Mitch McConnell's Response to Obama's Healthcare Push

We are tired of you Mitch McConnell. No more waterloo. No more bipartisanship, at least not on healthcare. I'm tired of hearing about how the "American people" hate healthcare. I am an American people and I want reform!

Obama Speaks on Healthcare Way Forward March 3

Update: In a nutshell, Obama said the time for talk is more than over (see video below). The debate has gone on for decades, the criticism in the media has bordered on obsession. He said Americans deserve a final vote. I've noticed that Obama seems to have a process. He lays out his vision, then he lets everyone debate. He lets everyone beat their heads against a wall until they're completely worn out. Then he steps in as the lone adult, to say "enough," time to get it done.
Robert Gibbs just tweeted:

POTUS hitting the road next week for health insurance reform - stops planned Monday in Philly and off to St. Louis on Wednesday

Full video:


Obama will speak at 1:45 pm eastern today on the way forward for healthcare. It will be live streamed at WhiteHouse.gov or msnbc.com. Obama and Pelosi's House challenge in passing healthcare is that four former yea votes are gone:

Obama Lunches at Mrs. Wilkes' Boarding House Video

Obama met yesterday with a few locals at Mrs. Wilkes' Boarding House restaurant in Savannah. Obama says sitting down with people for lunch is a great treat:

Duncan and Barnes Answer College Affordability Questions

Obama Signed Unemployment Benefits Bill

Robert Gibbs tweeted that Obama signed the bill tonight:

The Senate late Tuesday ended Sen. Jim Bunning’s (R-Ky.) two-day filibuster of unemployment benefits and highway projects across the country, although nearly two dozen Senate Republicans voted to support the blockage.

Senators voted 78-19 to pass a $10 billion package of long-term job benefit extensions, Medicare payment improvements and highway projects in 17 states. The vote came after an unsuccessful, 43-53 vote on a substitute amendment by Bunning. The Hill

The no votes from the Party of No:

The 19 ‘no’ votes included GOP Sens. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), John Barrasso (Wyo.), Robert Bennett (Utah), Bunning, Richard Burr (N.C.), Tom Coburn (Okla.), Bob Corker (Tenn.), John Cornyn (Texas), Mike Crapo (Idaho), Jim DeMint (S.C.), John Ensign (Nev.), Mike Enzi (Wyo.), Judd Gregg (N.H.), Orrin Hatch (Utah), Mike Johanns (Neb.), Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Jim Risch (Idaho), Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and John Thune (S.D.).

Bunning Quits Being an Arse

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Obama Administration Redefining Poor

Under these more realistic guidelines, seems to me there will be more people designated as poor. But since the new definition wouldn't replace the official poverty line, I'm not sure of what the intentions are. Apparently, it's a work in progress, an experiment:

The Obama administration Wednesday issued an alternative definition of what it means to be poor, stepping gingerly into a long-running debate over whether to revise the way poverty has been measured for decades.

Under a "Supplemental Poverty Measure" announced by the Commerce Department, the government is augmenting the formula used for nearly a half-century to determine how many people live in poverty, which has been based on the cost of food and the cash income a family takes in.

The new measure will not replace the official federal poverty line, which is used by the federal government and states to decide which Americans qualify for a variety of assistance programs, including Medicaid, welfare and food stamps. Instead, the second formula "provides us a different angle on who is in economic need," said Rebecca Blank, Commerce's under secretary for economic affairs, who had advocated for more than a decade before joining the administration for a different way of thinking about who is poor. Read more at WaPo

Geico Caveman Says Obama's Done a Good Job With the Place

Apparently, the Caveman was filming a commercial? I'm not sure. He's talking about Lincoln and technology on a Segway.

Obama Notifies Congress on Healthcare Reform's Final Bill

In a letter to Congress, Obama says he's open to including some republican ideas in healthcare reform. Another good sign, moderate democrat Ben Nelson signals he's up for healthcare. And yet another, Steny Hoyer talks about the way forward.

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Obama Quarters in Circulation

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Bunning Reads Letter of Unemployed Supporter

Jim Bunning is dangerous. He's dangerous because he's one of those self-righteous people who thinks his opinion is the only thing that matters. He stands firm in blocking the extension of unemployment benefits. He's also incredibly boring. Harry Reid responds to Bunning.

Thoughts on the despicable Jim Bunning:

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Obama Speaks in Georgia on Homeowner Energy Rebates March 1

Updated with video below.
Obama will speak at 12:30 pm eastern. It will be live streamed at WhiteHouse.gov and maybe at msnbc.com. While he's there he'll tour the Savannah Technical College and a local manufacturing facility. Read Obama's Homestar program.

Homeowners could receive instant rebates up to $3,000 for making their houses more energy efficient under a program President Barack Obama planned to reveal Tuesday in Savannah.

