Sen. Reid’s announcement today is just one more increment in the progress of health care reform. But it is worth stepping back to note the importance that an outside-the-box idea can have in significantly changing the terms of a major policy debate. It’s generally agreed that the public option, which seemed close to dead 2 to 4 weeks ago, enjoyed a substantial comeback over the course of October. Many factors played a role. But a very significant one was the political jujitsu of the so-called “opt-out” Public Option compromise, which flipped the onus of the public option debate back onto the Republicans.
So I wanted to go back and take stock of just what this compromise is. Read More
Sen. Snowe (R-ME) says she’s “deeply disappointed” in Sen. Reid’s (D-NV) announcement, that triggers “could have been the road” to bipartisanship.
Third party NJ governor candidate Chris Daggett is saying Chris Christie can’t win. It’s Daggett or Corzine, he says.
That’s quite a statement given that Daggett’s never gotten over 20% in the polls and is usually in the very low double-digits. But the race certainly is in a volatile place.
It’s that time of year.
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About half our current staff started as interns and we have a very solid record placing interns at media jobs at other great publications. Needless to say, this fall is going to have no shortage of political news. The application deadline is November 6th. To find out details for how to apply, click here.
From an observer up on the Hill …
Put-up or shut-up time for Senate moderates, who were still trying to find a compromise when Reid announced his presser.
No votes today and most senators are out of town, so watch what people say coming out of tomorrow’s Democratic Caucus lunch. That’s when Reid will make his pitch, and most members will keep their powder dry until then.
So what went down at the end of last week between the White House and senate Dems?
The crux of the matter was that Reid et al. were confident they could get the 60 votes to put a real public option in the bill and believed it was worth trying. The White House wasn’t so sure and wanted to pursue the legislatively safer trigger path with Sen. Snowe (R-ME).
So how did we get from the Thursday meeting to today’s announcement? Tonight, in an exclusive interview, Sen. Schumer explains what happened.
Fred Thompson cuts a TV ad for right-wing dream candidate Doug Hoffman in NY-23 special election.
“America is in trouble. When your grandchildren ask you why you didn’t do something [to save America], be able to tell them you voted for Doug Hoffman.”
No, no idea.
It wasn’t but a few weeks ago that folks from the progressive community and people like Max Baucus were all deeply skeptical of an opt-out public option. It’s a sign of, among other things, how quickly support coalesced around this compromise that almost all of those original naysayers have now come out in support of Harry Reid’s proposed bill.
New CNN poll: 60% of Americans support cap-and-trade and only 37% oppose it. That and the day’s other political news in the TPMDC Morning Roundup.
Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), on his Democratic colleague from Florida, Alan Grayson: “Is this news to you that this guy’s one fry short of a Happy Meal?”