Posts Tagged ‘Barack Obama’
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
President Barack Obama's government has run up the largest budget deficit in American history in February of 2010
As shown in a little-noticed release from the Treasury Department today, the Obama Administration has run up the largest budget deficit in American history in February of 2010, a whopping total of $220.9 Billion in just one month. February 2010’s unprecedented total is more than most year-long budget deficits in American history, including 2007’s year-long total of $161 Billion. AP reports in this historic monthly deficit:
WASHINGTON (AP) — The government ran up the largest monthly deficit in history in February, keeping the flood of red ink on track to top last year’s record for the full year.
The Treasury Department said Wednesday that the February deficit totaled $220.9 billion, 14 percent higher than the previous record set in February of last year.
The deficit through the first five months of this budget year totals $651.6 billion, 10.5 percent higher than a year ago.
The Obama administration is projecting that the deficit for the 2010 budget year will hit an all-time high of $1.56 trillion, surpassing last year’s $1.4 trillion total. The administration is forecasting that the deficit will remain above $1 trillion in 2011, giving the country thrree straight years of $1 trillion-plus deficits.
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The government’s monthly budget report showed the record $220.9 billion deficit for February reflected outlays of $328.4 billion and revenues of $107.5 billion. The February receipts marked the first time that revenues are up compared with the same month a year ago since April 2008. Revenues had fallen for 21 straight months as the recession cut into both individual and corporate income tax payments.
As President Obama and Congressional Democrats continue with their primary focus on passing Obamacare, considering the attendant increased government spending included therein, February 2010 may not have the record for largest monthly deficit in American history for very long.
Technorati Tags: American History, Annoucement, Ap Reports, Barack Obama, Budget Deficit, Budget Deficits, Budget Report, Congressional Democrats, Corporate Income Tax, Five Months, Flood, Government Budget, Income Tax Payments, Monthly Budget, Outlays, Primar, Receipts, Recession, Red Ink, Treasury Department, Trillion
Tags: American History, Annoucement, Ap Reports, Barack Obama, Budget Deficit, Budget Deficits, Budget Report, Congressional Democrats, Corporate Income Tax, Five Months, Flood, Government Budget, Income Tax Payments, Monthly Budget, Outlays, Primar, Receipts, Recession, Red Ink, Treasury Department, Trillion
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Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
The Next Eight Days Will Perhaps Decide Whether Obamacare Passes
After over a year of wrangling, and repeated pronouncements of an “endgame” from President Barack Obama, his senior advisors, and Congressional Democratic leaders at regular intervals from July of 2009 to present, the Obama Administration and Congressional Democratic leadership are settling on a March 18 deadline for House passage of Obamacare. As today’s news sinks in, President Barack Obama is facing a low ebb of job approval in his Presidency so far, with just 48% (one point off all-time low) of registered voters approving in Gallup’s numbers today and just 43% (all-time low) of likely voters approving in today’s Rasmussen polling. Considering this slide in approval as the focus on health care intensifies, the Obama Administration’s desire to have the big House vote sooner rather than later, and come what may, makes sense politically as the White House can then move to a popular jobs focus immediately even in the aftermath of a health care defeat.
As for the pronouncement that the debate is over itself, perhaps this claim should viewed with caution, considering the prior numerous pronouncements. President Obama got into the act on Monday, again declaring that the time for debate over health care is over, while attacking GOP opponents of Obamacare:
Congress “owes the American people a final up or down vote on health care. It’s time to make a decision,” he told an enthusiastic crowd at Arcadia University near Philadelphia. “Stand with me and fight with me. … Let’s seize reform. It’s within our grasp.”
The administration is ramping up its health care push in the coming weeks. The White House has called for legislation to be on the president’s desk at the end of March before the congressional Easter vacation.
…
Insurance companies, the president argued, have made a calculation. He cited a recent Goldman Sachs conference call in which an insurance broker told investors that insurers are willing to lose some customers through premium hikes because of an overall lack of competition in the industry.
“They will keep doing this for as long as they can get away with it,” Obama said. “How much higher do premiums have to rise until we do something about it? How many more Americans have to lose their health insurance? How many more businesses have to drop coverage?”
Obama dismissed GOP criticism that his nearly $1 trillion proposal fails to control spiraling medical costs.
“You had 10 years,” Obama said in reference to GOP control of Congress. “What were you doing?”
…
Washington is “obsessed with the sport of politics,” he said. “We have debated health care in Washington for more than a year. … When’s the right time? If not now, when? If not us, who?”
Speaking of the “sport of politics”, six months ago, President Obama said almost exactly the same thing while also demonizing opponents:
CINCINNATI – In a combative Labor Day speech, President Barack Obama said the health care debate had gone on too long and accused opponents of spreading “lies” meant to convince Americans that his proposed overhaul would cruelly deny care to the elderly.
The president, speaking at an AFL-CIO picnic, said that “special interests” were determined to “scare the heck out of people.”
