Archive for the ‘debate’ Category

Week in Review: February 28, 2010

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

Editor’s Note: Changing up the posting calendar here to allow the Saturday post to include the weekly President’s Radio Address. Week in Review now moves to Sunday to reflect on the previous week.

The week of course s was dominated by the build up, the event, and the analysis of the President’s Health Forum. In case you missed it, let’s get to the video highlights of the actual event.

Obama Takes on McCain

First, the McCain smack-down:

Harry Reid Setting the Stage:

In his opening remarks, Reid takes on the Republicans over their use of budget reconciliation to pass their own legislation, including the Contract for America.

House Speaker Pelosi Reminds Us of the Public Option

Good for her, Speaker Pelosi brings the conversation back to the campaign trail and the public option, restating its case.

Mr. President, I harken back to that meeting a year ago. At that time, Senator Grassley questioned you about the public option. And you said the public option is one way to keep the insurance companies honest and to increase competition. If you have a better way, put it on the table.

Well, I bring that up because we have come such a long way….As a representative of the House of Representatives, I want you to know that we were there that day in support of a public option which would save $120 billion, keep the insurance companies honest, and increase competition. [This describes the Medicare-rates version of the public option, not in the House bill. The current version saves $25 billion.] We’ve come a long way to agreeing to a Republican idea, the exchanges…because the insurance companies opposed the public option. They couldn’t take the competition.

We have in our bill [which includes a weaker public option], market-oriented, encouraging-to-the-private-sector initiatives. I think the insurance industry, left to it’s own devices, has behaved shamefully. And we must act on behalf of the American people. We have lived on their playing field all this time. It’s time for the insurance companies to exist on the playing field of the American people.

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Week in Review: Jan 30, 2010

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

Welcome to the second installment of Week in Review for Saturday, January 30, 2010. Some of the top political issues and stories of this week are presented below.

  1. Obama Takes on the GOP
  2. SOTU
  3. Single Payer Passes!

Obama Takes on the GOP!

Yesterday, President Obama took on House members of the GOP and fielded questions from the floor. Fortunately, the entire showdown was captured on video.

For more than an hour, the President had the opportunity to take on all challenges and talking points regarding his proposals and policies. Sit back and watch why some political analysts are calling it one of the most brilliant moves of Obama’s presidency.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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How to Argue for the Public Option

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

Here is a textbook example of how to argue for the public option. This is Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) discussing the public option on Morning Joe this morning.

Part 1

Part 2

Obama Takes on DeMint for Waterloo Comments

Monday, July 20th, 2009

President Obama calls out S.C. Senator Jim DeMint for politicizing the health care debate.

Now there are some in this town who are content to perpetuate the status quo, who are in fact fighting reform on behalf of special interests. There are others who recognize the problem but believe — or perhaps hope — that we can put off the hard work of insurance reform for another day, another year, another decade.

Just the other day, one Republican Senator said — and I’m quoting him now — “If we’re able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him.”

Think about that.

This isn’t about me. This isn’t about politics. This is about a health care system that is breaking America’s families, breaking America’s businesses, and breaking American’s economy.

We can’t afford the politics of delay and defeat when it comes to health care. Not this time, not now.

DeMint, during a conference call with conservative activists, claimed that

“If we’re able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo,” Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said yesterday  “It will break him.”