Obama has been pushing his "Homestar" energy improvement program since last year. After touring Savannah Technical College at noon and speaking to students learning how to install insulation, solar panels and high-efficiency heating and air conditioning systems, he was expected to provide new specifics on the planned program.

Among them:

*Homeowners could be eligible for $1,000 to $1,500 in "Silver Star" rebates for relatively small upgrades, such as installing insulation or new water heaters or replacing leaky windows or doors.

*Homeowners could get up to $3,000 in "Gold Star" rebates if they make more comprehensive energy upgrades that reduce the energy usage of their home by at least 20 percent.

*Contractors, home improvement companies and retailers would give the rebates to homeowners at the point of sale, and would be reimbursed later by the government.

More at AJC

Obama tours Savannah Technical College:

Duncan Speaks on Teachers Unions Video

In general, unions are good. But teachers' unions have been keeping far too many lame teachers safe from firing. There are too many below average to mediocre teachers in our schools. I think we can all speak to the bad teaching that's out there. I listened to teachers complaining about the possibility of getting fired this morning. They seemed to think that hard work and showing up on time makes a good teacher. Sorry. It doesn't. Above all, teachers need to have the knack for teaching, for communicating with students.

Arne Duncan discusses early childhood education, teachers unions, increasing the high school graduation rate and the contest to have Obama speak at your school's graduation.

Also, at 5:30 pm, Arne Duncan and Melody Barnes will discuss affording college. Watch it here.

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Mitt Romney Writes Book

I think these guys write books to get on TV. Of all the conservatives, Mitt disturbs me the most. Used car salesman, slick, phony are things that come to mind:

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Michelle Obama Speaks on School Nutrition March 1

Michelle Obama will visit Mississippi March 3 on her Let's Move healthy eating tour. She'll stop at Pecan Park Elementary and Brinkley Middle School. Today, she spoke at the School Nutrition Association's Legislative Action Conference in Washington. Transcript:

MRS. OBAMA: Thank you. (Applause.) Thanks so much, everyone. Please, sit. (Applause.) Thank you. It is such a pleasure to be here with all of you. Thanks so much for that warm welcome.

And I also want to thank Dora for that kind introduction and for your outstanding leadership of the School Nutrition Association.

And I want to thank all of you here today for the terrific work that you're doing every day all across this country.

And I know that you always don't get a lot of credit and recognition for what you do -- and you deserve it. You know, there are not a lot of newspaper headlines about how the meals you serve are the only food that many kids may get all day long. People on TV don't talk much about how kids who participate in the school meal program perform better in class and they miss fewer days of school. And a lot of folks still don't understand how the cafeteria is actually one of the most important classrooms in the entire school -- (applause) -- because what you all know is that our kids don't stop learning at lunchtime.

Every day, with the food you serve, you're teaching them these critical lessons about nutrition and healthy eating. You're shaping their habits and their preferences, and you're affecting the choices that they're going to make for the rest of their lives.

So now just multiply that by the 31 million kids in the school meal program, and it's clear that all of you don't just shape the future of individual students; you help to shape the future of this country.

And that's been the case since the National School Lunch Program was first started by President Truman after World War II, back when one of the most common disqualifiers for military service was malnourishment, if you can believe that.

And that's why President Johnson later in 1966 expanded the program to include school breakfasts and meals at preschools because, as he put it, he said that "good nutrition is essential to good learning."

So whether it's national security, education or child hunger, for decades we've looked to you for help in achieving our most urgent national priorities.

And that's really why I'm here today -– because once again today we're going to need your help with a crisis that we face in our own time: and that's the epidemic of childhood obesity in America today.

And you all know the statistics –- how nearly one in three kids in this country is overweight or obese. And you all see the impact on the kids that you work with. You see firsthand kids who are struggling to keep up with their classmates, or worse yet they're stuck on the sidelines because they can't participate. You see how kids are teased or bullied. You see kids who physically don't feel good, and they don't feel good about themselves. You see kids who are at higher risk of conditions like diabetes, and cancer, and heart disease -– conditions that cost billions of dollars a year to treat.

And by the way, today, one of the most common disqualifiers for military service is actually obesity.

Now, those of you who've been in this business a while, you know that this wasn't always the case. Things weren't always this way. I know you may remember a time when kids in your schools led lives that kept most of them at a healthy weight. They walked to and from school, they ran around during recess and gym class, and they played outside for hours after school. Many could -- kids ate home-cooked meals, and many had actually seen fruits and vegetables before you served them to them -- (laughter) -- so they didn't look at them like foreign objects when they got them at school. (Laughter.) Fast food, soda and candy were special treats; they weren't part of every meal. And at lunchtime, in many schools, kids just had two choices: either what you served them, or what their mom or dad packed at home, whether they liked it or not.

