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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.
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The Moderate Voice, Hot Air, Michelle Malkin, The Field on the Narcosphere, The Hill, Associated Press, Washington Monthly, Townhall.com, NewsReal Blog, The Jawa Report, Flopping Aces, Taylor Marsh, Jules Crittenden, No More Mister Nice Blog, MyDD, The Lonely Conservative, The Other McCain, Hotline On Call, Scared Monkeys, Weekly Standard, JustOneMinute, The New Republic, Riehl World View, DownWithTyranny!, Pajamas Media, PoliPundit.com and The Corner on National …
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Chris Frates / The Politico:
Ben Nelson's Medicaid deal — Sen. Mary Landrieu got the “Louisiana Purchase.” Sen. Ben Nelson got the federal government to pick up most his state's future Medicaid tab — forever. — As part of the deal to win Nelson's support, the federal government will pay for Nebraska's new Medicaid recipients.
John McCormack / Weekly Standard:
Nelson Agrees to Abortion Funding in at Least 13 States? — Harry Reid has released the manager's amendment that Ben Nelson has reportedly agreed to vote for, meaning that the Senate bill has 60 votes. The abortion language includes the phony segregation of funding language that was rejected in the House.
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).
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 …
Prescriptions:
Senate Democrats Clinch a Deal on Health Bill — 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 …
Chris Frates / The Politico:
Nelson at the mic — In announcing his support of the Senate reform legislation, Sen. Ben Nelson is warning that the bill cannot change much in negotiations with the House and still keep his support. — “If there are material chnages in that conference report that are different from this bill …
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The Page
Patricia Murphy / Politics Daily:
Health Care Breakthrough: Ben Nelson Will Vote for Health Reform — Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) announced Saturday that he will vote for health care reform when it comes up for a cloture vote in the Senate early next week. As the 60th and final Democrat to signal that he will support the bill …
Kevin Bogardus / The Hill:Defense appropriations bill passes Senate 88-10, clears way for health bill
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The Politico
David M. Herszehorn / Prescriptions:An Obama Team Vets Ben Nelson's Wish List
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The Politico:Reid ‘confident,’ Nelson not there yet
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Commentary, The Confluence, The Foundry, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Note, The Lonely Conservative and The Hill
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:Methodists work Nelson: 'Set aside his personal agenda and think …
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The Moderate Voice
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 …
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Firedoglake
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Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Ben Nelson's A Yes! Reform Edges Closer To Reality — Senator Ben Nelson's announcement moments ago that he will vote to end debate on the Senate health care bill puts Dems within striking distance of the first major progressive legislative achievement of the 21st Century, even if the legislation is deeply flawed.
Chris Frates / The Politico:
Boxer and Murray on board with abortion compromise — While they don't love it, Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer and Patty Murray said they support the abortion compromise struck in the manager's amendment. Their early support is a good sign that the deal will not lead to a defection among liberal senators.
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 …
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Grist, Telegraph, QandO, DeSmogBlog, Daily Kos, AMERICAblog News, Jay Currie, Scared Monkeys, The Other McCain and Wall Street Journal
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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Victor Zapanta / Think Progress:
Gingrich Can't Make Up His Mind On CO2 Emissions — Newt Gingrich wrote a column in the Washington Examiner yesterday addressing climate policy. In the op-ed, the former House Speaker attacks the Environmental Protection Agency's move to classify CO2 emissions as a dangerous pollutant:
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Washington Examiner
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 …
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The Reaction, The Greenroom, Cato @ Liberty, Andrew Bolt, Power Line, The Lonely Conservative and Fausta's Blog
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:
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The Political Carnival
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