for the very same insurance plans as larger businesses because they have higher administrative costs and less bargaining power," said Obama. "Many have been forced to cut benefits or drop coverage. Some have shed jobs or shut their doors entirely. And recent studies show that if we fail to act now, employers will pay six percent more to insure their employees next year - and more than twice as much over the next decade."

GOP Address Blasts Obama And Pelosi's "Job-Killing Agenda"
In this weekend's Republican address, Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI) called upon PResident Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi to "put aside their job-killing agenda" and work with the GOP:

"All told, our economy has lost roughly 3 million private-sector jobs since President Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trillion-dollar 'stimulus' plan became law," said Miller, later adding: "It didn't have to be this way."

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Ted Kennedy

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | August 31, 2009, 9:01AM

Hundreds Line Up To Visit Ted Kennedy's Grave
The Washington Post reports that hundreds of people turned out on Sunday to visit the grave of Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), after he was buried Saturday night at Arlington National Cemetery: "Arlington had been closed to the public for Kennedy's burial, which was attended only by family members and a few close friends. When the cemetery opened at 8 a.m. Sunday, a small group of people was already waiting. By 11 a.m., the line had swelled to more than 100 people."

U.S. Ramping Up Withdrawal From Iraq
The United States is working to withdraw forces from Iraq, picking up the pace a year ahead of the August 2010 deadline: "The goal is to withdraw tens of thousands of troops and about 60% of equipment out of Iraq by the end of next March, Brig. Gen. Heidi Brown, a deputy commander charged with overseeing the withdrawal, told The Associated Press in one of the first detailed accounts of how the U.S. military plans to leave Iraq."

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John McCain

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | August 2, 2009, 1:07PM

McCain: I Respect Palin, Am Saddened By Attacks On Her
Appearing on State of the Union, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said he respects Sarah Palin and her decision to resign as Governor of Alaska. "I think she will continue to play a major role in the future of the Republican Party. And I have to respect the decision she made," said McCain, who also added that he is "saddened by the fact that there are still such vicious attacks on her and her family."

McCain: Stimulus Has Had Effect, But Still "Generational Theft"
Also during his State of the Union appearance, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) conceded that the stimulus program has had some positive effect, though he still does not think it is worth the high price-tag in national debt. "I think it's very clear that the stimulus has had some effect," said McCain. "But, what I worry more than anything about is the long-term effects, because we are committing generational theft."

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Supreme Court

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | July 28, 2009, 9:02AM

Judiciary Committee To Vote On Sotomayor
The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote today on the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, and is expected to easily advance her to the full Senate. At the rate things are going in both the committee and the overall Senate, most Republicans will probably vote against her, but she should win by a comfortable margin thanks to Democrats and a few GOP Senators.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will hold a 1:30 p.m. ET tele-town hall meeting on health care reform, hosted by the AARP. At 4 p.m. ET, he and Vice President Biden will meet with the chairs of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. At 4:15 p.m. ET, Obama and Biden will greet the expanded delegations of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.

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Health Care

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | July 26, 2009, 1:04PM

Sarah Palin Resigning Governorship Today
Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) will officially resign today, at the governor's picnic in Fairbanks. The big question now: What's next for her in politics? "I cannot express enough there is no plan after July 26. There is absolutely no plan," she told the Associated Press. "The decision (to quit) was made in the vacuum of what was best for Alaska, and now I'm accepting all the options, but there is nothing planned."

Axelrod: Obama Saw Gates Discussion "Veering Off In The Wrong Direction"
Appearing on Face The Nation, White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod explained President Obama's decision Friday to clarify his comments on the Henry Louis Gates arrest. "I think he understood that the debate was veering off in the wrong direction and as he said, that his words may have contributed to that," said Axelrod, "so he felt a responsibility to step forward and kind of cool the situation down and acknowledge the fact that he had, as he said, calibrated his words poorly and had contributed to that. So that is what he did and I think it has had the desired effect."

