memeorandum: Obama leaning toward 34,000 more troops for Afghanistan (McClatchy Washington Bureau)

12:10 PM ET, November 8, 2009

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House Democrats Who Voted Against the Health Care Bill — Lawmakers in the House voted 220 to 215 on Saturday night to approve a sweeping overhaul of the nation's health care system. Only one Republican voted for the bill, and 39 Democrats opposed it, including 24 members of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition.

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, Eye on 2010, MyDD, Shot in the Dark, The Plum Line, The Political Carnival and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Chris Frates / The Politico:

Democratic no votes — House Democratic leadership saw 39 of their members vote against the bill and, with one Republican yes vote, Democrats passed sweeping health reform legislation 220-215. While the reasons these Democrats have offered for opposing the $1.2 trillion bill vary …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and The Hill

New York Times:

Sweeping Health Care Plan Passes House — WASHINGTON — Handing President Obama a hard-fought victory, the House narrowly approved a sweeping overhaul of the nation's health care system on Saturday night, advancing legislation that Democrats said could stand as their defining social policy achievement.

Discussion: Prescriptions, JustOneMinute, The Confluence, Comments from Left Field, naked capitalism, Outside The Beltway, Ezra Klein, Gothamist, CANNONFIRE, Right Wing Nut House, Gawker, Below The Beltway, TPM LiveWire, marbury, The Other McCain, Wonkette, MyDD and American Power

Washington Post:

House passes key hurdle on health-care legislation — Debate expected to last at least four hours, vote on landmark reform scheduled this evening — After receiving a pep talk from President Obama, House Democrats cleared a key procedural hurdle Saturday in the debate over expanding …

Discussion: Climate Progress, The Foundry, The Washington Independent, The Fix, Taylor Marsh, Power Line, Freedom's Lighthouse, Weasel Zippers, Newsweek Blogs, The Page, Blue Virginia and Think Progress

Jennifer Rubin / Commentary:

Re: What We Know About the Health-Care Bill — John, what we also know is that this bill is so flawed and so potentially toxic with all but committed liberals that now at least 34 moderate and conservative Democrats have jumped ship. Republican leaders can claim with some credibility …

Discussion: The Politico and Maggie's Farm

New York Times:
Abortion Was at Heart of Wrangling

Discussion: Taylor Marsh and jillstanek.com

Amy Sullivan / Swampland:
Anatomy of a Health Reform Deal

Discussion: The New Republic, marbury, MoJo Blog Posts, The Reaction and Weekly Standard

The Huffington Post:
Obama To Dems: GOP Will Attack Regardless Of How You Vote

Discussion: Open Congress, Associated Press, The Reaction, Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!, The Plum Line, msnbc.com, Crooks and Liars, Open Left, Washington Monthly, MyDD, Daily Kos and The Politico

Michelle Malkin:

Health care takeover roll call vote — and what GOP Rep. Joseph Cao got from Obama; Plus: Organizing for America hustles more money — The final 220-215 roll call vote on passage of the House Dems' government health care takeover bill is here. — And here is the 240-194 roll call vote …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Scared Monkeys, Pundit & Pundette, Cassy Fiano, GayPatriot, SEIU, Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!, Macsmind, The Corner on National …, The Nation, The Other McCain, Riehl World View, Townhall.com and Daily Pundit

Joseph Cao:

Cao Votes for “Life”; Achieves Legislation to Protect the Health of All Americans — Tonight, Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao (LA-2) voted in favor of the comprehensive health reform bill, H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. — Of his vote, Cao said: “Tonight …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Washington Monthly, The Swamp, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The washington times Blogs, And So it Goes in Shreveport, USCCB Media Blog and TPMDC

Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:

The GOP vote: Why Cao said ‘yes’ — Despite his promise to replicate his first legislative victory as whip, when all Republicans in the House opposed President Barack Obama's economic stimulus bill, Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) was not able to produce unanimous GOP opposition on the healthcare measure.

Discussion: New Orleans Times-Picayune

Alex Koppelman / Salon:

Republican votes for House Dems' health bill — Both sides lobbied hard to win over Louisiana Rep. Joseph Cao, but he ultimately crossed the aisle — House Republicans have been remarkably unified this year, sticking together on all of the big votes and ensuring that Democrats don't have any bipartisan cover whatsoever.

