AMA backs House Dems healthcare bill

The American Medical Association--once an impediment to healthcare reform, has now endorsed America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.

"On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association, I am writing to express our appreciation and support for H.R. 3200, the "America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009." This legislation includes a broad range of provisions that are key to effective, comprehensive health system reform. We urge members of the House Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means Committees to favorably report H.R. 3200 for consideration by the full House."

Chuck Todd's sick views

After reading the transcript of Glenn Greenwald's debate with MSNBC's Chuck Todd, I think I can sum up Todd's views like this:

It's ok for our Leaders to put political concerns ahead of the law. But trying to uncover government crimes would be too political, and therefore wrong. And ideological battles between the left and the right are great for cable TV. But ideological battles between what is Constitutional and what is not must be kept "off of television".

That's our Washington media. Pretty sick.

The GOP's Latino problem

Maybe Sen. Tom Coburn didn't get the memo. But the GOP support among Latinos isn't very good. And this just can't help.

One such moment occurred the morning of July 15, when the appellate judge was being questioned by Senator Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican. In the middle of an exchange on gun control, Sotomayor tried to illustrate the reach of New York gun laws by joking about running home to get a gun in self-defense. "If I go home, get a gun, come back and shoot you, that may not be legal under New York law because you would have alternative ways to defend ..."

"You'll have lots of 'splainin' to do," Coburn interrupted, invoking a phrase familiar to fans of the 1950s sitcom I Love Lucy, on which Lucy's long-suffering husband Ricky Ricardo (Cuban-American Desi Arnaz in real life) would often utter the refrain in exasperation at his zany wife's antics. Sotomayor paused awkwardly before nervously agreeing with a chuckle, "I'd be in a lot of trouble then."

Most of the GOP understand the balancing act here. If they go after Sotomayor too hard, they will further alienate themselves from the fastest-growing minority.

"It was insensitive," says Representative Charlie Gonzalez, a Texas Democrat who chairs the Hispanic Caucus Civil Rights Task Force. "It probably demonstrates where the Republican Party is today. They just don't get it. This is a serious issue for many members of the Latino community. Growing up, you're very conscious of the mispronunciation of words. Sometimes it was also a subject of humor, but I think Dr. Coburn doesn't understand the stereotyping he was engaging in."

Lillian Rodriguez, president of the Hispanic Federation, an organization that builds Latino institutions in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, says she understood that the remark was meant in jest, "but you've got to be very careful in those kinds of characterizations. It sends a message that that's the way you see us: in a time capsule of a 1950s sitcom. We've progressed a long way since then."

Romney early edge for GOP candidate

Latest Gallup poll has Mitt Romney ahead of Sarah Palin & Mike Huckabee for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

"Get off my phone!!!"

Glenn Becks shrieks...



And cries...

Nookular links 7/16/2009

China's economy is rebounding thanks to government spending

Gay marriage: what would MLK do?

Chuck Todd vs Glenn Greenwald

Meghan McCain doesn't like Joe the Plumber

Mark Sanford also went MIA in 2008

Bush "blacklisted liberal groups"

Obama to target centrist Democrats in commercials

CNN:

President Obama’s political operation will begin running television ads Wednesday targeting fellow Democrats and centrist Republicans urging them to support the president’s call for health care reform this year.

The 30-second TV commercial will run in eight states: Arkansas, Indiana, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Ohio for two weeks, according to a preview of the ad provided to CNN by Obama’s Organizing for America (OFA).

At first, this appears to completely contradict earlier reports that Obama wanted groups like MoveOn, et al to stop targeting Democrats.

However, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee says this was never true. Obama was only trying to prevent primary challenges against these Democrats.

DCCC spokesperson Jennifer Crider gets in touch to point out that Van Hollen never said he opposed pressure on moderate Democrats over the budget. He was merely arguing against primary challenges to sitting Democrats, because those could result, he said, in lost seats. That’s what Van Hollen meant when he warned against a “circular firing squad.”