“I’ve got a question for all these folks who say, you know, we’re going to pull the plug on Grandma and this is all about illegal immigrants – you’ve heard all the lies,” Obama said. “I’ve got a question for all those folks: What are you going to do? What’s your answer? What’s your solution? And you know what? They don’t have one.”
The president seemed eager to recapture some of the enthusiasm that propelled him during his campaign. A prolonged recession has sapped morale, he said, as have pundits who warn that “this isn’t working and that’s not working.”
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But his overriding message in Cincinnati was that health care discussions needed to end. In making that case, he was rejecting a Republican suggestion that he “reset” health care negotiations and start anew.
Obama said “every debate at some point comes to an end. At some point, it’s time to decide. At some point, it’s time to act.”
In between the twin Obama speeches in March 2010 and September 2009 which demand an end to the health care debate while attacking opponents, the White House orchestrated a health care summit with the GOP, with much fanfare, where Obama and the Democrats spoke for about four hours and the GOP spoke for two hours about areas of agreement on health care reform. Many of the points of agreement were outlined on this site before the summit. At the end of the summit, Obama promised to work with Republicans on those points of agreement for “a months time or a few weeks time or six weeks time” before pushing through a partisan Democratic plan:
Obama says there probably won’t be another summit due to the time it requires, but says “we cannot have another year-long debate about this.”
“The question that I’m going to ask myself and I ask of all of you is, ‘Is there enough serious effort that in a months time or a few weeks time or six weeks time, we could actually decide something?’ And if we can’t, I think we’ve got to go ahead and make some decisions and then that’s what elections are for.”
Just six days after the President’s health care summit, Obama ended any hope of a bipartisan deal by “calling for an ‘up or down vote’ within weeks under rules denying Republicans the ability to kill the bill with mere talk” according to the AP.
With all of the political back and forth behind us, now Americans can focus on what will amount to one of the most important votes in the House of Representatives in American history, set to take place not later than eight days from today. Folks on both sides of the debate, for or against Obamacare, should make their views known to their Congressperson by calling, mailing, emailing or otherwise communicating with their local representatives. Folks who are looking to support Obamacare can look here for numbers of to call and other information. Folks who are looking to oppose Obamacare can look here for numbers to call and other information. We are in a truly historic period over the next week or so and all Americans should pay attention and make their views known.
Technorati Tags: "next eight days", 8 days, Barack Obama, Big House, Democratic Leaders, Democratic Leadership, Easter Vacation, Eight Days, Endgame, Enthusiastic Crowd, Focus On Health, Gallup, Goldman Sachs, Goldman Sachs Conference, Insurance Broker, Insurance Companies, Intervals, Low Ebb, Lows, obamacare, obamacare endgame, Pronouncement, Pronouncements, Rasmussen Polling, Registered Voters, Sinks, time for debate is over, Vacation Insurance
Tags: "next eight days", 8 days, Barack Obama, Big House, Democratic Leaders, Democratic Leadership, Easter Vacation, Eight Days, Endgame, Enthusiastic Crowd, Focus On Health, Gallup, Goldman Sachs, Goldman Sachs Conference, Insurance Broker, Insurance Companies, Intervals, Low Ebb, Lows, obamacare, obamacare endgame, Pronouncement, Pronouncements, Rasmussen Polling, Registered Voters, Sinks, time for debate is over, Vacation Insurance
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Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
Unemployment Rose in 30 States in January 2010
Despite the claims of various politicians in Washington, D.C. that the recession is over and a recovery is well underway, unemployment continues to surge throughout the United States, as shown in the release of detailed information today by the Labor Department regarding the January 2010 jobs situation. While 30 states reported an increase in the unemployment rate, five states reached all-time highs in unemployment rates:
Unemployment rose in most states in January—even breaking records in several states, according to government data released Wednesday.
Joblessness in five states—California (12.5 percent), South Carolina (12.6 percent) , Florida (11.9 percent), Georgia (10.4 percent) and North Carolina (11.1 percent)—hit a record high. The District of Columbia, at 12.0 percent, also reached a record high.
In all, 30 states and the District of Columbia saw their rates increase in January over the previous month. Nine states reported a decrease and 11 states had no change in their unemployment, according to the Labor Department.
One disquieting, and unreported, detail of the extended January 2010 report is that all of the above numbers are “adjusted” figures and actual unemployment is actually higher. Overall, the American job market appears to be “frozen”:
“It shows that the labor market is virtually frozen,” said Nick Colas, chief market strategist at the ConvergEx Group. Although the data is from January, he said that “there has not been any dramatic change in these past six weeks.”
