Health Reform: It's 1994 All Over Again

Perriello loses in Virginia, Grayson in Florida

(NEWSER) - Nancy Pelosi's reign as House speaker will soon be over. Republicans will easily take control of the House of Representatives by night's end, say both CNN and NBC . The GOP entered the evening needing to gain 39 seats, and they'll likely end up with about 60, a development that will make John Boehner the next speaker. An emotional Boehner (see here ) called the outcome a "repudiation of Washington" and later took a congratulatory phone call from President Obama. More»

Steve King, Louie Gohmert not far behind among fringe congressmen

(NEWSER) - A week after releasing its Senate Wingnut Index , the Daily Beast investigates wingnuttery in the House. Using a “semi-scientific” process to identify the most extreme members on both sides of the spectrum, the site ranks them:

1. Michele Bachmann (R-MN): From calling the president “anti-American” to warning of tyranny, “Bachmann has become a symbol of all things Wingnutty in American politics.”

Republicans will cut off cash to key Dem initiatives

(NEWSER) - If Republicans win the House in November, they’ll highlight their differences with Democrats by starving signature policies—like health care—of cash, the Wall Street Journal reports. Although the GOP hopes to repeal the health care bill in the House, such a measure would likely fail in the Senate, so leaders are devising other ways to undermine it. Other Democratic initiatives like financial and environmental reform would get similar treatment. More»

But Congress, as ever, is even worse

(NEWSER) - President Obama’s approval rating dips to a new low in the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll . Just 43% approve of the job the president is doing, while 54% disapprove—including one-third of Democrats. Obama’s supporters aren’t very enthusiastic, either: Twice as many people gave him a strongly negative rating as gave a strongly positive one. More»

Obama's share of vote in 2008 best predictor of House Democrats' positions

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama may have sown the seeds to last night's victory with the one in 2008: House Democrats in districts Obama carried were much more likely to vote in favor of health reform. Retiring members aside, Nate Silver writes, “all 12 Democrats running in a place where Obama received less than 40% of the vote decided against the bill, whereas 195 of 202 running where he received a majority voted for it.” In Silver’s opinion, the vote hinged on the 2010 election for both the yeas and the nays. More»