No abortion "litmus test" for Sotomayor

SCOTUS nominee Sonia Sotomayor told the Senate Judiciary Committee that no one in the Obama administration even asked about her view on abortion.

"I was asked no question by anyone including the president about my views on any specific legal issue," she said at the outset of a second day of questioning by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

She made her remark after Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, asked about a published report that administration officials had sought to reassure abortion rights groups concerned about her position on the issue.

This is somewhat surprising, and it flies in the face of the GOP's standard litmus test in judicial nominations.

Dems' healthcare half as costly as Iraq

Dean Baker points out that healthcare will only cost half of what Iraq costs.

Nookular links 7/15/2009

A look at how conservative media tried to help Mark Sanford

New White House surgeon general pick is pro-choice

Be afraid of Goldman Sach's resurgence

Right-wing group claims Sonia Sotomayor has links to Bill Ayers

Ireland has a law against blasphemy? How crazy is that?

Dems to Palin: Thanks, but no thanks

Wall St Journal: 98% = tiny

This Wall St Journal article is front-loaded with misleading assumptions. Consider, in order--the headline, the kicker, and the first sentence:

• Small Business Faces Big Bite

• $1.04 Trillion House Health Bill Hits All but Tiniest Firms for Not Providing Insurance

• "House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled sweeping health-care legislation that would hit all but the smallest businesses with a penalty equal to 8% of payroll if they fail to provide health insurance to workers."

But the article clearly states that small businesses making $250,000 or less are exempt. And we remember from the Presidential debates that 98% of small businesses make less than $250K.

Here's the House health care bill

Here are some of the main points in the House healthcare bill:

• 5.4% tax on millionaires
• 1% tax on those making $350,000-$500,000
• 1.5% tax on those making $500,000-$1,000,000
• the bill DOES include a public health care option, including a $2 billion start-up federal funding, and paying 5% over Medicare fees to doctors & hospitals
• individuals are required to purchase health care
• penalties for employers who don't offer health care to employees
• penalties DON'T apply to small businesses (less than $250,000)
• delays corporate tax break for 10 years

Reid backs DADT repeal

Good news on the civil rights' front.

With a possible fight brewing in Congress over repeal of the Pentagon’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays in the military, Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader of Utah, came down on Tuesday solidly in favor of eliminating the ban.

“We’re having trouble getting people into the military,” Mr. Reid told reporters when questioned about whether he could support an 18-month moratorium on enforcing a prohibition on gays in the armed forces. “And I think that we shouldn’t turn down anybody that’s willing to fight for our country, certainly based on sexual orientation.”

Mr. Reid said he would go the proposal, being considered by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrat of New York, one better and support a permanent repeal of the ban.

Sounds likely that Gillibrand is just pandering for votes, but Reid is taking a strong stance here--which is refreshing. The Majority Leader takes a lot of flack (deservedly so), but it's important to give credit where credit is due.

Sotomayor: Roe v Wade is "settled"

There were some questions as to SCOTUS nominee Sonia Sotomayor's legal views on abortion. I think we can safely say this question has been answered:

"Judge Sotomayor said Tuesday the 1973 Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade, which established a constitutional right to abortion, is a matter of "settled" law.

While refusing to offer her personal view of the decision, she noted that the core holding in Roe was reaffirmed in the 1992 ruling Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

Sotomayor made her remarks in response to a question from Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wisconsin, during the second day of her Supreme Court confirmation hearings."

GOP ideas: "fried chicken & potato salad"

What an embarrassment.

(h/t Huffington Post)

Sanford made himself scarce

Articles like this are only going to intensify the calls for Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) to resign. The fact that he was having an affair, in and of itself, is really immaterial. It's the disregard of his duties that has the locals up in arms--for good cause.

Apparently, Sanford's chief of staff called the Governor 15 times without being able to contact him. Also, Sanford turned down a meeting with a company that wanted to expand their business in South Carolina--because he planned on being in Argentina with his mistress that day.

Critics who have called for the governor to step down said Sanford abandoned the state.

