memeorandum: The Dark Side of Healthcare Technology (Thomas Goetz/The Huffington Post)

3:10 PM ET, March 16, 2010

Top Items:

House may try to pass Senate health-care bill without voting on it — After laying the groundwork for a decisive vote this week on the Senate's health-care bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested Monday that she might attempt to pass the measure without having members vote on it.

Discussion: The Hill, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Ezra Klein, The New Republic, The Swamp, The Fix, Fox News, The Hill, Washington Examiner, McClatchy Washington Bureau, msnbc.com, Roll Call, The Huffington Post, Daily Kos, TPMDC, Hit & Run, Maggie's Farm, CNN, USA Today, Jules Crittenden, Mediaite, The Political Carnival, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Scared Monkeys, protein wisdom, MyDD, Balkinization, Another Black Conservative, The Caucus, QandO, Politics Daily, NewsBusters.org, AmSpecBlog, Snapped Shot, The Strata-Sphere, No More Mister Nice Blog, Cato @ Liberty, Gateway Pundit, FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog, TalkLeft, gopleader.gov, NewsReal Blog, Left Coast Rebel, Don Surber, The Reaction, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, BluegrassBulletin.com, Weasel Zippers, The Plum Line, The Corner on National … and New York Times

Wall Street Journal:

Slaughter House Rules — How Democrats may ‘deem’ ObamaCare into law, without voting. — We're not sure American schools teach civics any more, but once upon a time they taught that under the U.S. Constitution a bill had to pass both the House and Senate to become law.

Discussion: Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Atlantic Online, The Corner on National …, Taylor Marsh, RedState, JOSHUAPUNDIT, The Foundry, Daily Kos, Sense of Events, Commentary, protein wisdom, Media Matters for America, Fausta's Blog, Pundit & Pundette, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Real Clear Politics and Washington Monthly

Mark Tapscott / Washington Examiner:

Pelosi, Slaughter went to court against GOP's self-executing rule in 2005 — You've been hearing a lot this week about the Slaughter Solution, the rule devised by House Rules Committee Chairman Louise Slaughter of New York whereby the House would pass an Obamacare reconcilliation bill via a rule that …

Discussion: Ezra Klein, Hot Air, The Daily Dish, The Mahablog, JustOneMinute, Confederate Yankee and NO QUARTER

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

THE IOKIYAR RULE, PROCEDURAL EDITION.... For a while, Republicans were awfully worked up about using the reconciliation process to pass a health-care related budget fix, despite the GOP's repeated use of the same procedure. Now Republicans are headed for the fainting couch over use of the self-executing rule …

Discussion: TPMDC, The New Republic, Democratic Strategist, iOwnTheWorld.com and Maggie's Notebook

Wall Street Journal:
ObamaCare and the ‘Buzzsaw’ of Opposition

Discussion: NOW! Blog, New York Times, msnbc.com and Prescriptions

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Key Dem: Using ‘deem and pass’ health plan is ‘wrong’

Discussion: Ezra Klein and The Hill

Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
GOP to try to stop ‘Slaughter solution’

Discussion: The Corner on National …

Washington Post:
Health-reform vote deserves a reasonable process

Discussion: Cincinnati.com, The Politico, Michelle Malkin, Riehl World View and TPM LiveWire

Andy McCarthy / The Corner on National Review Online:
Slaughtering the Constitution — By: Andy McCarthy

Discussion: Washington Times, Power Line, Hot Air, Betsy's Page, And So it Goes in Shreveport and Sister Toldjah

Jeffrey Goldberg / The Atlantic Online:

What Obama is Actually Trying to Do in Israel — There is much speculation that this kerfluffle over 1600 theoretical apartments on the wrong side of the green line in Jerusalem will lead to a rupture in American-Israeli relations, but analysts who suggest this are missing the point of President Obama's maneuverings.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

Palin: Hit ‘reset’ — with Israel — Former Governor Sarah Palin, increasingly willing to criticize Obama on foreign policy grounds, is joining the chorus of Republican critics of his confrontation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, contrasting his policy of engaging enemies with the tough talk to an ally.

Discussion: Commentary, Mediaite and Pajamas Media

Reuters:

Hillary Clinton Pledges “Unshakeable” Bond With Israel — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday hailed the “unshakeable bond” between the United States and Israel in an effort to quell the diplomatic spat that has rocked ties between Washington and its closest Middle East ally.

Discussion: NewsReal Blog, Little Green Footballs and Jerusalem Post

Eric Zimmermann / The Hill:
Dems rebuke Obama administration for Israel criticism

Discussion: Commentary

Washington Post:
The U.S. quarrel with Israel

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Commentary, Associated Press, Israel Matzav, Taylor Marsh, New York Times, Firedoglake and The Politico

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Democrats begin to criticize Obama on Israel

Discussion: Commentary, The Hill, The Politico and YID With LID

Roger Cohen / New York Times:
The Biden Effect — NEW YORK — I'm tempted to see Vice …

Discussion: Haaretz and Democracy in America

Haaretz:
'Jerusalem violence won't spark third intifada'

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Commentary, Gateway Pundit, New York Times, Snapped Shot, Jihad Watch and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Ezra Klein:

Everything David Brooks says about reconciliation is wrong — Jon Chait did a very funny job taking apart David Brooks's column on reconciliation. I want to do a serious job on it. The factual statements Brooks uses in his argument are wrong. Not arguable, or questionable, or suspicious.

