Congressional Democratic leaders now say they see little chance in working with Republicans on health care reform and instead will focus on drawing support from within their own ranks. Their “go-it-alone” strategy has been “shaped by what they saw as Republicans’ purposely strident tone” against reform.
Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Bart Stupak (D-MI) sent a letter to the heads of several insurance companies Monday inquiring about their executive pay, retreats, and other business practices. The letter comes at a time when the Democrats, eager to push their reform legislation through, are seeking to highlight waste and abuse in the insurance industry.
Yet another Republican has said he is unwilling to accept a health care co-op compromise. Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), the chairman of the House Republican Study Committee, called the co-op “simply another name for a public option.” “Patients should be wary of a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” he added.
“A series of truck bombings and other attacks” killed at least 75 people in Iraq this morning while wounding 300. The attacks, which “were among the most devastating in Baghdad since the withdrawal of American forces from street patrols at the end of June,” hit the the government’s Foreign and Finance Ministries.
During a visit to Afghanistan, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) called for a troop surge in the Helmand province, arguing that increasing the number of Marines there could lead to “significantly more success.” McCain declined to say exactly how many more troops he thought were needed.
Former President Bill Clinton delivered a face-to-face briefing to President Obama in the Situation Room yesterday to discuss what he saw during his humanitarian trip to North Korea earlier this month. The meeting lasted 40 minutes and the “two men continued their discussion for another 30 minutes in the Oval Office.”
After weeks of complaints and misinformation by Republicans, the White House its e-mail tip line (flag@whitehouse.gov) where people could report “disinformation about health insurance reform.” White House Director of New Media Macon Phillips said it was “ironic” that a program “meant to provide facts about health insurance reform has itself become the target of fear-mongering and online rumors.”
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division “has hired a veteran Senate staffer as a senior counselor also tasked with serving as a representative to the gay community.” The staffer, Matt Nosanchuk, has previously worked on civil and LGBT rights issues and “will have a full portfolio of cases, like other senior lawyers in the division.”
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO and McCain campaign adviser Carly Fiorina “is taking the initial steps to challenge California Democrat Barbara Boxer for her Senate seat, a move that could lay the groundwork for one of the most high profile and expensive contests of 2010.” Fiorina “filed a tax identification number and registered a campaign committee” with the IRS yesterday called “Carly for California.”
And finally: Former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has been busy getting in shape for “Dancing with the Stars,” but how does The Hammer feel about the generally un-conservative costumes on the show? “Sequins are up for negotiation. Pink color is up for negotiation. Right now I hope that I do the Paso Doble in white tie and tails.”
Follow ThinkProgress on Twitter.
Previous in TP Politics
By clicking and submitting a comment I acknowledge the ThinkProgress Privacy Policy and agree to the ThinkProgress Terms of Use. I understand that my comments are also being governed by Facebook's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.