memeorandum: Essential Health Benefits: Balancing Coverage and Cost (IOM)

2:40 AM ET, October 7, 2011

Top Items:

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Reid's ‘nuclear option’ changes rules, ends repeat filibusters — In a shocking development Thursday evening, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) triggered a rarely used procedural option informally called the “nuclear option” to change the Senate rules.

Philip Klein / Campaign 2012:

Reid rewrites Senate rules with shocking move — In a stunning turn of events this evening, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., used an arcane legislative maneuver to effectively rewrite Senate rules to make it harder for the minority party to force uncomfortable votes on the majority.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Right Wing News

Manu Raju / The Politico:
Obama's jobs bill to get Senate vote

Discussion: Daily Kos

Joseph / CANNONFIRE:

OWS: Here's the message you've all been waiting for — Lots of people, including this writer, have criticized the Occupy Wall Street movement for lacking a concrete goal. I have found it. I've come up with a single, clear demand — easily stated and easily realized.

Discussion: THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS and The Jawa Report

Conor Friedersdorf / The Atlantic Online:

Herman Cain Aims Another Rant at Wall Street Protesters — Tea partiers didn't like the financial bailouts, either, and the former CEO has harmed his problem-solving brand by sticking up for big banks — On Hugh Hewitt's radio show Wednesday, former CEO Herman Cain offered more criticism …

Seung Min Kim / The Politico:

Nancy Pelosi: ‘God bless’ Wall Street protesters — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday praised the thousands of “Occupy Wall Street” protesters crowding New York City and other cities across the nation. — “God bless them for their spontaneity,” Pelosi told reporters.

Discussion: ABCNEWS and Weasel Zippers

Pvictorwins / CBS New York:
Kelly: Protesters To Be ‘Met With Force’ If They Target Officers

Discussion: AFL-CIO NOW BLOG, American Glob, The Lonely Conservative and JammieWearingFool

Michael A. Memoli / Los Angeles Times:
Obama: Occupy Wall Street protests show Americans' frustration

Discussion: US News, Money & Company, Colorlines, The Lonely Conservative, Gothamist, Atlas Shrugs, The Gateway Pundit, JammieWearingFool, Pundit & Pundette, The Heritage Foundation and MyFox New York

Glenn Thrush / The Politico:
5 questions for President Obama

Discussion: ABCNEWS and Don Surber

Braden / 100.7 WZLX:

Senator Scott Brown Calls In & Thanks Elizabeth Warren For Keeping Her Clothes On — WZLX's Kevin Karlson: “Have you officially responded to Elizabeth Warren's comment about how she didn't take her clothes off?” — Senator Scott Brown (laughs) “Thank God.”

Eric Kleefeld / 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com:

TPM2012 — Scott Brown Replies To Warren: ‘Thank God’ She Didn't Take Her Clothes Off (AUDIO) — Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) was interviewed on a local talk radio show Thursday morning. And he had an interesting response to a recent line from Democratic frontrunner Elizabeth Warren.

Discussion: Reuters, Slate, Balloon Juice, The Caucus, Althouse, The Politico and Blue Mass Group

Alex Alvarez / Mediaite:
Scott Brown On Elizabeth Warren ‘Keeping Her Clothes On’ During College: ‘Thank God’

Discussion: Hot Air and Swampland

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Scott Brown, on Elizabeth Warren's claim she kept her clothes on during college: “Thank God”

Discussion: Daily Kos, The Atlantic Wire, Blue Mass Group, Gawker and Boston Globe

Amanda Carey / The Daily Caller:
As Scott Brown fights for re-election, tea party groups vow to sit this one out

Discussion: Instapundit

Noah Bierman / Boston Globe:
Scott Brown quips about Elizabeth Warren's appearance on Boston radio show

Discussion: iOwnTheWorld.com, Campaign 2012, Outside the Beltway and Blue Mass Group

Shushannah Walshe / ABCNEWS:

Huntsman Hits Palin for ‘Stringing People Along’ — ABC News' Shushannah Walshe (@shushwalshe) and Sarah Kunin (@sarah_kunin) Report: — In an interview with ABC's “The View,” presidential candidate Jon Huntsman rebuked former Gov. Sarah Palin for “stringing people along” as she decided whether to run for president.