Discussion: Daily Kos, Hullabaloo, Grasping Reality …, The Corner on National … and Lawyers, Guns & Money

David Brooks / New York Times:

The Spirit of Sympathy — Human beings, the philosophers tell us, are social animals. We emerge into the world ready to connect with mom and dad. We go through life jibbering and jabbering with each other, grouping and regrouping. When you get a crowd of people in a room …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Think Progress, Taibblog, Washington Monthly, Newsweek Blogs and A plain blog about politics

Jonathan Chait / The New Republic:

David Brooks At His David Brooksiest — Today David Brooks has written the platonic ideal of a David Brooks column. It is in some sense the template for nearly every David Brooks column, but it captured the major elements so perfectly that it almost feels as if every previous David Brooks column has been an homage to this one.

Discussion: The Other McCain, Grasping Reality … and No More Mister Nice Blog

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias: Silly Process Objections

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

THIS IS CNN?.... If I didn't get independent confirmation of this, I honestly would have assumed the announcement was some elaborate practical joke. Alas, it's true. … This is easily the worst decision CNN has ever made. That the network probably reviewed Erickson's work before hiring him …

Discussion: Sadly, No!, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, The Impolitic, Liberal Values, American Power and TBogg

Erick Erickson / RedState:

Here's My News: Erick Erickson Joins CNN's Roster of Political Contributors — A week after Christy decided to be a stay at home mom back in December, I got a call from CNN and was asked to meet some people in Atlanta. — Since that time, as you all know, I've been on more than a few times.

Discussion: Riehl World View and NewsBusters.org

CNN: Erickson joins the Best Political Team

Peggy Ackermann / New Jersey Online:

Court rules Tea Party can proceed with effort to recall Sen. Robert Menendez … A state appellate panel today ruled New Jersey's secretary of state must accept a petition a citizens group filed to recall U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez. — The court stayed its decision to allow Menendez (D-N.J.) to appeal its ruling.

Discussion: Townhall.com, DISSENTING JUSTICE, Washington Post and TPMDC

The Huffington Post:

Jim Bunning's Back: Blocking Nominees Over Canadian Smoking Law — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — Jim Bunning, far from being cowed by the national exposure of his recent effort to hold up unemployment benefits for millions of laid-off workers, is back at it in the Senate.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Hill and City Pages

Roxana Tiron / The Hill:

Petraeus offers first public support for change to don't ask law — Gen. David Petraeus, the head of U.S. Central Command, said Tuesday the time has come to consider changing the controversial law banning openly gay people serving in the U.S. military. — It was the general's most direct answer to date on the issue.

Discussion: The Politico, Politics Daily, Raw Story, The Political Carnival and The Washington Independent

John Byrne / The Raw Story:

Obama agencies invoking secrecy provision more often than under Bush — One day after being sworn into office, President Barack Obama instructed federal agencies to ensure government transparency by complying with the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act law.

Discussion: Hot Air and RedState

Reid Wilson / Hotline On Call:

Advice To Dems: Sell The Bill — Dems can salvage political goodwill from the messy and electorally painful health care bill, but only if they invest the time and resources necessary to convince voters it was a good idea to pass the mammoth package, according to a top Dem pollster.

Discussion: Hot Air and Riehl World View

CBS News:

Andrew Young Fires Back at Rielle Hunter — Former John Edwards Aide Doubts Former Politician and Ex-Mistress are Still in Love — (CBS/ AP) A former aide to John Edwards fired back at Rielle Hunter, the former mistress of the ex-Senator and vice presidential candidate, a day after her tell-all interview was published.

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's … and PostPartisan

Thomas Goetz / The Huffington Post:

The Dark Side of Healthcare Technology — One of the great humdingers in the current debate over healthcare reform is the duplicitous role of technology in increasing costs. Sophisticated medical technologies save thousands of lives every year, giving us scans that spot tumors early …

Jeff Poor / The Business & Media Institute:

Gore Attaches Global Warming as Cause to Last Weekend's Storm in Northeast — Former vice president points toward weather events as evidence of climate change during ‘strategy conference call’ for supporters. — Business & Media Institute — If there's a drought - it's global warming.

Discussion: theblogprof, Hot Air, JammieWearingFool, YID With LID, Althouse, Don Surber and Weasel Zippers

Mark Preston / CNN:

Obama campaign guru eyes House seat — Washington (CNN) - Senior Obama campaign official Steve Hildebrand is eyeing a Democratic primary challenge to South Dakota Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, a decision he said hinges largely on whether she votes against health care reform later this week.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog