memeorandum: Those lucrative interest-rate hedges (Felix Salmon)

3:35 PM ET, November 5, 2009

Top Items:

Daniel Libit / The Politico:

Bachmann calls for ‘scare’ tactics — In a conference call Wednesday night with bloggers and activists for the advocacy group Americans for Prosperity, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) called on protesters to “scare” members of Congress into killing the proposed health care reform bill.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, TPMDC, Think Progress, The Swamp, Left Coast Rebel, Lance Mannion, Wake up America, The Note, Hullabaloo, Crooks and Liars, Daily Kos, Raw Story, New York Magazine, skippy the bush kangaroo, AMERICAblog News, Hot Dish Politics and George's Bottom Line

Michelle Malkin:

Battling Pelosicare; Update: Thousands descend on D.C., “You work for us!” — Scroll for updates... Protest signs at the Capitol — House Republicans are holding a 12-hour live online telecast today starting at 1pm Eastern to expose the perils and pitfalls of Pelosicare — and to spotlight the GOP alternative.

Discussion: CNSNews, The Foundry, Washington Wire, Republican Leader John Boehner, And So it Goes in Shreveport, Wizbang, Nice Deb and The Politico

Jim Hoft / Gateway Pundit:

It's On and IT'S MASSIVE- “Kill the Bill Rally” In DC! — Ed Schultz sends these photos from the steps of the US Capital— ** CSPAN 3 has a live video stream from the rally. — Truth Czar Rep. Joe Wilson is currently speaking. There are a number of conservative Congressmen …

Discussion: Power Line, Instapundit and Weasel Zippers

The Note:

Protesters Arrested at Lieberman's Office — ABC's Z. Byron Wolf reports: — It is protest day, for the Left and the Right, on Capitol Hill. — First out of the gate - 8 Protesters backing a universal health care system briefly occupied Sen. Joe Lieberman's office this morning.

Discussion: Raw Story, TPM LiveWire, Nice Deb, New Haven Independent, RedState, The Powers That Be, MoJo Blog Posts and Wonkette

The Politico:

Tea parties descend on Capitol — Thousands of Tea Party activists descended on Washington Thursday to protest the trillion dollar health care bill and government spending, holding signs protesting Barack Obama's agenda while aiming chants of “you work for us” at the Capitol building.

Discussion: Political Punch, Wilshire & Washington, YID With LID and Gawker

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

NOTE THE DATE.... Today, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) hopes to lead a small army of right-wing activists around Capitol Hill, in the hopes of derailing health care reform. But let's not lose sight of the context here — Bachmann has already referred to anti-reform activists as “insurgents” and “freedom fighters.”

Discussion: Confederate Yankee, Raw Story, TPMDC, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Little Green Footballs, The Politico and The Washington Independent

Patricia Murphy / Politics Daily:
Michele Bachmann's Capitol House Call: ‘Get Your Hands Off My Health Care!’

Discussion: Washington Post, Prescriptions, Top of the Ticket, Indecision Forever and American Power

Philip Rucker / Capitol Briefing:
Nine arrested in Hart Building ahead of health care protest

Discussion: Prescriptions, Firedoglake, TPMDC, Don Surber and Runnin' Scared

Jim Hoft / Gateway Pundit: Michele Bachmann Rallies Troops Before Massive DC Protest (Audio-Video)

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

WEAK KNEES KEEP SHAKING.... In Tuesday's congressional races, voters sent two more House Democrats to Congress, expanding an already-large Democratic majority on the Hill. In 2008, the electorate made a House Democratic majority bigger, and in 2009, Dems went five for five in special elections, making that majority bigger still.

