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Reconciliation and What it Means for Health Care Legislation in the Senate

Posted by Defend America on Wednesday, August 05, 2009 5:53:24 PM
I've posted about reconciliation in the past, but this is an important topic so I thought I would post more information about it. This from Keith Hennessey

What is reconciliation?

A lot of people are trying to look forward in time, attempting to predict how the health care legislative process will play out this fall.  It is way too soon to make any concrete predictions – I can confidently say that the political dynamics will look quite different four weeks from today, but have no idea how they will look different.  Neither does anyone else.

There are certain things we can understand in advance.  Yesterday I described why I think the “health insurance consumer protections” that are the central focus of the President’s and Speaker’s August message cannot work as a standalone piece of legislation.  This is a substantive policy point and is independent of the political dynamics.

I also provided thoughts on the reconciliation process, prompting some friends and commenters to ask for a crash course on reconciliation.

http://keithhennessey.com/2009/08/05/what-is-reconciliation/



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Secretary LaHood Lie to Congress?

Posted by Defend America on Wednesday, August 05, 2009 5:49:47 PM

Did Secretary LaHood lie to Congress?

By: David Freddoso
Commentary Staff Writer
08/05/09 8:08 AM EDT

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., the ranking member on the Government Oversight Committee, has written White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel requesting information about whether Emanuel coordinated a political multi-agency response to Republican criticisms of the stimulus.

Specifically, the question is whether he put four cabinet secretaries up to writing bullying letters to Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, R. The letters asked whether Arizona wanted its stimulus funds cut off, shortly after Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., suggested repealing the stimulus package. In this Politico story by Jonathan Martin, two administration officials have confirmed Emanuel's involvement in demanding that the secretaries write the letters.

[A]fter seeing [Sen. Jon] Kyl [R-Ariz.] and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) again paint the legislation as a failure on Sunday talk shows, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel directed that the letters from the Cabinet secretaries be sent to Brewer, according to two administration officials.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Did-Secretary-LaHood-lie-to-Congress-52514122.html

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Very Sad Day for the People of Iran

Posted by Defend America on Wednesday, August 05, 2009 5:47:57 PM
Ahmadinejad sworn in as Iran president amid crisis
Aug 5 11:32 AM US/Eastern
By NASSER KARIMI
Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was sworn in for a second term as Iran's president Wednesday while security forces battled hundreds of protesters chanting "Death to the Dictator" in the streets around parliament where the ceremony was held.

Key opposition leaders, moderate lawmakers and all three of Ahmadinejad's election challengers boycotted the swearing in ceremony. State-run Press TV said more than 5,000 security forces were in the streets around parliament and police with sniffer dogs patrolled the area after the opposition called for demonstrations to coincide with the inauguration.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D99SQC982&show_article=1


Tags: Iran  
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White House Has Done a Rather Poor Job on Vetting Candidates

Posted by Defend America on Wednesday, August 05, 2009 5:45:23 PM

Mary Who?   [Tevi Troy]

I have been asking whether the White House knew that Mary Robinson was a controversial pick for the Medal of Freedom or if they were caught unawares by the controversy. A source has now indicated that she was not fully vetted, but that the White House feels that backing down at this point would make things worse. Tough call. Still, there are reasons these announcements have to be researched in advance.

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MzNhOGIxOGIzZDRhYTc5ZTg2NzAwY2YwN2M3NTgxZjE=

If you don't remember who Mary Robinson is, well I linked to a story about her on Monday. She is the author of the Durban Conference (AKA Bash Israel Conference).
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Defending the Constitution Has Nothing to Do with Race

Posted by Defend America on Wednesday, August 05, 2009 5:40:55 PM

McCain primary opponent: Sotomayor opposition racially motivated

Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) primary opponent said Wednesday morning that the Arizona Republican's decision to oppose Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court confirmation is racially motivated.

Chris Simcox, who is also a co-founder of the Minutemen anti-illegal immigration group, said that McCain and other senators who stand against Sotomayor's confirmation are playing the "race card" out of "political expediency."

