Dems, Health Care Need to Enter the iPhone Age

Dana Milbank: Only he is standing up to Republican attacks on law

(NEWSER) - Republicans keep attacking health care reform, and with one loud exception, Democrats have been "passive to the point of wimpy" in defending it, writes Dana Milbank in the Washington Post . That exception? "Brooklyn-born streetfighter" Anthony Weiner. "I don't represent the hide-under-the-desk wing of the Democratic Party," the New York congressman said yesterday, complaining that even Nancy Pelosi and President Obama hadn't done enough. "I believe we've got to lean into this fight." More»

Compromise looking more distant than ever

(NEWSER) - President Obama's health care summit left pundits from across the spectrum feeling more pessimistic than ever about the chances of crafting a bipartisan agreement on reform.

• "It was a talking-point festival," writes Peggy Noonan at the Wall Street Journal. The Republicans put forth seemingly unconnected statements, and the "boorish" Democrats appealed to sentiment in an effort to win support for a bill that they obviously plan to "bully through Congress."

Aim to prevent procedural hurdles thrown up by GOP in Senate

(NEWSER) - Democrats are “almost certain” to avoid a formal conference to reconcile the House and Senate health care bills, senior Capitol Hill sources say, thereby robbing Senate Republicans of yet more opportunities to stall the bill. If Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi convened a formal conference, there would need to be a series of special motions in the Senate, each with full debate, which the GOP would use to delay the inevitable. More»

President rallies Democrats as House debates bill

(NEWSER) - President Obama rallied the Democratic troops today and told the nation that "this is our moment to deliver" on health care reform. In a brief Rose Garden address that took place as the House debated its long-awaited bill, Obama again stressed the need for reform and urged lawmakers to "answer the call of history." Representatives are expected to vote on the final measure sometime today, and Nancy Pelosi sounds confident, notes Politico . More»

Conservative critics think Minority Leader should be fighting administration harder

(NEWSER) - Why haven’t we heard more from Mitch McConnell on health care? The Senate Minority Leader has kept relatively quiet on the administration’s reform efforts, a stance that has irked many conservative activists who feel McConnell is ducking his duties as de facto Republican Party leader, writes Stephanie Mencimer for Mother Jones. McConnell “could single-handedly destroy this bill,” says pro-life firebrand Randall Terry. “But so far he has not displayed the backbone." More»