Obama Campaign Asks Pelosi to Quiet Down

President takes more hands-on approach to legislation

(NEWSER) - President Obama is growing more assertive on Capitol Hill. Since he took office, the president's supporters have criticized him for not exerting enough control over the details of legislation, instead letting Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi hammer out specifics—even on major administration goals, like the health care bill. On legislation this week concerning the Gulf oil spill and financial regulation, Obama has switched to a prescriptive style, reports Politico . More»

As finance committee votes, caucus divided on how to fund reform

(NEWSER) - The Senate Finance Committee is poised to send its bill to the full legislature today, but its provision taxing "Cadillac" insurance plans is raising hackles in the House. Max Baucus and other senators say taxing high-cost plans will raise $200 billion, a quarter of the legislation's price tag, and keep costs down over time. But House members and union leaders say the tax burden will trickle down to workers and the middle class. Nancy Pelosi opposes the tax, as do two-thirds of House Democrats. More»

(NEWSER) - President Obama is enacting a ghastly brace of pro-choice policies, including weakening "conscience protections" for doctors and adopting the “most radical possible option” on stem cell research, Michael Gerson writes for the Washington Post. And enlisting a Catholic—HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius—to help implement his agenda “smacks of religious humiliation,” writes Gerson, “like asking a rabbi to serve pork roast.” More»

Speaker stakes her ground on Iraq, tax cuts, other issues

(NEWSER) - Nancy Pelosi was happy to block for President Obama on the stimulus, but she won’t keep at it forever, reports Politico. Pelosi’s responsibilities are to her liberal district and caucus; on the pace of repealing tax cuts, withdrawal from Iraq, and other issues, Pelosi doesn’t plan on rolling over. “Unlike recent Republican speakers, she’s not going to be a rubber stamp for the president,” says a Democratic staffer. More»

Staffer, not Brownback, approved the letter

(NEWSER) - A letter suggesting that top Democratic lawmakers aren’t “real Catholics” is attributed to Sen. Sam Brownback, the Huffington Post reports, but in fact came from a conservative Catholic group, Politico confirms. “Real Catholics need a new voice—not the likes of Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi who have campaigned as Catholics while voting to undermine the values that we hold most dear,” it reads. More»