By Doug Heye, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

"I'll risk my job to vote for healthcare," Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet told CNN's John King yesterday. For many on the Left, the statement was a rallying cry of martyrdom. "They may take our freedom, but they'll never take our government-run healthcare," the newly-minted William Wallace of the Senate might say. On the surface, it's the bold statement of a politician laying it all on the line. But scratch the surface just a little bit and one is quickly reminded that however Bennet may vote on Harry Reid's healthcare bill, his job is already at risk.

By Doug Heye, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

"You can't vote against healthcare and call yourself a black man."

So pronounced the Rev. Jesse Jackson the other night at an event held by the Congressional Black Caucus, also known as the CBC, in honor of the 25th anniversary of Jackson's 1984 Presidential campaign. You might not have heard about Jackson's remark. It received some notice, but nowhere near the overwhelming coverage that Jackson's blue comments last year towards Barack Obama or even his tasteless comment that New York City's Jewish voters made the city "Hymietown."

Jackson criticizing an African-American presidential candidate or offering bizarre anti-Semitic remarks are certainly more newsworthy that criticizing a lone Congressman he declined to mention by name—in this case Rep. Artur Davis, a CBC member and gubernatorial candidate in Alabama. But more than that, the African-American electorate and, by definition, its representation is changing to the point that Jackson's comment can be dismissed as irrelevant.

By Doug Heye, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Of all the controversies so far this month, perhaps the silliest must be the outrage over President Barack Obama bowing to Japanese Emperor Akihito. Coming just months after a similar bow to Saudi Arabian King Abdullah, it is for many an overt sign of Obama's over eagerness to please foreign leaders.

That may be true, but it's also something else: diplomacy.

It's not exactly unprecedented, either. In the post-World War II period, several American Presidents have acted similarly; Bill Clinton bowed to Emperor Akihito in 1994, Richard Nixon bowed to Emperor Hirohito, and Dwight Eisenhower bowed to French President Charles DeGaulle. And let's not forget George W. Bush clasping hands with then-Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, a wonderfully deft move that not only belied the notion of Bush "going it alone" on foreign policy, but also sent the Left into spasms.

By Doug Heye, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

In the interest of participatory debate, I must disagree with Peter Roff.

Indecision regarding Afghanistan is a problem President Barack Obama is battling, at least in perception. But voters still want the president to make the right decision and to follow through on his oft-repeated campaign pledge to listen to the generals on the ground. Should he do so, or come up with a proposal the generals find to be a workable solution, the timing of such a decision becomes less a factor and the president may well earn bipartisan praise. (Though I agree, time is running out.)

And while gridlock demonstrates the difficulties of governing, the stimulus bill was signed into law and Obamacare passed the House. Given what we've seen so far this year, voters may actually want more gridlock. The 39 Democrats who defied Speaker Nancy Pelosi and voted against the healthcare reform bill didn't do so because of worries about gridlock, they did so precisely because their constituents wanted it stopped.

No, the Democratic Party has a larger problem. It's called spending.

By Doug Heye, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Did you get the sense that the House Democratic Leadership was frantic, even desperate, to nail down the vote for the 1,990-page healthcare reform bill?

No, not the actual votes from members Democrats were worried might go south on them—though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer had good reason to be concerned about that; 39 Democrats opposed their party's bill—but scheduling the actual vote itself. It had to be before the Veterans' Day recess.

What was the hurry? The vote was promised before Congress' August recess and didn't happen—what are a few more days to allow the legislation to be seen by the American public for 72 hours, as Pelosi promised?

By Doug Heye, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

We've been talking about the White House's healthcare proposal for how long now? Well, pretty much all year.

Democratic leaders promised a vote before the August recess. That deadline not only wasn't reached, it led to Democrats being savaged at local town halls that were covered live on national television. Then we were told a vote would occur in September. No dice. October? Ditto.

Now the World Series has passed (Way to go, Yankees!) and we're told a vote will be held on Saturday, a rare occurrence of Congress working on a weekend.

President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit with congressional Democrats tomorrow to urge support of the $1.2 trillion measure. That signals one thing: They don't have the votes.

By Doug Heye, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

"I do think that if the results show Republicans have a pretty good night, that probably is going to lead some Democrats to think that, going into next year, we need to take a second look at the way we've done a lot of bills we've addressed up to this point," Rep. Jason Altmire, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, told the Fox Business Network last night.

Given the media's obsession with how the special election in New York's 23rd Congressional District affects the Republican Party outside of NY-23, it's of note to see a Democrat openly talking about his party's own internal conflicts.

Altmire, an outspoken congressman in his second term, is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition made up of conservative and centrist Democrats.