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Obama's Health Care Speech: Hope Over Fear

Jim Wallis | Posted 11.10.2009 | Politics

Read More: President, System, Social Justice, Debate, Economic Crisis, Abortions, Politics, Kennedy, Social Transformation, Moral Principle, Community, Democrat, Reform, Congress, Democrats, Ted Kennedy, America, Republican, Moral Issues, Abortion, Hope, Members of Congress, Faith Community, Change, Health Insurance, Republicans, Justice, Health Care, Policy Arguments, Politics News

In his speech last evening, Obama made the commitments that a broad coalition in the faith community had asked for -- reform as a moral issue, affordable coverage for all, and no federal funding of abortion.

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Did Obama's Speech Change The Game?

Chris Weigant | Posted 11.09.2009 | Politics

Read More: Left, Joint Session, John McCain, Debate, Congress, Public Option, Speech, President Obama, Seriousness, Democrat, Mccain, Democratic, Obama, Reform, Democrats, Heckle, Game Changer, Barack Obama, Legislation, Republican, Chris Weigant, Health, Right, Heckler, Health Care, Healthcare, Politics News

Stylistically, the speech was reminiscent of Obama on the campaign trail. But the bar for him is so high that this was only remarkable because it has been so absent of late from Obama.

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Taking Things Off the Table

Chris Weigant | Posted 10.23.2009 | Politics

Read More: Axelrod, White House, Lead, Leadership, Tort Reform, Table, Speech, President Obama, Democratic, Reform, Obama, Seat at the Table, Address, Legislation, Republican, Clinton, Insurance, Bipartisan Bipartisanship, Single Payer, On the Table, Health Care, Trigger, Joint Session, Everything's on the Table, Public Option, Olympia Snowe, Democrat, Congress, Democrats, Lines in the Sand, Barack Obama, Off the Table, Chris Weigant, Health, Political Capital, Line in the Sand, Healthcare, Politics News

Obama absolutely loves the phrase "everything's on the table." But the time for piling "everything" on "the table" is over. Everything being on the table means that no decisions have been made.

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The New Town Hall Reality: Why Did Congressman Baron Hill (D-IN) Blow Up?

Gail McGowan Mellor | Posted 10.21.2009 | Politics

Read More: Blue Dog, Pnhp, Midwestern, Socialized Medicine, Federal Reserve, Iraq, Indiana University Southeast, Tort Reform, Physicians for a National Health Program, New Albany, Pelosi, Nancy Tierney, H.H. 3200, U.S. Congress, Butch Ragland, I.U.S., Public Option, Hoosier, Mark Megenity, Obamacare, Ak-47, Fed, Dusty O’Brien, Bloomington, Democrat, Baron Hill, HR 676, Single Payer, American Affordable Health Care Act of 2009, Town Meeting, Jeffersonville, Healthcare Reform, Health Care, Hr 3200, House of Representatives, Health Care Reform, Ius, Marvin Comstock, H.R. 676, Indiana, Politics News

At the New Albany meeting, people were polite and even relaxed enough to chuckle whenever someone spoke with dry Indiana wit. Yet Hill silenced would-be hecklers by saying "Let me answer that before you interrupt, please!"

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Friday Talking Points [92] -- The End Of Silly Season

Chris Weigant | Posted 10.20.2009 | Politics

Read More: Blue Dog, Floor, Children, Al Franken, Reform, Casey at the Bat, Town Hall, Midotw, Nancy Pelosi, Brown, Vetoes, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, West Wing, Budget Reconciliation, Health Care, Schoolchildren, Reid, Reconciliation, Lincoln, President Bartlet, Signs, Joint Session, Conference Committee, Committee, Public Option, Democrat, Congress, Address to Congress, Floor Vote, School, Democrats, Silly Season, Barack Obama, Progressive, Mddotw, Health, Harry Reid, Bill, Senate, Healthcare, Law, Senator Brown, President Obama, Speech, Sherrod Brown, Obama, Democratic, Friday Talking Points, Legislation, Pelosi, Senator, Insurance, Kids, Schoolkids, Ohio, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Speaker, Baseball, House, Franken, Blanche Lincoln, The West Wing, Chris Weigant, Health Insurance, Indoctrination, Veto, Politics News

Sadly, Obama's speech to school children has become mired in manufactured controversy from the right, with typical sky-is-falling rhetoric about the evil, evil man who occupies the Oval Office.