Many economists and other observers have pointed to the uncertainty caused by the push to fundamentally alter the health care delivery system by the Obama Administration and Democrats in Congress as a potential cause of this “frozen” labor market. Business owners and operators, both small and large businesses, are less likely to hire new employees while facing potential higher costs in the near term from a possible employer mandate and associated tax on employers who do not provide health coverage to employees.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has famously claimed, with no discernible substantive basis other than a far left wing think tank report, that passing Obamacare through Congress will “almost immediately” result in a gain of 400,000 jobs in America, with 4 million jobs to be created overall by Obamacare. Even Obama-worshipper and Washington Post writer Charles Lane admits Pelosi’s claim is ludicrous, especially considering the main cost-cutting mechanism, the so-called “cadillac tax”, has been removed until 2018 at earliest, hence postponing any job creation gains from lower health care costs well beyond “almost immediately”:
Here’s my problem, though: For Pelosi’s scenario to pan out, health-care reform must actually produce substantial cost savings. And that is more doubtful now that President Obama has offered a version that postpones the strongest cost-containment provision in the Senate bill — the “Cadillac tax” on high-value insurance plans — until 2018. That’s like postponing it this long. The president did this largely to appease organized labor and their allies in the House Democratic caucus — led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Such claims by Speaker Pelosi are especially odd in light of her statement yesterday that its uncertain what is actually in the bill as she advised reporters that “we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it.” Regardless, considering the uncertainty and outright hostility being generated amongst business owners about the Democratic health care reform efforts, it is much more likely that hundreds of thousands of jobs will be created in America if the partisan effort to comprehensively reform health care is officially shelved by President Obama. Providing this certainty to business owners of the future near term cost of hiring an employee, and not increasing such costs and federal regulatory liability as Obamacare would, could be the single greatest thing Washington, D.C. could do to help the American unemployed find a new job.
Indeed, average Americans overwhelmingly agree with this proposition, as recent CNN polling shows 73% want Obama and the Dems to either stop or start over instead of passing the present comprehensive plan and yesterday’s AP polling shows 68% want Obama and the Dems to continue to work with the GOP to make a deal instead of pushing through the present comprehensive plan without GOP support. A full 57% of Americans believe that Obamacare will hurt the economy – just 25% think it will help. It appears to us that the intuition of the American people and the great center of America have correctly determined that the giant new federal bureaucracy and new federal taxes associated with Obamacare would be a drag, if not an anchor, on the efforts of businesses to rebuild their workforces and the economy as a whole to recover.
Perhaps President Obama, Congressional Democratic leaders and the GOP leadership will all decide that the needs of the American people, regarding jobs and the economy, are more important that scoring political points (and “historical” ones for liberals) over health care reform and immediately shelve the present plan and pass centrist health care reform that would both help some uninsured, reduce costs and provide confidence to business owners so that hiring can begin again.
Technorati Tags: All Time Highs, American Job Market, Barack Obama, Barack Obama, Breaking Records, Bureau Of Labor, Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Busi, Care Delivery System, Chief Market Strategist, Colas, District Of Columbia, Dramatic Change, Employer Mandate, Government Data, Health Care Delivery, Health Care Delivery System, Health Coverage, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Joblessness, Labor Department, Market Business, Nancy Pelosi, Recession, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Surges, Unemployment Rate, Unemployment Rates
Tags: All Time Highs, American Job Market, Barack Obama, Barack Obama, Breaking Records, Bureau Of Labor, Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Busi, Care Delivery System, Chief Market Strategist, Colas, District Of Columbia, Dramatic Change, Employer Mandate, Government Data, Health Care Delivery, Health Care Delivery System, Health Coverage, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Joblessness, Labor Department, Market Business, Nancy Pelosi, Recession, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Surges, Unemployment Rate, Unemployment Rates
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Monday, March 8th, 2010
In 2007, Barack Obama argued that primary voters should support him because he would not use reconciliation on health care reform, but Hillary Clinton is.
A little-known interview in 2007 by Barack Obama supplies some fresh evidence of President Barack Obama’s shifting views on the use of reconciliation to pass comprehensive health care reform. Now, in 2010, the Obama Administration and Congressional Democrats have settled upon a plan to pass Obamacare via the use of reconciliation in the Senate after a majority vote in the House. Back in 2007, candidate Obama actually used the issue of the use of reconciliation on health care reform as an example of what Hillary Clinton would do but Obama would not, concluding that folks should vote for Obama for this reason:
Obama was talking about the differences between himself and his then-opponent in the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton.
“I think it is legitimate at this point for me to explain very clearly to the American people why I think I will be a better president than Hillary Clinton, and to draw contrasts,” Obama said.
“But that’s very different from this sort of slash-and-burn politics that I think we’ve become accustomed to. Look, part of the reason I’m running is not just to be president, it’s to get things done. And what I believe that means is we’ve got to break out of what I call, sort of, the 50-plus-one pattern of presidential politics. Which is, you have nasty primaries where everybody’s disheartened. Then you divide the country 45 percent on one side, 45 percent on the other, 10 percent in the middle — all of them apparently live in Florida and Ohio — and battle it out. And maybe you eke out a victory of 50-plus-one, but you can’t govern. I mean, you get Air Force One, there are a lot of nice perks to being president, but you can’t deliver on health care. We’re not going to pass universal health care with a 50-plus-one strategy. We’re not going to have a serious bold energy policy of the sort I proposed yesterday unless you build a working majority. And part of the task of building that working majority is to get people to believe in our government, that it can work, that it’s based on common sense, that it’s not just sort of scoring political points.
