Bonnie Erbe Yesterday

Landrieu’s Medicaid Deal Hurts Middle Class Taxpayers Everywhere

By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

I know politics is the art of the possible and compromise is key. But I'm sickened by the taxpayer cash being doled out as "walking around money" to lure Democrats into the healthcare fold. Here's what the Wall Street Journal said:

Take Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu. She's now likely to vote with Mr. Reid on Saturday after an amendment was inserted to increase her state's federal Medicaid subsidies by $100 million. The amendment devotes two pages to language making certain that only Louisiana would be entitled to the extra cash.

A Senator's healthcare vote should be based on whether he or she believes in public subsidies, from middle class and wealthy taxpayers, to provide healthcare for low income Americans. It should not be based on the government equivalent of a bribe.

Doug Heye Yesterday

Healthcare Comment Illustrates the Sudden Irrelevancy of Jesse Jackson

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.

Peter Roff November 19, 2009

House Republicans Tar Moderate Democrats With Liberal Healthcare Votes

By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Showing new signs of life after the embarrassing debacle in New York's 23rd Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions and the National Republican Congressional Committee are already pounding some senior Democrats whose vote in favor of Nancy Pelosi's healthcare package may make then vulnerable at the next election.

In new ads designed to run in North Dakota, Arkansas and South Carolina, the committee is raising the issue of the votes Democrats Earl Pomeroy, Vic Snyder and John Spratt cast in favor of Pelosicare by using the words of fellow Democrats who voted against it:

Julia Piscitelli November 19, 2009

Sick and Tired of Sarah Palin

By Julia Piscitelli, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Since when did responsible journalism become targeting someone? It apparently is in Sarah's world. The Associated Press put fact checkers on her book to answer numerous complaints from former McCain presidential campaign aides that the book is a work of "fiction." And it was nice of her to suggest that they should put reporters on more important stories, well, they do have more than 11 people on staff, and those other thousands and thousands are certainly handling the rest of the reporting.

Waa, waa, waa. Poor Sarah Palin.

I am sick and tired of hearing Republicans crying about how unfairly Sarah Palin is treated by the press. I'm sick and tired of hearing how she was disrespected by the picture of her in shorts on the cover of Newsweek. Frankly, I'm just sick of Sarah Palin. And that's saying a lot coming from me, someone who has been fighting for the advancement of women in politics for years. Although I disagree with her political beliefs, I respected and admired her accomplishments as an elected official, and as the vice presidential nominee for a major party.

But I lost a great deal of that respect for her on July 26, 2009. That's the day she quit her job as governor of Alaska to make millions selling books.

Jamie Stiehm November 19, 2009

President Obama v. Sarah Palin--As Different As Hawaii and Alaska

By Jamie Stiehm, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Hawaii and Alaska came late to statehood in 1959, but our two youngest states produced the two new shining stars on opposing party tickets in the 2008 presidential election. A year later, now look at 'em: high in the skies of two different Americas.

Hawaii gave us President Barack Obama, of course. Alaska's gift to the Lower 48 will forever be Sarah Palin, author of a rambling tome titled Going Rogue: An American Life, published this week. The former Alaska governor, Palin was the Republican vice presidential nominee, chosen by Sen. John McCain as his running mate.

There we have it: the President and the Rogue. Quite a pair as far apart as, well, Alaska and Hawaii.

Peter Roff November 19, 2009

Democrats Stuck on Healthcare While Jobs Issue Grows More Urgent

By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's pivot from healthcare to jobs was not quite as smooth as she had hoped.

Buffeted by increases in the unemployment figures in the weeks and months since the stimulus bill passed and was signed into law, the Democrats had hoped to have a healthcare bill to talk about at the next election in order to blunt criticism that they have mismanaged the economy.

Now it's beginning to look like it won't do much good. Most all of the national surveys cite jobs or "jobs and the economy" as the No. 1 issue among likely voters in the next election. And try as she might to change the subject, Pelosi still has some unfinished healthcare business on her side of the Capitol.

Mary Kate Cary November 19, 2009

Mammogram Recommendations Could Reverse Years of Progress

By Mary Kate Cary, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

I'm upset about the controversial decision by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force—an agency appointed by HHS, the federal department at the center of healthcare reform—to recommend that women not begin regular mammograms until age 50, and even then, only every two years.

The breast cancer awareness lobby in the United States has spent years convincing women that we must get checked early and often for breast cancer. It's just what you do: Every year I get my teeth cleaned (twice), I get a Pap smear and a mammogram, and get my cholesterol checked. It's part of being a grownup. It's as if they came out and said that seat belts in cars really aren't necessary anymore, or that it's okay for pregnant women to drink tequila again.

Bonnie Erbe November 18, 2009

House Healthcare Abortion Ban Would be Widespread

By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

There's been a ton of web chatter on the Stupak-Pitts amendment to the House version of healthcare reform. I'm sure you know what it is by now—it's an amendment that would essentially bar private insurers from participating in the so-called public option if they provide coverage for private abortions at all.

Right now federal law bars federal taxpayers' dollars from being spent to cover the cost of abortion for poor women. That's one thing. This would allow government policy to intervene in the most private of medical decisions made by women and their private insurance companies. It's a privacy invasion of massive proportions.

Julia Piscitelli November 18, 2009

Obama on Fox News is Smart Politics

By Julia Piscitelli, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

If you've been watching Fox News Channel at all over the past few days you have seen a barrage of ads for tonight's airing of President Barack Obama's sit down (read: long) interview with the networks' Major Garrett.

I guess the president never heard the rumor that the White House was trying to squelch Democrats from appearing on Fox. And that's good. That alleged squeeze seemed to only cover "Democratic strategists," the catch-all term networks use for those of us with Democratic Hill, campaign, and/or non-profit backgrounds.