Swampland

Senate Health Care Vote

Joe Klein — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:44:57 +0000

There are a couple of aspects of this historic vote that deserve notice here: 1. My favorite provision requires that all members of Congress give up their federally-funded health care benefits and join the health care exchanges that will be set up by this bill. This is brilliant politics, addressing the tide of populist anger and [...]

Afghan Awakening

Joe Klein — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:51:02 +0000

Sunday morning brings a glimmer of good news from Afghanistan, courtesy of the amazing Dexter Filkins. The U.S. is beginning to support tribal militia fighting the Taliban. This is important because the weakest link in the military's Afghan plan is the idea that we can train a 250,000 man Afghan army and 150,000 police officers. [...]

Health Reform: 59 and counting... 60 Votes To Proceed To Debate

Karen Tumulty — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:17:39 +0000

2:30 EST: They've got 60. Lincoln says she will vote to proceed. See update below With Senator Mary Landrieu's announcement this afternoon on the Senate floor that she will support the motion to proceed to debate on the health care bill--with the caveat that this does not guarantee her support for the final product--Majority Leader Harry [...]

1,000 Words: Clean-Up Edition

Karen Tumulty — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:25:18 +0000

From our White House Photo Blog, this scene from President Obama's trip to China:

Landrieu for $100 million

Jay Newton-Small — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:23:48 +0000

Senate Democratic leaders are wooing Senators Mary Landrieu, Ben Nelson and Blanche Lincoln -- the last three hold outs who have not pledged to vote for the motion to proceed tomorrow night to start the debate on health care reform. Lincoln, an embattled Arkansas centrist, has been demanding 72 hours to read the bill -- [...]

Civil Disobedience, Religious Right-Style

Amy Sullivan — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:16:54 +0000

Forget WWJD. The new question is apparently What Would MLK Do? A coalition of politically and theologically conservative Christian leaders, including nine Roman Catholic bishops, who have just signed a declaration saying they will not comply with laws that could require them to recognize same-sex unions or allow their institutions to support abortions are arguing [...]

Health Care Moves Into Full Campaign Mode

Karen Tumulty — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:03:48 +0000

I have this on TIME.com.

The Senate Bill and the Public Option

Karen Tumulty — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:41:34 +0000

I've always had trouble understanding the opt-out version of the public option. Or more specifically, I've had trouble understanding why any state would actually opt out of something that some might find ideologically objectionable, but that doesn't actually cost them anything, gives their citizens a choice, and might actually bring in some government money down [...]

The Senate Bill

Karen Tumulty — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:23:43 +0000

I'm still wading through the Congressional Budget Office's preliminary analysis of the health care bill that Majority Leader Harry Reid will be taking to the Senate floor, but here's a Power Point circulating among Senate Democratic staffers that gives you a basic tour of the bill, with some comparisons to other versions. UPDATE: For those of you [...]

Israelophilia

Joe Klein — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:32:49 +0000

Let me get this straight: Dov Hikind is not only a U.S. citizen, but also a member of the New York state legislature...and he wants to buy property in an illegal Jewish settlement, in an East Jerusalem neighborhood that the U.S. government considers a disputed area where no additional construction should be taking place? Indeed, [...]