Let's Talk Politics

 

The People's House is always a popular place to entertain and it's been nice to see the Obama's return the White House to a place of culture and artistic expression. But who's there to do business? How about George Soros and Al Gore? Yeah, they've been by. Politico has the latest list of White House visitors.

The Administration has released FBI notes of an interview with then-Vice President Cheney regarding the Valarie Plame leak. Not much "there" there, other than Cheney's amusing description of Joe Wilson's fact-finding mission to Niger as "amateur hour at the CIA". Look for Wilson to pop up repeatedly on MSNBC in the coming days.

Another high impact piece by Charles Krauthammer today (is there any other kind?) The coverage of it on the cable nets has seemed to focus on his calling out the President for blaming Bush for all his problems. But that's superficial. The colum is really about pushing the President toward making a greater committment to Afghanistan. Considering the importance of the choice it's too bad those with forums choose to find and dwell on a partisan angle.

Peggy Noonan says no one in Washington is up to the challenge of leading us through these difficult times.

And San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is out of the running for Governor of California.

 

$1,055,000,000,000.00

That's a lot of zeroes. And that's how much the Congressional Budget Office says the health care bill now up for consideration by the House of Representatives will cost. And that's just the early estimate.

In return, 96% of people receive health insurance. What do you think??

 

What a compelling apperance from President Obama before a joint session of congress last night! If you haven't seen it CSPAN has the video here.

In a speech that at times was passionate, confrontational, soothing and angry the President tried to return a sense of urgency to the debate over health care reform. There wasn't much new (I'd say his sudden openness to tort reform, for instance, will amount to very little in the end) and he may not have made the firm committment to the public option the Left would have liked. But the president may have done what he most needed to do at this stage of the game - he showed some leadership. And determination. And a willingness to join the fight. Surprisingly, that's what's been missing from this debate. Congress and the public have been slugging it out over health care but President Obama has been staying above the fray. And he'll never get anything done like that.

In fact, I'd say the Obama we saw last night was the closest he's come to being the man America saw on the campaign trail. Someone who believed we could get things done in Washington. The "Yes We Can" guy.

Does that mean health care's going to get done? I wouldn't bet on it. At least not in the way the President (and the Speaker and the Senate Majority Leader) originally envisioned it. But the President made clear last night that he's going to fight for reform and that guarantees a battle that will keep our attention throughout the Fall. It will be interesting.

As for Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst, I posted quite a bit about that on my Twitter feed (www.twitter.com/chrismayphilly). Not much more to be said. The President accepted his apology today and voters in his district seem largely supportive. But let's hope the debate can be a bit more high-minded moving forward.

Finally, while the President was a bit edgy last night and seemed too eager to point fingers at his opponents at times, I did think the last five minutes or so of his speech were amazing. I'm talking about the section where he pays tribute to Ted Kennedy. Watch him. His demeanor changes. His voice softens. The atmosphere in the room grows solemn. Setting aside politics for a moment, It's magical. Check it out and see if you don't agree. 

 

I almost can't wait for next Wednesday!

That's the night President Obama is going to go before a joint session of congress and (at long last) clearly spell out his vision of health care reform. It'll be nice to get some clarity from the President  - a road map of sorts that can then be up for debate.

But what a challenge for the Commander-in-Chief! Edward Luce of the Financial Times really lays out the playing field nicely.

Liberal democrats won't support a bill without the public option. Moderate democrats won't support a bill with the public option.

The one moderate republican who could potentially support a bill with the public option won't unless there are specific triggers. Liberal democrats catagorically rule out triggers.

Rahm Emmanuel seems to be turning his back on the liberals - but they have enough votes to sink any compromise legislation.

And to top it all off health care isn't a top priority for the American public.

I'll be watching, Mr. President. And wondering why anybody would want that job.

