GOP now filibustering unemployment benefits - current benefits will run out before bill can be passed because of Republicans

And the Democrats are forcing Bunning to launch a real filibuster. About time. Show the American people what selfish, uncaring extremists the Republicans really are.

Retiring Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) late Thursday launched a one-man crusade to block an extension of unemployment and COBRA insurance benefits, vowing to allow the benefit programs to expire Sunday unless Democrats agreed to pay for them with unused stimulus funds.

Bunning’s quixotic pursuit of deficit offsets at the potential expense of payments to unemployed or uninsured citizens enraged Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and other Democrats, who vowed to keep the chamber in session until Bunning relents or collapses.

A senior Democratic leadership aide said Durbin would ask for unanimous consent to pass the extensions without Bunning’s payment scheme every half hour for the foreseeable future. “We’re going to keep doing it until we break him,” the aide said.

Did you get that? This idiot wants us to use the stimulus funds that haven't yet been spent, but are about to be spent. By CBO's estimate, up to 3.5 million jobs are depending on the stimulus for their existence this coming year. This moron wants to wipe that out. The economy isn't out of trouble yet. A lot of economist worry that the economy may contract again the fall. Taking back the remaining stimulus funds while the economy is still teetering, i.e., decreasing demand, is insane. I hope the Democrats are pointing this out, in addition to the inhumanity of taking away people's unemployment benefits. We cannot let the GOP propose economically dangerous, but populist, solutions and let them get away with it. Read the rest of this post...

Déjà vu on Greek-Wall Street deal

How do these people avoid prison? Really. Sports game fixing or vote rigging is a legal offense but betting against a deal and profiting is somehow OK. NY Times:

Echoing the kind of trades that nearly toppled the American International Group, the increasingly popular insurance against the risk of a Greek default is making it harder for Athens to raise the money it needs to pay its bills, according to traders and money managers.

These contracts, known as credit-default swaps, effectively let banks and hedge funds wager on the financial equivalent of a four-alarm fire: a default by a company or, in the case of Greece, an entire country. If Greece reneges on its debts, traders who own these swaps stand to profit.

“It’s like buying fire insurance on your neighbor’s house — you create an incentive to burn down the house,” said Philip Gisdakis, head of credit strategy at UniCredit in Munich.

Read the rest of this post...

China passes on emissions cap

It's always tomorrow. When the other big polluter - the US - drags its feet, it should be no surprise that China punts as well. At least China is showing some movement with adopting new, greener technology.

China "could not and should not" set an upper limit on greenhouse gas emissions at the current stage, Su told a meeting on climate change policy in Beijing on Wednesday.

However, he said China was committed to making its economy more energy-efficient.

Beijing has pledged to reduce its carbon intensity -- the measure of greenhouse-gas emissions per unit of gross domestic product -- by 40 to 45 percent by 2020 based on 2005 levels.

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Women-only toilets for long haul flights?

It may not help speed up the usual long lines on these flights but I can see their point. Things tend to be dirty by the end of a 10 hour flight. CNN:

The Japanese airline All Nippon Airways will introduce women-only lavatories on its international routes starting Monday.

The move comes in response to "numerous requests from passengers for this service," the company said in a statement.

Many women called for the airline to give them their own lavatories in a 2007 survey of customers, said ANA spokesman Justin C. Massey.

"They didn't list any specific complaints. ... It was just more a matter of general preference," Massey added.

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More Republican health care deflection

So now we have a Republican, Senator JohnBarrasso of WY, talking about how foreign leaders come to America for their health care, so that means our health insurance system is the best in the world. Kind of different things. My problem, for example, isn't that I can't find good asthma drugs in America. It's that they're three to five times the cost in America as they are in the rest of the world, and my American insurance won't cover them for more than a few months because my coverage kind of sucks even though it's the best I can buy.

Joe got great appendicitis surgery in America. Too bad it cost $25,000.

So, what is the relevance of the fact that our medical treatment is excellent in America if our insurance system doesn't permit a lot of us to get such treatment?

