Dems Look To Scrap Conference Committee Process For Health Care Bill
Roll Call reports that Congressional Democratic leaders are looking to skip the formal conference committee process for the health care bill, and instead privately work out differences. A senior Senate Dem aide told the newspaper that a conference committee would just erect “procedural hoops that would just be a forum for the Republicans.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama and Vice President Biden will receive the presidential daily briefing at 10 a.m. ET, and the economic daily briefing at 10:30 a.m. ET. Obama will meet at 11:30 a.m. ET with senior advisers. At 2:30 p.m. ET, Obama and Biden will meet with the relevant agency heads to discuss ongoing reviews of the Flight 253 attempted bombing, and Obama will deliver brief public remarks at 4 p.m. ET. Obama and Biden will meet at 4:30 p.m. ET with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and they will meet at 5:45 p.m. ET with the House and Senate Democratic leadership.
Biden’s Day Ahead
In addition to the meetings with President Obama listed above, Vice PResident had breakfast at 7:45 a.m. ET this morning with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, at the Naval Observatory. At 11:45 a.m. ET, he will meet with Ad Melkert, the U.N. Secretary General’s Special Representative to Iraq.
Iran: We Agree With Hillary — Deadlines Are Meaningless
Iran has given a somewhat sarcastic response to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s statement yesterday that the Obama administration remains open to negotiations with Iran, though there is no set deadline for increased sanctions. “We share the same idea with her. Deadlines are meaningless,” said foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast. “We hope other countries return to their natural path, too.”
CQ Downgrades Dem Sen. Bennet, To Tossup
CQ has changed its rating on the Colorado Senate race, in which appointed Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is up for election, downgrading his chances from “Leans Democratic” to “Tossup”: “Polls have shown Bennet with approval ratings well below the 50 percent mark generally regarded as the danger threshold for incumbents, and some hypothetical matchups show him struggling against the Republican who appears his most threatening challenger: former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton, who has the backing of GOP establishment figures. Democrats have already trained their fire on Norton, a sign that they view her as a serious opponent.”
Abercrombie Picks Resignation Date Of February 28
Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), who previously announced his resignation from Congress in order to focus on his campaign for governor, has officially set the effective date of his resignation as February 28. Abercrombie said he selected the date after consulting with other members of the Hawaii delegation, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the chairmen of his two committees. The resignation sets up a special election at a date to be determined, in which all candidates will appear on the same ballot regardless of party, and the plurality winner will be elected.
Another South Carolina County GOP Group Censures Lindsey Graham
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has been censured by the Lexington County Republican Party for his work with Democrats on climate change legislation and other issues, the second county GOP organization to do so. The resolution accuses Graham — who was just re-elected in 2008, and would not face any sort of primary until 2014 — of “contempt and belligerence” toward his fellow Republicans.