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In a Town Hall Meeting, Healthcare Swing-Vote Representative Baron Hill [D-IN] Takes a Clear Stand on Reform

Gail McGowan Mellor | Posted 10.17.2009 | Politics

Read More: House of Representatives, Blue Dog, Tort Reform, Federal Reserve, Iraq, Indiana University Southeast, Hr 3200, American Affordable Health Care Act of 2009, New Albany, Pelosi, H.H. 3200, Nancy Tierney, U.S. Congress, Butch Ragland, I.U.S., Single Payer, Hoosier, Ak-47, Health Care, Mark Megenity, Obamacare, Fed, Dusty O’Brien, Public Option, Indiana, Democrat, HR 676, Baron Hill, Socialized Medicine, Jeffersonville, Town Meeting, Ius, Health Care Reform, Healthcare Reform, Marvin Comstock, Physicians for a National Health Program, H.R. 676, Pnhp, Midwestern, Politics News

Hill could not represent a southern Indiana consensus view, because there was none; whatever he chose to do, it would cost him votes.

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Friday Talking Points [91] -- Win One For Teddy

Chris Weigant | Posted 09.28.2009 | Politics

Read More: Social Security, Ted, May You Be in Heaven, Cloture, Win One for Teddy, Employee Free Choice Act, Public Universities, Irish Wake, Kennedy, Teddy Kennedy, Filibuster, Politicizing, Reform, Politicize, Democratic, Friday Talking Points, Paul Wellstone, Funeral, Video, Edward Kennedy, Mayor Quimby, Simpsons, Senator, Chow-Dah, Midotw, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Public Education, Public University, Health Care, Reid, Diamond Joe Quimby, Irish, Card Check, Massachusetts, Democrat, Medicaid, Majority Leader, The Simpsons, Democrats, Efca, Springfield, The Simpsons Movie, USA Today, Contest, Edward M Kennedy, Mddotw, Eulogy, Chris Weigant, Health, Uncle Ted, Senator Kennedy, Harry Reid, Medicare, Irish Toast, Socialism, Higher Education, Wellstone, Teddy, Up or Down Vote, Quimby, Healthcare, Senate, Politics News

Calling for some sort of decorous avoidance of politics during politicians' funerals is downright ridiculous. It'd be like eulogizing Charles Lindbergh and not mentioning airplanes.

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Friday Talking Points [90] -- Obama To Switch Parties

Chris Weigant | Posted 09.21.2009 | Politics

Read More: Daisy Dukes, White House, Table, Medicare for All, Legalize, Barney Frank, Progressives, Fiction, Reform, Catnip, Rube Goldberg, Blackwater, Midotw, Nancy Pelosi, Assassination, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Health Care, Budget Reconciliation, Reid, Nancy Reagan, Reconciliation, Vonnegut, Kurt Vonnegut, Terrorism, Mexico, Shorts, Terrorist, Massachusetts, Democrat, Kathleen Sebelius, Congress, Planet, Democrats, Lie, Ted Kennedy, Barack Obama, Decriminalize, Mddotw, Health, Blue Dogs, Harry Reid, Vacation, Falsehood, Healthcare, Senate, George Bush, President Obama, Central Intelligence Agency, Ronald Reagan, Senator, Tom Ridge, Cia, Kennedy, Cat's Cradle, Drugs, Decriminalization, Iraq, Obama, Democratic, Dining Room Table, Media, Truth to Crazy, Media Catnip, Friday Talking Points, Republican, Bush, Pelosi, Edward Kennedy, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Obama Switches Parties, Speaker, Sebelius, Ridge, Two Bills, Michelle Obama, House, Aides, What Planet, Terror Alert, Obama to Switch Parties, Teddy Kennedy, Mainstream Media, Progressive, Grand Canyon, Chris Weigant, Naked Guy on a Plane, Senator Kennedy, Afghanistan, George W Bush, Healthcare Reform, Nazi, Politics News

Ted Kennedy is putting both his legacy and his sense of entitlement to his office before the interests of his constituents.

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Friday Talking Points [89] -- Fighting Crazy

Chris Weigant | Posted 09.14.2009 | Media

Read More: Leadership, President Obama, Vagueness, Kennedy, Journalist, Democratic, Obama, Reform, Facts, Media, Townhall, Friday Talking Points, Adult, Republican, Candidate Obama, Clinton, Town Hall, Veto Threat, Knife Fight, Midotw, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Health Care, Emotion, The Bear Who Let It Alone, Crazy, Politicians, Post Mortem, Msm, Cheerleader, Tantrum, Democrat, Congress, Bipartisan, Democrats, Teddy Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, Barack Obama, Screaming, James Thurber, Mainstream Media, 1994, Yelling, Mddotw, Hillary, Chris Weigant, Health, Lunacy, Town Hells, Veto, Bipartisanship, Line in the Sand, Healthcare, Pre-Post-Mortem, Thurber, Media News

The media is not completely responsible for the state of the debate over healthcare reform. The Democrats have done such a poor job of presenting their case that they really bear the lion's share of blame.