Every Republican knows that this is what we're talking about. Yes, they basically lie to the American people, and claim that somehow having great doctors proves that we can all afford to go the doctor, especially if we get a catastrophic illness. Read the rest of this post...

Put chain-smoking John Boehner on the individual insurance market and watch what happens

Put chain-smoking John Boehner on the indivividual insurance market and when he can't get a policy anywhere - which he wouldn't - then let's see him say that we have the best health care system in the world. We don't. And no amount of flag waving will change the facts, which do have a liberal bias. The truth often does. Read the rest of this post...

To be precise, American people want us to scrap THIS bill & then pass all of its provisions

Newsweek:

In the latest NEWSWEEK Poll, the majority of Americans are opposed to President Obama's health-care reform plan—until they learn the details. Plus, a look at very unhappy mood of the electorate.

As Democrats struggle to salvage health-care-reform legislation, a new NEWSWEEK Poll shows that while a majority of Americans say they oppose Obama's plan, a majority actually support the key features of the legislation. The findings support the notion that Democrats have not done a good job of selling the package and that opponents have been successful in framing the debate. The more people know about the legislation, the more likely they are to support major components of it.

When asked about Obama's plan (without being given any details about what the legislation includes), 49 percent opposed it and 40 percent were in favor. But after hearing key features of the legislation described, 48 percent supported the plan and 43 percent remained opposed.

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Politico: 'Boehner wrong to say Obama took zero GOP ideas'

The Politico isn't known for leaning left, to put it mildly:

The office of House Minority Leader John Boehner claims that Democratic proposals “do not implement a single major GOP reform that would lower costs for families and small businesses.”

Three of the 11 pages in the plan Obama released Monday focus on tackling “waste, fraud and abuse,” a key Republican goal. Seven of the 14 bolded proposals in that section are credited to a House bill authored by Illinois Republican Mark Kirk.

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AP FACT CHECK: Obama has edge in debate over premiums

AP:

When President Barack Obama and a Republican lawmaker sparred Thursday over what might happen to health insurance premiums in an overhauled system, both cited a nonpartisan analysis that looked at that very question. The president gave a fairer summary of what the analysis found.

Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander declared in his statement to the White House health policy conference that "for millions of Americans, premiums will go up" under the Obama plan. That much could be true - but for millions of others, premiums are expected to go down and those who face higher costs would be getting better coverage than they have now.

Read the rest of this post...

GOP health care plan is worse than you think

Well probably not worse than YOU think. Read the rest of this post...

Will the 21st century belong to China?

That's what many Americans think. Having started my adult working career during the "Japan is taking over the world economy, we're doomed" years and then working closely with Japan back in the 1990s, I'm less convinced. Also, too many people see the high growth related to China but overlook the problems that could easily change the dynamics. When bubbles burst - and they always do - responses can vary dramatically. Without a booming economy, how easy will it be for the communist party to maintain its grip on the country? With unrest already causing problems during the good times, how bad will it be in the future? How will China react if the West doesn't start buying Chinese products again at pre-recession rates?

As for the US, clearly the system is off though the US also has an ability to remake itself better and faster than most countries. Corporate lobbying and influence in the US is damaging America's ability to compete on a global scale. When the US was more of a closed system, it was possible to get away with such a system but with easy access to foreign competitors. These days, however, something needs to change in the US to prepare businesses for the global market. The US also needs to be a leader in new technologies and not a follower.

What's the mood here? Is this century destined to be all about China or somewhere in the middle?

Asked whether this century would be more of an "American Century" or more of a "Chinese Century," Americans divide evenly in terms of the economy (41 percent say Chinese, 40 percent American) and tilt toward the Chinese in terms of world affairs (43 percent say Chinese, 38 percent American). A slim majority say the United States will play a diminished role in the world's economy this century, and nearly half see the country's position shrinking in world affairs more generally.

