"This was the voice of moderation until 13 Sept, 2025"
By Lindsay Beyerstein Yesterday the Senate Finance Committee voted down two amendments that would have added a public option to its health reform bill. The committee also tacked on millions for discredited abstinence-only-until-opposite-marriage teaching. On the bright side, maybe kids will start ditching church now that they get their religious hokum free from the government, … Read more
by publius In 2005, Peter Daou wrote a seminal essay called "The Triangle," which (among other things) examined the relationship between blogs and the "mainstream" media (MSM). Daou's framework provides the best context for understanding the wingers' recent victory lap on ACORN. As it turns out, the celebration has very little to do with ACORN … Read more
by publius Brian Beutler has the latest unhelpful comment from Ben Nelson on health coverage reform. And while it's really annoying to hear, I'm not sure it's that big of a deal. Nebraska, remember, is a very Republican state. Bush beat Kerry by over 30 points. Obama did much better, but still lost the state … Read more
by publius It's easy to understand why Obama is delaying a final decision on Afghanistan strategy. He's come to a major fork in the road — and each potential choice calls for radically different actions that can't be easily reversed. Eric Martin can correct me if I'm wrong, but Obama seems to be faced with … Read more
by publius Today's Post has a decent overview of Republicans' about-face on Medicare spending. Demagoguing Medicare cuts is quickly becoming the GOP's go-to argument. And it's hard to recall a more brazen and cynical act of hypocrisy. It's an argument premised entirely on the assumption that the public — and seniors in particular — will … Read more
by publius I've already noticed some cheering in conservative quarters about the sweeping victory of Merkel's center-right coalition. To the extent we're viewing the German election through domestic political lenses (and, as Americans, that's our God-given right), it's worth keeping relative baselines in perspective. As Yglesias notes, much of Merkel's coalition would be considered fairly … Read more
by publius I haven't followed the Virginia governor's campaign as closely as I'd like. But it seems clear that McDonnell was pretty much running away with it before his thesis emerged. The views in his thesis have really wounded him — and rightly so. It's not exactly a college-era exploration. He wrote it at 34, … Read more
by Eric Martin Today, I got married to the most beautiful woman in the world. Both beautiful because she is on the outside, and also because she puts up with me. It ain’t easy. She’s special. I’m just a louse.
by publius I'm not entirely sure why including maternity care in health insurance benefits is a hill that Jon Kyl wanted to fight on. But he did: I don't need maternity care and so requiring that to be in my insurance policy is something that I don't need and will make the insurance more expensive. … Read more
By Lindsay Beyerstein Last night, I quite unexpectedly scored an exclusive video interview with Howard Dean at the 92nd St YMCA where he was promoting his new book on health reform. I asked him about the chances that Democrats will try to use budget reconciliation to pass a health care bill and thwart a filibuster. … Read more