The Politico reports that a number of healthcare industry groups are scheduled to announce that they will participate in a White House plan intended to reduce healthcare costs "by as much a $2 trillion over 10 years" through a series of voluntary measures. The Obama administration says the plan is intended to "build momentum behind a comprehensive overhaul this year. Obama is expected to tout the voluntary effort Monday as an 'unprecedented commitment' by the organizations to put aside their differences and work toward fixing the health care system. But the details of how to achieve the goal remain unclear, even among the groups involved, and the savings are largely dependent on passing a broader health reform bill."
The Washington Post reports that the healthcare industry is "volunteering to 'do our part'" in reducing costs, adding that the move "comes amid a debate over how, or whether, to overhaul the nation's health-care system, and Obama administration officials predicted that it will significantly increase momentum for passing such changes this year." The AP notes, "Hospitals, insurance companies, drug makers and doctors planned to tell Obama on Monday they'll voluntarily slow their rate increases in coming years in a move that government economists say would create breathing room to help provide health insurance to an estimated 50 million Americans who now go without it." The Hill "remarks on a lack of firm details in the plan, adding that "as a voluntary effort by private sector entities, there is no formal means of enforcing their pledge."
The New York Times reports that the plan, intended to eventually save a family of four some $2,500 per year, "could make it less expensive for Congress to enact comprehensive health insurance coverage, a daunting challenge facing the Obama administration." The Washington Times suggests that the pledge is "intended to complement President Obama's push for universal health care." The Wall Street Journal reports that the "cost-cutting pledge" is "an example of the White House strategy that health czar Nancy-Ann DeParle has pushed: keeping potential opponents on board."
Meanwhile, the Washington Post notes Rick Scott, a former hospital CEO and founder of the group Conservatives for Patients' Rights, has released a series of TV ads that "feature horror stories from Canada and the United Kingdom: Patients who allegedly suffered long waits for surgeries, couldn't get the drugs they needed, or had to come to the United States for treatment."
Sticker Shock Seen As "Biggest Obstacle" The AP reports that upfront costs "are emerging as the biggest obstacle to President Barack Obama's ambitious plan to provide health insurance for everybody," noting that reports suggest such reform could cost $1.5 trillion over 10 years, based on knowledge of the "broad outlines of the overhaul" that have been released.
And the Wall Street Journal reports the Obama Administration will "propose $60 billion in new tax increases over 10 years on wealthy estates, businesses and others to make up for shortfalls in its fund to pay for an expensive overhaul of the health-care system."
In what the AP calls "a blunt rebuff" of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, President Obama's national security adviser James Jones said yesterday that US strikes in Afghanistan will continue. ABC World News noted that Karzai had "warned that growing civilian casualties from American airstrikes are turning ordinary Afghans against the US." On ABC's This Week, Jones said, "We are going to take very seriously and redouble our efforts to make sure that innocent civilians are not killed." But he added, "We can't fight with one hand tied behind our back."
The AP notes "Gen. David Petraeus, chief of the US Central Command, was less direct when asked about the Karzai demand to end the airstrike, but gave no indication the US would comply." Said Petraeus, "We have to take a look at this, make sure that our commanders understand the -- you know, the subtleties of the situation, the complexity of it, and do the right thing."
The Washington Post reports "the Afghan government says as many as 130 civilians were killed last Monday and Tuesday by US bombs." The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, notes "the conflict over US air strikes comes as the Obama administration is seeking to launch a new counter-insurgency strategy in Afghanistan, and could hobble cooperation between the two governments to rein in the Taliban."
Petraeus said on Fox News Sunday, "I would point everyone to...the joint press release put out by the Afghan and US elements in Kabul yesterday after their initial investigating team came back, which clearly described the sequence of events that took place, with the Taliban moving into these villages, seeking to extort money from them, eventually killing three of the citizens in that area, then engaging the Afghan police who responded, which led to the governor of that province, Farah province, requesting help from the Afghan national army and coalition forces. It was in that response that, of course, this very significant firefight broke out, battle, that ultimately resulted in the dropping of bombs which clearly killed Taliban and some civilians that it appears the Taliban forced to remain in houses from which the Taliban was engaging our forces."
Benchmarks Needed For Afghan Progress US News Weekly's Anna Mulrine says some in Congress, "Democrats among them, have been stressing that sound strategy doesn't guarantee military success -- progress does. The question now is how to measure it. This becomes particularly vital as the Obama administration raises the stakes in Afghanistan, sending in 21,000 more U.S. troops and a surge of civilians even as violence is on the rise in Iraq. There are more aid dollars on the way as well. And so the administration has been working to come up with benchmarks to gauge success as the new resources roll in."
The AP reports former Vice President Dick Cheney "says he believes the US has become more vulnerable to a potential terrorist attack since the Obama administration took power." On CBS's "Face The Nation," Cheney said "the US will not have the same safeguards it's had for the past eight years," and that "getting rid of certain harsh interrogation techniques or a terrorist surveillance program reduces the flow of good intelligence."