The results are consistent with recent polls by Gallup, the Pew Research Center and others that have tracked a significant public concern about China's growing prominence on the world stage, as its economy has expanded into what is arguably the second-biggest in the world. In 2000, for example, when the U.S. economy was booming, 65 percent of Americans polled by Gallup said the United States had the world's strongest economy. By last year, the United States and China ran neck-and-neck on the question.

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My initial thoughts on health care summit

I'm at the eyes glazing over point in the discussion, which is never a good moment. But I think we learned something key during the first hour. Harry Reid and President Obama rock when they get ticked off. It's jarring how good Obama, especially, is when he's forced to fight. The White House staff needs to take advantage of that more. If this were the Hill, and he were my boss, we'd be forcing him (without him knowing it) into situations where he was publicly confronted by his critics, his blood pressure would rise, and he'd show the American people some fight, some conviction, and some humanity. Same for Reid. They're both so damn measured, the two of them together could sell an iPhone sleep aid app and retire in riches. Get Reid and Obama ticked off, and suddenly you remember why you supported them in the first place. Read the rest of this post...

It's summit time. Join our Live Chat.

The White House summit on health care reform is beginning. It's live on CSPAN, both t.v. and online, and at the White House website. We're holding a live chat further down.

President Obama is going to kick things off and they'll be focusing on four themes: 1) Controlling costs – introduced by the President; 2) Insurance reforms – introduced by Secretary Sebelius; 3) Reducing the deficit – introduced by the Vice President; and 4) Expanding coverage – introduced by the President. The list of Congressional participants, according to the White House, is after the break.

We'll be monitoring and will post developments throughout the day. The summit lasts until 4:00 PM.



You can watch the summit, live, via the box below:



There are 19 Senators and 21 House members:

Senator Harry Reid, D-NV, Majority Leader

Senator Mitch McConnell, R-KY, Republican Leader

Senator Dick Durbin, D-IL, Majority Whip

Senator Jon Kyl, R-AZ, Republican Whip

Senator Max Baucus, D-MT, Chairman of the Finance Committee

Senator Chuck Grassley, R-IA, Ranking Member of the Finance Committee

Senator Tom Harkin, D-IA, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee

Senator Mike Enzi, R-WY, Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee

Senator Chris Dodd, D-CT, Member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee

Senator Chuck Schumer, D-NY

Senator Patty Murray, D-WA

Senator Kent Conrad, D-ND

Senator Jay Rockefeller, D-WV

Senator Ron Wyden, D-OR

Senator Lamar Alexander, R-TN

Senator John Barrasso, R-WY

Senator Tom Coburn, R-OK

Senator John McCain, R-AZ

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA

Representative Steny Hoyer, D-MD, Majority Leader

Representative John Boehner, R-OH, Republican Leader

Representative James Clyburn, D-SC, Majority Whip

Representative Eric Cantor, R-VA, Republican Whip

Representative Charles Rangel, D-NY, Chairman of the Ways and Committee

Representative Dave Camp, R-MI, Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Committee

Representative Henry Waxman, D-CA, Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee

Representative Joe Barton, R-TX, Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee

Representative George Miller, D-CA, Chairman of the Education and Labor Committee

Representative John Kline, R-MN, Ranking Member of the Education and Labor Committee

Representative John Dingell, D-MI, Chair Emeritus of the Energy and Commerce Committee

Representative Xavier Becerra, D-CA

Representative Louise Slaughter, D-NY

Representative Robert Andrews, D-NJ

Representative Jim Cooper, D-TN

Representative Paul Ryan, R-WI

Representative Marsha Blackburn, R-TN

Representative Charles Boustany, R-LA

Representative Peter Roskam, R-IL

** Note: Senator McConnell and Leader Boehner will designate one additional Republican member to attend.**

Read the rest of this post...

Mitt may want to re-think his jobs creation attack on Obama

His own record for creating jobs was a bit suspect and lacking. But hey, if Mitt insists let's talk more about this subject.

