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   Dan Savage, the brilliant and foul-mouthed sex columnist, has become one of the most important ethicists in America. Are we screwed?
 The federal government is supposed to issue new rules about debt levels for students in for-profit colleges. In the meantime, the states are working on their own regulations.
 Washingtons budget hawks want to decimate the federal workforce to shrink the deficit. It will have the opposite effect.
 There arent nearly enough counterterrorism experts to instruct all of Americas police. So we got these guys instead.
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September 2, 2009
JOINT SESSION -- ONE WEEK FROM TODAY.... George Stephanopoulos reports this afternoon:
Other networks are reporting the same thing. The address will come 16 years to the month after former President Clinton delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress on the same subject. But it will come under very different circumstances -- Clinton's speech came after administration officials had crafted a plan, and the address to Congress effectively began the process in earnest on the Hill. This year, the process on the Hill has already been unfolding for months, and Obama's speech is intended to help seal the deal. It also resolves the question of location. Reports this morning made it clear the White House was making plans for a "major speech" on health care reform; the question would be when and where. There was some talk about an Oval Office address, or perhaps taking the show on the road, but I think a joint-session speech is the right call -- it's hard to beat the political grandeur of a president addressing the Congress (and the country) from the House floor. Under the circumstances, to state the painfully obvious, this is a speech that can have an enormous impact on the larger debate. For one thing, it's the president's chance to sell reform to a skeptical public. For another, it's a chance to perhaps generate some momentum for the reform campaign, and unite lawmakers behind a single vision. Obama will also no doubt present himself as ready to work with Republicans who are serious about reform, perhaps shifting the onus to the GOP on who's ready to make a deal. As we discussed this morning, the White House intends to start getting into more specifics and offering more details about what the president expects reform to look like. We'll hear all about it a week from today. —Steve Benen 3:50 PM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (15)
Comments
I hope he does not give up on the public option. Otherwise we will be making the Insurance Companies even richer. Posted by: JS on September 2, 2009 at 3:59 PM | PERMALINK
Yes, a health tax on corporate lobbying. The more they spend, the more US citizens get. "Yes, a health tax on corporate lobbying." Brilliant! Now if we can just find some lobbyists who will champion the idea... Posted by: Marko on September 2, 2009 at 4:09 PM | PERMALINKIf he gives up on the public option I am giving up on him. Better Cheney to destroy the country so we can start over without someone whose first instinct isn't to protect the rich and powerful who are fucking over the rest of us. Posted by: MNPundit on September 2, 2009 at 4:25 PM | PERMALINKAddress a joint session of Congress?!?! The outrage! Obama will be declaring himself God next! Posted by: Conservatroll on September 2, 2009 at 4:28 PM | PERMALINKSpeaking as an Obama voter and campaigner, but based on the Wall Street bailout experience, I'll lay 3:1 odds on preemptive capitulation. Cranky Posted by: Cranky Observer on September 2, 2009 at 4:29 PM | PERMALINKA joint session of Congress: Oh, goody! Does that mean the Other Side of the Aisle will channel their constituents? Michelle Backmann slitting her wrists, Rep Boner waving his assault rifle, Mitch McConnell wearing a Hitler mustache? Can't wait. . . Posted by: DAY on September 2, 2009 at 4:45 PM | PERMALINKInsurance reform without price competition is a loser. What good is covering pre-existing conditions if the purchaser can't afford to pay the escalating premiums. Watch the Republicans bring their assault weapons to the session and shout down Obama with calls to keep the government out of Medicare. Posted by: qwerty on September 2, 2009 at 4:57 PM | PERMALINKHow dare Obama force impressionable senators and representatives to listen to his socialist twaddle at this formative stage of their lives. Posted by: shortstop on September 2, 2009 at 4:59 PM | PERMALINKSo what happens when he proposes reasonable sounding stuff and none of the republicans clap? What happens if they do clap? Kind of interesting: get everyone in the same room to talk about one subject and see how much support he gets from across the isle. Also will be interesting to see if anyone does a reply from the republican side. Posted by: tomj on September 2, 2009 at 5:09 PM | PERMALINKAlso will be interesting to see if anyone does a reply from the republican side. Not interesting, but totally predictable. Obama will lay out a sensible plan, the GOP response will be based solely on fear and filled with lies about what Obama just announced, and it will be packaged by the media as "he said/she said." Posted by: Mr Furious on September 2, 2009 at 5:36 PM | PERMALINKYa'll should email the president and tell him to push for the public option: Here's what I wrote (and I also called my senators): Dear President Obama: I supported you in our primary and in the general election with the expectation that you were going to fight for the American people. Please don't disappoint us! "this is a speech that can have an enormous impact on the larger debate" Maybe, unlike the last "enormous" speech on health care he gave, he'll be awake for this one. Posted by: brewmn on September 3, 2009 at 12:18 AM | PERMALINKAbout goddamn time. He can ace this without f***** over the left side of the house. He needs to remind both sides of the House and the Senate that he was elected to get healthcare reform legislation passed and that it is time for the lying and the mischief making about it to end and to do what's right for the American people. If he's there as the great compromiser to say he wants bi-partisan support and that's he's looking for middle ground, he's not been paying attention. He will just be feeding the crazies. And he can kiss the next couple of elections good-bye. After all, the vipers will be looking for a word or phrase like 'malaise' to bury him ala Jimmy Carter addressing the nation about the energy crisis. Make us proud Obama. Go for the gold. Posted by: gone_west on September 3, 2009 at 1:15 AM | PERMALINKPost a comment
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