New dawn. And yet, somehow, we're still a democracy. The iron fist of Stalin is nowhere to be found. People got up today and went to work, just like last week. Only this time, they go to work knowing a few things have changed. Here is what is coming online immediately or within the first six months: Adult children may … Read More
Health Care Reform To Pass House
A deal between Obama and Stupak have sealed it. The Democrats have enough votes to pass health care reform through the House. The "deal" consists of an executive order to be signed by Obama saying that the government cannot spend money to fund abortions, which is already that law, but Stupak needed more assurance, so now he has it. As … Read More
Ugly Tea Baggers
(1) In New Hampshire: Shouting down the health care reform vote that will benefit working class families and small businesses all across the country isn't the only teabagger activity of choice today. Here in New Hampshire, people passing by the State House earlier today were treated to the "Don't Tread on Me Flag" flag flying proudly beside a "White Pride" … Read More
From The Anti-Health Care Rally In D.C. Earlier This Week
I know I'm throwing out a lot of video today, but this one is particularly good. It's another on-the-street interview with anti-health care protesters in D.C., conducted by New Left Media (which actually is two undergrad journalism students, who produce good stuff). On the one hand, it's about what you would expect. These people really hate health care reform. What … Read More
Parkinson’s Guy At Tea Party Rally Speaks Out
Remember that guy in Ohio a few days ago who was harrassed and mocked by anti-health reform teabaggers at a rally, when they learned he had Parkinson's? Not a communist. Not someone looking for a handout. He's a former muclear physicist with a doctorate from Cornell. He tells his story: Bob, the man with Parkinson's who was targeted by the Tea Partiers, … Read More
Redneck Congressman Equates Health Care Reform With The “Great War of Yankee Aggression.”
Yeehaw, y'all: Jesus Christ, you guys LOST. Get over it.
Key Votes In Play
Undecided Dems Who Voted 'No' On The House Health Care Bill John Tanner (D-TN), Brian Baird (D-WA), Jason Altmire (D-PA), Suzanne Kosmas (D-FL), Jim Matheson (D-UT), Glenn Nye (D-VA), Scott Murphy (D-NY), Harry Teague (D-NM), John Boccieri (D-OH), Rick Boucher (D-VA) Undecided Dems Who Voted 'Yes' On The House Health Care Bill Many of the undecideds who previously voted "yes" … Read More
Voting On The Sabbath
Steve King and Glenn Back are outraged: Voting for health reform on Sunday is ‘an affront to God.' KING: They intend to vote on the Sabbath, during Lent, to take away the liberty that we have right from God. […] BECK: You couldn't have said it better. Here is a group of people that have so perverted our faith and … Read More
Getting to “Yes” is Easy Now
As discussed below, the CBO scoring on the House health care bill is a god-send for reform advocates, making many Democrats in the House "giddy". Ezra Klein asks the right question: given the excellent report (which the GOP is still struggling to countermand), won't it be difficult for wavering House Democrats to vote "no"? Won't it be substantively difficult for … Read More
CBO Report Out
As I mentioned yesterday, we're at the moment-of-truth for health care reform passage in the House, and it's a nailbiter. In order to pass, a lot of Democrats neeed convincing (many are on the fence, and it is assumed that all House Republicans will vote "no"). A lot of wavering Democrats were concerned about whether HCR would explode the deficit. … Read More
Lies
The wingers are now making up studies in their desperate, last-ditch effort to kill health reform bill. On Fox & Friends, co-host Brian Kilmeade said: "The New England Journal of Medicine has published a report and did a survey, and they said the impact of reform on primary care physicians, 46 percent, they say, feel reform will force them out … Read More
Stay Classy, Anti-Health Care Reform People
Supporters and opponents of health care reform assembled outside Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy's (D-Ohio) office yesterday, and it was quite contentious. Present was a man holding a sign, explaining that he has Parkinson's and needs health care reform to pass. When he sat on the pavement near the reform opponents, a conservative activist proceeded to lecture the man: "You're looking … Read More
Where We Are With Health Care Reform
Well, the bottom line is this: after moments of debate and Tea Party protests and misinformation and subcommittee reports, etc., Congress is getting set to vote on health care reform. That's where we're at. Oh, I supposed I could talk about the minutae of parliamentary procedures, like everybody else, but your eyes will glaze over. Basically, Democrats in the House … Read More
Two Pictures Of A Thousand Words
Nate Silver at 538 did something kind of clever: Gallup did something pretty cool in connection with their latest health care survey, which was to provide the verbatim responses (.xls) of the rationales given by people who would tell their Congressman to vote for or against the current health care bills, respectively. I ran the responses through Wordle, a word-cloud … Read More
Tom Toles Is Right
Just wait a couple years and this will happen: By the way, I'm well-aware that health care reform is — finally, after months of debating — on the doorstep. And whether it passes the House or not — well, Democrats think they have the votes, but nobody knows for sure. Obama is working the phones getting the Democrats in line; … Read More