democratic leader

Just now reporting it on MSNBC. So much for change we can believe in.

GottaLaff has more

UPDATE:

Here’s the breaking news alert via the AP:

WASHINGTON – Democratic senators say they have a tentative deal to drop a government-run insurance option from health care legislation. No further details were immediately available.

But liberals and moderates have been discussing an alternative, including a private insurance arrangement to be supervised by the federal agency that oversees the system through which lawmakers purchase coverage.

Additionally, talks centered on opening up Medicare to uninsured Americans beginning at age 55, a significant expansion of the large government health care program that currently serves the over-65 population.

Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa told reporters he didn't like the agreement but would support it to the hilt in an attempt to pass health care legislation.

Over 55? Well that takes some of the most expensive people off the insurance companies teet and puts it on Medicare’s. Sounds like another fucking gift to the insurance industry. Oh but I’m sure the Democrats and Obama is expecting the kindness of the insurance companies to pass those savings on to us – right? Yeah……right </sarcastic voice>

UPDATE 2:

Now Reid is saying this report is untrue. I’m not holding my breath on what Reid says though.

UPDATE 3:

Here is Reid’s statement:

"We have a broad agreement," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid told reporters, refusing to give any details on the talks.

Reid said reports the government-run "public option" had been dropped were "not true."

I find this appalling. Today John Boehner, my congressman, decided to blame the generals on the ground for the failures in Iraq.

How dare Mr. Boehner take such a stance against our military. This on the very day he threatened to "beat Mr. Kerry to death" because of Kerry's comments.

Now will the media attempt to clear themselves of their label of "media bias" and report none stop on what Mr. Boehner said today? John Kerry is not running for office this year, John Boehner is. This story demands at the very least the same amount of attention that the Kerry story received. We have the Majority Leader blasting our troops on the ground and our President making jokes about the very reason why 2,800+ United States soldiers have died.

The following is a release from Harry Reid:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid released the following statement on House Majority Leader John Boehner's decision to blame the troops for Republican failures in Iraq.

They are so out to get Harry Reid that they will find anything and try to turn it into a scandal. The AP is really sinking to a new low on this one:

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, who has criticized Republican ethics, accepted free ringside tickets to three professional boxing matches from Nevada officials who were trying to influence his federal legislation regulating the sport.

Reid, D-Nev., took the free seats for Las Vegas fights between 2003 and 2005 from the Nevada Athletic Commission as he pressed legislation to increase federal oversight of boxing, including the creation of a government commission.

Reid defended the gifts, saying they would never influence his position on the boxing bill and that he was simply trying to learn how his legislation might affect an important home state industry. "Anyone from Nevada would say I'm glad he is there taking care of the state's No. 1 businesses," he told The Associated Press.

So if a Senator accepting tickets to his states largest sporting event is against the rules then how do lobbyists even operate?

Here is the big irony of this. My congressman and the Majority Leader, John Boehner, accepted gifts from Indian Tribes directly related to the Abramoff scandal. For him though this is fine because as he said "he was working for his constituency". Now the interesting part is that the Indian tribe he accepted gifts from make up 0% of his constituency. So he was accepting gifts from someone out of his district and using those to help affect legislation and that is OK but for Reid to accept gifts from someone in his district that is not OK?

Rep Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee is now
threatening to block the Patriot Act because of the extension:

Via

Raw Story:

Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Frank James Sensenbrenner (R -
WI) has rejected a Patriot Act compromise reached by the Senate.

The Senate had agreed to extend controversial provisions of the Act six
months, setting it to expire in the summer of 2006.

Instead, Sensenbrenner is calling for just a one month extension of the
Act.

House debates on the subject are set to begin at 4 PM EST.

The
Associated Press's report on this has Harry Reid firing back at
Sensenbrenner

"Congressman Sensenbrenner needs to do what's right for Americans and
agree to let the bipartisan Senate bill pass promptly," said Jim Manley,
spokesman for Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

View complete article
here.

Considering this is such a "vital" piece of legislation and the President has
already flip-flopped on the issue and commended Senate for passing it last
night, is Sensenbrenner out of touch with the country? Hell yeah he is.

Democrats wanted a three month extension. Republicans started calling for a
year extension. They agreed on six months last night and now Sensenbrenner only
wants one month. Maybe him and Ted Stevens can through little fits and resign
together.

According to the latest Wall Street Journal poll, 69% of Americans hold
Cheney responsible for the CIA leak. Also 54% of Americans now hold the
President responsible for the leak and 60% of conservatives say other aides
besides Libby may have acted illegally. The poll also reveals that 60%,
including 43%, feel there should be an independent public investigation into the
actual crime of outing Plame.

In other polling news, the latest

Ap-Ipsos poll, Bush's approval rating is down to 37%. 82% of the respondents
describe Bush as "stubborn" and 57% feel Bush does not have high ethical
standards. Only 42% now approve of Bush's foreign policy.

So how is Bush planning on handling this rash of latest sinking polls? He is
going to strike at Democrats in a Veterans day speech.

This from
Reuters:

U.S. President George W. Bush will use a Veterans Day speech on Friday to
fight back against Democratic charges that the White House misused
intelligence to gain support for the Iraq war, administration officials
said.

"The president is going to directly take on the false attacks that
Democratic leaders have been making," a senior administration official told
Reuters.

Democrats in recent weeks have been accusing the White House of
manipulating intelligence on Iraq and leaking classified information to
discredit critics of the war.

Lewis "Scooter" Libby, a top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, was
indicted last month for obstructing justice, perjury and lying after a
two-year investigation into the leak of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame's
identity.

Via

Bloomberg

Specter Urges Delay in Replacement of
O'Connor at Supreme Court

Sept. 21 (Bloomberg) -- The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee
said he urged President George W. Bush today to delay nominating a
replacement for retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, said he talked to
Justice O'Connor about staying on the high court. ``She's prepared to do
that'' through the court's term ending in June, Specter said. The president
``was noncommittal,'' Specter said. ``The body language was not very
positive,'' Specter said.

Specter said the delay would give Congress and the rest of America more
time to know John Roberts as chief justice. ``When we know a little more
about Judge Roberts it's going to be easier with the next'' nomination,
Specter said.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee said he urged Bush to
submit a name to the Senate promptly. ``I feel we should proceed with the
nomination as anticipated,'' Frist said. If so, the confirmation process
could be completed ``around Thanksgiving.''

O'Connor, 75, often a key swing vote on the Supreme Court, announced on
July 1 that she is retiring and agreed to stay on until her replacement is
confirmed. She has said she wants to help care for her husband, John
O'Connor, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Specter and Frist, together with Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of
Nevada and Patrick Leahy of Vermont, ranking Democrat on the Judiciary
Committee, spoke with reporters at the White House after meeting with Bush
over breakfast.