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Health Care

DeMint: "I Am Very Pleased" Dems Have Rejected Obama's Strategy For Quick Health Care Vote

Eric Kleefeld | July 23, 2009, 5:16PM

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) released a statement today, celebrating the delay of a vote on health care reform until after the August recess. Key paragraph:

"I am very pleased my Democrat colleagues have now rejected the President's strategy to force through a bad bill before anyone has had a chance to even read it," said Senator DeMint. "Americans can win this debate but they are going to have to continue speaking out. They know the promises the President has made do not match up with the policies he is pushing. Over the August break, they need to connect with their Congressmen and Senators and let know that Washington shouldn't make their families' health care decisions."

Jim DeMint

Inside Jim DeMint's Alternative Universe of Political Discourse

Eric Kleefeld | July 23, 2009, 12:57PM

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) gave a sharp response last night to a new Democratic National Committee attack ad against him, over his statement that Republicans can make health care into President Obama's "Waterloo," and that it would "break him." Demint said: "It's disappointing that President Obama has lowered the discourse of this important debate with false personal attacks," DeMint said in a statement." (Emphasis ours.)

So on that subject, let's look at DeMint's own contributions to the political discourse -- let's see what his idea of "raising" it has been over this past year.

• In January, DeMint said that the way to stop the stimulus was to "get people angry."

• "This bill is not a stimulus, ladies and gentlemen," he also said -- then ventured into some very interesting language. "It is a mugging. It is a fraud."

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | July 23, 2009, 8:59AM

DeMint: Obama "Has Lowered The Discourse"
Sen. Jim DeMint has responded to a new DNC TV ad, attacking his remarks that health care will "break" President Obama. "It's disappointing that President Obama has lowered the discourse of this important debate with false personal attacks," DeMint said in a statement. "Beyond the fact that the President's accusations are patently false, it is disturbing that he and his team would respond to a policy debate with political attack ads."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will be headed to Ohio today, touring the Cleveland Clinic at 1:15 p.m. ET, and hosting a town hall on health care reform at Shaker Heights High School. He will then head to Chicago, attending a 7:15 p.m. ET fundraising dinner at the home of Penny Pritzker, and speaking at fundraiser at the Hyatt Regency Hotel at 8:05 p.m. ET. He will depart from Chicago at 9:15 p.m. ET, and is scheduled to arrive back at the White House at 11:05 p.m. ET.

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Jim DeMint

DNC TV Ad: Jim DeMint Will "Break" South Carolina Families And Businesses

Eric Kleefeld | July 22, 2009, 4:54PM

The Democratic National Committee is now piling on against Sen. Jim DeMint's (R-SC) pronouncement that Republicans can "break" President Obama by stopping him on health care, with this new TV ad, which will air in Columbia, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C.

"But the only people Jim DeMint will break are South Carolina families and business owners," the announcer says. "Sen. DeMint is playing politics with our health care, putting the special interests in Washington ahead of South Carolina families and businesses. The only health care plan Jim DeMint supports is no plan at all."

Barack Obama

The President As Advertised--Obama Continues His Health Care Blitz With Press Conference Tonight

Brian Beutler | July 22, 2009, 3:33PM

In just over four hours, President Obama will host his fourth prime time press conference since January. The event is being billed by the White House as a six-month report card on the administration's performance since Obama took office, but the subtext--and presumably most of the substance--will be about health care.

In recent days, with a long congressional recess approaching and, perhaps, a whiff of potential defeat in the air, Obama has stepped up his public and private efforts to push the House and Senate into action. Obama now insists he wants to sign legislation by the end of the year--two months later than his earlier October deadline--and, It's time, he says, for leaders to bear down and pass legislation to reform the nation's dysfunctional health care system.

Publicly, Obama has been insisting that Republicans are causing the complications, singling out Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) who said health care reform would be Obama's "Waterloo" if Republicans could delay legislation to death. But in private, he's been focusing most of his efforts on recalcitrant Democrats--in both the House and Senate--who have echoed Republican calls to slow things down.

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Jim DeMint

Sen. Jim DeMint, The Dems' Health Care Whipping Boy

Rachel Slajda | July 22, 2009, 12:15PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) aimed a scathing floor speech this morning at Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), who is fast becoming the face of health care opposition for Democrats.