ABC World News reported while "the former President, George W. Bush, has been laying low since he left office, Cheney was on the air today accusing the Obama Administration of making America less safe. While Cheney was making his case, President Obama's national security adviser was on ABC News punching back."
The Washington Times notes Cheney "defended controversial interrogation techniques such as waterboarding, saying that it had been an effective tool in extracting useful information from suspected terrorists such as Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who is accused of helping carry out the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks Washington and New York." Said Cheney, "He did not cooperate fully in terms of interrogations until after waterboarding."
Cheney, on CBS's Face The Nation, said, "We have an Administration that's come to power that has been critical of the programs, but not only that, there's been talk about prosecuting the lawyers in the Justice Department who gave us the opinions that we operated in accordance with, or referring them to the Bar Association for disbarment or sanctions of some kind, or possibly cooperating with foreign governments that are interested in trying to prosecute American officials, those same officials who were responsible for defending this nation for the last eight years."
Later on CBS's Face The Nation, Cheney noted the difficulties inherent in shutting down Guantanamo Bay: "You'd have a recidivism rate out of this group of maybe 50 or 60 percent. They want to get out because they want to kill more Americans. And you're just going to find it very difficult to send them any place."
Asked on ABC's This Week about former Cheney's claim that Obama's detainee policies on are "putting America at risk of another attack," Jones said, "I would take issue with some of those allegations. And I think, frankly, in the Bush administration there wasn't complete agreement with the vice president on that score. The truth of the matter is that the Obama administration inherited a situation at Guantanamo that was intolerable."
McCain Criticizes Obama On Gitmo Deadline The Hill reports Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) "Sunday condemned the Obama Administration for placing a deadline on the closure of the prison at Guantanamo Bay without having a solid plan for what to do with its detainees." McCain said that "the deadline should be relaxed if necessary."
Sen. McCain, on ABC's This Week, said, "I don't know how you walk it back to the initial announcement. To announce you're going to close Guantanamo within a year, and not have a comprehensive package for how you address these issues that understandably have arisen. What kind of process do you put the people through that remain?"
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ABC World News says former Vice President Dick Cheney "had some tough words" for Colin Powell yesterday. The AP says that during an appearance Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation," Cheney "made clear" that "he'd rather follow firebrand broadcaster Rush Limbaugh than former Joint Chiefs chairman Colin Powell into political battle over the future of the" GOP. The New York Times reports that Cheney said "Powell had abandoned the" GOP "when he endorsed Barack Obama for president last year." The ex-Vice President "said he 'assumed' Mr. Powell's support of Mr. Obama over Senator John McCain was 'an indication of his loyalty and his interest.' The endorsement, in a carefully timed and deliberate statement after Mr. McCain chose Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate in a move to fire up the party's conservative base, helped solidify Mr. Obama's campaign." The Hill adds that Cheney encouraged "Republicans' outreach efforts while maintaining that the party needs to be true to its roots. 'I don't think the Republican Party ought to move far to the left,' Cheney said. 'The suggestion our Democratic friends always make is, 'Well, if you Republicans were just more like Democrats, you'd win elections.' Well, I don't buy that.'"
CNN reported in its 'Political Ticker' blog that "prominent Republican" Bill Bennett "took issue" yesterday "with what he called the 'media's focus'" on Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, whom he said is not the future of the GOP. Interviewed on CNN, Bennett said the media could focus "a Paul Ryan or a Mike Pence. It could talk about a Bobby Jindal. It could talk even about a John Kyl or a David Petraeus. You know, there's a lot of talent in this party."
The Miami Herald reports that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) "is expected to announce Tuesday that he is running for the U.S. Senate, setting off a high-stakes game of musical chairs that will completely overhaul the top echelon of state government in 2010." The Pensacola News Journal adds Crist is "probably setting off a Republican chain reaction by jumping into the race for retiring U.S Sen. Mel Martinez's job." State GOP chairman Jim Greer "said Crist's announcement on Tuesday will be 'a low-key event' in Tallahassee, but that it will draw immediate endorsements by a wide range of state and national Republican leaders."
Roll Call reports Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey (D) "is now ready to do whatever it takes" to help Sen. Arlen Specter (D) win re-election next year as a Democrat, including backing him over other Democrats in the primary.
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Jay Leno: "Hey," did you "watch 'Oprah' yesterday? Ooh, very exciting. Elizabeth Edwards attacked her husband's mistress. John Edwards' mistress, yeah. Somehow John Edwards convinced his wife it was the mistress' fault and she seduced him. Guys, let me tell you something. Don't try this with your wife, okay? John Edwards is a politician and a trial lawyer. That means he is a professional liar. He knows how to do this. You cannot get away with this. It will not work for you."
Jay Leno: "Oh, did you see this?" There was a "lot of controversy yesterday for National Prayer Day. It seems that President Obama is the first president in recent years not to have a prayer service at the White House. But, you know, I understand that. Between Jesse Jackson and Jeremiah Wright, he hasn't had the best luck with ministers."
David Letterman: "'Star Trek' opened today." They "have updated" things a bit. In "this one, the Starship Enterprise is hijacked by Somali pirates."
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