Video: Your Last Chance

Robert Reich makes the case for a public option. Make your voices heard today!

Massachusetts Senate 2010: Card Not Running

It was only a few days ago that Andy Card, former Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush, said that his chances of running for Senate were "better than 50 percent." What a difference a day can make.

In a CNN phone interview last night, Card revealed his final decision, saying, "I had done my due diligence and decided it was probably not in my best interest to run. I'm disappointed but not unhappy."

2005 Flashback: Glen Beck Hates 9/11 Victims

Before tomorrow's BIG party for the certifiably insane, we must remind everyone of one attendee and his comments about 9/11 victims back in 2005. He doesn't hate all of them, just 10 of them.

"You know, it took me about a year to start hating the 9/11 victims’ families. It took me about a year. Um, and I had such compassion for them and I really, you know, I wanted to help them, and I was behind — let’s give them money, let’s get them started, and all of this stuff. And I really didn’t — all the 3,000 victims’ families, I don’t hate all of them, I hate about, probably about ten of them. But when I see 9/11 victim family, you know, on television, or whatever, I’m just like, ‘Oh, shut up.’ I’m so sick of them. Because they’re always complaining. And we did our best for them. And again, it’s only about ten." -- Glen Beck, September 9, 2005

And they say liberals sound angry.

h/t: Bob Cesca

Video: Calling Out Another Fox Lie

Here's Hannity accusing the president of saying that insurance executives are bad people. Of course, anyone who watched the speech knows that President Obama actually said, "Insurance executives don't do this because they're bad people. They do it because it's profitable."

Watch:

North Carolina Senate 2010: Burr Approval at 38%

Here's a race that we'll be following closely in the coming months. North Carolina hasn't been so warm and friendly to Republicans lately, tossing out Elizabeth Dole last year and replacing her with Democrat, Kay Hagan. North Carolina also went blue in last year's election for the first time since 1976 and elected the state's first ever female governor, Beverly Perdue

Now, it's Richard Burr's turn. For many months, Burr's approval numbers have been in the basement. A new poll by PPP shows Burr's approval rate at just 38%, ten points lower than Dole's prior to election day in 2008. Despite his poor ratings though, he still bests any Democratic challenger so far by at least seven points. That could easily change however with the emergence of a strong candidate.

Democrats in North Carolina also have time on their side and the real possibility that Democrats, on a national level, will get their groove back. We're very optimistic about the prospect of healthcare passing this year and anxious to see the first polls in places like North Carolina to see whether the new reform helps or hurts Democratic Senate candidates.

PPP NC poll with internals

CONNECTICUT SENATE 2010: Poll shows Dodd Down 10

Chris Dodd's numbers seem to be getting worse, not better. That's according to a new Rasmussen Poll out today that which shows potential Republican challenger, Rob Simmons up 10 points on Dodd (49-39). The poll also found that 59% of North Carolina voters have an unfavorable impression of the Senator.

The only good news in this poll for Dodd is that he's essentially tied with the other Republican candidates who might be running.

As a result of this poll and others, we're moving this race from tossup to leans Republican.

HR 3200 and Undocumented Residents

First, for the record, these words are found on page 143, lines 3-7 of HR 3200.

SEC. 246. NO FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS.

Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments

for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are

not lawfully present in the United States.

Second, someone should remind Republicans that non-residents have been receiving emergency treatment, as required by law, for many years. The Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act, signed into law in 1986 by President Reagan, requires, as it should, Medicare-participating hospitals to provide emergency medical services for all patients who seek care, regardless of their ability to pay or immigration status." (42 U.S.C 1395dd)

Undocumented residents will continue to receive emergency care, whether HR 3200 passes or not. There doesn't need to be a provision for emergency services for nonresidents because there are provisions in other laws, such as EMTALA.

All of this makes me wonder. What are GOP leaders thinking when it comes to Hispanic Americans? Do they really think they're not paying attention? Have they forgotten the electoral significance of the Hispanic American voting block?

Don't Mess With Nancy

How many times did you rewind and play the 'you lie' moment because you enjoyed watching speaker Pelosi's reaction so much?

Mike Powell at The Gaggle has a story about that stare and lists the top 5 people on Pelosi's poop list after last night's speech. Here's the intro.

