Peter Roff Yesterday

Pelosi is Forcing Moderate Democrats to Walk the Healthcare Plank

By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

The Democrats' efforts to enact a bill that would fundamentally change the American healthcare system are continuing despite considerable evidence that the electorate is turning against it.

More than 25,000 citizens and voters answered the call of U.S. Rep. Michelle Bachmann to come to Washington to lobby against the bill. These ordinary Americans, who came to the capital city by train, by car, by plane, and by bus Thursday at the invitation of the Minnesota Republican, arrived united and vocal in their opposition to the bill being pushed through Congress by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who remains intent on bringing it to the floor in two days during a rare Saturday session of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Pelosi's insistence that the bill come up for a vote is creating something of a desperate situation for moderate Democrats in the House, who reportedly have been told they must vote for the bill or risk losing the backing of the party for the 2010 elections. Pelosi is creating a climate of fear among moderate Democrats who, according to several well-placed congressional observers, have been on edge following the better-than-expected performance by the Republicans in Tuesday's elections.

Bonnie Erbe Yesterday

Cash Payments to Avoid Teen Pregnancy? Great Idea

By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

It's not new, but it's newsy. There's a North Carolina program for younger sisters of teen mothers that pays these girls a dollar each day NOT to get pregnant. What a brilliant idea! And why aren't we doing that nationwide?

College Bound Sisters was launched to help protect teen girls in the highest-risk category from getting pregnant and dropping out of school. There are strict eligibility criteria as follows:

• Is between the ages of 12-16
• Has a sister who had a baby before age 18
• Has never been pregnant
• Wants to attend college
• Is willing to attend a 1.5 hour meeting each week at [the University of North Carolina-Greensboro]

Robert Schlesinger November 04, 2009

Reading Too Much Into the Politics of V (Spoilers)

By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

A charismatic leader promising hope, change and universal healthcare ... a complicit press ... and hiding a terrible secret that you might have read about on the Internet ... a new Beck/Limbaugh biography of Barack Obama? No! It's V, the ABC remake of the classic early 1980s alien invasion mini-series. MSNBC just reported that the show's creators deny that they're taking a shot at Obama. But of course they are: The aliens bring healing technology that they'll share with all. "You mean universal healthcare!" the co-opted reporter responds, as if anyone had not yet made the political connection.

But the politics aren't all conservative. As the show's first episode reaches its dramatic climax, a character reveals that the aliens have been here for years, quietly infiltrating human society in order to set the stage for their takeover. Among their nefarious actions were "unnecessary wars"--apparently George W. Bush is a space alien. (Well maybe not Bush; maybe Rove or Cheney. Oh definitely Cheney.) And as Jonah Goldberg points out, one could argue that "much of the stuff about the dangers of 'devotion' and promises of miraculous cures amounted to an indirect shot at faith-healing evangelicals." (He's also right about this: "If I were 17 and the super-hot alien blonde wanted me to put on a German gay disco doorman's jacket, I would have done so.")

So is V thinly veiled GOP propaganda? Nah.

Peter Roff November 04, 2009

2009 Election Results Show Republicans Recapturing Critical Real Estate

By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Not quite a tidal wave but something more than a ripple on the water, the Republican victories in the 2009 elections demonstrated that, despite the fondest wishes of many supposedly objective political analysts and pundits, the Grand Old Party is far from kaput.

Of particular interest is the apparent resurgence of the suburban Republican and the Republican-leaning independent, cohorts that even two years ago were thought to be a dying breed. Tuesday, they turned out to be the balance of power in important places like New Jersey, where Republican Chris Christie ousted incumbent Democrat Gov. Jon Corzine by about five points.

Laura Chapin November 04, 2009

Anti-Abortion Democrats Should Mind Their Own Business on Healthcare Reform

By Laura Chapin, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

The Congressional Busybody Caucus has struck again. On Monday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told the Washington Post that leadership was negotiating feverishly with a group of Democrats threatening to deep-six healthcare reform over the issue of abortion. Joined by a larger block of anti-choice Republicans, this group is afraid that a woman who receives federally-funded healthcare coverage might therefore be able to buy private health insurance coverage that includes abortion.

With all respect due to members of Congress, this officially falls into the None of Your Damn Business category. Like it or not, abortion is a legal medical procedure and is included in private health insurance plans just like any other legal medical procedure. Would this contingent have a problem with federal funds going to subsidize a kidney transplant?

Mary Kate Cary November 03, 2009

Fiscal Conservatives Threatening to Take Over the Republican Party? Great!

By Mary Kate Cary, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Politico is running a story today on what it calls the Republican Party's "nightmare scenario" of conservatives challenging up to a dozen GOP candidates in key House and Senate races in 2010. Politico points to several examples of these challenges, one of which is Utah, where Rep. Bob Bennett is in trouble after, among several troubling votes, "his Wall Street bailout vote last fall."

In fact, when you read the article carefully, not one of the conservative candidates mentioned says a word about social issues. All of their opposition is to candidates, like Bennett, who supported or voted for Obama's massive expansion of the federal government.

Doug Heye November 03, 2009

Republican Victories Would Lay Bare Internal Democratic Conflicts

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.

Robert Schlesinger November 03, 2009

NRA Official: People Arming In Case Politicians 'Attack'

By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Today's Washington Post has an interesting piece on skyrocketing sales of guns and ammo (12 billion—that's billion, with a b—rounds sold in the last year, up from 7 to 10 billion in an ordinary year). Whichever side you're on in the gun control debate, it's an interesting read. And buried deep in the piece is this arresting explanation for the phenomenon:

"I think it's Katrina. I think it's terrorism. I think it's crime. And I also think that it's people worrying about [whether] they'll be attacked by politicians," said Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association. "They're suspicious, and justifiably so."

Attacked by politicians? Now presumably he means that people think politicians are going to push gun control laws, and so "attack" their right to bear arms. But presumably as a long-time participant in this particular debate LaPierre understands the importance of picking the right words (especially since every other example he gives involves a real, physical threat). Couple LaPierre's comment with the assertion by North Carolina GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx that healthcare reform is a greater threat to the United States than "any terrorist right now in any country."

The message all around? Be scared.

Peter Roff November 03, 2009

Obama's Dithering Dims Americans' View on Afghanistan and the War on Terror

By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

President Obama's deliberations over U.S policy toward Afghanistan are not helping the American electorate maintain confidence in his leadership. A new Rasmussen Reports national survey indicates that only 34 percent of American voters say the United States and its allies are winning the war on terror, a decline of nine points since October and 21 percent since January, when Obama was inaugurated.

Rasmussen also found that 29 percent of those surveyed "believe terrorists are winning that war" while 31 percent say it is a draw. "As recently as April," Rasmussen said, "28 percent said the terrorists were on top, but numbers consistently at that level haven't been seen since late 2007. The belief by 31 percent that neither side is winning is the highest such finding in at least three years."