The interviewer then asked, “So is your answer to ‘Why I will be a better president than Hillary Clinton,’ is your answer that she’ll be a 50-plus-one president and you won’t?”
“Yes,” Obama said.
Even left-leaning Polifact, who collected the above Obama quotes in the wake of Glenn Beck’s partial airing of them last week, states that Obama has committed a complete flip flop on the use of reconciliation:
Obama may argue that he has tried to include Republicans, but that they have simply been unwilling to play ball. He also has noted that the first iteration of the health care bill passed the Senate with a supermajority. But the fact is, the health care bill is not getting any Republican support, and Obama is pressing forward with a plan to push through a health care plan without them, and without a 60-vote majority.
And we think the last quote, from 2005, is even more on point. Yes, Obama was speaking about the “nuclear option” as it related to judicial nominees, and not a reconciliation bill. But the principles are largely the same, especially as Obama noted that having simple “majoritarian” power in the Senate is “just not what the Founders intended.” And we think that’s enough to warrant a Full Flop.
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Technorati Tags: "We're not going to pass universal health care with a 50-plus-one strategy", Air Force One, Barack Obama, Comprehensive Health Care, Comprehensive Health Care Reform, Congressional Democrats, Contrasts, Energy Policy, Health Care Reform, Hillary Clinton, Majority Vote, Opponent, President Clinton, Presidential Politics, Primaries, Reason, Reconciliation, Running, Senate, Universal Care, Universal Health Care, victory
Tags: "We're not going to pass universal health care with a 50-plus-one strategy", Air Force One, Barack Obama, Comprehensive Health Care, Comprehensive Health Care Reform, Congressional Democrats, Contrasts, Energy Policy, Health Care Reform, Hillary Clinton, Majority Vote, Opponent, President Clinton, Presidential Politics, Primaries, Reason, Reconciliation, Running, Senate, Universal Care, Universal Health Care, victory
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Monday, March 8th, 2010
Senior Democratic Strategist James Carville released a poll today that shows 51% of Americans think America is less respected now than two years ago in 2008; 41% disagree
James Carville, senior Democratic pollster and strategist, released a new poll today from his Democracy Corp polling outfit with results generally in line with other pollsters, showing Obama’s approval at 49% while finding a 3 point edge for the GOP in the 2010 elections amongst likely voters. However, one finding stands out: Over half of all Americans believe that America is less respected by the world than two years ago in 2008.
The Democratic polling firm’s release states that “a 51 to 41 percent majority says the U.S. is less respected in the world than two years ago. This is surprising, given the global acclaim – and Nobel peace prize – that flowed to the new president after he took office.” This finding is particularly newsworthy because of the massive focus of the Obama Administration in their first 14 months on improving the image of the United States on the world stage. The Washington Times reports:
A majority of Americans say the United States is less respected in the world than it was two years ago and think President Obama and other Democrats fall short of Republicans on the issue of national security, a new poll finds.
The Democracy Corps-Third Way survey released Monday finds that by a 10-point margin — 51 percent to 41 percent — Americans think the standing of the U.S. dropped during the first 13 months of Mr. Obama’s presidency.
Another finding of the Democracy Corps survey involves the overall handling of national security matters – a large gap has reemerged in the public’s mind, strongly favoring GOP handling of national security issues over Democrat:
While ratings for the president may be softening, his party is facing an even more troubling trend. When the questions move beyond the president to Democrats generally, we see that the public once again has real and rising doubts about the Democrats’ handling of national security issues, as compared to their faith in Republicans. This security gap, which has roots stretching back to Vietnam, was as wide as 29 points earlier in the decade. The deficit began to close in 2006, with the Bush administration’s catastrophic mismanagement of Iraq and other national security challenges. As public hopes about the Obama presidency rose and peaked, the gap all but vanished. Last May, Democracy Corps found Democrats essentially tied with Republicans (41 to 43 percent) on the question of which party would do a better job on national security.
But now the gap shows signs of re-opening, with Democrats trailing by 17 points, 33 to 50 percent on which party likely voters think would do the better job on national security. The erosion since May is especially strong among women, and among independents, who now favor Republicans on this question by a 56 to 20 percent margin.
While unpopular upon leaving office in January 2009, 51% of Americans now believe America was more respected in Bush's final full year of 2008 than now
It appears the so-called “security gap” is reasserting itself, as the public now prefers GOP handling of national security issues by a 17 point margin, 50%/33%, with independents going GOP by a whopping 36 point margin. While Obama’s personal ratings on national security are hovering around 50%, as noted by Democracy Corps, this new security gap may be a sign of trouble for Democrats leading into the 2010 election season. The security gap, combined with the 51% of Americans who feel America is less respected now than in 2008, could be seen as polling evidence that the “Miss Me Yet” movement regarding George W. Bush has significant backing in security matters.