Discussion: Mediaite, Gawker, Anchorage Daily News, The Daily Caller, Ballot Box and New York Magazine

Adam Brickley / The Daily Caller:
The Palin movement isn't retreating, it's reloading

Discussion: Conservatives4Palin

Ben Smith / The Politico:
Sarah Palin industry faces depression

Discussion: his vorpal sword and Washington Post

David Frum / FrumForum:
Palin: Already Almost Forgotten

Discussion: Conservatives4Palin, PERRspectives, neo-neocon, Rortybomb, Democracy in America, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Guardian, The Atlantic Online, The Moderate Voice and ABCNEWS

Lindsey Boerma / NationalJournal.com:

Cain Says He ‘Would Not Be Comfortable’ As Perry's Running Mate — Businessman Herman Cain, a Republican candidate for president, says he would consider running for vice presidential with anyone other than Texas Gov. Rick Perry. — HOUSTON — Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Pajamas Media, ABCNEWS and Business Insider

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Cain open to VP offer from any Republican candidate except Perry

Discussion: CNN, Riehl World View and Hot Air

Simon Maloy / Media Matters for America: Laura Ingraham Isn't Sure If Obama Is Black

Jon Bershad / Mediaite:
Laura Ingraham: Would A Herman Cain Presidency Be Historic Because Obama Has White Relatives? (UPDATE)

Discussion: ThinkProgress

Ben Armbruster / ThinkProgress:

Lindsey Graham On ‘Intimidation’: 'If You're A Southern White Guy, It Is Part Of Your Life' — GOP presidential candidate Gov. Rick Perry (TX) has faced severe backlash this week as the result of stories that he had opposed a campaign to remove the Confederate battle flag from statehouses across …

Discussion: Shakesville

Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:
Rick Perry hunting camp resolution blocked by House

Discussion: Riehl World View, The Right Scoop, The Caucus, Poynter and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

First Read / msnbc.com:
House dismisses resolution condemning Perry ranch

Discussion: Washington Post, Hot Air, Campaign 2012 and Vox Popoli

Fox News:

Energy Department Official in Charge of Solyndra Loan Program to Step Down — The director of the controversial loan program that cleared the way for a $535 million taxpayer guarantee to bankrupt solar firm Solyndra is stepping down, the Energy Department confirmed Thursday.

Discussion: Fire Andrea Mitchell! and The Daily Caller

Washington Post:
Solyndra controversy claims casualty as head of Energy Department loan program steps down

Discussion: The Hill, The Sundries Shack, Big Government, Hot Air, The Politico, Campaign 2012, Michelle Malkin, National Review and The Lonely Conservative

Darius Dixon / The Politico:
DOE loan program official Jonathan Silver steps down

Discussion: ABCNEWS, CNN and The Page

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

Repeating the same mistake, expecting new results — The very first question in this morning's White House press conference was pretty discouraging: … Towards the end of the event, another reporter asked the nearly identical question: … Look, I realize the media loves the idea of compromise.

Discussion: White House.gov Blog and Booman Tribune

Darren Samuelsohn / The Politico:
GOP Solyndra probe wants Obama's BlackBerry messages

Discussion: National Review and DownWithTyranny!

The White House:
News Conference by the President

Discussion: White House.gov Blog, Washington Monthly and Campaign 2012

Tyler Durden / zerohedge.com/fullrss2.xml:

BBC Does It Again: “In The Absence Of A Credible Plan We Will Have A Global Financial Meltdown In Two To Three Weeks” - IMF Advisor — A week after the BBC exploded Alessio Rastani to the stage, it has just done it all over again. In an interview with IMF advisor Robert Shapiro …

Discussion: Business Insider and The Moderate Voice

Mark Hosenball / Reuters:

Secret panel can put Americans on “kill list' — (Reuters) - American militants like Anwar al-Awlaki are placed on a kill or capture list by a secretive panel of senior government officials, which then informs the president of its decisions, according to officials.

Discussion: Wonkette, Gothamist, Pajamas Media, Political Mojo, Lawfare, Daily Kos, JONATHAN TURLEY, Hit & Run, Outside the Beltway, The Politico, emptywheel, Verum Serum, New York Magazine and Shakesville

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Execution by secret WH committee

Discussion: Blogcritics, The Crawdad Hole and The Agonist

Robert Bryce / Wall Street Journal:

Five Truths About Climate Change — During the decade that Al Gore dominated the environmental debate, global carbon-dioxide emissions rose by 28.5%. — Over the past two months, environmental activists have held protests at the White House and elsewhere hoping to convince the Obama administration …

Discussion: FrumForum, Political Mojo, Dot Earth and New York Magazine

IOM:

Essential Health Benefits: Balancing Coverage and Cost … The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) is intended to help uninsured Americans obtain health insurance. As part of this effort, private health insurance plans will be offered to low- and moderate-income individuals …

Discussion: New York Times and Washington Post

Will Oremus / Slate:

The Presidential Horse Race — Literally: an animation of the 2012 Republican campaign as a horse race. — The press is routinely accused of covering political campaigns as if they were horse races: so preoccupied with who's up or down in the polls that it ignores the substance of the campaign.

Discussion: Mediaite and New York Magazine

Matthew Boyle / The Daily Caller:

‘Fast and Furious’ docs reveal Holder was given multiple detailed accounts of gun program — New Department of Justice documents the House Oversight Committee released Thursday morning show Attorney General Eric Holder was briefed on Operation Fast and Furious many more times than previously discovered documents suggested.