"It confirms what we had believed to be the case,” said Sen. Larry Martin, R-Pickens, “that no one knew or had any idea how to get a hold of him. At the end of the day, there’s no excuse for that.”

Veto the F-22

I like the stance that the President is taking here.

President Obama placed his political capital on the line Monday and reiterated his threat to veto a military spending bill unless the Senate removed $1.75 billion set aside to buy seven additional F-22 fighter jets.

I've discussed some of the issues surrounding the continued production of the F-22, including the wasteful military spending and the conflicts of interest. It's worth reminding people that the Pentagon does not even want this plane.

The Pentagon would rather buy unmanned aircraft to gather intelligence in Afghanistan and accelerate the testing for the F-35, a new plane designed to attack ground targets. Pentagon officials say the F-22 is hard to maintain and costs $44,000 to operate for an hour, compared with $30,000 for older planes.

Nookular links 7/14/2009

Did Justice Alito allow his Italian-American heritage affect his vote in overturning Ricci?

Is there something more sinister behind the secret CIA/Al Qaeda plan

Taliban "welcomed as liberators"

G8 emissions pledge is 'scientifically illiterate'

Barack Obama is a right-winger

Sarah Palin hints at splitting the GOP in two

More good news for the GOP

I once heard a comedian quip about the reunification of Germany, and how he was never really impressed with their previous work to begin with. I immediately thought of this when I heard about Liz Cheney's desire to make a political run.

The daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday that running for political office is on her horizon.

"It's something I very well may do," said Elizabeth "Liz" Cheney, a lawyer and State Department appointee who has worked on two Republican presidential campaigns.

A Cheney back in office AND the return of the Christian Coalition? This is definitely change I can believe in.

Christian Coalition 2.0

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution takes a look at the return of Ralph Reed, who hopes to remake the GOP's Christian Coalition.

“This is not going to be your daddy’s Christian Coalition,” Reed said in an interview to describe his new venture, the Faith and Freedom Coalition. “It has to be younger, hipper, less strident, more inclusive and it has to harness the 21st century that will enable us to win in the future.”

Did somebody say hipper? In any regard, this has got to sound like sweet music to Democrats. According to pollsters, the Christian Coalition pact is costing the GOP votes:

"As we look today at where the GOP stands, it is obvious that the party's tight alliance with the Christian right is not helping it."

Nookular links 7/13/2009

Let the Sotomayor battle begin!

Democrats calling for investigations into Bush/Cheney CIA secrecy

New GOP climate change plan. Drill baby drill again? (sub. required)

The new Joementum

You know times are hard when robots are getting laid off

Ben Stein has never heard of global warming?

Wendell Potter interview on Bill Moyers

The former head of Public Relations for CIGNA, Wendell Potter discusses "Profits before Patients" on Bill Moyers Journal.

Part one



Part two

Weekend music---The Stills

Uh-oh, Dick

"Four knowledgeable sources tell NEWSWEEK that [Attorney General Eric Holder] is now leaning toward appointing a prosecutor to investigate the Bush administration's brutal interrogation practices, something the president has been reluctant to do."

The Nookular Option: July 11, 2009

The podcast of today's show is now available. Just press play on the "Nookular" media player to the right, or download the show from iTunes.

Cheers!!

New report: benefits of warrantless wiretapping program "unclear"

From today's New York Times:

"While the Bush administration had defended its program of wiretapping without warrants as a vital tool that saved lives, a new government review released Friday said the program’s effectiveness in fighting terrorism was unclear.

The report, mandated by Congress last year and produced by the inspectors general of five federal agencies, found that other intelligence tools used in assessing security threats posed by terrorists provided more timely and detailed information.

Most intelligence officials interviewed 'had difficulty citing specific instances' when the National Security Agency’s wiretapping program contributed to successes against terrorists, the report said.

While the program obtained information that 'had value in some counterterrorism investigations, it generally played a limited role in the F.B.I.’s overall counterterrorism efforts,' the report concluded. The Central Intelligence Agency and other intelligence branches also viewed the program, which allowed eavesdropping without warrants on the international communications of Americans, as a useful tool but could not link it directly to counterterrorism successes, presumably arrests or thwarted plots."