The Republican contender was the governor of Massachusetts from January 2003 to January 2007. And during that time, according to the U.S. Labor Department, the state ranked 47th in the entire country in jobs growth. Fourth from last.

The only ones that did worse? Ohio, Michigan and Louisiana. In other words, two rustbelt states and another that lost its biggest city to a hurricane.

The Massachusetts jobs growth over that period, a pitiful 0.9%, badly lagged other high-skill, high-wage, knowledge economy states like New York (2.7%), California (4.7%) and North Carolina (7.6%).

The national average: More than 5%.

Read the rest of this post...

Biden previews the summit, which 'could be pure theater'

There are a lot of pre-summit articles this morning. One of the most interesting for me was the interview the Vice President did with a hometown newspaper:

Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday that Democrats are ready to work with any good ideas Republicans bring to today's White House summit on health care reform, but he also said the event "could be pure theater."

"This could end up not being good," Biden said in an exclusive interview with The News Journal. "But I know of no other way than to just keep pushing, saying, 'Guys, OK, this is our idea. What's your idea?' "

Biden said the six-hour summit aims to bring congressional Democrats and Republicans together with White House officials, including Biden, to discuss four topics: Containing health care costs, the impact of health care reform on the deficit, insurance reform and the number of uninsured Americans who should get coverage under health care reform legislation.

"Literally, if they come up with an idea that bends that [cost] curve, we'll compromise," Biden said of Republicans.

The Republicans are going to expect Democrats to compromise because they think Democrats are desperate for a "bipartisan" deal. Too many people in the White House still think the process, not results matter. The American people want results.

And, basically, Republicans don't want to bend the profit curve for the insurance industry. Read the rest of this post...

Thursday Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

It's Summit Day. Yep, today, from 10 AM until 4 PM, the President and Congressional leaders from both parties will gather at Blair House, which is right across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, to discuss health care reform legislation.

Here's how White House "Daily Guidance" describes the event:

The President will offer brief opening comments, followed by Republican and Democratic Members chosen by their colleagues. They will then begin discussions around four themes: 1) Controlling costs – introduced by the President; 2) Insurance reforms – introduced by Secretary Sebelius; 3) Reducing the deficit – introduced by the Vice President; and 4) Expanding coverage – introduced by the President.

The summit will be broadcast on CSPAN. The White House website will be livestreaming it. And, the cable networks will also have live coverage.

So, basically, the summit is the political news of the day. There will be a lot of commentary and post-summit analysis. It could be a good show. Everyone will be watching to see how the GOPers behave -- or don't behave, which is more likely.

Let's get started... Read the rest of this post...

Plastic soup in the Atlantic as well

Maybe the treehuggers who are calling for an end to plastic bags at the store are onto something, no? It may not be as bad as the "soup" in the Pacific but it doesn't sound very good either. BBC:

Scientists and students from the SEA collected plastic and marine debris in fine mesh nets that were towed behind a research vessel.

The nets dragged along were half-in and half-out of the water, picking up debris and small marine organisms from the sea surface.

The researchers carried out 6,100 tows in areas of the Caribbean and the North Atlantic - off the coast of the US. More than half of these expeditions revealed floating pieces of plastic on the water surface.

These were pieces of low-density plastic that are used to make many consumer products, including plastic bags.

Read the rest of this post...

UK gears up for elections

It's hard to believe they can have a proper election with such small amounts of cash. Without unlimited corporate spending, how can it be a true democracy? The Independent:

The Conservatives received more than £10m towards their election war chest in just three months – far more than the other parties combined.

The flood of cash into the Tory coffers is enabling it to outspend Labour in pre-election skirmishes ahead of the campaign. It reported gifts worth £10,481,949 in last quarter of 2009, compared with £4,962,886 collected by Labour and £1,055,717 received by the Liberal Democrats. The figures released by the Electoral Commission also show that the Conservatives raised some £26m during 2009, while Labour received about £16m over the year.

Read the rest of this post...