Reid called out DeMint, who said Monday that, "We can give every American access to affordable health insurance plans if we get out of the way and allow the market to work." Here's some of what Reid said today, according to his prepared remarks:

If we sit this one out, as the Senator suggests, more parents will decide they can't take their children to the doctor because it simply costs too much to pay the medical bills, and more small businesses will lay off more of their workers because it simply costs too much to give them health coverage....

'Allowing the market to work' is code for letting the greedy insurance companies - companies that care more about profits than people - continue to deny you coverage because you have a preexisting condition, or you are a certain age, or because you changed jobs.

That's at least the second time Reid has used DeMint's line to frame the health care debate as a fight between Democrats and do-nothing, accept-the-status-quo Republicans.

President Obama himself lashed out at DeMint in a speech on Monday, taking issue with the senator's remark that health care could be Obama's Waterloo. ("If we're able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him," DeMint said.)

In the speech, Obama quoted DeMint and said, "Think about that. This isn't about me. This isn't about politics."

DeMint, though, took that as a compliment.

"I think he played right into my hands," he said yesterday. "Any time the president of the United States goes after a freshman senator, he's losing his grip a little bit."

Check out Reid's full speech after the jump.

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Jim DeMint

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | July 22, 2009, 9:01AM

DeMint Stands By "Waterloo" Comment Against Obama: "We've Got To Stop His Politics"
Appearing this morning on the Today show, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) refused to take back his statement that Republicans can make health care policy into President Obama's "Waterloo," and that it will "break" him. When asked whether he stood by it, DeMint responded: "It's not personal. We've got to stop his politics."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will meet with Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner at 11 a.m. ET. At 2 p.m. ET, he will have an expanded meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and a one-on-one meeting with Maliki at 2:45 p.m. ET. AT 3 p.m. ET, the two will hold a joint press availability. At 8 p.m. ET, Obama will hold a news conference.

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DNC

DNC Sends Out E-mail Against DeMint's "Break" Comment

Eric Kleefeld | July 21, 2009, 11:43AM

The Democratic National Committee is now seeking to mobilize support against Sen. Jim DeMint's (R-SC) pronouncement that the Republicans can "break" President Obama on health care, and has sent out an e-mail last night with a petition and a donation button:

Their plan is simple: oppose health care reform as a political ploy to weaken the President and defeat his entire agenda of change. But if we follow the Republican "Party of No" and do nothing, we'll not only ensure more of the same, but saddle our children and grandchildren with a growing burden of exploding costs and declining care that they may never overcome.

We can't let this kind of slash and burn politics succeed. We can fight back by collecting as many signatures as possible backing the President's principles for health care reform. A huge response will show Washington and the media that when Republicans try to "break" the President, Americans are ready to stand up for what's right.

The e-mail is technically not a fundraising letter, as there is no explicit appeal for money -- only the standard donation button that is in all the DNC's e-mails -- though obviously they wouldn't be opposed to any contributions that might come in. Check out the full e-mail after the jump.

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Health Care

Obama's New Health Care Strategy: Divide And Conquer?

Brian Beutler | July 20, 2009, 6:11PM

Over the weekend, President Obama finally insisted, in no uncertain terms, that Congress pass a health care reform bill that includes a public option. But if the House and Senate don't each pass legislation before recessing, that might be a harder sell, and these days, the White House seems a bit less confident that they'll meet their deadlines.

But if Democrats are going to get it all done before adjourning early next month, they're going to have to prevail upon conservative members in their own party--many of whom are trying to slow down the entire reform project--that time is of the essence. Just how successful their efforts will be remains to be seen, but for now, they seem to be trying to divide Congress into pro- and anti- reform camps, characterizing Republican calls to delay as political gambits meant to kill the legislation, and asking those on the fence to choose their allegiances. The hope seems to be that, faced with the GOP's naked political considerations, conservative and vulnerable Democrats will resist the urge to aid and abet the White House's enemies on Capitol Hill and in the conservative movement, and support swift action.

To that end, the White House already has its whipping boys. Conservative commentator Bill Kristol, who helped Republicans kill Clinton Care is now advising Republicans to "[r]esist the temptation" for compromise, and "[g]o for the kill."