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A Senior Progressive On Health Care

Lin B. Farley | Posted 09.14.2009 | Politics

Read More: Health Care Reform, Finance Industry, Mayor Ed Koch, Democrat, Medicare, Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Seniors, Politics News

We do not need more rationing and cost effective cutting of Medicare. We need to expand it. We need to improve it.

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Obama's Second Hundred Days

Chris Weigant | Posted 09.06.2009 | Politics

Read More: Michael Jackson, Supreme Court, Latina, Sessions, Burris, Empathy, A Tale of Two Cities, Al Franken, Reform, Dickens, Sarah Palin, Second 100 Days, Muslim, Latino, Sotomayor, Health Care, Analog Television, Birthers, Age of Foolishness, Budget, Democrat, Congress, Sanford, Democrats, Barack Obama, Transparency, Rahm Emanuel, First Hundred Days, Health, Sonia Sotomayor, Credit Card, Souter, Healthcare, Senate, Polls, Mark Sanford, Cap and Trade, Gates, President Obama, Cia, Speech, Second Hundred Days, Jeff Sessions, David Souter, Flu, Obama, Democratic, Iraq, Media, Scotus, Republican, Bush, Pelosi, Television, Iran, Gay Rights, Nuclear Weapons, Baucus, Russia, Beer Summit, Arlen Specter, Credit Card Reform, House, Specter, Photo Op, Msm, Beer, Franken, Worst of Times, Charles Dickens, Roland Burris, Gay, Mainstream Media, Waterloo, Best of Times, First 100 Days, Torture Photos, Chris Weigant, Palin, Cairo, Max Baucus, Bipartisanship, Torture, Politics News

Our look back at Obama's second 100 days will begin with a short overview, and then move on to the categories: "the best of times," "the worst of times," and "the age of (media) foolishness."

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The Silly Season In Politics

Chris Weigant | Posted 09.05.2009 | Politics

Read More: Laffer Curve, John Bolton, Swiftboat, Appeasement, Swift Boat, Republican, Freezer, Fake Birth Certificate, Rnc, Clinton, Bolton, Freezer Full of Cash, Clunker, John Kerry, August, Birthers, Bill Clinton, Republican National Committee, Kerry, Redirected Calls, Democrat, Medicaid, Congress, Redirect, Democratic National Committee, Silly Season, William Jefferson, Prisoner, Obama Birth Certificate, Clunkers, Silly, Birth Certificate, Chris Weigant, Cash for Clunkers, Birther, Cucumber Season, Medicare, Dnc, Arthur Laffer, Cash, Kenya, North Korea, Laffer, Politics News

"Silly season" refers to late summer, when governments go on massive taxpayer-funded vacations all over the world. This year's season could produce a bumper crop of silly.

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Sir Knavely and the Great Stimulus Package

Steven Denlinger | Posted 08.24.2009 | Politics

Read More: Veteranarian, George W. Bush, 9/11, Iraq, Lebanon, American, Tiger's Milk, Ptsd, Dick Cheney, Republican, Movie Producer, Reagan, Israel-Hezbollah War, Stimulus Package, Financial Crisis of 2008, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker, Special Interest Groups, Red Herring, Senate Majority Leader, Sir Knavely, Karl Rove, Saddam, Democrat, Death, Libertarian, Barack Obama, Sunset Blvd, Socrates, Rahm Emanuel, Iraq War, Harry Reid, Economy, Dockers, Politics News

"I'm bitter," Sir Knavely told me. He raised his glass and drank. His furry chin went deep into his Tiger's Milk. Then he set it down. "Why are ...

