Sen. Reid (D-NV) is slated to make a health care reform announcement at 3:15 PM this afternoon.

Working at the office today I overheard this report on CNN in which the network’s correspondent in Pakistan made an argument that I think goes to the heart of our policy in the region. He was talking about a rally yesterday in Islamabad, filled with anti-American rhetoric, in which one of the main grievances of the protestors was the argument that Pakistan wasn’t overrun by suicide bombings before the US and NATO got involved in Afghanistan.

US officials, the reporter said, disagree. But, he said, that’s what the Pakistanis believe. Read More

Doug Hoffman, the Conservative party candidate in the NY-23 special election, has become the toast of prestige right-wing Republicans across the USA. Some are even saying that the heart and soul of the party is on the line in next week’s election. But the Hoffman train hit a bump in the road last week when Hoffman stopped by to speak to the editorial board of the Watertown Daily Times and it turned out that Hoffman wasn’t really familiar with the local issues facing the 23rd district. Can’t say I would be either. But then again, I’m not running to represent them in Congress.

Along with Hoffman, though, was former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, who was squiring Hoffman around the district last week. Hoffman, according to the paper, was “flustered and ill-at-ease” and said “he should have been provided a list of questions” in advance. But Armey cut to the chase and hopped to Hoffman’s defense, objecting to the ed. board’s focus on “parochial” questions as opposed to, presumably, the hot button national questions like socialism, death panels and the rest of the issues that are getting right-wingers around the country flocking to Hoffman’s mantle.

Cantor: Let’s compromise on a Republican health care bill.

Senate Democratic leadership staff will brief Senate aides soon after Harry Reid’s 3:15 ET presser to tell them what’s actually in the merged bill Reid has put together.

Harry Reid is holding a presser now announcing his decision on how to merge the two Senate bills. The main news is that it will include a public option with an opt out provision.

There’s still a lot to be sorted through here. Reid has apparently sent a number of alternative provisions to the Congressional Budget Office to be “scored,” i.e. the cost of the provision calculated. It suggests at a minimum that Reid is giving himself back up plans if he doesn’t get the votes on a public option. But interestingly, a public option with a “trigger” — supported by Olympia Snowe and reportedly by the President, too — was not sent to CBO for scoring.

In a statement just released, public option champion Chuck Schumer praises Reid’s decision on a merged bill: “Leader Reid has always been a strong supporter of a public option that could help keep the insurers honest, and today he showed just how deep his commitment is.”

The opening statement by Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) at this afternoon press conference where he announced the broad outlines of the bill the Senate will take up. Watch.

Sen. Baucus responds to Reid’s announcement …

“It is time to make our system work better for patients and providers, for small business owners and for our economy. It is time for health care reform. For more than a year, we’ve been working to meet the goals of reducing the growth of health care costs, improving quality and efficiency and expanding coverage. There are a tremendous number of complicated issues that go into reform and the public option is certainly one of them. I included a public option in the health reform blueprint I released nearly one year ago, and continue to support any provision, including a public option, that will ensure choice and competition and get the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate. Success should be our threshold and I am going to fight hard for the 60 votes we need to meet that goal this year.”

Robert Gibbs just issued a statement on behalf of President Obama congratulating Harry Reid for settling on a Senate bill — and notably expressing his pleasure that a public option was included: The President is “pleased that the Senate has decided to include a public option for health coverage, in this case with an allowance for states to opt out.”

A number of reports late last week, including our own, had the White House pushing back hard on Reid and Senate Democrats for wanting to include an “opt-out” public option, with the White House preferring a triggered public option. The White House denied those reports generally, but stopped short of announcing its support for an opt out provision.

So for now at least, the White House seems to be on board with Reid’s plan, as Reid himself suggested in his press conference: “As we’ve gone through this process, I’ve concluded, with the support of the White House and Senators. Dodd and Baucus, that the best way to move forward is to include a public option with an opt out provision for states.”

And the triggered public option, for the moment, appears to be off the table since Reid didn’t even submit that provision to CBO to be scored.