Well, hey, if we're gonna whiz the Bill of Rights down our leg, let's at least make sure we receive no tangible benefits in return! Cowardice and ineffective counterterrorism strategy -- two great tastes, so let's combine them!

Senator Brown hints Senate Dems would oppose bill without public option

From TPM:

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) says he'd likely oppose health care reform legislation if it didn't include a public option--and that he'd have company. "I think a number of Democrats, and I among them, would have great difficulty voting for a bill without a public option," Brown told me today. "I don't want to say absolutely wouldn't. But I would have great difficulty voting for a bill without a public option."

[snip]


In the event that the final Senate bill contains a public option, its overall success may depend on the Democratic caucus' ability to unite against Republican filibusters. And on that score, Brown is hopeful. "Senate Democrats have made great progress, in large part because of Harry Reid, in believing that--we're not 100 percent there--that on procedural votes you stick with the party," he says.


[snip]


Assuming that the public option survives the Finance Committee's deliberation's, though, Brown's confident that the Democratic party won't vote against itself. "The public is going to demand it," Brown said. "It's not just Harry Reid talking about it and all of us saying yes to that. I think the public is going to push harder--that every Democratic senator needs to support the party in procedure so that majority can really rule and we really can move forward on health care."

It remains to be seen if when Brown refers to a public option, he means one that is:

• Available from day one.
• Available to everyone.
• Accountable to Congress (and by extension, voters).

Or does he intend on referring to a co-op as a type of public option, like Chuck Schumer.

Nukes in range of Toledo

According to this website, there are currently 8,187 "nookular" warheads in range of Toledo. But there are only 6,404 in range of Cleveland. The initial thought would be to move to Cleveland. But would it be better to be one of the dead in Toledo? Or would it be better to be alive in post-apocalyptic Cleveland and be subjected to Indians' baseball? Something to ponder...

Twitter bomb Reps Tim Ryan and Dennis Kucinich

Firedoglake has a superb tool in which to whip up support in Congress for worth while agenda (like a health care public option). These types of efforts are often our only hope in matching lobbying efforts of corporate interests.

We need to use all of our social networking tools to force change to occur. As such, this link provides instructions on "Twitter-bombing" your Reps--encouraging them to take a public option pledge. The current targets on this list include Reps Tim Ryan and Dennis Kucinich.

Please copy and Twitter this to our Reps in Ohio, and encourage them to take the pledge:

Calling @timryan, will you pledge to vote against any health care bill with w/ a weak public option? #publicoption

Calling @Dennis_Kucinich, will you pledge to vote against any health care bill with w/ a weak public option? #publicoption

Democratic leaders in Senate continue effort to kill public option

The Wall St Journal is reporting that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Charles Schumer are now considering a co-op as part of health care reform, in lieu of a robust public option.

Senate Democratic leaders appeared open Thursday to establishing a non-government cooperative as part of a U.S. health-care overhaul. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Charles Schumer said they were amenable to considering a cooperative -- perhaps in lieu of a government-run insurance plan -- to compete with private insurers as part of the effort to reduce the country's health-care costs and expand coverage to uninsured Americans.

The public competitor should "keep the companies honest … be available right at the beginning to everybody, and have the strength to borrow," Mr. Schumer said. "If it can do those things in a co-op form, I think we're open to it."

Schumer doesn't seem to recognize that a truly robust public option is:

• Available from day one.
• Available to everyone.
• Accountable to Congress (and by extension, voters).

What's amazing is that two days after Reid told Democrats to stop chasing GOP votes, they seem prepared to kill a public option in return for 1-2 Republican votes. As I've said before--the Senate is where change goes to die.

Nookular links 7/10/2009

Arlen Spector thinks Joe Sestak should have been more partisan in the military

Time to do away with the "Gang of Eight"

How Many Natural Gas Wells Does Your State Have?

Permanent diet equals longer life

Dennis Kucinich pummels right-wing doctor

The apocalypse is upon us