NEWS

Little Hope for G.O.P. to Support Health Bill - New York Times

Congressional Republicans are finding much to dislike in Democratic health care proposals, illustrating the immense difficulty Democrats face in fashioning an overhaul that can attract enough Republican support to be portrayed as bipartisan.

Unions demand public plan in healthcare bill - The Hill

A horde of union members gathered on Capitol Hill on Thursday demanding that a government-backed insurance program be included in healthcare reform legislation.

President Obama to host town hall on healthcare reform - Examiner

In another move that further underscores the importance his administration (and most Americans) attaches to the issue of our broken healthcare system, President Obama will on Wednesday host a town hall on healthcare reform in Annandale, Virginia. In the video (below) courtesy of the White House blog, the POTUS asks Americans to submit their questions via YouTube, a continuation of his policy of interacting personally with the people as a means of gauging their pulse on this most crucial of national issues.

Axelrod, Grassley Spar Over Bipartisan Health Care - Huffington Post

One of Barack Obama's chief advisers and one of the key Republicans in the Senate jousted on Sunday over what constitutes bipartisanship when it comes to health care legislation.

OPINION

E.J. DIONNE: Obama and the stone tablets: Compromise should not not be allowed to gut health care plan - Washington Post

EVERY general studies the mistakes of the last war, and President Obama's style has been much influenced by the difficulties of Bill Clinton's presidency.

Insurance Company Schemes - New York Times

Congressional committees heard a lot this month about the devious schemes used by health insurance companies to drop or shortchange sick patients. It was a damning portrait — and one Americans know from painful personal experience — of an industry that all too often puts profits ahead of patients.

The Public Option Is Important. But How Important? - The New Republic

Speaking on Thursday before thousands of activists gathered on Capitol Hill, former Governor Howard Dean made clear his litmus test for health reform: “We expect change,” he told the crowd, “We want a public health insurance option now.”

Eric Cantor Fails to Explain GOP Health Care Plan on Morning Joe - Crooks and Liars

Eric Cantor is asked by MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan to explain just what the GOP's plan is for health care reform, and again, Cantor fails to give any details as to just what their plan is, other than saying no to a public option and offering consumers more "choice". Even Ratigan points out at the end of the interview that Cantor didn't answer his question.

Does The White House Have a Secret Strategy for Health Reform? - Ezra Klein

As Paul Krugman writes today, it's a bit tricky to say exactly what the White House's bottom line is on health care — or even if it has one. "The only thing that's non-negotiable is success," Rahm Emmanuel likes to say. And a lot of things can be defined as success.

WaPo Turns Into Healthcare Insurance Industry Advocate By Skewing Coverage - Crooks and Liars

So I'm skimming my bookmarked sites for post ideas and on CongressMatters (which, if you don't read regularly, you should), David Waldman blogged about this ridiculously slanted article in today's Washington Post.