UPDATE: Hotair notes that Obama is also losing the public on the interrogation and prosecution policies regarding terrorists debate:
Fifty-seven percent of likely voters approve of Obama’s handling of national security—ten points higher than his general 47 percent approval rating, according to a new Democracy Corps/GQR/Third Way poll out Monday.
Where Obama loses: interrogation and prosecution of terrorism suspects, where a 51-44 percent majority disapproves. Republicans have hammered the administration for its decision to read the alleged Christmas Day bomber his Miranda rights, and the poll results show the message is sticking…
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Tags: 2008, 2010, 41%, 51%, america less respected, Barack Obama, Barack Obama, bush, Democracy Corps, Democrat, Democratic Strategist, Gap, Global Acclaim, GOP, James Carville, less respected, less respected now, miss me yet, National Security Issues, New Poll, New President, Nobel Peace Prize, Point Edge, Point Margin, Pollster, Pollsters, Presidency, Release States, security gap, Washington Times, World Stage
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Monday, March 8th, 2010
President Barack Obama's White House Puts the Odds of House Passage of Obamacare at Even Money
Coming on the heels of the Massa Disaster and the Saigon analogy this morning, the NYT breaks another interesting comment from the White House this morning’s profile of Rahm Emanuel, essentially admitting that its an even-money bet as to whether Obama can force the House to pass Obamacare:
As Emanuel put it the morning of the Massachusetts election, the final judgments will depend on the final results. If the president and his chief of staff manage to salvage their ambitious campaign to overhaul health care in the next few weeks — a proposition the White House privately put at 51 percent as the month began, according to an official — then, as Emanuel said, they will be seen as smart all over again. But that 49 percent chance of failure could devastate Obama’s presidency, weaken Democrats heading into the fall midterm elections and trigger an even fiercer, more debilitating round of finger-pointing inside the administration.
The recent series of stories about Rahm has apparently angered Obama, according to the Times, which Politico notes spurred a Rahm apology:
Baker, who interviewed most of Emanuel’s inner circle, discovers that President Obama was, indeed, irked by a spate of stories defending Emanuel, including a recent Dana Milbank column that suggested the president would have been wiser to heed his underling’s advice on strategic decisions.
And Rahm seems to have apologized.
“As for Obama, ‘he’s irritated by the stories,’ a top aide told me, and Emanuel has ‘expressed regret’ to the president,’ Baker writes.
Technorati Tags: 49%, 51%, Ambitious Campaign, Analogy, Apology, Barack Obama, Bet, Chief Of Staff, Confidence, Dana Milbank, Democrats, Disaster, Elections, Failure, Health Care, Inner Circle, Judgments, Massachusetts Election, Nyt, obamacare, Odds, Presidency, President Baker, rahm, Rahm Emanuel, Saigon, Salvage, Spate, Strategic Decisions, Underling, White House
Tags: 49%, 51%, Ambitious Campaign, Analogy, Apology, Barack Obama, Bet, Chief Of Staff, Confidence, Dana Milbank, Democrats, Disaster, Elections, Failure, Health Care, Inner Circle, Judgments, Massachusetts Election, Nyt, obamacare, Odds, Presidency, President Baker, rahm, Rahm Emanuel, Saigon, Salvage, Spate, Strategic Decisions, Underling, White House
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Monday, March 8th, 2010
President Barack Obama, seen here with two key advisors, is pushing House Democrats to vote for Obamacare using the line “This is the last helicopter out of Saigon, OK?”
As perhaps the final week in the Obama Administration’s year-long campaign to push Obamacare through Congress begins, a senior White House advisor, in comments to CNN contributor Gloria Borgen, compared intensified White House efforts to pass Obamacare through the House of Representatives to the involuntary evacuation of the American Embassy in Saigon in 1974:
BORGER: Velshi: All right, Gloria, how much of a hint is the president going to make? Or is it not going to be hinted? Is he going to say, “This is the compromise. If you can’t find it in yourselves to do it, to support this for Republicans, we’re going to get it through the Senate”?
Borger: Right. This isn’t going to be subtle at all today. I think this is it. I was speaking with one senior White House adviser just before I came on the air, and he said, think of it this way. This is the last helicopter out of Saigon, OK?
Velshi: Wow.
The Obama Administration’s use of this type of defeatist rhetoric and analogy in its final efforts to twist arms and force Democratic House members to vote for Obamacare this week and the disclosure of same to CNN is certainly another strange development in the year long debate. The WSJ’s take was to question whether these comments are foreshadowing of the chance that health care reform is becoming Obama’s Vietnam. Perhaps White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs will be asked at his press briefing today what exactly the Administration is saying by comparing their health care efforts to the horrific incident decades ago in Saigon. The WSJ points out some media reaction from the BBC:
Mark Mardell, North American editor of the BBC, was watching and he blogged in response: “Fleeing a lost war is not the most optimistic metaphor for an adviser to adopt. And it still may go down in flames.”