Discussion: The Politico, New York Times, McClatchy Washington Bureau, Los Angeles Times, Daily Kos, DownWithTyranny!, Blue Virginia, No More Mister Nice Blog, YID With LID, Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!, Jules Crittenden, The Reaction, Prairie Weather and Eschaton

The Politico:

‘We got walloped’ — Two big questions loom in the wake of the 2009 elections. The first is whether Barack Obama learned anything new about American voters. The second is whether American voters will soon learn something new about Obama. — For a president who likes always …

Discussion: New York Times, CNN, Wall Street Journal, James Pethokoukis, Washington Post, Moe_Lane's blog, Wake up America, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Hill, Commentary, Taylor Marsh and The Note

Larry J. Sabato / Sabato's Crystal Ball:

Sabato's Fun Facts—Election '09 — The following “fun facts” are presented as instant analysis of the November 3 election for the Crystal Ball's readers, straight from the mouth of U.Va. Center for Politics Director Larry J. Sabato, with the editorial assistance of Isaac Wood:

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight, Blue Virginia, Liberal Values and Facing South

Michael Barone / Wall Street Journal:
Tuesday's Biggest Loser: the Union Agenda

Discussion: Jules Crittenden, GayPatriot, Commentary and Marathon Pundit

Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
So much Obama damage control that David Axelrod even talks to Fox News

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, Political Punch, Real Clear Politics and Los Angeles Times

Washington Post:
Democrats debate Obama agenda's impact on Democratic Party

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight, Suburban Guerrilla, Swampland, Bloomberg, Associated Press, msnbc.com and The Politico

David S. Broder / Washington Post:
Election defeats may spell midterm disaster for Democrats

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Bloomberg, Firedoglake, Commentary, Capitol Briefing and Bark Bark Woof Woof

Ezra Klein:

Congressional Budget Office Thrashes Republican Health-Care Plan — Republicans are learning an unpleasant lesson this morning: The only thing worse than having no health-care reform plan is releasing a bad one, getting thrashed by CBO and making the House Democrats look good in comparison.

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, The Hill, Firedoglake, Blog entry and MoJo Blog Posts

Susan Ferrechio / Washington Examiner:

CBO: Republican health plan would reduce premiums, cut deficit — The Congressional Budget Office Wednesday night released its cost analysis of the Republican health care plan and found that it would reduce health care premiums and cut the deficit by $68 billion over ten years.

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, The Daily Dish, Clayton Cramer's BLOG, Commentary and Maggie's Farm

Douglas Elmendorf / Director's Blog:
A Preliminary Analysis of a Substitute Amendment to H.R. 3962 …

Discussion: Hot Air, The New Republic, Wake up America, Angry Bear and The Washington Independent

GOP Leader Blog:
Speaker Pelosi's Government-Run Health Plan Will Require a Monthly Abortion Premium

Discussion: House Republicans Read …, Confederate Yankee and Weasel Zippers

The Note:

Steele to Republicans Who Support Obama: 'We'll Come After You' — ABC News' Rick Klein reports: RNC Chairman Michael Steele has been endorsing a “big tent” approach to recruiting candidates for 2010, emphasizing the need to find candidates who fit the needs of individual districts.

Discussion: Think Progress, Washington Monthly, msnbc.com, TPM LiveWire and The Hill

Alexander Mooney / CNN:

Crist says he never backed stimulus measure — (CNN) - Florida Gov. Charlie Crist tells CNN he never endorsed President Obama's $787 billion stimulus measure, in what appears to be the latest effort by the Florida Republican to distance himself from the president as he seeks his party's Senate nomination.

Discussion: Think Progress, The Note, Washington Monthly, Glenn Thrush's Blog, The Atlantic Politics Channel and Eye on 2010

Adam Nagourney / New York Times:

Energized G.O.P. Looks to Avoid Party Feud — WASHINGTON — Republicans emerged from Tuesday's elections energized by victories in Virginia and New Jersey, but their leaders immediately began maneuvering to avoid a prolonged battle with conservative activists over what the party stands for and how to regain power.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Caucus, Blogs and Stories, msnbc.com, American Power, USA Today, MoJo Blog Posts, The Note and The Page

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Steele to moderates: 'We'll come after you'

Discussion: Ezra Klein and The Page

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:

Huckabee, Romney, Palin See Most Republican Support for '12 — Huckabee, Romney viewed as most qualified of possible Republican presidential candidates — PRINCETON, NJ — Looking ahead to the 2012 presidential election, 71% of Republicans say they would seriously consider voting for Mike Huckabee.

