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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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November 10, 2009
TUESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits: * Pakistan: "A suicide car bomber attacked a crowded market in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, killing 24 people and illustrating militants' growing willingness to target civilians in their war against the government." * Afghanistan: "In a pair of raids on Sunday, Afghan police and American soldiers discovered a half-million pounds of ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer that is used in the overwhelming majority of homemade bombs here. Some 2,000 bomb-making devices like timers and triggers were also found, and 15 Afghans were detained." * Fort Hood investigation: "Intelligence agencies intercepted communications last year and this year between the military psychiatrist accused of shooting to death 13 people at Fort Hood, Tex., and a radical cleric in Yemen known for his incendiary anti-American teachings." * Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) unveiled his financial/regulatory reform legislation today. * CBS News reported that the White House is moving forward with a plan to send 40,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan. The White House strongly denies that a decision has been made. * John Allen Muhammad, best known as the D.C. sniper from 2002, has been denied clemency and will be executed in Virginia tonight. * After a ridiculous delay, Judge Andre M. Davis was confirmed by the Senate yesterday, with a 72 to 16 vote. Davis will sit on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. * Rajiv J. Shah was nominated today to be the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development. * Sen. Bob Menendez (D) of New Jersey is trying to bring attention to the fact that the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 131,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. * Remember reconciliation? Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) does. * Strange days at the far-right Washington Times. * Speaking of conservative newspapers, the scandal surrounding the New York Post is pretty striking. * The NYT argues that Democratic officials haven't done enough to emphasis cost-savings in health care. Peter Orszag responds. * Who is more valuable, a football coach or a professor? * Glenn Beck loses a fight against a certain crudely-named website. * Obama administration endorses paid sick leave. Good. * It looks like South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) will escape impeachment after all. * Happy blogoversary to Mustang Bobby. * Dan Pfeiffer replaces Anita Dunn as White House communications director. Dunn was serving in an interim capacity, and began the transition out in April. * Note to Sen. David Vitter (R-La.): Given your sex scandals, it's best not to talk too much about your efforts to protect raw oysters. * And finally, this John Cole post struck a chord with me: "The funny thing about all of this is that no matter how bad all their ideas are, no matter how disastrous their governance has been, no matter how many horrible things they have done to the economy and this country, what really is killing the Republican party is that deep down, they are just complete assholes." Anything to add? Consider this an open thread. —Steve Benen 5:30 PM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (24)Comments
I've noticed a decline in the civility on this website toward Republicans. It's long overdue. Posted by: inkadu on November 10, 2009 at 5:36 PM | PERMALINKVitter's a complete asshole, but I support his stand on Gulf oysters. Jesus, the whole coast down there is a cess pool and could use about a billion of those suckers. Plus, I can't imagine a New Orleans without a couple dozen on the halfshell and an Abita to wash 'em down. Posted by: Jay B. on November 10, 2009 at 5:41 PM | PERMALINKOk, it took me a while, but apparently you and Josh see an oyster and are fascinated by labial palps. Down here in Louisiana, we look at an oyster and see an essential food group. I'll give Vitter a pass on this, which is probably the first and only one he will ever receive from me. Posted by: milo on November 10, 2009 at 5:52 PM | PERMALINK131,000 veterans are homeless What about non-veterans? Posted by: McGuiue on November 10, 2009 at 5:58 PM | PERMALINKRe: Which is more important, a college professor or a coach? Given that we live in a society that actively encourages evaluating people and institutions by the money they make, clearly a coach is. Since the coach brings more to the university, he is therefore worth more to the university. This is the fun of living in a society that encourages all value to be assessed in terms of monetary calculations. Posted by: socratic_me on November 10, 2009 at 6:05 PM | PERMALINKWhy is Glenn Beck allowed to rape and murder your girls? How does his obsession and admiration of Hitler effect his political leanings? How long was Glenn Beck a member of the KKK? I've asked Mr. Beck these questions, and he has not bothered to either issue a clarification or a denial. What more is he hiding? Posted by: Jeff In Ohio on November 10, 2009 at 6:13 PM | PERMALINK1. 40,000 more troops accomplishes nothing but putting 40,000 more troops in harm's way. If you're not going with the Cazart Plan (Buy all the opium,) then you best add a zero to that number. (Either instead of the "4" or at the end.) 2. I don't know, are you trying to educate people or defend against the spread offense? 