Another House Democrat is bucking White House pressure on the Obamacare vote as well today, as new quotes from Democratic House member Dan Boren (D-OK) are becoming public:
“They can break my arms. They can do whatever they want to. They’ll never get my vote — ever. They’ll have to walk across my dead body if they want my vote on this issue.”
“there is no chance I am voting for this bill because it raises taxes on businesses, creates job-killing mandates, grows the size of government, and cuts services to seniors.”
Boren’s comments could be the most biting criticism from a present Democratic member of Congress to date. Combined with the Massa Disaster, the Saigon analogy and Boren’s comments create an unwelcome beginning of what could be the final week of the Obama Administration’s push to pass comprehensive health care reform through Congress.
UPDATE: Hotair points out the Weekly Standard’s reporting that former “yes” vote Democratic House Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) has flipped to a definite no:
Add Congressman Dan Lipinski of Illinois to the coalition of pro-life Democrats standing firmly with Bart Stupak in the fight over taxpayer-funding of abortion in the health care bill. Asked if the congressman is “open to voting for a health care bill that lacks the Stupak amendment,” Lipinski’s spokesman Nathaniel Zimmer replied in an email to THE WEEKLY STANDARD: “No. Congressman Lipinski will not vote for a health care bill that provides federal funding for abortion.”
In addition to Stupak and Lipinski, Congressman Jim Oberstar of Minnesota has said that he will not vote for the health care bill if it lacks the Stupak amendment: “I will not vote for a health care bill that doesn’t have the House abortion language in it,” Oberstar told Congressional Quarterly on February 24.
UPDATE#2: Hotair points out a Democratic Congressman who states that Pelosi has only 201 votes for Obamacare right now.
UPDATE#3: Weekly Standard’s John McCormack links over, thanks for the link John. Weekly Standard readers, please take a look around, leave a comment or two. Thanks.
Technorati Tags: "obama's vietnam", "This is the last helicopter out of Saigon, American Embassy, Analogy, Barack Obama, Borger, Care Efforts, Cnn, Contributor, Dan Boren, Democratic House Members, Down In Flames, Final Efforts, Gloria, Health Care Reform, Helicopter, Horrific Incident, House Democrats, House Of Representatives, Lipinski, Mandates, Mardell, Metaphor, OK?", Rhetoric, Robert Gibbs, Saigon, White House Adviser, White House Spokesman, Wsj, “Fleeing a lost war is not the most optimistic metaphor for an adviser to adopt. And it still may go down in flames.”
Tags: "obama's vietnam", "This is the last helicopter out of Saigon, American Embassy, Analogy, Barack Obama, Borger, Care Efforts, Cnn, Contributor, Dan Boren, Democratic House Members, Down In Flames, Final Efforts, Gloria, Health Care Reform, Helicopter, Horrific Incident, House Democrats, House Of Representatives, Lipinski, Mandates, Mardell, Metaphor, OK?", Rhetoric, Robert Gibbs, Saigon, White House Adviser, White House Spokesman, Wsj, “Fleeing a lost war is not the most optimistic metaphor for an adviser to adopt. And it still may go down in flames.”
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Monday, March 8th, 2010
Democratic House Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY) is blaming the White House for forcing his ouster from the House of Representatives, creating a new Obamacare scandal: the "Massa Disasta"
In a shocking claim made this morning on a New York radio station, Democratic House Representative Eric Massa (D-NY) pointed to the White House and Democratic House Leadership as engineering his demise, essentially forcing him out because of his opposition to Obamacare. Politico quotes Massa:
Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) says the House ethics committee is investigating him for inappropriate comments he made to a male staffer on New Year’s Eve — and that he’s the victim of a power play by Democratic leaders who want him out of Congress because he’s a “no” vote on health care reform.
“Mine is now the deciding vote on the health care bill,” Massa, who on Friday announced his intention to resign, said during a long monologue on radio station WKPQ. “And this administration and this House leadership have said, quote-unquote, they will stop at nothing to pass this health care bill. And now they’ve gotten rid of me and it will pass. You connect the dots.”
Massa’s claims this morning, as reported by Roll Call that his ouster was “orchestrated by Democratic leaders to get him out of office before the health care vote”, will likely lead news reports on cable during the day today. One especially newsy soundbite from Massa was his claim that:
“Rahm Emanuel is son of the devil’s spawn…He is an individual who would sell his mother to get a vote.”
The “Massa Disasta” is unwelcome news for the Obama Administration, which is already struggling to remedy prior questionable process actions regarding Obamacare, such as the Louisiana Purchase, Obama’s appointment of undecided Dem. Rep. Matheson’s brother to a federal judgeship and Cornhusker Kickback. Now, the “Massa Disasta” will take its place amongst the process scandals surrounding Obamacare as America begins the final days before the all-important House vote on the Senate health care bill.