"To base a decision on ethnicity or race and for those as we see lately, to play the race card, and to… I call them 'racialists,' basically they use it for political expediency," Simcox said on MSNBC's Morning Meeting.
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When News Like This Comes You Just Have to Stop and Say How Did That Happen Because I Thought the UN was Supposed to Take Care of That

Posted by Defend America on Wednesday, August 05, 2009 5:39:51 PM

Hizbollah 'stockpiling weapons' as fears of new offensive grow

Hizbollah has been stocking up on arms since its war with Israel in 2006 and is now stronger than it was during the conflict. Published: 12:37PM BST 05 Aug 2009

The militant group now has up to 40,000 rockets, according to Israeli intelligence estimates, and is training its forces to use ground-to-ground missiles capable of hitting Tel Aviv.

Brigadier-General Alon Friedman, the deputy head of the Israeli Northern Command, told The Times that the peace of the past three years could "explode at any minute".

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/5977014/Hizbollah-stockpiling-weapons-as-fears-of-new-offensive-grow.html
Tags: Terrorism  
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Son of Representative and Former Presidential Candidate Ron Paul will Run for Senate in Kentucky

Posted by Defend America on Wednesday, August 05, 2009 5:30:39 PM

Rand Paul Declares Candidacy For Kentucky Senate Seat

Rand Paul, a son of Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul, is making official his 2010 campaign for a Senate seat in Kentucky.
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Bond is a Yes on Sotomayor, While Barrasso is a No

Posted by Defend America on Wednesday, August 05, 2009 5:29:36 PM

Bond Says He Will
Support Sotomayor

Christopher S. Bond of Missouri on Wednesday became the seventh GOP senator to declare support for the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Twenty-nine Republicans have declared their opposition, the latest being John Barrasso of Wyoming, and four remain undecided.
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Gibbs Tries to Undo Obama's Support for Dictator Ahmadinejad Who Kills His Own People

Posted by Defend America on Wednesday, August 05, 2009 5:18:12 PM
Gibbs backtracks on Ahmadinejad 'elected' remark
By Bridget Johnson | Posted: 08/05/09 02:56 PM [ET]
The welfare of three Americans reportedly arrested at the Iran border remained murky Wednesday as the White House sought to clarify its view on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency.
Tags: obama   Iran  
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Protesters Can't be Real Because They are Well Dressed According to Senator Boxer

Posted by Defend America on Wednesday, August 05, 2009 12:28:55 PM
Tags: boxer  
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Of Course It will Cover Abortion

Posted by Defend America on Wednesday, August 05, 2009 10:14:22 AM

Gov't insurance would allow coverage for abortion

By RICARDO ALONSOZALDIVAR,Associated Press Writer - Thursday, August 6

WASHINGTON – Health care legislation before Congress would allow a new government-sponsored insurance plan to cover abortions, a decision that would affect millions of women and recast federal policy on the divisive issue.

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/ap/20090805/twl-us-health-care-overhaul-abortion-ef375f8.html
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These Protests are Real and not Manufactured and There is Nothing Wrong with Them

Posted by Defend America on Wednesday, August 05, 2009 7:47:32 AM
Tea Party-Bashers Gone Wild
by Michelle Malkin

The activist Left can't stand competition. Last week in Long Island, N.Y., opponents of the Democrats' government health care takeover legislation outnumbered Obama supporters 10 to one. The Tea Party activists toted American flags and signs that read "WE CAN'T AFFORD FREE HEALTH CARE" -- prompting one foe to stalk into the peaceful crowd, gesticulate wildly and shout unintelligible threats at the top of his lungs.

The same Democrat Masters of Astroturf who encouraged their followers to use "in-your-face" tactics during the campaign season now balk at vocal opposition from their fiscally conservative neighbors and co-workers. Obama's architects of Kabuki town halls have packed public forums with partisan plants. Now they accuse opponents gathering at impromptu rallies against the massive health care takeover legislation (which no one has read) of orchestrating "manufactured anger."

http://townhall.com/columnists/MichelleMalkin/2009/08/05/tea_party-bashers_gone_wild
Tags: Malkin  
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