3. Republicans are just complete assholes. So true. Posted by: Cazart on November 10, 2009 at 6:14 PM | PERMALINKGood article about Fort Hood and sanitizing Islam: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/lets-analyze-fort-hood-not-sanitize-it/article1357062/ Posted by: Bob M on November 10, 2009 at 6:18 PM | PERMALINKIf you paid professors $1M or more then you would have to give them state police escorts on their way to classes. Posted by: Mr. Sippi on November 10, 2009 at 6:30 PM | PERMALINKThe Hill: "White House won't rule out budget reconciliation rules on healthcare" One word: reconciliation. Posted by: Chris on November 10, 2009 at 6:50 PM | PERMALINKMay be the biggest story of the year, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/10/on-bushs-watch-us-suffere_n_352204.html LEWIS: Some unknown foreign power, and honestly, we don't know who it is, broke into the Department of Defense, to the Department of State, the Department of Commerce, probably the Department of Energy, probably NASA. They broke into all of the high tech agencies, all of the military agencies, and downloaded terabytes of information. . . . And last November, according to Lewis, "someone was able to get past the firewall and encryption devices of one of the most sensitive U.S. military computer systems and stay inside for several days." That system? The CENTCOM network, which you might know as "the people who are fighting all of our wars." The hackers were able to sit inside the network, tracking information and documents "like they were part of military command." Posted by: cld on November 10, 2009 at 6:57 PM | PERMALINKCBS News reported that the White House is moving forward with a plan to send 40,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan. The White House strongly denies that a decision has been made. Reminder: the day Obama announces the Afgan surge, nationwide protest at 5pm (local time). In Chicago, meet at Federal Plaza. Curious that it was LAST YEAR that the Ft. Hood Muslim Major did all those naughty things, and was seen doing them by the FBI -who contacted, well; everybody. And yet the MSM has not mentioned Bush/Cheney, the Patriot Act, enhanced interrogation, and the other assaults on our Constitution. All in the name of Keeping Us Safe. . . Posted by: DAY on November 10, 2009 at 7:15 PM | PERMALINKJohn Allen Muhammad prepares for execution at the same time right wing blowhards bellow that the shooting at Fort Hood is the first terrorist attack since 9/11. Posted by: doubtful on November 10, 2009 at 7:41 PM | PERMALINKI blame the Bush administration for everything. Posted by: wisegal on November 10, 2009 at 7:47 PM | PERMALINK* Glenn Beck loses a fight against a certain crudely-named website. -- Steve Benen I wish you (Benen) and Media Matters weren't so "delicate". As a collector of crudities, I'd like to know what the name of the website was. Milo, @17:52, So I see in the article about the ammonium nitrate that the stuff is illegal for use as a fertilizer in Afghanistan. Is this the result of the US forcing a law on the Afghans? Since McVeigh used a ammonium nitrate truck bomb in Oklahoma City, shouldn't the stuff be outlawed here as well? Posted by: Wapiti on November 10, 2009 at 8:23 PM | PERMALINKI note with interest that The Hill article on Sanders said: "Sanders told MSNBC in an interview" without noting, anywhere, that the interviewer was Maddow. Invisible much? Posted by: wvng on November 10, 2009 at 8:37 PM | PERMALINK"I wish you (Benen) and Media Matters weren't so "delicate". As a collector of crudities, I'd like to know what the name of the website was." Go to the MM article, and click their link to the article they pulled this from. You'll find it there. Posted by: Shade Tail on November 10, 2009 at 9:59 PM | PERMALINKPenn State once hired a President away from the University of Alabama. Joab Thomas was, if memory serves me, on his way out at Alabama for having chosen the wrong football coach. He didn't have to make any such decision at PSU, given the life tenure of Paterno. It's worth noting that the vastly underfunded state universities in Florida are investing heavily in football programs, including whopping big stadiums. Even at Florida Atlantic University. Posted by: David Martin on November 10, 2009 at 11:46 PM | PERMALINKRandi Rohdes today read a piece that describes Hasan's contacts with the Imam as part of his research in trying to better understand Muslims in the US military and their feelings and how to help them when they returned from combat. (summarizing) Posted by: JohnK on November 10, 2009 at 11:56 PM | PERMALINKIt's not just that they are assholes, but they are STUPID assholes. How can they be so oblivious to the fact that most folks are aware of their lies, their meaningless spin and the vitriol that they spread about opponents and anyone who isn't in their camp? doug Posted by: Doug Wieboldt on November 11, 2009 at 12:57 AM | PERMALINKA major power failure has struck Brazil. The generation unit that failed also provides electricity for Paraguay where Bush has his ranch. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8353878.stm Posted by: anomaly on November 11, 2009 at 6:07 AM | PERMALINKand his excuse for same (too far from home for too long periods of time). Okay, that applies to his patronization of the DC Madam's outfit. What's his explanation for his frequent visits to the local ho in New Orleans? Posted by: shortstop on November 11, 2009 at 8:34 AM | PERMALINKPost a comment
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