UPDATE: Ed at Hotair links over, thanks for the link Ed. Ed points to an interesting piece by the Washington Examiner on the Massa Disasta which is a good read. So far, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, and CBS are engaging in a news blackout on this story, we’ll see how things develop during the day.
Some “interesting” quotes from Massa also from the same NY radio station tape, which now is, of course, a dead link, courtesy of the Washington Examiner and Roll Call:
Roll Call reports this morning that on the local radio show he hosts in his district, Massa said he had not been informed of the sexual harassment allegations before they became public. He claimed that Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., spoke falsely when he said he had brought the matter to him previously, Massa said. “Steny Hoyer has never said a single word to me, at all, ever, not once,” Massa said. “Not a word. This is a lie. It’s a blatant, false statement.”
He also railed against Hoyer for discussing Ethics Committee business with the press. “Never before in the history of the House of Representatives has a sitting leader of the Democratic Party discussed allegations of House investigations publicly before findings of fact. Ever.”
Directly calling our your Majority Leader as a liar is a pretty substantial claim by a House member, and these comments are also bringing to the fore the dislike of Rahm Emanuel amongst rank and file House Dem members. Some other choice quotes from Massa this morning regarding Rahm Emanuel, from Realclearpolitics:
Rep. Massa describes a confrontation with Emanuel in a shower: “I am showering, naked as a jaybird, and here comes Rahm Emanuel, not even with a towel wrapped around his tush, poking his finger in my chest, yelling at me.”
UPDATE#2: Ben Smith reports on Glenn Beck’s tweet that Massa will be on for full hour on his 5PM show tomorrow. Expect fireworks:
Tomorrow at five: congressman Massa for the full hour. I just spoke with him off air. All Americans need To hear him. Exclusive 2morrow fox
Technorati Tags: "I am showering, "Never before in the history of the House of Representatives has a sitting leader of the Democratic Party discussed allegations of House investigations publicly before findings of fact. Ever.", "son of the devil's spawn", and here comes Rahm Emanuel", at all, Barack Obama, Barack Obama, Democratic Leaders, devil, Eric Massa, ever, false statement.”, Federal Judgeship, Health Care Bill, Health Care Reform, Inappropriate Comments, Kickback, Louisiana Purchase, massa disasta, massa disaster, massa quote, massa soundbite, Matheson, Media Blackout, Monologue, naked as a jaybird, Nancy Pelosi, New York Radio, no vote, not once”, obamacare, Ouster, pelosi, Power Play, Quote Unquote, Radio Station, Rahm Emanuel, resign, Resignation, Roll Call, Son Of The Devil, Soundbite, Staffer, White House, Wkpq, “Not a word. This is a lie. It’s a blatant, “Steny Hoyer has never said a single word to me
Tags: "I am showering, "Never before in the history of the House of Representatives has a sitting leader of the Democratic Party discussed allegations of House investigations publicly before findings of fact. Ever.", "son of the devil's spawn", and here comes Rahm Emanuel", at all, Barack Obama, Barack Obama, Democratic Leaders, devil, Eric Massa, ever, false statement.”, Federal Judgeship, Health Care Bill, Health Care Reform, Inappropriate Comments, Kickback, Louisiana Purchase, massa disasta, massa disaster, massa quote, massa soundbite, Matheson, Media Blackout, Monologue, naked as a jaybird, Nancy Pelosi, New York Radio, no vote, not once”, obamacare, Ouster, pelosi, Power Play, Quote Unquote, Radio Station, Rahm Emanuel, resign, Resignation, Roll Call, Son Of The Devil, Soundbite, Staffer, White House, Wkpq, “Not a word. This is a lie. It’s a blatant, “Steny Hoyer has never said a single word to me
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Friday, March 5th, 2010
President Barack Obama executes a friendly handshake with Hugo Chavez early in Obama's term
Hugo Chavez, the socialist strongman leader of Venezuela, has turned his rhetorical fire today on his favorite target: the United States of America. Despite the hopes of many on the American left who publicly aligned with Hugo Chavez during the Bush years, the Venezuelan President has continued to virulently attack the United States during Obama’s tenure. The latest Chavez outburst was directed at Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, stating “To me, she’s like Condoleezza Rice … a blond Condoleezza” as reported an hour ago by Reuters:
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s President Hugo mocked U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday as a “blond” version of her predecessor, and said a row with Spain over alleged links with rebel groups was over.
Visiting Latin America this week, Clinton said the Obama administration’s policies towards the region were helping blunt the criticism of the United States by leftist leaders like Chavez.
“To me, she’s like Condoleezza Rice … a blond Condoleezza,” said the Venezuelan, referring to former U.S. president George W. Bush’s secretary of state, with whom he exchanged frequent harsh words at long-distance.
Citing comments by Clinton in Brazil, Chavez said she was proving to be equally aggressive. “She comes to Brazil to provoke us, to try and divide us from our brothers.”
