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 is back after a brief hiatus that included being stranded in D.C. during Snowmaggedon. Here are this week’s highlights:

1. Biden Comes out Swinging against Cheney
2. Rachel Maddow Exposes Republican Hypocrisy
3. Evan Bayh to Step Down – Blames Liberals
4. The Public Option Resurrected

Biden Comes Out Swinging Against Cheney

Joe Biden started the week for the Blues on the Sunday morning talk show circuit by going after Dick Cheney, torture supporter.

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

Rachel Maddow Exposes Republican Hypocrisy on 1-Year Anniversary of the Stimulus Bill

The rising star of today’s new media is Rachel Maddow, current MSNBC talk show host. Here she takes down Republicans for voting against the stimulus bill but then returning home to take credit for it.

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

Evan Bayh to Step Down – Blames Liberals

Evan Bayh, Conservadem from Indiana, announced he would not seek re-election. Here’s what we are losing: Since Obama was elected president only Ben Nelson was a less dependable vote for Democrats when they were needed most– on crucial, substantive roll calls where Democrats either lost or almost lost. The 3 worst scores among Democratic senators for the 111th Congress:

Ben Nelson- 47.76
Evan Bayh- 53.73
Blanche Lincoln- 59.70

Not sure we are going to miss that.

The Public Option Resurrected

What started out as a mere suggestion had grown by the end of the week to gain support not only by the Obama Administration but Harry Reid as well. Stay tuned!

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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Welcome to the first installment of Week in Review for Friday, January 22, 2010. Some of the top political issues and stories will be highlighted at the end of each week.

Prop 8 Trial

Wanted to direct readers to a live blogging account of the Prop 8 trial. The bloggers there are either in the courtroom or in the overflow room in San Francisco as the trial is being conducted…. Have a good read over at http://prop8trialtracker.com

And don’t forget to take the Gay or Straight Marriage Quiz!

Supreme Court Ruling

We already knew that this one was coming so there is no need to be shocked by the outcome.. the Roberts court has not only reaffirmed personhood on corporations but the ability of those non-human “persons” to provide an infinite amount of cash to political campaigns. What to do next? Here are some actions being proposed in Congress now by a true maverick, FL representative Alan Grayson..

Grayson introduced a handful of bills on Wednesday — the Business Should Mind Its Own Business Act, the Corporate Propaganda Sunshine Act, the End Political Kickbacks Act, and two other measures.

The Business Should Mind Its Own Business Act would impose a 500 percent excise tax on corporate contributions to political committees and on corporate expenditures on political advocacy campaigns. The Corporate Propaganda Sunshine Act would require public companies to report what they spend to influence public opinion on any matter other than the promotion of their goods and services. The End Political Kickbacks Act would restrict political contributions by government contractors.

MA – Senate

So what’s the story behind the Massachusetts election of a Republican to a Senate seat for the first time since the Eisenhower Administration? The smart money is that voters were upset that the change promised during the Presidential election was not being delivered. So Independents took to the non-Democratic candidate to, in the process, vote against their own self-interests. The traditional media will attempt to spin the results into a story that says that Obama was too liberal. These polling results should put an end to that kind of crazy talk… or will it? MoveOn.org has a petition up requesting signatures from individuals who agree with this:

It’s time to fight for working families

For the last year, Democrats in Washington have let lobbyists and corporate interests run roughshod over the peoples’ business. Wall Street got bailouts. Bankers got bonuses. Big Insurance rewrote the health care bill. Meanwhile, ordinary Americans struggled to make ends meet.

But now thanks to the Massachusetts special election, Democrats finally know they need to change course. The question is, will they learn exactly the wrong lesson? Will they give up on change altogether?

We need to make sure Democrats don’t get it wrong this time. It’s time to demand that they start truly fighting for working families. Pass real health care reform. Reign in Wall street. Take on the banks and special interests that stand in the way of change.

W Emerges!

George W came out from hibernation, saw his shadow, and within moments, was prepared to warn Americans against <insert possible ethnic slur here>:

“One of my concerns is shysters show up and take advantage of people’s good will and generosity”.

I guess W knows a thing or two about that..?

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