Key Democrat Boccieri Flips to ‘Yes’ on ObamaCare Vote
By PoliJAM | March 19, 2010
Closing in on the Sunday do-or-die vote on their health care reform legislation, the House Democratic leadership picked up another “yes” vote as Rep. John Boccieri (D-Ohio) flipped his position on the controversial bill.
Being a freshman congressman in a seat held for more than 30 years by his Republican predecessor, Boccieri’s vote may all but guarantee that he doesn’t come to Washington representing his district for a second term.
As Sen. Tom Coburn warned flip-flopping Democrats yesterday, the Republicans plan to go after these congressmen hard.
Have such Democrats, knowing that they are likely to lose their seats in the coming November mid-term elections, negotiated with the White House future jobs if they do lose their seats as expected?
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Krauthammer Talks Dems’ Final Push for a Gov’t Takeover of the U.S. Health Care System
By PoliJAM | March 19, 2010
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Anderson Cooper Losses on ‘Jeopardy’ to Cheech Marin – Then Blames the Buzzer: “I Kept Clicking On It and Not Getting It”
By PoliJAM | March 19, 2010
As bad as it may seem that Anderson Cooper lost on Celebrity Jeopardy to Cheech Marin of Cheech and Chong fame, at least he didn’t receive an embarrasing score of -$4,600 like his CNN colleague Wolf Blitzer did when he got destroyed by talk show sidekick Andy Richter.
But of course Cooper went for the easy excuse for his lose by blaming the buzzer.
Share This“Also, you know, it’s all about, obviously, sort of what you know, but also the buzzer. I think you — you were in, like — you had the Zen of the buzzer whereas I think I was just slow on the draw. Because I kept clicking on it and not getting it.”
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DEM VOTE SALE: Reps that Aren’t Yet Firmly Committed ObamaCare ‘Yeas’ or ‘Nays’ Seek ‘Gimmes’
By PoliJAM | March 19, 2010
Share ThisJOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The interview you just had with Congressman Cuellar was a classic example of how these great Washington dramas play out.
He wouldn’t give you a firm commitment. He seems to be leaning yes. What happens in the end is, I respect him completely and agree with him when he says believe him when he says he wants to read the bill. But, Anderson, trust me, any of these guys in vulnerable districts, they are also going to poll until the last minute. And many of them will ask the leadership, if you have the critical number, can I have a pass?
Meaning one congressman will come to the leadership and say, if you need me at the end, I will vote yes, but for my district and my reelection, I could really use to vote no. And so they will hold out until the last second.
COOPER: Well, are some of them also just holding out for some sort of gimme from the president or from the leadership?
KING: That’s one of the fascinating things. You went through this with Ed and Dana.
Because of all the blowback, all the controversy about those deals, what they’re all being told now is no more deals in this bill. Now, can they, say, bargain for the president or the vice president to come to their district and raise money? Can they bargain for some help on another issue that is not in this bill? Welcome to Washington.
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U.S. General Links Gay Troops in the Dutch Army to Bosnian Genocide
By PoliJAM | March 18, 2010
The Washington Post reports:
Share ThisA retired Marine general told senators on Thursday that the Dutch Army failed to protect the city of Srebrenica during the Bosnian war partly because of the presence of gay soldiers in its armed forces.
John J. Sheehan, a former NATO commander who retired in 1997, made his comments during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that bans gay people from openly serving in uniform.
The collapse of the Soviet Union led European militaries, including the Netherlands, to believe there was no longer a need for active combat capabilities, Sheehan said.
“As a result, they declared a peace dividend and made a conscious effort to socialize their military,” he said, noting that the Dutch allowed troops to join unions and enlisted openly gay soldiers. Dutch forces were poorly led and unable to hold off Serb forces in 1995, leading to the execution of Bosnian Muslims and one of the largest European massacres since World War II, Sheehan said.
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Coburn Warns Dems: GOP Will Associate Sweetheart Deals at Every Level ‘With the Buying of Your ObamaCare Vote’
By PoliJAM | March 18, 2010
Share This“If you voted no and you vote yes and you lose your election and you think any nomination to a federal position isn’t going to be held in the Senate, I’ve got news for you, it’s going to be held.
“Number two is, if you get a deal, a parochial deal for you or your district, I’ve already instructed my staff and the staff of seven other senators that we will look at every appropriations bill at every level, at every instance, and we will outline it by district and we will associate that with the buying of your vote.”
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White House Press Secretary Not Happy With Bret Baier’s Interview of Filibuster-In-Chief Obama
By PoliJAM | March 18, 2010
Share This“I will simply say that I think it’s always better when you interview the president, that you let the president give his answer. I’ve always found that to be the most effective way to conduct an interview.”
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MAYBE THE PRESS WON’T NOTICE? Gibbs Squeezes In the Announcement of Obama’s Postponed Asia Trip
By PoliJAM | March 18, 2010
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs squeezes the announcement of President Obama’s decision to postpone his planned visits to Indonesia and Australia in between other announcements as if it weren’t going to be the focus of the entire daily briefing by the White House press corp.
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McConnell: ObamaCare Battle Is a Fight “Between Democrats and Their Own Constituents”
By PoliJAM | March 18, 2010
Share ThisREP. JOHN BOEHNER, HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: We’re going to have an opportunity for the members today to vote on a straight up or down resolution about requiring a straight up or down vote on this bill. It will be part of our previous question when we get a rule bill up. And members have a chance to vote on that.
But I can tell you this. That Republicans in the House and the Senate have worked closely together over the last year, and we’re going to continue to work closely together and to do everything that we can do to make sure that this bill never, ever, ever passes.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), MINORITY LEADER: It’s pretty clear now that this is no longer an argument between Republicans and Democrats. It’s an argument between Democrats and their own constituents.
My suspicion is that there is no a single Congressional District where there’s an undecided Congressman where this measure is popular.
I know the White House believes and the Democratic leadership in the House and Senate believe that they’re smarter than everybody else, that they figured this out, that the American people are just mistaken. That kind of arrogance usually precedes a big fall.
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Steve Hayes on Obama’s Fox News Interview: “This Was President Obama at His Worst … Simply Dishonest”
By PoliJAM | March 17, 2010
Share This“I thought actually this was President Obama at his worst. I mean, he mis-characterized his opponents’ argument, saying they were in favor of the status quo if they voted against the bill. At the same time he mentioned in his discussion with you that he spend seven hours with Republicans talking about ideas, and at the time he praised those Republican ideas. Why is he now claiming that people who oppose the bill on its merits have no ideas and favor the status quo? It’s simply dishonest.
“I also thought he ran into trouble several times when you tried to get him to answer questions about what exactly is in the bill. It’s astonishing to me that the president of the United States here, three days before this bill could potentially become law, couldn’t tell you directly what was in it and what was not in it. I thought that was rather striking.”
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