Top Items:
Shailagh Murray / Washington Post:
Sen. Ben Nelson to announce support for health-care bill — Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.), the final Democratic holdout on health care, was prepared to announce to his caucus Saturday morning that he would support the Senate reform bill, clearing the way for final passage by Christmas.
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, The Field on the Narcosphere, Hot Air, The Politico, Associated Press, Washington Monthly, Michelle Malkin, Townhall.com, Los Angeles Times, Scared Monkeys, JustOneMinute, The New Republic, The Page, The Other McCain, Pajamas Media, DownWithTyranny!, Riehl World View and The Corner on National …
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Kevin Bogardus / The Hill:
Obama slams insurance industry going into health reform's home stretch — As the Senate prepares for a final round of votes on its healthcare reform bill, President Barack Obama chastised the insurance industry for its lobbying against the legislation. — In his weekly address Saturday …
Discussion:
The Swamp
Prescriptions:
Democrats Say They Clinch Deal on Health Care Overhaul — Brendan Smialowski for The New York Times — Sen. Ben Nelson, right, agreed after hours of negotiation Friday to back the Senate Democrats' legislation, making him the pivotal 60th vote. — WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice
CNN:
Health care holdout reaches agreement, senators say — Washington (CNN) — U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, the lone Democratic holdout on the Senate health care reform bill, has reached an agreement with Democratic leaders, several Democratic senators said Saturday on Capitol Hill.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice
Igor / Wonk Room:
Nelson's Nebraska To Receive Extra Medicaid Funds Under Senate Bill — This morning's managers amendment to the merged Senate health bill goes a long way towards satisfying the demands of Democratic hold-out and all-important 60th vote Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE).
The Politico:
Reid ‘confident,’ Nelson not there yet
Reid ‘confident,’ Nelson not there yet
Discussion:
The Confluence, The Foundry, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Note, The Lonely Conservative and The Hill
Amanda Terkel / Think Progress:
Fox News: Ben Nelson Opposes Health Reform Because He 'Understands …
Fox News: Ben Nelson Opposes Health Reform Because He 'Understands …
Alec MacGillis / Washington Post:
Ben Nelson's Medicaid concerns questioned
Ben Nelson's Medicaid concerns questioned
Discussion:
TPMDC, Ezra Klein, Wonk Room, Matthew Yglesias, Washington Monthly, The Washington Independent and Power Line
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Methodists work Nelson: 'Set aside his personal agenda and think …
Methodists work Nelson: 'Set aside his personal agenda and think …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice
Victoria Reggie Kennedy / Washington Post:
The moment Ted Kennedy would not want to lose — My late husband, Ted Kennedy, was passionate about health-care reform. It was the cause of his life. He believed that health care for all our citizens was a fundamental right, not a privilege, and that this year the stars …
Guardian:
Low targets, goals dropped: Copenhagen ends in failure — Deal thrashed out at talks condemned as climate change scepticism in action — The UN climate summit reached a weak outline of a global agreement in Copenhagen tonight, falling far short of what Britain and many poor countries …
Discussion:
Grist, QandO, Telegraph, DeSmogBlog, Daily Kos, Scared Monkeys, AMERICAblog News, Jay Currie, The Other McCain and Wall Street Journal
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Mark Matthews / Orlando Sentinel:
Grayson wants to send critic to jail for five years — WASHINGTON — Not everyone thinks imitation is the best form of flattery. — In fact, U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson of Orlando took such offense at a parody website aimed at unseating him that the freshman Democrat has asked …
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Taegan Goddard's Political Wire:
Flashback of the Day — When Sen. Al Franken objected to Sen. Joe Lieberman's request for additional time, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said that in his 20-plus years in the Senate he had never heard a senator do that before. — However, a Political Wire reader sends this excerpt from the Congressional Record from October 10, 2002:
Discussion:
The Political Carnival
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Kevin Bogardus / The Hill:
Defense appropriations bill passes Senate 88-10, clears way for health — The Senate passed a defense appropriations bill Saturday as the chamber's Democrats cleared the decks for its healthcare reform legislation. — The $636 billion Pentagon budget and added unrelated amendments including extension …
Discussion:
The Politico
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The Huffington Post:
John Kerry Breaks Out Oppo, Takes On Howard Dean For ‘Kill The Bill’ Comments — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — The pushback against Howard Dean for his call to “kill” the Senate health care bill, continued on Friday night, with a prominent Senate Democrat picking out an old quote …
Discussion:
Firedoglake
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Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Wheeling In The Cots: A Winter Snow Emergency—And An Absentee Lieberman—Is Complicating Democrats' Health Care Push — As if Democrats didn't have enough to worry about. Overnight and into tomorrow, Washington, D.C. is preparing for a major snow storm, complete with thunder and high winds.
CNN:
DC snowstorm chills Pelosi's global warming trip — Copenhagen (CNN) - In a strange twist, a Washington snowstorm is forcing Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, to make an early departure from a global warming summit here in Denmark. — Pelosi told CNN that military officials leading …
New York Times:
U.N. Climate Talks ‘Take Note’ of Accord Backed by U.S. — COPENHAGEN — With the swift bang of a gavel on Saturday morning, a prolonged fight between nations small and large over an international pact to limit climate risks that was forged the night before by the United States and four partners came to a somewhat murky end.
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
McCain: Healthcare bill would make matters worse — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in the weekly GOP address that the health reform bill crafted by Democrats would do little to resolve healthcare problems in the U.S. and that Republicans have offered better solutions.
Discussion:
The Page