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Jim DeMint

DeMint: America Is Like Germany Before WWII

Rachel Slajda | July 9, 2009, 10:14AM

America these days is reminding Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) of Nazi Germany.

Last night, at a National Press Club event where he was plugging his book Saving Freedom, he implied that America's elections are "just power grabs."

Part of what we're trying to do in Saving Freedom is just show that where we are, we're about where Germany was before World War II where they became a social democracy. You still had votes but the votes were just power grabs like you see in Iran, and other places in South America, like Chavez is running down in Venezuela. People become more dependent on the government so that they're easy to manipulate. And they keep voting for more government because that's where their security is. When our immigrants get here, they're worried, because they see it happening here.

He said he doesn't, however, think America is ready for a revolution, and said he believed the government could change "in a civilized way."

Al Franken

DeMint Compares Honduras Coup To Franken's Election

Eric Kleefeld | July 7, 2009, 6:11PM

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), who has been a staunch supporter of the recent coup in Honduras against leftist President Manuel Zelaya, made a rather interesting comparison on the Senate floor today:

"On what basis does the Administration demand Zelaya's reinstatement?" DeMint asked. "His removal from office was no more a coup than was Gerald Ford's ascendance to the Oval Office, or our newest colleague Al Franken's election to the Senate."

Um...I thought Republicans were calling Franken's election an illegitimate coup!

Mark Sanford

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | July 3, 2009, 8:59AM

Sanford's Book Deal Falls Through
Gov. Mark Sanford's (R-SC) book publisher, Sentinel, has released him from his contract. Sanford had been set to write a book on fiscal conservatism, entitled Within Our Means, to be released in March 2010. However, the deal fell through after Sanford got in trouble for disappearing to Argentina to visit his mistress, and he and publisher have agreed to part ways.

Obama At Camp David Today
President Obama has no public events scheduled, but is spending the day at Camp David. He will return to the White House tomorrow.

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Health Care

DeMint Falsely Claims Americans Don't Want More Government Involvement In Health Care

Brian Beutler | June 24, 2009, 11:45AM

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) says "Americans don't want more government in health care"--which is true if you define 'Americans' as the 28-or-so percent of the population who don't want more government in health care.

Perhaps the Americans who don't want more government involvement in health care are the very same Americans who fled forced unionization in Pennsylvania and sought refuge in the South. On the policy question of government involvement in health care, there are a number of problems with DeMint's statement. But the public seems to have caught on to them.

Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | June 18, 2009, 9:02AM

Bush Hits Obama On Gitmo
During a speech yesterday in Pennsylvania, former President George W. Bush deviated from his previous declarations that he would not criticize President Obama. "I told you I'm not going to criticize my successor," he said. "I'll just tell you that there are people at Gitmo that will kill American people at a drop of a hat and I don't believe that persuasion isn't going to work. Therapy isn't going to cause terrorists to change their mind."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will meet with Vice President Biden at 1 p.m. ET. At 3:15 p.m. ET, the two of them will meet with George Mitchell, the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace. At 4 p.m. ET, Obama will meet with Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner. At 7 p.m. ET, Obama will speak at a DSCC/DCCC fundraising dinner.

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Sonia Sotomayor

One Time Sotomayor Opponents Also Opposed Filibustering Judicial Nominees

Brian Beutler | May 26, 2009, 11:49AM

Earlier today, Eric Kleefeld reported that several still-serving Republicans had cast votes more than 10 years ago on Sotomayor's nomination to the appellate court. In 1998, 23 Republicans voted for confirmation. Eight of them (including now-Democrat Arlen Specter) still serve in the Senate today. At the same time, 29 Republicans voted against her, 11 of whom are still in office.

Among those 11 are several who, in addition to opposing Sotomayor also are on record opposing the idea that judicial nominations should be filibustered.

"Since the founding of the Republic, we have understood that there was a two-thirds supermajority for ratification and advice and consent on treaties and a majority vote for judges," said Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), in a floor speech on May 23, 2005. "That is what we have done. That is what we have always done. But there was a conscious decision on behalf of the leadership, unfortunately, of the Democratic Party in the last Congress to systematically filibuster some of the best nominees ever submitted to the Senate. It has been very painful." Sessions is now the Judiciary Committee's ranking member.

