Kent Conrad

Baucus Co-Op Plan "Authored" By Ex-Insurance Industry VP

Campaign Silo | Jane Hamsher | Posted 11.09.2009 | Politics


When Max Baucus circulated his draft plan earlier this week, the PDF documentation page (image) indicates that the "author" was ex-Wellpoint VP Liz Fo...

Gang Of Six Back In Action: Giving Bipartisanship One More Try

POLITICO | Carrie Budoff Brown | Posted 10.19.2009 | Politics


Most top Democrats, including senior White House advisers, may no longer expect a health care deal out of the bipartisan "Group of Six," but the senat...

Lessons in Leadership: Why Obama Needs to Brush Up on His FDR

Arianna Huffington | Posted 09.24.2009 | Politics


Arianna Huffington

The president, though a dedicated student of history, has failed to learn the lesson of our nation's most significant political confrontations.

Tom Daschle: The Man Behind Insurance Cooperatives

Allison Kilkenny | Posted 09.23.2009 | Politics


Allison Kilkenny

Tom Daschle, has been busy performing his dual roles as health care adviser to the White House and "highly paid policy adviser to hospital, drug, pharmaceutical and other health care industry clients."

Sam Stein and Ryan Grim

Budget Buster: Kent Conrad's Long Opposition To The Public Option

HuffingtonPost.com | Sam Stein and Ryan Grim | Posted 09.21.2009 | Politics


Kent Conrad, the Democratic Senator who declared the public health insurance option dead on Sunday, portrays his activism on behalf of health insuranc...

Sam Stein

Dems Who Backed Obama Tripping Up Reform

HuffingtonPost.com | Sam Stein | Posted 09.20.2009 | Politics


As the Obama administration tries to maneuver its health care agenda through Congress, its objective has been complicated by a bit of political irony....

The Health Club at the Corner of Chimera and Mirage

Rick Horowitz | Posted 09.19.2009 | Politics


Rick Horowitz

Obama the Developer wants to build a health club. Something classy, that's what he's thinking, with all the latest equipment, and enough room so everyone in town can join.

Co-op, Co-opt, Cop-Out: Conjugating Health Reform

Richard (RJ) Eskow | Posted 09.19.2009 | Politics


Richard (RJ) Eskow

If the centrist Democrats don't provide a meaningful alternative to costly, for-profit insurance, the backlash against them will be enormous. Co-ops will not be able to provide that alternative.

Co-Op Health Care Plan Has Major Drawbacks: NYT

New York Times | GARDINER HARRIS | Posted 09.18.2009 | Politics


WASHINGTON -- The White House has indicated that it could accept a nonprofit health care cooperative as an alternative to a new government insurance p...

Ryan Grim

Where Is Kent Conrad Getting His Whip Count?

HuffingtonPost.com | Ryan Grim | Posted 09.17.2009 | Politics


There are 60 members of the Senate's Democratic caucus -- so why is Sen. Kent Conrad insisting that that there aren't enough votes to pass a public he...

The News of Its Death Is Greatly Exaggerated

Mike Lux | Posted 09.17.2009 | Politics


Mike Lux

Kathleen Sebelius said the public insurance option is not essential, adding to a steadily growing conventional wisdom that the public option is now dead. Not so fast.

Sam Stein

Compromise Co-Op Proposal Won't Lower Costs, Government Study Showed

HuffingtonPost.com | Sam Stein | Posted 09.17.2009 | Politics


The health care reform compromise that centrist Democrats and several Republicans have indicated they'd support has shown an inability to effectively ...

Sorry, Not Enough House Votes To Pass Health Care Bill Without a Public Option

Jane Hamsher | Posted 09.17.2009 | Politics


Jane Hamsher

What was once the defining feature of the Obama health care plan has now been dismissed with a bipartisan flourish.

Kent Conrad: Public Option A 'Wasted Effort'

The Hill | Posted 09.16.2009 | Politics


A public health insurance option took more hits Sunday as Sen. Kent Conrad described its pursuit as a "wasted effort" and an administration official s...

Kent Conrad Says He Won't Vote For Public Option (UPDATE)

Huffington Post | Posted 09.14.2009 | Politics


Update: Conrad's spokesperson told Salon that the story was inaccurate. Conrad told his constituents that he won't let the government run their hea...

Dodd, Conrad Loans Broke No Senate Rules: Panel

AP | JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS | Posted 09.07.2009 | Politics


WASHINGTON — The Senate ethics panel cleared Sens. Chris Dodd and Kent Conrad Friday of breaking rules by getting mortgages through a VIP progra...

Countrywide VIP Scandal: In the Media, Unlike the Courtroom, Rules of Evidence Don't Apply

David Fiderer | Posted 10.23.2009 | Media


David Fiderer

Why isn't any reporter asking inquiring about Feinberg's contacts with GOP operatives? And why isn't any reporter asking questions about who is paying Feinberg's legal bills?

Republicans, Healthcare and Money

Stu Kreisman | Posted 09.03.2009 | Politics


Stu Kreisman

All but three Republicans voted against the stimulus, yet they all are gladly taking the money. Seeing a trend here?

Darrell Issa, Another Lying Liar in the Countrywide VIP Loan Story

David Fiderer | Posted 10.23.2009 | Politics


David Fiderer

Robert Feinberg is the "whistleblower" who accuses Chris Dodd of receiving "sweetheart deals" on his home mortgage. His statements and stolen company documents represent the only direct evident in Rep. Issa's misleading report.

Dealbreaker: Five Reasons Co-Ops Will Fail

Richard (RJ) Eskow | Posted 08.29.2009 | Politics


Richard (RJ) Eskow

Co-ops are not a bad idea -- if they are offered alongside a public option. As a replacement for them, however, they're a dealbreaker.

Senator Dodd's Accusers: Lying Liars and the Reporters Who Enable Them

David Fiderer | Posted 08.28.2009 | Media


David Fiderer

There's ironclad proof that Sen. Dodd's accuser in a mortgage scandal lied from the start. But some reporters aren't interested in facts that undercut the scandal narrative.

Health Policy Hashed Out In Senate Over Unhealthy Food

The New York Times | Posted 08.28.2009 | Politics


On the agenda is the revamping of the American health care system, possibly the most complex legislation in modern history. But on the table, in a con...

Jeff Muskus

Obama Calls Into Health Care Negotiations

HuffingtonPost.com | Jeff Muskus | Posted 08.21.2009 | Politics


The phone rang toward the end of Max Baucus' meeting Tuesday night: It was President Obama. Obama has been pushing for a health care bill before Cong...

Jeff Muskus

Finance Committee Making "Headway" But Rejects Deadlines

HuffingtonPost.com | Jeff Muskus | Posted 08.21.2009 | Politics


Key negotiators in the Senate Finance Committee refused to set a date for their version of health care reform after their Tuesday meeting, but said th...

UPDATE: Dem Senator Denies Bloomberg Story

The Huffington Post | Rachel Weiner | Posted 07.25.2009 | Politics


UPDATE: Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) denied the Bloomberg story, saying Rahm Emanuel never said President Obama was open to giving up the public option. ...