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Friday Talking Points [87] -- A Tale Of Two Houses

Chris Weigant | Posted 08.24.2009 | Politics

Read More: It Was the Worst of Times, Leadership, Blue Dog, A Tale of Two Cities, Reform, Dickens, Midotw, Nancy Pelosi, Rescission, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Press Conference, Pre-Existing Condition, It Was the Best of Times, Health Care, Reid, Dow, August, Bankruptcy, Democrat, Speaker of the House, Nbc, Congress, Democrats, Barack Obama, Brian Williams, Mddotw, Speaker Pelosi, Health, Health Care Reform, Blue Dogs, Harry Reid, Vacation, Republicans, Senate, Healthcare, Leader, Most Respected, President Obama, Obama, Democratic, Media, Friday Talking Points, Republican, Pelosi, Insurance, Baucus, Recess, 9000, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Obstructionism, Speaker, Medical Bankruptcy, Chuck Todd, House, Msm, Charles Dickens, Milquetoast, Tale of Two Cities, Sob Story, Mainstream Media, Dow Jones, Chris Weigant, Jon Stewart, Walter Cronkite, Max Baucus, Djia, Dog Days, Politics News

Simply for acting like a leader this week, Speaker Pelosi wins the Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week award hands-down.

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It's Time To Lead, Mr. President

Chris Weigant | Posted 08.22.2009 | Politics

Read More: White House, Lead, Leadership, President Obama, Democratic, Reform, Obama, Legislation, Republican, Pelosi, Congressional Committees, Nancy Pelosi, Single Payer, Obstructionism, Press Conference, Health Care, August, House, Public Option, Democrat, Congress, Bully Pulpit, Democrats, Barack Obama, Chris Weigant, Health, Health Care Reform, Blue Dogs, Obstructionist, Vacation, Republicans, Healthcare, Senate, Politics News

Obama's legislative style has been to vaguely define what he's for, introduce a plan that is quite obviously open to lots and lots of negotiation, and then sit back and let Congress work it out.

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I'm Sick of Hearing About the Poor, Poor Millionaires

Chris Weigant | Posted 08.20.2009 | Politics

Read More: Warfare, Wealthy, Tax Rates, Al Franken, Reform, Tax the Rich, Media, Jim Webb, Republican, Reagan, Pelosi, Ultra Rich, Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Ultra Wealthy, Health Care, Robert a Heinlein, Taxes, House, Millionaires, Msm, Franken, War, Democrat, Billionaires, Rich, Webb, Democrats, Mainstream Media, Income Tax, Tax, Chris Weigant, Health Care Reform, Fox News, Class Warfare, Denmark, Healthcare, Heinlein, Politics News

Democrats have to get over their knee-jerk reaction to being labeled "tax and spenders" by their opposition. If higher taxes for millionaires are the way to pay for healthcare reform, then let everyone know it, and know why.

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Obama Faces First National Security Failure as Sotomayor and Health Care Hang in the Balance

Kimberly Krautter | Posted 08.13.2009 | Politics

Last week's sustained cyber-attacks on some of our country's most sensitive government networks exposed how a country that lives by the technology can also perish by the technology.

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Obama and Bright Lines in the Sand

Chris Weigant | Posted 08.08.2009 | Politics

Read More: Leader, Leadership, Moderate, President Obama, Progressives, Kennedy, Legislative, Compromise, Chris Dodd, Bernie Sanders, Democratic, Reform, Obama, Seat at the Table, Charles Schumer, Legislation, Republican, Clinton, Baucus, Emanuel, Politics as Usual, Single Payer, Politician, Health Care, Reid, Trigger, Bill Clinton, Centrist, House, Public Option, Hillarycare, Republican Revolution, Democrat, Congress, Democrats, Ted Kennedy, Teddy Kennedy, Barack Obama, Sanders, Schumer, Progressive, 1994, Rahm Emanuel, Chris Weigant, Health, Bright Line in the Sand, Blue Dogs, Max Baucus, Harry Reid, Dodd, Hillary Clinton, Line in the Sand, Healthcare, Senate, Politics News

Obama again refused to give a strong defense of the public option himself. By doing so, he just dug the hole deeper. What exactly does Obama stand for in the health care debate?

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Three Moral Issues of Health Care

Jim Wallis | Posted 08.02.2009 | Politics

Read More: Vision, Capitol Hill, White House, Debate, Family, Children, Scripture, Low Income Families, Legislation, Common Good, Values, Policy Debate, Single Payer, Sin, Health Care, Class, Faith, Private Insurance, Church, Fear, Leaders, Money, Politics, Biblical, Democrat, Congress, Health, Election, Families, Healthcare, Democrats, Moral Issues, Faith Community, Health Insurance, Republicans, Ethics, Partisan Politics, Unions, Medical Care, Partisan, Politics News

With an issue like health, deeply personal but of great public concern, the faith community has a unique and important role to play: to define and raise the moral issues that lay just beneath the policy debate.