Regarding US-Venezuelan relations as a whole, Chavez’s warm feelings toward President Obama appear to have peaked in September 2009, when he lavishly praised Obama at the UN, favorably comparing him with the “devil” Bush:
UNITED NATIONS (CNN) — Drawing on 2006 remarks in which he compared former U.S. President George Bush to the devil, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, speaking at the United Nations Thursday, said, “It doesn’t smell like sulfur anymore.”
In a rambling speech at the U.N. General Assembly, Chavez spoke highly of current President Obama, saying he is an “intelligent man” and comparing him to President John F. Kennedy.
Hugo’s prior love for Obama came to an abrupt end at the Copenhagen global warming summit in December 2009, where Chavez reversed course on Obama:
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he “still” smelled sulfur after President Obama made a keynote speech at the Copenhagen climate conference Friday, accusing the American president of carrying the same satanic scent that Chavez believes followed Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush.
Former President Jimmy Carter buddies up with Venezeulan strongman Hugo Chavez
At Copenhagen, Chavez applied his bizarre satanic scent metaphor to Obama, as Chavez had done to Bush in 2006 and thereafter Chavez and other socialist leaders in Latin America have been turning against the once-welcomed Obama. Chavez’s attack on Hillary Clinton today serves as yet another reminder that some foreign leaders (like Chavez) dislike all of America’s leaders, and Americans would be better served by a unified political stance towards foreign powers instead of the present, highly partisan American foreign policy.
Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, blond condie, blond condoleezza, blonde condie, blonde condoleezza, Cnn, Condoleezza Rice, George W Bush, Harsh Words, Hillary Clinton, Hugo Chavez, Latin America, Leader Of Venezuela, Leftist Leaders, Outburst, Predecessor, President George Bush, President George W Bush, President Hugo, President Hugo Chavez, Rebel Groups, Reuters, Rhetorical Fire, Secretary Of State, Strongman, Target, Venezuelan President, Venezuelan President Hugo, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Warm Feelings
Tags: Barack Obama, blond condie, blond condoleezza, blonde condie, blonde condoleezza, Cnn, Condoleezza Rice, George W Bush, Harsh Words, Hillary Clinton, Hugo Chavez, Latin America, Leader Of Venezuela, Leftist Leaders, Outburst, Predecessor, President George Bush, President George W Bush, President Hugo, President Hugo Chavez, Rebel Groups, Reuters, Rhetorical Fire, Secretary Of State, Strongman, Target, Venezuelan President, Venezuelan President Hugo, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Warm Feelings
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All Out Media Assault on Eric Massa as Beck Interview Approaches
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
Former Democratic House Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY) Is Under All-Out Assault from the Establishment Media Today
As the hours count down until Glenn Beck uses his 3-4 million viewer platform today to amplify now-resigned Democratic House Rep. Eric Massa’s (D-NY) sensational claims that the Obama Administration and Democrats in Congress forced him out of Congress over his opposition to Obamacare, the left-leaning establishment media is engaging in all-out effort to completely destroy Eric Massa in the eyes of the public. A common beneficiary of Obama White House and Congressional Democratic leaks, the Washington Post, has just gone up with a new story alleging that Massa is under investigation for “groping” several male staffers:
CNN and MSNBC have been keeping up a steady hourly diet of attacks on Eric Massa all day long, at times asserting he is simply crazy, had “snapped” from the pressure, was “silly” or “ridiculous” or was just lying about the Obama Administration and Congressional Democratic leadership just to save his own skin. Considering Massa was fully embraced by such left-leaning media outlets in the recent past, the latest harsh, anonymously-sourced attacks are all the more jarring. The leaks from Democratic sources on the House Ethics Committee or perhaps the White House, published at 2:49PM today, up the ante somewhat as they attempt to paint Massa as a serial sexual harasser of male staffers based on anonymous sources. All told, the mainstream media appears to be reading directly from White House talking points on Massa, as repeated again by the Washington Post in today’s article:
It is unusual for specific details of Congressional ethics investigations to be leaked so widely, especially in seeming direct, immediate response to the member’s public comments, as the leaks to the Washington Post appear to be in response to Massa’s comments yesterday. Regardless, today’s interview on Glenn Beck’s show is certain to drive the news cycle this evening and perhaps into tomorrow as the Obama Administration and Congressional Democratic leadership struggle to find the votes to push Obamacare through Congress before the Easter recess.
Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, Barack Obama, Beneficiary, Campaign Office, Care Reform Legislation, Committee Investigation, Congressional Leaders, Congressional Offices, Eric Massa, Establishment Media, Glenn Beck, Health Care Reform, Inappropriate Comments, Office Staff, Physical Harassment, Salty Language, Sensational Claims, Staffers, Villified, Washington Post, York Democrat
Tags: Barack Obama, Barack Obama, Beneficiary, Campaign Office, Care Reform Legislation, Committee Investigation, Congressional Leaders, Congressional Offices, Eric Massa, Establishment Media, Glenn Beck, Health Care Reform, Inappropriate Comments, Office Staff, Physical Harassment, Salty Language, Sensational Claims, Staffers, Villified, Washington Post, York Democrat
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