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, Politics Daily, The Hill, Hot Dish Politics, New York Magazine, The Page and Real Clear Politics

Ezra Klein:
Remember ol' Dixie

Discussion: Democracy in America and MoJo Blog Posts

Faiz Shakir / Think Progress:

Right-wing protesters at GOP rally display prominent sign tying health care to the Holocaust. — ThinkProgress' Lee Fang snapped this photograph of a prominent sign being displayed at today's GOP anti-health care rally. It's unclear whether this sign is one of the many being handed …

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias

Fama/French Forum:

Q&A: Is Market Efficiency the Culprit? — Justin Fox ("The Myth of the Rational Market") and many other financial writers claim that much of the blame for the financial meltdown is attributable to a misguided faith in market efficiency that encouraged market participants to accept security prices …

Discussion: The Curious Capitalist

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Did Financial Innovation Cause Deng Xiaoping's Economic Reforms?

Discussion: Paul Krugman

Paul Thompson / Daily Mail:

Michelle Obama to star with Nigella Lawson as she becomes first presidential wife to appear on a reality show — Michelle Obama is to be the first presidential wife to appear on a reality TV series. — The First Lady will make a guest appearance on ‘Iron Chef America’ which features British cook Nigella Lawson as a judge.

Discussion: Gateway Pundit, No More Mister Nice Blog, JammieWearingFool and Weasel Zippers

Reuters:

IAEA found nothing serious at Iran site: ElBaradei — VIENNA (Reuters) - U.N. inspectors found “nothing to be worried about” in a first look at a previously secret uranium enrichment site in Iran last month, the International Atomic Energy chief said in remarks published Thursday.

Discussion: JammieWearingFool and Truthdig

Mike Allen / The Politico:

Sen. Snowe: Tuesday's results ‘certainly gives pause on how you approach’ health reform - Yanks are world champs — BIRTHDAYS: Autumn Hanna VandeHei, the hottest and smartest wife-mother-friend (boot tip: Jimmy) ... Sloan Rappaport big 4-0 birthday (hat tip: Margaret and Freddie) …

Discussion: TPMDC, The Plum Line, Washington Post and Swampland

Nicholas D. Kristof / New York Times:

Unhealthy America — The moment of truth for health care is at hand, and the distortion that perhaps gets the most traction is this: … That self-aggrandizing delusion may be the single greatest myth in the health care debate. In fact, America's health care system is worse than Slov—er, oops, more on that later.

Discussion: FP Passport, DailyHowler.com and The Mahablog

New York Times:

The Vote for Mayor, Block by Block — Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg won re-election Tuesday, but voters were less enthusiastic about him than the last time he ran in 2005. The mayor did well in high-income white areas of Manhattan and Queens, and also in election districts dominated by immigrants, like Flushing and Brighton Beach.

Discussion: The Awl and New York Magazine

Adam D. Krauss / Foster's Daily Democrat:

Fresh on the heels of repeal in Maine, N.H. may reconsider gay marriage — DOVER — Now that gay marriage has been defeated in Maine, attention again shifts to New Hampshire, where lawmakers say momentum from Tuesday's vote may fuel legislation to repeal the state's law and give voters a say.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog

AARP:

AARP Endorses Affordable Health Care for America Act — AARP Media Relations, 202-434-2560, media@aarp.org — “As members of the House gear up for this historic vote, they will hear from older Americans” — WASHINGTON—Today AARP announced its endorsement of the Affordable Health Care for America Act …

Discussion: The Greenroom and MyDD

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:

NYC Population By Borough — I forget what I was trying to prove when I started working on this chart yesterday morning, but late yesterday afternoon I realized there was a 90 percent finished visual display of data on my computer so I figured I might as well finish it:

Discussion: Megan McArdle

Mike Soraghan / The Hill:

Pelosi: ‘We will’ have the votes to pass healthcare bill by Saturday — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi predicted Thursday she will have the votes to pass the Democratic healthcare bill by Saturday. — The statement, however, is a tacit acknowledgement that she doesn't have them yet.

Discussion: The Note, ABCNEWS and The Swamp