According to everything I've read in the past hour (certainly not a comprehensive scan), Joe Biden introduced President Obama for the signing of health care legislation this morning, turned and embraced him, and said "This is a big fucking deal"… and all that was captured by the microphone at the podium on live TV. Still, from the videos which supposedly caught … Read More
Selected Responses To Health Care Reform… From The Right Wing Rank-And-File
Early on the morning of March 19, someone threw a brick through the window of Rep. Louise Slaughter's office in Niagara Falls, New York, doing $350 of damage, the Buffalo News reported. Slaughter (D-NY) briefly attracted the ire of conservatives over the "Slaughter Solution," a procedural maneuver that was considered (but, ultimately, not used) to pass health reform. Also in … Read More
Other Conservative Parties and Health Care
The founding principles of the Conservative Party of Canada: A belief that all Canadians should have reasonable access to quality health care regardless of their ability to pay; The policy agenda of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom: As the party of the NHS, we will never change the idea at the heart of our NHS – that healthcare … Read More
The GOP Not Done Fighting Against Health Care Reform
Looking around the internets, there seem to be two ways that the GOP intends to undo what has been done. (1) Constitutional challenge to the law itself. Several state attorneys general plan to file a lawsuit challenging the newly passed law, on the grounds that the federal government cannot constitutionally require citizens to purchase health insurance. Without getting too deep … Read More
How Much You Want To Bet Glenn Beck Cries On TV Today?
Just asking…. UPDATE: Perhaps a better question would be: "Will Rush Limbaugh now move to Costa Rica?" UPDATE #2: Digby has the pushback for the whiny wingers: The teabaggers are all upset that the Democrats passed a bill without any Republican votes. Evidently, this makes it illegitimate and unconstitutional. I'm not surprised they think this. They get their constitutional instruction … Read More
About The Most Sweeping Piece of Social Legislation in Decades
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