Jackie Kucinich / Roll Call:
Cao May Be Sole GOP Vote In Favor of Health Bill

Discussion: Wonk Room, Talking Points Memo and Raw Story

Jeffrey Goldberg:

When Muslims Commit Violence — A consensus seems to have formed here at The Atlantic that the Ft. Hood massacre means not very much at all. Megan McArdle writes that “there is absolutely no political lesson to be learned from this.” James Fallows says: “The shootings never mean anything.

Discussion: The Other McCain, Below The Beltway, ParaPundit and American Power

Telegraph:

Fort Hood shooting: Texas army killer linked to September 11 terrorists — Major Nidal Malik Hasan worshipped at a mosque led by a radical imam said to be a “spiritual adviser” to three of the hijackers who attacked America on Sept 11, 2001. — Hasan, the sole suspect in the massacre …

Discussion: Power Line, Pajamas Media, Fausta's Blog, National Post, Associated Press, The Jawa Report, Washington Post, American Power, JammieWearingFool, Chicago Boyz, Atlas Shrugs, YID With LID, ATTACKERMAN, New York Post, Nice Deb, Weasel Zippers and New York Times

Michael Moss / msnbc.com:
Muslims at Fort Hood voice outrage

Discussion: NO QUARTER, Associated Press, Gateway Pundit and Stars & Stripes

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Report: Hasan attended same radical mosque as 9/11 hijackers …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Telegraph, Power Line, Michelle Malkin, The Jawa Report, American Power, Atlas Shrugs, Moe_Lane's blog, Pajamas Media and Classical Values

Rayne / Firedoglake:

Stupak Amendment Passes; 64 Dems Ask for Primary Opponents — [Ed. note: At 11:01 p.m. ET we are now watching the final vote for H.R. 3962, the health care bill itself. Stay tuned here for more coverage.] — Do you like that headline? Because that's what I'm feeling right …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Crooks and Liars, The Reaction and Ezra Klein

TCOT REPORT 2009©:
President Obama Acknowledged Today That He and Bill Owens Pulled …

Discussion: Prescriptions and American Power

Rayne / Firedoglake:
H.R. 3962 Health Care Bill Passes

Discussion: American Street, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES and The Agonist

Jim Hoft / Gateway Pundit:
Dems PASS Nationalized Health Care Bill (Video)

Discussion: Dr. Helen

Jason Rosenbaum / NOW! Blog:
Call today to defeat the Stupak anti-abortion amendment

Discussion: the albany project, Open Left, Firedoglake, Crooks and Liars, MyDD, Prescriptions, Daily Kos and Hullabaloo

Michelle Malkin:
Liveblogging, Pt. 2: The hurry-up House debate on health care; Update: Bill Passes

Discussion: The Powers That Be, Right Pundits, Left Coast Rebel, Hot Air, Daily Pundit, Capitol Briefing, Gateway Pundit, GayPatriot and The Other McCain

McClatchy Washington Bureau:

Obama leaning toward 34,000 more troops for Afghanistan — WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is nearing a decision to send more than 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan next year, but he may not announce it until after he consults with key allies and completes a trip to Asia later this month …

Discussion: Hot Air, At-Largely, The Political Carnival, Weasel Zippers and New York Times

New York Times:
All Afghan War Options by Obama Aides Said to Call for More Troops

Discussion: Commentary, Jules Crittenden, The Page and DownWithTyranny!

Amanda Terkel / Think Progress:

Lieberman Pledges To Filibuster House Bill: The Public Option Is ‘Unnecessary’ — This morning on Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace asked Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) about the House's historic passage of health care legislation last night. Lieberman said that as a “matter of conscience …

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Blogs and Stories

The Politico:
All eyes on Reid — With the House's landmark vote complete …

Discussion: Bloomberg and Wake up America

Lee Stranahan / The Huffington Post:

Kucinich's Brave Health Vote Vs. Obama's Failed Promise — There were plenty of cowardly votes in the House last night but there was only one truly brave one. The unsung hero of the night was Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich. Despite enormous pressure to support H.R. 3962, Rep. Kucinich did the right thing and voted ‘no’.

Discussion: Newshoggers.com, Cleveland Leader and AMERICAblog News

jerrypournelle.com:

Health Care Bill Day — Unemployment is over 10%. It wasn't supposed to get that high. TARP was supposed to fix that. — Meanwhile today may be the most important vote in Congress since the days of the New Deal. If the health care bill passes, it will fundamentally convert …