Bipartisan Health Care Bill Shouldn't Be An Option

It amazes me how Obama, faced with soooooo many no votes by the GOP, still is trying to make a bipartisan health care bill. Even if the GOP had a couple of representatives open to the idea, the GOP leadership is never going to let repubs vote for this bill.

Does it matter? No. Dems have the votes and sometimes leadership is hard. It needs to be done. From George Stephanopoulos:

"As a fall back plan, Democrats on Capitol Hill are planning to go this alone. That will increase the chance that we'll see Obama's public option in the bill."

And so it should be. While there has been major push for a bill without the public option. Many dems are pushing back saying they won't vote for a bill without the public option. I don't think I have ever seen such a long drawn-out tug of war. The feel I get though is that the public option is getting into the bill and will likely get passed. That's if the senate doesn't screw it up.

CIA Did Mislead Congress

CIA director Panetta has now admitted to misleading congress for the past several years about their interrogation methods. In some instinces the CIA "concealed significant actions".

This comes as good news for Nancy Pelosi who accused the CIA of lying to congress. It turns out that the CIA has been doing this since 2001.

The questions that need to be answered are:

1. How often did it occur?
2. Was this CIA policy?
3. Were they told to lie?

The issue of CIA misleading/lying needs to be addressed.

Jobless Rate Climbs

With Joe Biden's admission that they had underestimated how bad the economy was going, Obama faces growing skepticism about his handling of the economy. With May's huge unemployment numbers it seemed that Obama might have the beginnings of an upheaval within his own party as dems start to get skittish about the economy and possible fodder for repubs.

Moderately good news:

"Initial jobless claims fell by 52,000 to 565,000, a lower level than forecast, in the week ended July 4, from a revised 617,000 the prior week, the Labor Department said today in Washington. Meanwhile, the number of people collecting unemployment insurance jumped to a record in the prior week."

While people still lossed their jobs, it was the lowest all year and below expectations. This doesn't get Obama off the hook.

From Hillary Clinton's pollster Mark Penn:

"Unless some tough decisions are made soon, rising jobless figures will most likely hit what could be a public opinion and political tripwire: 10 percent unemployment.

If and when the country crosses that line, it will be the No. 1 news story for days, recent stock market gains could recede, and consumer confidence will fall. And whether or not the economic crisis is coming to an end, such a high unemployment level has the potential to undermine the hard-won confidence enjoyed by the Obama administration. The Republicans will quickly claim all we have is more debt and fewer jobs. "

The problem is that if it does hit 10% it will start to drag other things down like the stock market. He can no longer claim that he inherited this economy. The economy is now his. Whether it is fair or not. He now owns it.

He needs to get that stimulus money out faster. Get people in jobs and all this will go away.

Franken Taking Oath

Here he is in all his glory. I kinda teared up.

Repubs Are The Bureaucrat Between You and Your Doctor

The repub talking point against the public option is they don't want a bureaucrat between a patient and a doctor. Then comes this from Think Progress:

"The Senate Finance Committee has been writing a health care reform bill and struggling to create legislation that will have bipartisan support. Chairman Max Baucus considered several compromises to win Republican support, so they can claim it is bipartisan legislation. One of these potential compromises comes in the form of an abortion exclusion, which would prevent abortion services from being covered by some or all insurance plans in the Health Insurance Exchange. We fear that members of the Senate Finance Committee are considering such a compromise."

The repubs just became what they said they didn't want, a middle man. There is no way this will be considered. Not on political reasons but because if dems are true about the public option, there can, in no way, be a bureaucrat telling you which treatments you can get.

However, I do find it ironic repubs are already starting to pick which services will/won't be available in the public option. An option they DON'T support.

Franken On The Job

Check out the presser with Franken and Reid. Reid talks about how Franken is going to be a "work horse and not a show horse."

Alec Baldwin Interested in Public Office

Recently, in a Playboy interview, Alec Baldwin was asked about political office and he was warm to the idea.

"I’ll put it this way. The desire is there; that’s one component. The other component is opportunity."

He talks later about taking on Lieberman. Too late, Lieberman won't be back after the next election. He rolled the dice with McCain and came up well short of anything.

Sara Palin Quits

Alaska Governor Sara Palin annouced her resignation on Friday 7/3. Why? No one knows. The biggest thing that stands out for me is that a Repub is quitting. There are no scandals, investigations or family reasons.

In her announcement, she rambled on about this and that but never really stated why she's quitting. While the speculations are numerous, here are some choice quotes about her resignation.

The Times:

"In her tone and some of her words in an often-rambling announcement, she sounded like someone who was making a permanent exit from politics after what her friends have called a rough and dispiriting year.

But her remarks, delivered in a voice that often seemed rushed and jittery, sounded at times like those of a candidate with continued national aspirations, as when she suggested she could 'fight for all our children’s future from outside the governor’s office.'"

The Huffpo:

"I have said Sarah Palin's political ambition combined with her intellect is like putting a jet engine on a golf cart; lots of horse power and no steering capabilities. Today she proved it."

Maureen Dowd:

“On the shore of Lake Lucille, with wild fowl honking and the First Dude smiling, with Piper in the foreground and their Piper Cub in the background, the woman who took the Republican Party by storm only 10 months ago gave an incoherent, breathless and prickly stream of consciousness to a small group in her Wasilla yard. Gobsmacked Alaska politicians, Republican big shots, the national press, her brother, the D.C. lawyer who helped create her political action committee and yes, even Fox News, played catch-up."

Overall, she left everyone guessing. Which is good in politics.