 

Politics, of course, is the art of the possible. So it's no surprise that after months of cajoling, arm-twisting, campaigning and teaching the Obama Administration has finally come to accept that implementing a fully government-run health care program in the United States is not possible. It wasn't possible when the Clinton's tried in 1994, it's not possible now. And it's impossible for one reason: the political will to implement a program for all Americans doesn't exist in the country. It's too complex, it's too costly and it's too fraught with risk. So now we move on to taking on the health care status quo in other ways - through market-based reforms and heath insurance cooperatives. Let's hope something can get done.

Howard Dean isn't giving up. And neither are many of his allies on the left.

As for the damage done to the President, it's real but I'd say not catastrophic. Jay Cost, meantime, says it shows Obama is no FDR.

The man behind the Obama "Joker" image has been revealed.

 

Do the folks at MSNBC live in an alternate universe?

Night after night they tell me the middle aged and elderly people who are passionately (and, at times, aggressively) speaking out to their congressional representatives about the president's health care plan are "operatives" and "plants" and "astroturf protestors" (the opposite of grass roots, get it?). They insist that they don't represent public opinion, even as they report on the president's personal approval ratings sinking and polls that find a majority of American's disapproving of his handling of health care reform. I believe these folks (Olbermann, Matthews, et al) are willfully ignorant to the facts. But do they think we're all blind?

Look at the woman in the picture on the left. Look on YouTube at any video of any protesters at these town halls and tell me they're not real. However you feel about health care reform, you simply can't deny there's dissatisfaction with what's happening in Washington. And it's being expressed - by the people.

Also, just before their August recess began today the Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Judge Sonya Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court. The vote was 68-31 with nine republicans voting to confirm - fewer than the 14 I predicted just after her nomination (really john McCain?). Congratulations to the soon-to-be justice. It should be interesting to see what kind of jurist she turns out to be. Activist? Moderate? Wise Latina woman? Anything is possible...

 

I've been trying to put my finger on it all week. And then, as usual, the remarkakle Peggy Noonan figures it out in a single paragraph. Here's what she believes the average American is asking himsel/herself as the debate unfolds:

Will whatever health care bill is produced by Congress increase the deficit? “Of course.” Will it mean tax increases? “Of course.” Will it mean new fees or fines? “Probably.” Can I afford it right now? “No, I’m already getting clobbered.” Will it make the marketplace freer and better? “Probably not.” Is our health care system in crisis? “Yeah, it has been for years.” Is it the most pressing crisis right now? “No, the economy is.” Will a health-care bill improve the economy? “I doubt it.”

The rest of the article can be found here. Have a great weekend!

 

So how do you think things are going for President Obama about right now?

I mean, really. If I told you on inauguration day (six short months ago) that by July the President would be polling even with Mitt Romney in a potential 2012 match-up what would you have thought? I was crazy? Maybe that the poll was taken in Utah?

Whatever. That's where we find ourselves today.

The President is being undone right now - crushed by the weight of an exploding federal deficit and (more importantly) government debt that his big ideas on health care and energy only seem destined to increase significantly. It's leading even democrats to suggest that he needs to hit the reset button on his presidency.

 

Well, I didn't see that coming!

A couple of days after I posted pictures of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin posing in her workout clothes for Runners World magazine she unexpectedly announces her plans to resign her office. Coincidence?

In fact, it was. But still...

This is a huge surprise to everyone who follows politics and the early reaction to the news is not good for Palin. That's not unexpected among much of the mainstream media - which both disrespects and despises Palin for being a conservative and a woman. But she's being criticized by the likes of David Frum who called her announcement today a "dereliction of duty" and her political career headed nowhere positive.

Like one of Palin's earliest supporters Bill Kristol, I'm not sure I'm willing to go there just yet. Palin has proven to be a tough customer and she's just freed herself from the shakles of an obscure, disant state to redfeine herself on the national political stage. I, frankly, have NEVER believed she would run in 2012. But 2016 is not that far away.

 

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the 2000 GOP vice-presidential nominee, opens up about her desire to run. Not for president. For her health. She also poses for pictures. Wow.