But over the past few decades, we've seen these healthy habits falling away, replaced by habits of convenience and necessity. You know, parents want to buy healthy food for their kids, but they're sometimes tight on money and can't afford it. Or they're tight on time because they're juggling extra jobs, extra shifts, and they just can't swing those home-cooked meals anymore. Those walks to school have been replaced with buses or car rides. And as you know, gym class and school sports have been cut in so many places, replaced by afternoons with the TV, video games, and the Internet.

And those two reasonably healthy choices at lunchtime, they've become dozens of choices –- some healthy and some not. That occurs as schools struggle to get the revenue that they need. From fast food, to vending machines packed with chips and candy, to a la carte lines, we tempt our kids with all kinds of unhealthy choices every day. And it's no surprise that they don't always pick the healthy ones.

And by now, I think it's clear that between the pressures of today's economy and the breakneck pace of modern life, the well-being of our kids has too often gotten lost in the shuffle.

But we have to be honest: Our kids didn't do this to themselves. You see, our kids don't decide what to serve -- or what is sold at lunch. Our kids don't decide whether there's time for recess and gym. They don't decide whether they'll learn about healthy eating or nutrition at school. They don't make these decisions.

We set those priorities. We make those decisions. And even if it doesn't always feel like it, we are the ones in charge. But that's the good news -- because if we make the decisions, then we can decide to solve this problem.
And that's precisely what many of you are already doing right now in schools all across this country.

Anji Baumann, the Child Nutrition Director for Gooding, Idaho, she has local farmers grow fresh fruits and vegetables specifically for her school district. And I hear her staff makes many foods from scratch –- including spaghetti and baked goods. In fact, they even came up with a recipe that uses pureed beans as a substitute for some of the oil in chocolate cake –- and it was so tasty that none of the students even noticed.

In Binghamton, New York, I hear they held a health fair to celebrate when six of the city's seven elementary schools reached Gold status in the Healthier US School Challenge. Wonderful. (Applause.) And they celebrated with kids proudly displaying the school -- their nutrition projects. And the whole community got involved -- the local hospital, Boys and Girls Clubs, the USDA office, and others -- they all sponsored booths with information on healthy living.

And in Jackson, Mississippi, thanks to the encouragement of the Executive Director of Food Services, Mary Hill, the superintendent now requires elementary school teachers to eat meals with their students. (Applause.) And as you can imagine, with teachers sitting at the table -– both encouraging kids to eat fruits and vegetables, and eating them themselves –- fruit and vegetable consumption has gone up there. Read the rest here.

Gibbs: Reconciliation Was Vehicle for Welfare Reform

In his press briefing today, Robert Gibbs says he's trying to call out GOP obstructionism:

Kent Conrad is wrong on reconciliation. Republicans are wrong on reconciliation. Who is Alan Frumin and why is he important in reconciliation?

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Obama Speaks On Boosting Graduation Rates March 1 Video

Colin Powell, his wife Alma, and then Obama speak at Powell's America's Promise Alliance event:

Republicans Big Users of Reconciliation

Reconciliation, by the way, isn't being used to pass the whole bill just pieces. Republicans have used reconciliation, which blocks a filibuster and requires only 51 votes, 16 out of the 22 times it's been used. So, as usual, we have the republicans acting like trolls because it's what they do best.

Republicans are also on a record setting pace for filibusters:

More certain, however: Opposition Republicans are using the delaying tactic at a record-setting pace. "The numbers are astonishing in this Congress," says Jim Riddlesperger, political science professor at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.

The filibuster, using seemingly endless debate to block legislative action, has become entrenched like a dandelion tap root in the midst of the shrill partisanship gripping Washington.MSNBC

Republicans view themselves as the ruling party when they're in and out of power. It's as if we didn't even vote.

Bunning Causes Furlough of 2,000 Transportation Workers

The Transportation Department announced it will furlough 2,000 employees without pay on Monday, as a result of Sen. Jim Bunning's filibuster of a federal unemployment aid bill.

"As American families are struggling in tough economic times, I am keenly disappointed that political games are putting a stop to important construction projects around the country," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in a statement. "This means that construction workers will be sent home from job sites because federal inspectors must be furloughed." More at Politico

Read about Bunning's shenanigans here.

Obama Speaks at America's Promise Alliance March 1

Obama speaks at Colin and Alma Powell's America's Promise Alliance event at 10:10 am this morning. There will be live audio stream at WhiteHouse.gov. From Powell's blog at the White House:

My wife Alma and I are honored to have President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joining us today to announce a new multi-year campaign to mobilize all Americans to help end the high school dropout crisis. We call this work Grad Nation.

For the past two years, America’s Promise Alliance has been traveling the country, raising awareness about how high dropout rates and low readiness for college and work undermine our nation’s future. In nearly all 50 states and 55 cities, we have convened high-level Dropout Prevention Summits that brought together nearly 30,000 mayors and governors, business and community leaders, school administrators, students and parents. They have committed to concrete action plans to improve graduation rates in their states and communities. More here.

Obama takes aims at the high school dropout rates. (see full video