Knotty issues ahead for insurance overhaul

Next week, the Senate Finance Committee will likely approve a bill designed to overhaul insurance, putting Congress another step closer to restructuring the nation's health care system.

6

62

Why the CBO cost estimate is so important

The Congressional Budget Office is the non-partisan budget estimator for Congress. It calculates how much each piece of proposed legislation would cost the taxpayers.

5

52

Fineman:  Obama as prosecutor in chief

President Obama emerged as prosecutor in chief in his speech on health care to Congress, a transformation that came just in the nick of time to revive (although not completely) a wobbly effort to sell his plan.

107

1484

Full text of Republican response to Obama

Full text of the official Republican response to President Barack Obama’s congressional address on health care, delivered Sept. 9 by Rep. Charles Boustany of Louisiana.

3

29

Full text of Kennedy’s letter to Obama

Full text of the letter Sen. Edward M. Kennedy sent to President Barack Obama before his death.

3

1

Obama projects $900 billion to fix health care

Declaring that he'll be the last president confronted with reshaping health care in America, President Barack Obama proposes a $900 billion plan to overhaul a system that he says has the country at “a breaking point.”

145

2483

Transcript of Obama’s address to Congress

Transcript of the president's address on health care to a joint session of Congress, as prepared for delivery.

10

39

Homeless would benefit from health care reform

Victor Rozanski's wife gave him an ultimatum: It's either me or the bottle. He chose the bottle.

0

2

Would you pass the Republican Purity Test? (Poll)

Some prominent Republicans, in a bid to get the 'purest' candidates for forthcoming elections have compiled a checklist of 10 key points that they should adhere to. Candidates are not allowed to disagree with more than two points.

35

73

his morning, Fox News ran a chyron alleging that the new Congressional Budget Office report on premiums concluded that the Senate health care bill won't lower health care premiums: ChyronCBO2

17

85

Some people can't stand prosperity, my father used to say.

7

22

Democrats called it a historic opportunity. Republicans called it a sham. Long-awaited debate over President Barack Obama's health care overhaul kicked off in the Senate with lawmakers trading bitter partisan words over the measure to remake one-sixth of the U.S. economy.

1

1

Mr. Christian wrote a fine piece of Op-Ed, reflecting the current state of affairs in our nation. A piece that every politician and every member of the current Obama's administration should read.

2

9

If Joe Lieberman or other senators came across John Brodniak writhing in pain on the sidewalk, they presumably would jump to help him and rush him to a hospital.

17

108

Republicans are using everything short of forklifts to show Americans that Democratic health care legislation is an unwieldy mountain of paper.

1

4

Postpone the health care overhaul until next year so Congress can concentrate on how to pay for President Barack Obama's expected plans for expanding military operations in Afghanistan, a leading Republican senator said Sunday.

9

15

With the Senate set to begin debate Monday on health care overhaul, the all-hands-on-deck Democratic coalition that allowed the bill to advance is fracturing already.

7

156

Nicholas Kristof, NY Times columnist, talks about an Oregon man who has a life-threatening vascular brain mass that continuously seeps blood. Because it affects his balance and causes acute episodes of nausea and vomiting, he had to quit his job and lost his health insurance.

8

8

The Obama Administration burst onto the presidency with a historic wealth of good will, hope and change. It is now marked by one failure after another. Unfortunately, these failures are not without costs.

20

117

It's rare that footage from a congressional committee gets much play the first time it's aired, let alone repeat viewings. But somehow, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., has become a YouTube sensation for his opening statement during a hearing about health care reform.

0

0

Countless red dots scattered across the world map on the wall of a NHS hospital reveal the story of the changing face of Britain.

1

2

Two of President Obama's senior health care advisers said Wednesday that a proposed tax on high-cost insurance plans and a new commission to control Medicare spending were among "four pillars" essential to major health care legislation.

1

0

Dennis Prager wrote this wonderful piece of Op-Ed, expressing his gratitude of how fortunate we are to be Americans. And it unites Americans around gratitude, the greatest human trait. But on this Thanksgiving 2009, it will be marred by a dark cloud, a new cloud.

4

5

Mary Landrieu and Health Care Reform: Profile in Bribery, Cowardice and Prostitution (Guest: George Bernard Shaw)

There is an old story about George Bernard Shaw (notorious misogynist who would have understood Mary Landrieu perfectly, as confirming his opinion of women). Shaw was talking to an upper class, society woman at a party: Shaw: Would you sleep with me for a million dollars?

6

8

Republicans are using everything short of forklifts to show Americans that Democratic health care legislation is an unwieldy mountain of paper.

0

0

Question: ""President Obama has pledged that health insurance reform will not add to our federal budget deficit over the next decade.

15

35

The White House called the vote in the Senate historic. And yet within hours of the move to begin a full debate on healthcare legislation, the delicate patchwork of political deals that led to the vote began to unravel.

5

3

For months few have mentioned it. But as the public option withers on the Senate vine, progressive groups are beginning to push Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to use reconciliation rather than pass a health care reform bill without a public option in it.

1

0

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) argued last Sunday that Republicans deserve at least six additional weeks to consider health care reform before letting the bill come to a vote.

15

12

This juxtaposition of investments and policy has become more common as stock ownership has soared on Capitol Hill over the past two decades.

11

13

Live Poll! - Health Care Reform or Not ? - Live Poll!

This poll asks if you think the current system needs reform. It is not asking what you think of any particular plan to fix health care system. It is only asking if you want to leave things the way they are or not.

31

210

WASHINGTON — No sooner had Senator Blanche Lincoln promised to deliver one crucial vote in support of a health care overhaul than she threatened to withhold the next one.

1

0

The Senate voted on Saturday to begin full debate on major health care legislation, propelling President Obama's top domestic initiative over a crucial, preliminary hurdle in a formidable display of muscle-flexing by the Democratic majority.

1

1