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How to Make Health-Care Reform Bipartisan — In Washington, it seems history always repeats itself. That's what's happening now with health-care reform. This is an unfortunate turn of events for Americans who are legitimately concerned about the skyrocketing cost of a basic human need.
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In Health Care Fight, Defining Moment Nears for President — WASHINGTON — Six months into his administration, President Obama is at a pivotal moment. He has pushed through a $787 billion economic stimulus package, bailed out Wall Street and, on Tuesday, managed to beat the defense industry in the Senate …
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The Huffington Post, Boston Globe, The Plum Line, The Caucus, AMERICAblog News, The Campaign Spot, Clusterstock, The Page, CNN, USA Today and Eduwonk

Dems at odds on how to turn tide on health — House Democrats' drive to overhaul the nation's healthcare system sputtered Tuesday, fueling doubts that the complex legislation can be passed before lawmakers leave town for the August recess. — If Democrats in the lower chamber do not pass …


Blue Dogs get a deal on health costs — Moderate House Democrats and a key committee chairman emerged from a three-hour meeting at the White House on Tuesday with a tentative agreement to give an outside panel — rather than Congress — the power to make cuts to government-financed health care programs.
Discussion:
Roll Call, Washington Monthly, Wall Street Journal, Kausfiles, Washington Post, Wizbang, TPMDC and Patients United Now


Obama Ups Ante on Health
Discussion:
Roll Call, Washington Post, McClatchy Washington Bureau, Democracy in America, The Note, Taegan Goddard's … and The Page


Obama White House breaks another promise to reject Bush secrecy — Well, at least it's bipartisan. — The still sort-of-new Barack Obama Democratic administration has again adopted another policy straight out of the administration of his much-criticized Republican predecessor, George W. Bush.
Discussion:
Associated Press, JustOneMinute, Right Wing News, Sister Toldjah, In The Agora and The Agitator
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White House declines to disclose visits by health industry executives — Citing an argument used by the Bush administration, the Secret Service rejects a request from a watchdog group to list those who have visited the White House to discuss the healthcare overhaul.

Baucus says he's not feeling White House pressure on health bill
Discussion:
The Page

Liz Cheney: No question on citizenship — Liz Cheney is taking some heat today for, amid a discussion on Larry King Live of the fringe movement that doubts Obama's citizenship, appearing to defend it. — “People are fundamentally uncomfortable, and they're fundamentally increasingly uncomfortable …
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Should The GOP Take The Birther Threat Seriously? Rush Does....


GOP's new youth ambassador: Lady Gaga? — WASHINGTON (CNN) - Politics may make for strange bedfellows — but even for this town, this may be the oddest couple to ever make beautiful music together: House Republicans...and pop diva Lady Gaga. — At Tuesday morning's weekly GOP conference meeting …
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Top of the Ticket, Indecision Forever, Shakesville, Ironic Surrealism v3.0 and Perez Hilton
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The Lady Gaga Strategy — CNN tells us about the latest GOP youth initiative, white dudes whining about taxes over Lady Gaga's beats: … What's interesting about this particular youth outreach angle is how detached it is from any actual opinions held by young people. From David Madland and Ruy Teixeira:

Dems Start To Push Back Hard To Prevent A ‘Waterloo’ — A telling episode recounted by Senate Finance ranking member Charles Grassley reveals the Obama administration might be more worried than they are letting on that a Republican senator's comparison of the healthcare overhaul to Waterloo might be dangerously close to the truth.
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'You're Going To Destroy My Presidency' — Recall Barack Obama whining the other day how “this isn't about me”? — Well, that's nonsense. Of course it's all about him. … Somebody please send Baracky a waaaahmbulance. — Oh wait, are they covered by his plan?

Toomey Ties Specter In Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; More Say New Democrat Does Not Deserve Another Term — Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter's 2010 reelection lead over Republican challenger Pat Toomey has shrunk to a tie with 45 percent for Specter and 44 percent for Toomey …

Sarah Palin 2013: A Look Ahead — It is noon, Jan. 20, 2013. Sarah Palin raises her right hand to be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. — Palin had won a decisive victory over the incumbent, Barack Obama. The country was still trapped in economic rubble …
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Indecision Forever

Senator: Democrats “baffled” by president's health care stance — WASHINGTON (CNN) - As the prospects for passing health reform by the time Congress leaves for its August recess look bleaker, Democratic grumbling about President Obama is growing louder. One Democratic senator tells CNN …

53% Now Oppose Congressional Health Care Reform — The health care reform legislation working its way through Congress has lost support over the past month. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 44% of U.S. voters are at least somewhat in favor of the reform effort while 53% are at least somewhat opposed.


The remarkable vote to kill the plane and what it means for America's military future. — This is a big deal: The Senate today voted to halt production of the F-22 stealth fighter plane, and it did so 58-40, a margin much wider than expected. — Not only is this a major victory for Secretary …

Health Insurance Lobby Cherry-Picks Data in Fight Against Public Plan — The industry that helped scuttle health reform 15 years ago with its “Harry and Louise” ads is back, voicing support for a central element of the Obama administration's plans: making sure everyone is covered.
Discussion:
The Hill's Pundits Blog, Crooks and Liars, Washington Monthly, Think Progress, Daily Kos and CBS News


Obama's Ominous Implication: Euthanasia of the Elderly May Be Necessary — Gee, socialized medicine sounds great — don't you think so, grandma and grandpa? … In other words, faceless bureaucrats in Washington — not your family — will decide whether your grandparents live or die.
Discussion:
The Strata-Sphere, PoliGazette, Pundit & Pundette, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Newshoggers.com, Balloon Juice and Cold Fury


CNN Poll: President's approval on health care under 50 percent — WASHINGTON (CNN) - Hours before President Barack Obama holds a prime time news conference to push for health care reform, a new CNN Poll of Polls indicates that less than half the country approves of how he's handling the issue.


John S. Barry, Main Force Behind WD-40, Dies at 84 — John S. Barry, an executive who masterminded the spread of WD-40, the petroleum-based lubricant and protectant created for the space program, into millions of American households, died on July 3 in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego.


'We've Got to Slow Him Down' — This is a rush transcript from “On the Record,” July 21, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. — GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: Senator Jim DeMint is in a battle with President Obama. Speaking about health care …

About One in Six U.S. Adults Are Without Health Insurance — Highest uninsured rates among Hispanics, the young, and those with low incomes — WASHINGTON, D.C. — As congressional lawmakers debate healthcare reform legislation, partly aimed at expanding coverage to the uninsured …

FIVE CENTRIST DEMS AGREE WITH GOP: NO ABORTION IN PUBLIC PLAN. — Five centrist Democrats —Reps. Tim Ryan, (OH), Dale Kildee (Mich.), James Langevin (R.I.), Artur Davis (Ala.) and Kendrick Meek (Fla.) — have written a letter to Nancy Pelosi urging that health reform maintain the “status quo” on federal abortion funding.


Some Photos and Captions — (This dispatch is from Ghor Province, though I am now with British forces down south.) — Lithuanian soldier on Swedish C-130 from Kabul to Kandahar and finally to Chaghcharan. On his left are Filipino workers. Filipinos are like birds …


KATRINA WASN'T AN EMERGENCY?.... Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R), a far-right lawmaker from Tennessee, was on the House floor this morning, extolling the virtues of a balanced budget and PAYGO rules. Blackburn lost sight of these concerns during the Bush/Cheney years, but there's a lot of that going around.