Cornyn Unwittingly Makes the Case for Obama's Rethinking of Afghanistan

If Obama said we should be kind to our neighbor, republicans would say... now wait a minute, that's probably not a good idea.

On Meet the Press Jon Cornyn ends up making the case for why Obama is reconsidering strategy in Afghanistan. David Gregory asks him pointedly: Did Cheney provide enough troops to win in Afghanistan? Then Cornyn goes on to say it's not just troops, it's strategy. Bingo. Here's the clip:

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The whole episode:

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Transcript

Shumer Says Public Option Still Alive

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Shumer Says Attack Ads Hurting Public Option

Liberal democrats have been attacking moderate democrats with attack ads. But Shumer says it's not working. Shumer says democrats have to show Baucus that there are 60 votes. Shumer said he's spoken to the moderate dems and no one has closed the door on the public option. "We lost today," Shumer said. But there's momentum for public option.

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Soon Your Company Will Drop Your Health Insurance

I'm adding Chuck Shumer to my short list of people (Howard Dean is the other on my list) who are doing a good job explaining health care reform. Attention people: Medicare is going bankrupt. And private insurance costs have gone up more than Medicare, so soon, companies will begin dropping coverage for employees.

Why is health care so expensive? Shumer says we all want a Cadillac plan.

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Shumer Says Senate Health Care Bill Focused on Cost Cutting

I think the wealthiest among us can stand more of a tax burden but taxing them for the purposes of paying for health care reform (what the House wants to do) just ain't right. That would be taxes on top of taxes. Shumer says the Senate bill is focused more on cost cutting, which seems like the right thing to do.
Shumer says the August deadline on health care is important to strive toward. A group of six senators is asking for more time to achieve a bipartisan bill, including Sen. Olympia Snowe, whom Shumer says, in the video below, Obama respects. Paul Krugman says that's not a good idea. He calls the six senators (including two republicans) the "destructive center." Krugman views them as caving on principles (he says the center also watered down the stimulus). The left views it as a blow to reform.
But that seems a bit ideological to me. Obama is insisting it will get done this year and haven't we had enough of ideology, whether it comes from the left or the right?

I think the centrists have it about right. The left wants to do the right things but they don't ever consider costs and they always view business as the bad guy. I don't think Obama is striving for bipartisanship for the sake of bringing everyone together.
Rather, being more inclusive brings more ideas (and sometimes better ones). That's the best part of the Democratic Party--it's a big umbrella. The only folks left under the republican umbrella is the Sarah Palin base and a few stragglers hoping for change.

Obama To Make Statement on Healthcare July 15

Update video:

At about 1 p.m. eastern, Obama, joined by the American Nurse Association, will make a statement on healthcare. Politico is also reporting:

Also developing on the health care front: Three Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee — Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), Robert Menendez (N.J.) and Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) today are announcing an aggressive push to make health insurers absorb as much as $100 billion of the cost of reform. The idea has been kicking around quietly in meetings, and insurers are on a list of potential targets that have been floating around. But Schumer, one of the senior Democratic voices at the Capitol, is going at them head-on. And the Senate HELP Committee votes on its version of health care today.

Note that Hillary Clinton will also be making a foreign policy speech at about the same time.
I heard Sam Nussbaum, chief medical officer for WellPoint, on NPR this morning complaining about a public option to rival private healthcare insurers. He said that it is unfair because the government has the upper hand. When he said that the first thought that came to my mind was: too bad. After all these years the healthcare industry suddenly cares? They've been ripping people off and letting people die and now they care because their profit is going to be affected? Too bad for the industry. They should've cut costs and cared a long while ago. Now it's time to do right by the people.
The Senate Committee passes a bill this morning:

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Turning the Economy in Four Months isn't Possible

At about the 27 minute mark, Sen. Chuck Shumer says Obama has a long-term strategy on the economy. Exactly. But republicans know that the nation that wants quick relief--NOW--so they are pouncing. But what are their solutions?

Obama can't turn around and transition an economy in four months. It's not reasonable. Read Obama's op-ed in today's Washington Post here.

Americans are becoming more sensible. They are saving money and downsizing their lives, which means fewer purchases and smaller living, which in turn means higher unemployment (fewer people are buying things so companies are laying off workers), as the economy finds a balance. At the same time, a huge undertaking is underway to transition the economy from one that depends on consumer buying to one that's more dependent on invention, exports and green jobs.

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From Obama's op-ed in the WP:

Now is the time to build a firmer, stronger foundation for growth that not only will withstand future economic storms but that helps us thrive and compete in a global economy. To build that foundation, we must lower the health-care costs that are driving us into debt, create the jobs of the future within our borders, give our workers the skills and training they need to compete for those jobs, and make the tough choices necessary to bring down our deficit in the long run.