Top Items:
David Espo / Associated Press:
Dems agree to drop gov't-run insurance option — WASHINGTON — Democratic senators say they have a tentative deal to drop a government-run insurance option from health care legislation. No further details were immediately available. — But liberals and moderates have been discussing an alternative …
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Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Senate tables Nelson's abortion amendment 54-45 — Senators voted Tuesday afternoon to set aside a healthcare amendment that would have curbed federal support for abortion coverage. — Senators voted to table a measure from Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Pa.) …
Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Snowe Says She Opposes Medicare Buy-In Idea — Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) says a Medicare buy-in approach will be a hard sell with her. She told reporters this afternoon that she's not inclined to support the idea, currently being discussed by liberal and conservative Democrats seeking a compromise on the public option.
Reuters:
Democrats reach deal on health plan — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Democratic negotiators said they had reached agreement on Tuesday on a compromise on a scaled-back public insurance plan in a broad healthcare overhaul and would seek cost estimates on the deal.
The Huffington Post:
Medicare Buy-In Proposal Could Begin In 2010 — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — There is “growing enthusiasm” for a proposal that would make Medicare coverage available to more consumers as early as next year, a Democratic source with knowledge of health care negotiations tells the Huffington Post.
Capitol Briefing:
Senate rejects Nelson amendment on abortion — The measure, which failed 54-45, addressed the scope of restrictions on coverage of abortion services for people who receive subsidies to buy insurance. The outcome was expected, but could cost the support of Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) …
Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Nelson: Failure Of My Abortion Amendment Makes It Harder For Me …
Nelson: Failure Of My Abortion Amendment Makes It Harder For Me …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog
Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Senators Reach Tentative Public Option Deal …
Senators Reach Tentative Public Option Deal …
Discussion:
The Washington Independent
Prescriptions:
Senate Rejects Effort to Tighten Bill's Abortion Rules
Senate Rejects Effort to Tighten Bill's Abortion Rules
Discussion:
Reuters, Associated Press, Washington Post, The Politico, Swampland, AMERICAblog News, Newsweek Blogs and Gawker
Sarah Palin / Washington Post:
Copenhagen's political science — With the publication of damaging e-mails from a climate research center in Britain, the radical environmental movement appears to face a tipping point. The revelation of appalling actions by so-called climate change experts allows the American public …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Politics Channel, Coop's Corner, Deltoid, Top of the Ticket and The Foundry
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ABCNEWS:
Massive TSA Security Breach As Agency Gives Away Its Secrets — Online Posting Reveals a “How To” for Terrorists to Get Through Airport Security — In a massive security breach, the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) inadvertently posted online its entire airport screening procedures manual …
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
My friend the president — Over the past couple of days, Andrew Sullivan has linked to and published protests from various individuals who are quite angry that people “on the left” are being so mean to President Obama, and several of them are so upset that they have decided they are “leaving the left,” whatever that might mean.
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Suzi Gablik / Virgil Speaks:
Why I'm Not a Liberal Anymore — Maybe the initial illuminating moment came when I learned that Tom Hayden, the anti-Vietnam war activist, had removed the Obama bumper sticker from his car. All I know is that I can hardly stand reading the Huffington Post these days.
John Vidal / Guardian:
Copenhagen talks in chaos after leak — Developing countries react furiously to leaked draft agreement that would hand more power to rich nations, sideline the UN's negotiating role and abandon the Kyoto protocol — The UN Copenhagen climate talks are in disarray today …
Discussion:
Hot Air, Wall Street Journal, Gateway Pundit, The Politico, NewsBusters.org, Newsweek Blogs, Grist, Plunderbund, The New Republic, The Greenroom, Donklephant, JustOneMinute, Politics Daily, Watts Up With That?, YID With LID, Confederate Yankee, Green Energy Reporter, American Power, EU Referendum, Taylor Marsh, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Vox Popoli, Samizdata.net, Tim Blair and Left Coast Rebel
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
House Liberals Skeptical Of Senate Proposals, Vow Not To Swallow Senate Compromise — With negotiations dragging on in the Senate, a central topic emerging on Capitol Hill is the intense pressure House Dems are likely to feel to adopt the eventual Senate proposal, and how they're likely to react to it.
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Boston Globe:
Voters a rare sight at some polling places — With the clock ticking down towards the close of the polls at 8 p.m., some communities reported low voter turnout in the special primary elections for US Senate. — People breezed past community centers, gymnasiums, town halls …
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Andy Barr / The Politico:
Palin: Huck made ‘horrible decision’ — Sarah Palin says former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee made a “horrible decision” nine years ago in granting clemency to a man suspected of killing four police officers two weeks ago in Washington state. — “It was a bad decision obviously …
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Ben Armbruster / Think Progress:
Huckabee: A ‘Big Tent’ Will ‘Kill The Conservative Movement’ — In the wake of two devastating losses in the 2006 and 2008 elections, and the intra-party dispute surrounding the special election last month in New York's 23rd Congressional District, many Republican Party leaders have argued for a “big tent” GOP in order to regain power.
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Robert Reich / Robert Reich's Blog:
The President's Job's Initiative Doesn't Measure Up — Barack Obama is trying once again for balance. On the one hand, he wants enough government spending to offset the timid spending of consumers and businesses. Otherwise, the jobs and wage recession could drag on for years.
Rasmussen Reports:
Most Americans Oppose Second Stimulus and Using Bailout Funds for States — President Obama hopes to use money still unspent from the $787-billion economic stimulus plan to fight the nation's 10% unemployment rate, and one of the ideas on the table is to channel money to states to keep them from laying off public employees.
Lara Friedman / Americans for Peace Now:
Surprise Senate Push for Iran Sanctions (So much for popular wisdom...) — As everyone who follows this issue knows, last week House leadership decided that it was time to move ahead with far-reaching, probably counter-productive Iran sanctions (HR 2194 - for APN's view on this bill, click here).
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Mark Silva / The Swamp:
Cheney: Obama ‘more radical’ than seen — President Barack Obama, bowing to other leaders of the world, fails to understand the concept of “American exceptionalism,” former Vice President Dick Cheney contends. — “There's never been a nation like the United States of America in world history …
Stanley Fish / Opinionator:
Sarah Palin Is Coming to Town — When I walked into the Strand Bookstore in Manhattan last week, I headed straight for the bright young thing who wore an “Ask Me” button, and asked her to point me to the section of the store where I might find Sarah Palin's memoir, “Going Rogue: An American Life.”
Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
President Obama told me to stop ‘demeaning’ him, says Rep. Conyers — President Barack Obama recently called Rep. John Conyers Jr. to express his frustrations with the Judiciary Committee chairman's criticism. — In an interview with The Hill, Conyers said his opinions of Obama's policies …