Pelosi Not Taking Anymore Republican Crap

Nancy Pelosi is taking the fight directly to the repubs. It seems that there has been some "hypocrisy" on the part of repubs. It turns out that repubs, who voted no on the stimulus bill, are taking credit for the money going back to their districts coming from the stimulus.

"In a rare rebuke from the speaker, Pelosi is taking direct aim at individual Republicans, hinting at hypocrisy in their opposition to the stimulus package the saying it provided hundreds of thousands of their constituents tax cuts."

Well, it's about time. The dems message has been horrible and they need to find something to chip away at the repubs message of the bill being a waste of money. The repubs have been united and the dems fragmented on how to get things done. Repubs obstruct and dems legislate. Does the public know this? No. That is the problem. The message has been hijacked and the dems are to blame. Take the fight to the doorstep of every republican hypocrite.

Pelosi's Miscalculation

Tucked in the health care bill is a bit of a poison pill for dems. In it is the Stupak ammendment, named after Bart Stupak, dem from Michigan, that would not fund abortions in the public option but also not pay for private plans that fund abortions. (A HUGE overreach by government)

There is a provision already on the books that's called the Hyde amendment that bars using federal funds for abortions. (passed in 1976) This simple amendment could have been used and all would have gone gingerly. But in trying to win support from about 10 house dems to pass the bill, she might have inadvertently sunk the bill.

To many progressives, even myself, this is way too much. If it is going to be in the bill, it needs to be scaled back to the Hyde amendment and not such a big reach into the private lives of women.

What are the consequences for putting this in the bill? From Politico:

"Abortion-rights advocates are calling in the cavalry to help fight off an anti-abortion provision House Democratic leaders swallowed in order to win passage of their health care reform bill. Planned Parenthood summoned 80 progressive groups to plot strategy for keeping the anti-abortion amendment — named for sponsors Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and Joseph Pitts (R-Pa.) — out of a final health care bill."

Pelosi has a HELL of a job to do. To try and navigate this huge bill through the house while trying to appease everyone in her caucus is a huge task but you really don't want to be fighting your base in this debate. Pelosi, in her zeal to get the bill passed, might have miscalculated.

House Passes Health Care Bill

The house passed a sweeping health care bill on saturday. Not since Medicare in the 60's have dems been able to pass any major health bill. It was a monumental moment and the words like "historic" get easily thrown around. People should really take a step back and look at what is going down in Washington. It is real legislation. A type that only comes around in a generation. This is history and it feels good to be watch it transpire and being apart of it in some way.

Nancy Pelosi knocked it out of the part. The ball is in Harry Reids court.

Nancy Pelosi Kicking Butt

It has been a while since I have felt empowered by a political figure. Obama was a start but proof is in the pudding. I find that the proof I was looking for is in Nancy Pelosi. She is doing everything she can to put the public option in the health care bill.

From TPM:

"Pelosi's pulling out all the stops to pass a health care reform bill with a public option that pays providers at rates slightly higher than Medicare--even if it means she has to squeak a bill out of the House with the barest majority. Since the beginning of the push to pass reform, the public option has been at the center of the fight, pitting Republicans, moderates, and major industry stakeholders against an extremely determined majority of Democrats, progressive interest groups, and the public at large."

I have heard Obama say he wants the public option in the bill but is not requiring it. I have to state the obvious. What a wuss! There are certain things you fight for as a dem and one of the biggest is health care. While I am not saying Obama hasn't fought for this. His fence riding on the public option is infuriating. I worked for this moment. Called people during elections, gave money, and started this blog all for moments like these when we do something that is right for this country and who do I see doing it. The Rep from San Fran.

This needs to get passed. 20 years from now when my kids don't have to worry about health insurance while in college and when people aren't going bankrupt from medical bills, I will look back on these months.

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.

House Passes Climate Change Bill

With a vote of 219-212, House dems narrowly passed the climate change bill Obama was calling for during his election campaign. Why was it so close? The idea was to pass it with the bare minimum of necessary votes as to allow some dems cover so they could vote no on it.

From Politico:

"But the all-hands-on-deck effort to protect politically vulnerable Democrats by corralling the minimum number of votes to pass the bill, 219-212, proves that there are limits to President Barack Obama's ability to use his popularity to push through his legislative agenda. Forty-four Democrats voted against the bill, while just eight Republicans crossed the aisle to back it."

This is good for Pelosi, Obama, and the two sponsors/writers of the bill House Energy and Commerce committee chairman Henry Waxman (D-Ca.) and Massachusetts Rep. Edward Markey (D)

There is a loooonnnngggg way to go in the senate. Often, these type of good bills go to the senate and get all screwed up. So we will see what the senate does with the bill. Don't cross hold your breath.

Pelosi Taking Tortue to the Next Level

I am not quite sure what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is doing. She has raised the stakes on the torture problem but I am not sure if it was on purpose. On Wednesday, she said the CIA had lied to congress about whether or not waterboarding/torture was being used back in 2002. She says that the CIA did not inform her about torture when the CIA says they told her directly.

I don't know who is right but for Pelosi, a veteran politician, to say that the CIA "lied" is big. Politicians who get to this level generally do not make eronious statements. They are always calculating for a goal they have in mind. The only goal this brings about is an investigation and she called for one.

The problem is that Obama has already said he doesn't support this. So what is she doing? Is she defending herself and her word by calling the CIA liars or does she really want a truth commission. Who knows.

The Post has an article on the subject:

"Pelosi's performance in the Capitol was either a calculated escalation of a long-running feud with the Bush administration or a reckless act by a politician whose word had been called into question. Perhaps it was both."

There is another question. Why is the GOP attacking her? The GOP is viciously attacking Pelosi only increasing the call for a truth commission. The last thing the GOP needs is a commission investigating the Bush's toture policy and who was complicit.

Overall, this is all very confusing.