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Barney Frank Introduces Marijuana Legislation

Chris Weigant | Posted 07.23.2009 | Politics

Read More: Dangerous Controlled Substance, White House, President Obama, Marijuana, Ron Paul, Barney Frank, Dea, Medical Marijuana, Obama, Drug, President, Drug Enforcement Agency, John Stuart Mill, Schedule I, Schedule, Schedule II, Medical Use, Bill Maher, Committee, House, Frank, Democrat, Henry Waxman, Paul, Democrats, Barack Obama, Marijuana Patient Protection Act, Dana Rohrabacher, Chris Weigant, Controlled Substance Act, Drug Policy, Personal Use, Rohrabacher, Politics News

How many Democrats do we need to elect to Congress before such commonsense laws are passed to rein in some of the excesses of past eras?

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An Ad Script for Teddy Kennedy on Healthcare Reform

Chris Weigant | Posted 07.16.2009 | Politics

Read More: Advertisement, President Obama, Obama, Reform, Veterans, Issue Ad, Marketplace, Edward Kennedy, Uninsured, Insurance, Government Takeover, Government Run, Health Care, Bankruptcy, Kennedy, Public Option, Hospital Bed, Hospital, Democrat, Medicaid, Ad, Congress, Democrats, Teddy Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, Barack Obama, Competition, Script, Chris Weigant, Health, Health Insurance, Senator Kennedy, Medicare, Free Market, Healthcare Reform, Healthcare, Senate, Politics News

In the debate about healthcare reform, why are the loudest voices in the room the ones who seemingly are against all reform? Where are the champions ...

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WATCH: Republicans Debate "Socialist" Resolution

David Murdock | Posted 06.20.2009 | Politics

Read More: Michael Steele, Gop, Fascist, Jeff Kent, Democrat, Jim Bopp, Parties, Democrats, Steele, National Socialist, Republican, Fascism, Gio Cicione, Rnc, Democratic Socialist Party, Democrat Socialist Party, Socialist, Nazi, Politics News

The RNC concludes a special session this afternoon with a much-anticipated vote on a resolution to re-brand the Democratic Party as the "Democrat Socialist Party."

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What, Exactly, Was Pelosi Supposed to Do?

Chris Weigant | Posted 06.18.2009 | Politics

Read More: Harman, Jingoism, Abuse, Central Intelligence Agency, Cia, Leon Panetta, Truth Commission, Jane Harman, Cheney, Democratic, Majority, Media, Policy, Bush Policy, Cindy Sheehan, Republican, Bush, Pelosi, National Security, Nancy Pelosi, Waterboard, Speaker, Briefed, House, Panetta, Interrogation, Amnesty, Democrat, Treason, Speaker of the House, Enhanced Interrogation Techniques, Congress, Press, Democrats, Detainee, Briefing, Classified, Prisoner, Secret, Chris Weigant, Traitor, Leak, Waterboarding, Minority, Senate, Classified Information, Torture, Politics News

Pelosi can be defended for being in an impossible situation at the time. Even if she disagreed with the policy, there simply wasn't much for her to do about it.

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A New President and a New Generation Seek a Nuclear Weapons Free Future

Jim Wallis | Posted 06.08.2009 | Politics

Read More: International, Bomb, Washington, William J Perry, Democrat, Evangelicals, Wall Street Journal, Evangelical, Weapons, Peace, Democrats, Movement, America, Barack Obama, Republican, Conservative, Sam Nunn, Non Proliferation Treaty, Bush Administration, Henry a Kissinger, Wall Street, Nuclear Weapons, Barack, George Shultz, Liberal, Russia, Nuclear Weapons Policy, Nuclear Testing, Republicans, Conservatives, Justice, Young Evangelicals, Politics News

A new generation of Evangelical Christians launched The Two Futures Project whose mission is "for the abolition of all nuclear weapons."

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This Week in Cheating

Jeff Kreisler | Posted 06.01.2009 | Comedy

Read More: Geithner, Senate, Democrat, Arlen Specter, Steroids, Diebold, Philip Morris, Senator, 'Roids, Peds, Treasury, Republican, Aig, Accenture, Yankees, A-Rod, Stadium, Monty Python, Comedy News

Build a $1.5-ish billion taxpayer-funded stadium, charge those same taxpayers $2600 to see a game, don't create the promised park for local kids (because they're poor). Now look around. Guess what? You're rich!

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