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   Memo: The way forward on health care reform in 2010.
 A dark legacy of the Vietnam War is creating a whole new set of problems.
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October 16, 2009
FRIDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits: * Pakistan: "A trio of suicide attackers, including a rare female bomber, set off two blasts outside a police station in the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar on Friday, killing 11 people in the latest bloodshed in an unrelenting wave of terror plaguing the country." * The CBO numbers on the House health care reform bill look good, but keep in mind, it's pretty preliminary, and today's reporting is outdated. We'll know more when there's a final House bill. * Is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) working the inside game for a public option? * Despite reports to the contrary this week, Reid will not invite Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) to closed-door negotiating sessions on shaping the Senate's health care reform bill. * Another possible compromise on the public option is in the mix, this time in the House. * Is the AMA's unexpected support for reform about to take another unexpected turn? * The bizarre right-wing accusations against the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) have apparently produced at least one death threat. * The pro-SAFRA YouTube video, with a takeoff on Beyonce's ubiquitous "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)." Informative or cringe-inducing? Or both? * Rachel Maddow vs. Americans for Prosperity's Tim Phillips. Go watch. * Glenn Beck's Mao hysteria actually came up during today's briefing with the White House press corps. (Why those guys follow Beck's lead remains a mystery to me.) * Anita Dunn responds to Beck's tantrum. * On a related note, during his tirade, Beck probably should have skipped that Hitler reference. * Another Bush administration official is heads to jail. * The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has a bad week. * House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has spent over $10,000 for the services of professional speaking coaches? Doesn't that sound a little high? * Remember when House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) said he hadn't heard from a single American outside of Congress or the White House who supports a public option? I don't imagine he'll be saying that again. * Best comment I've seen today on the "balloon boy" coverage: "[W]hether or not the drama was staged, it certainly served as a perfect metaphor for cable news: America spent hours riveted by a powerful and gripping story that turned out to be totally meaningless, and will have no significant impact on anybody's lives going forward." * Good news: John McCain will not be on a Sunday show this weekend. Bad news: he'll be on Jay Leno tonight instead. * President Obama was asked by 9-year-old Tyren Scott yesterday, "Why do people hate you?" I found the president's answer pretty compelling. Anything to add? Consider this an open thread. —Steve Benen 5:30 PM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (19)Comments
So if you think you have uncovered a spy, an actual foreign agent, you should hold a press conference and alert everyone...including the spies. Why not just notify the FBI, quietly? Posted by: tomj on October 16, 2009 at 5:42 PM | PERMALINKIt is a crock that anyone should go to prision for the Abramoff scandal when we are not allowed to see the White House visitor's logs to see if GW was involved. Posted by: SteveA on October 16, 2009 at 5:43 PM | PERMALINKHouse Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has spent over $10,000 for the services of professional speaking coaches? Doesn't that sound a little high? Not if she's really cute and, ummm . . . talented. He's a Republican after all. Posted by: SteveT on October 16, 2009 at 5:46 PM | PERMALINKAs for Beck's criticism: "The use of the phrase 'favorite political philosophers' was intended as irony, but clearly the effort fell flat Was the reference to Mother Theresa, in the same sentence, also ironic? If calling Mao one of her "favorite political philosophers" was "ironic", does that imply that her use of his quote was also "ironic"? Posted by: MatthewRMarler on October 16, 2009 at 6:08 PM | PERMALINKHouse Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has spent over $10,000 for the services of professional speaking coaches? Doesn't that sound a little high? It'll cost more than that to rid him of that annoying whine in his voice. Posted by: John Henry on October 16, 2009 at 7:01 PM | PERMALINKYou know who I would like to see appear more often on cable, is Megan McCain. Controversial pictures aside, she is THE most reasonable voice of the Republican party right now. She deals with the reality of safe sex (being a young girl), doesn't give a wit about gays, and instead just wants good leadership for this nation. She is also a strong, and articulate, female voice in a party that is severely lacking for them. If the current leadership had half a brain they would be helping her build her resume, but the fact that she is doing it herself makes it all the more impressive. Thoughts? Posted by: Paul W. on October 16, 2009 at 7:22 PM | PERMALINKFriday Catty Blogging Check out this snap I just took over at HuffPo... Best. iPhone App. Ever. Via Balloon Juice: There's a republican for that Who put the bat shit in CA's public water supply? 1) Arianna Huffington: Why Biden should Resign 2) Bill Maher argues that you should avoid the H1N1 vaccine. Posted by: koreyel on October 16, 2009 at 7:52 PM | PERMALINK House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has spent over $10,000 for the services of professional speaking coaches? Doesn't that sound a little high? Maybe he should consider using a teleprompter. Rachel steamrolled Phillips, and while still recovering from illness. Great job, Rachel. Posted by: Me on October 16, 2009 at 8:25 PM | PERMALINKHouse Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has spent over $10,000 for the services of professional speaking coaches? Doesn't that sound a little high? It would, if not for the fact that the speaking coaches are there just to help him with diction and projection and the like. They aren't responsible for the batshittery of the ideas that come out of his mouth - they just help him deliver them well. Really, when you think about it, that's doing the rest of us a real favor. Clear and concise batshittery is more quickly rejected by the majority of people. Tim Phillips is one of the sleaziest, most repugnant, fork-tongued, dirtbag piece of shit I have ever had the displeasure to listen to. Posted by: 2Manchu on October 16, 2009 at 8:47 PM | PERMALINKNot if he's really cute and, ummm . . . talented. Fixed. Posted by: The Answer Was Orange on October 16, 2009 at 10:23 PM | PERMALINKWhat? No president McCain on teevee this weekend? That damnned librul media. Posted by: bobbyp on October 16, 2009 at 10:36 PM | PERMALINKMcCain's television appearances would become "must see TV" if he just smoked a little more of whatever he was smoking when he chose Palin as his running mate. Posted by: Dennis-SGMM on October 17, 2009 at 12:52 AM | PERMALINKEric Cantor has such an annoying whine I have to put the mute button on. Maybe I'll listen next time to see if he has improved any. Posted by: cat on October 17, 2009 at 5:22 AM | PERMALINKI just read in Antiwar.com, that Israeli is threatening to pull out of the peace plan if their get of jail card free card (re Gaza) doesn't work this time. How is it possible for them to pull out of something they have never signed off on ? Just a question. In any case, isn't it about time we in the US admitted that Tel Aviv has absolutely no intention of ever endorsing a two-state solution ? What is the value in perpetuating this myth ? Is it perhaps guilt that we also have no intention of underwriting such a solution ? Posted by: rbe1 on October 17, 2009 at 7:17 AM | PERMALINKGood news for E85. Wow. That has to be some of the most egregious green washing I have ever seen. Posted by: Walker on October 17, 2009 at 7:48 AM | PERMALINKWalker: Wow. That has to be some of the most egregious green washing I have ever seen. You might be right. However, the energy/CO2 problems won't be solved by a single "breakthrough" because the problems are diverse and ubiquitous. There are in the US a large number of stationary diesel engines that could operate that way, which would reduce pollution and offset imports of oil from the Middle East. That would be a small and inexpensive improvement in every state, and nearly every county. Biodiesel is better, but the US makes much more ethanol than biodiesel. Posted by: MatthewRMarler on October 17, 2009 at 11:55 AM | PERMALINKPost a comment
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