And there's more.

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Harold Koh

Koh's Nomination Approved By Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Brian Beutler | May 12, 2009, 11:11AM

Harold Koh has been reported out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on a 12 to 5 vote, according to a committee spokesperson. Ranking member, Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) voted with the committee's 11 Democrats to advance Koh's nomination to be the State Department's Legal Adviser to the Senate floor.

Koh's vote in committee had been scheduled for last week, but, without explanation, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) delayed that vote until today's hearing, and then opposed the former Yale Law School Dean. Republicans could potentially use similar tactics to delay a full vote, and a number of conservative activists are hoping to spike the nomination entirely.

Harold Koh

Koh Held By DeMint

Brian Beutler | May 5, 2009, 4:50PM

Just a quick update on the nomination of Harold Koh to be the State Department's legal adviser. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee was supposed to hold a vote today on whether to favorably report him to the full Senate, but was prevented from doing so by Sen. Jim DeMint (D-SC) who's placed a hold both on his nomination and on the nomination of Susan Burk to be the President's Special Representative for Non-Proliferation.

The holds will last until at least the committee's business meeting next week. DeMint didn't cite any particular reason for placing them, but I've placed a call to his office asking for an explanation.

Arlen Specter

DeMint Told Specter He'd Support Toomey, Shortly Before Specter Switched

Eric Kleefeld | May 4, 2009, 1:52PM

You have to hand it to Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) -- he sure knows how to make people welcome in the GOP's big tent.

CQ reports that DeMint says he approached then-GOP Sen. Arlen Specter on April 23, and said something to him: "Arlen, it pains me to tell you this. I'm going to be supporting Pat Toomey in the primary."

DeMint recalled Specter's response: "I've heard enough." Specter did not comment much to CQ about it: "It happened in the cloakroom and not on the floor."

Five days after this conversation, with poll data showing that he would lose his Republican primary against Toomey, Arlen Specter switched to the Democratic Party.

A source close to Specter told us they were not aware of any other GOP Senators who said what DeMint did, and Specter hasn't mentioned any.

Arlen Specter

Inhofe: Specter Switch Is 'Evidence' America Is Rebelling Against 'Far-Left Agenda'

Brian Beutler | May 4, 2009, 10:11AM

Amid a par-for-the-course Sunday screed against the idea of repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) veered haphazardly into delusional territory:

There is no evidence more visible that the American people are already rebelling against the far-left agenda than Senator Arlen Specter switching parties to become a Democrat [sic]. He did this for one reason, and that is his advisers told him he couldn't retain his Senate seat as a Republican. In other words, the same people who supported Senator Specter six years ago have soundly rejected him today.

Ah yes. Additionally, the Democratic sweeps of 2006 and 2008 are clear signs that the country doesn't want gays serving in the military. And this public opinion poll showing that a clear majority of Americans favor repealing DADT is a strong warning to Democrats that they repeal the policy at their peril. Of course, some Republican leaders claim that Americans are fleeing "far-left" corners of the country for fear of forced unionization (a trend that caused Specter to become a Democrat by magic), so by that standard, Inhofe's remarks are borderline reasonable.

Arlen Specter

Snowe: The GOP Did Leave Specter Behind

Brian Beutler | April 29, 2009, 11:48AM

As I noted below, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) thinks the Republican party will be fine as long as it embraces "mainstream" Americans like Pat Toomey, who stick to their laurels and don't push conservative voters on to a trail of tears to the South. Perhaps Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) will turn to that advice for when, as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, he addresses the question, which he raised yesterday, of how to turn the GOP into a national party once more. Or perhaps he'll pay more attention to Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), who wrote penned for the New York Times a counterpoint of sorts to Jim DeMint's bizarre interpretation of Arlen Specter's move into the Democratic party.

"Republicans [have] turned a blind eye to the iceberg under the surface," she wrote, "failing to undertake the re-evaluation of our inclusiveness as a party that could have forestalled many of the losses we have suffered."

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