Ted Kennedy Records TV Ad For Dodd
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) has recorded this TV ad for Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), a friend and ally on health-care issues, whose popularity has fallen sharply back in his home state going into the 2010 election:
“Quality health care as a fundamental right for all Americans has been the cause of my life,” says Kennedy, “and Chris Dodd has been my closest ally in this fight.”
Poll: Overwhelming Support For Public Option
A new CBS/New York Times poll finds overwhelming support for a government-run health plan that would compete with the private sector — also known as the public option — at 72% in favor to only 20% against. Also, 57% are willing to pay higher taxes in exchange for health insurance for all, to 37% against, with support falling to 43%-49% when a specific price tag of $500 is attached.
Netanyahu Praises Iranian Dissidents
Appearing on Meet The Press, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the Iranian protesters. “It is a regime whose real nature has been unmasked, and it’s been unmasked by incredible acts of courage by Iran’s citizens,” said Netanyahu. He also offered some level of support to President Obama’s approach: “I’m not going to second guess the president of the United States.”
Graham: Democrats And Republicans Won’t Pass Public Option
Appearing on ABC’s This Week, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was unfazed after George Stephanopoulos reviewed the new CBS/New York Times poll showing 72% support for a public option, and asked about Republican opposition: “Well, it’s just not Republicans, George. The reason you’re not going to have a government run health care pass the Senate is because it would be devastating for this country. The last thing in the world I think Democrats and Republicans are going to do at the end of the day is create a government run health care system where you’ve got a bureaucrat standing in between the patient and the doctor.”
Dodd: “We’re Going To Stick With It” On Health Care
Appearing on ABC’s This Week, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) acknowledged that the health care debate has been made difficult by the CBO estimates, but that the work will keep going. “This is very hard. This is very difficult. But we’re going to stick with it,” said Dodd. “We actually had a pretty good week in many ways. We did a lot of work, a lot of amendments were agreed to. You’ve had AARP come out in favor of a House plan. You had the pharmaceutical companies look like they’re going to reduce some $50 billion in cost. We’re moving ahead.”
Bayh: Obama Handling Iran “In A Smart Way”
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) praised President Obama’s handling of the Iran situation. “I think the president is handling a rapidly evolving, very complex situation about as well as you can expect,” Bayh. “He has put us clearly on the side of the reformers, clearly on the side of fair and free elections, clearly condemned the violence. But he’s done it in a smart way.”
Lugar: U.S. Should Negotiate With Iran
Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) said that the United States should still attempt to negotiate with Iran over their nuclear program. “We really have to get into the nuclear weapons. We have to get into terrorism of Iran in other areas of the Middle East,” said Lugar. “Now we have new opportunity in which we might very well say, ‘We want communication with Iran. We want openness of the press. We don’t want to have to use Twitter. We want the press on the ground.'”
McCain Calls For Moral Support For Iranian Protests
Appearing on CBS’ Face The Nation, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) called for the U.S. to offer strong moral support to Iranian dissidents. He also said this ongoing controversy should have an effect on any plans to negotiate with Iran over their nuclear program: “Yes, it is in our national security interest to negotiate Iranian nuclear acquisition or movement toward weapons and missiles to launch them. But is this the time to talk about that? Shouldn’t we see how this whole thing plays out and spend our time giving our moral support to these people?”