Joe (YOU LIE!!!!) Wilson may be getting all of the attention in Washington today, but who will ever forget that death glare that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shot Wilson moments after he unleashed his id on President Obama? Talk about withering—no wonder Wilson looked so shaky when he went before reporters this morning. This is why we enjoy watching Pelosi so much whenever Obama gives a big speech before congress. She hovers over his shoulder in that big brown chair, trying to smile and act cheery. Sometimes Pop-Up Pelosi’s outbursts of enthusiasm seem truly genuine. But when someone annoys her, even just a little bit, she can’t hide it. After all, we’re talking about a lady who likes to run a tight ship and those who cross her … well, she lets them have it. Last night was no exception: sitting over Obama’s left shoulder, Pelosi bounced between moments of smiling and seething. And while Republicans were her primary annoyance, she shot some fairly telling looks to Democrats, too. Who officially made Pelosi’s S--t List last night? Where do we begin?

Best Healthcare System In The World!

Not even close to the best. Hat tip to Bob Cesca for this new story about Blue Cross Blue Shield's generous bonus givings to their corporate executives.

Of the $418 million in Blue Cross Blue Shield's administrative expenses over the past five years, a state audit found "millions and millions of dollars in excessive expenses."

The audit also found that Blue Cross Blue Shield funded nearly $15 million in employee bonuses that were almost assured regardless of performance, a $3.5 million investment in a hotel in Fargo and sales reward trips to resorts totaling $1.2 million.

In one case, the audit found that $34,814 was spent for a party for a retiring vice president.

Video: 'You Lie' Carl Cameron!

Here's Carl Cameron at the Counter-Revolutionary Media. Is this poor journalism or just Fox News telling big fat lies again? You decide!

Video: Another Family Values Republican Caught On Tape

Unaware that the mic in front of him is live, state lawmaker, Michael Duvall (R), from California openly brags about two women he slept with. Sex scandals are becoming something of a once a week occurrence for the Republican Party these days.

You gotta watch this.

Deja Vu All Over Again

There was a moment back in 2008 when we became a little frustrated at the lack of red meat in Barack Obama's campaign. While Republicans relentlessly ridiculed Obama and labeled him an Unpatriotic-Muslim-Socialist, it seemed as if the young candidate wasn't willing to get in the mud and fight. The liberal media was obsessed with Bill Ayers, ACORN, Jeremiah Wright, Joe the Plummer Handyman and the McCain/Palin accusation that Obama would rather lose the war in Iraq than lose the election.

McCain gained several points on then-candidate Obama in key states while Obama's campaign remained above the fray. All of us were screaming, "Fight back!" And then, to the cheers of 69 million Americans who voted for him, Obama finally took the gloves off and reminded everyone that McCain and Bush were the same (and that McCain owned nine homes, all of which were perfect spots for the Republican drill baby drill for oil plan).

Seems like years ago...

And here we are again in 2009. It was like dejavu all over again last month, watching the same uncivil, uncooth specimens spew their unholy venom at healthcare rallies. Nazi signs, cries of socialism and out-and-out racism. The perpetual loop of these images must have boosted ratings for cable news networks given the non-stop coverage we were forced to endure.

Now, once again, it appears that Republicans have got all the mileage they can possibly get out of their lies. Despite their best efforts to kill healthcare during the August recess, President Obama and progressive Democrats are still moving forward, and they're closer now than ever to true insurance reform. Another positive sign can be found in President Obama's approval numbers. They appear to have bottomed out somewhere around the low to mid-fifties, numbers similar to what he earned last November - along with 365 electoral votes. We shouldn't forget the electoral significance of 52.8% of the popular vote.

Here's what we can soon expect: President Obama will sign a healthcare bill this fall, at which point Democrats' national poll numbers will get an immediate boost. The new reform will be regarded as the greatest change since Social Security, and most importantly, 47 million Americans will have a greater hope in obtaining affordable health insurance - public option or not. Republicans will be the biggest losers, yet again. A majority of Americans will remember the sincere attempt by the Democrats to pass a bipartisan bill, only to be opposed almost all Republicans, most of whom offer no real solution.

With August behind us, President Obama seems ready to take the gloves off once again - just in time. The August smoke has cleared, and he's still standing. This AFL-CIO speech from Labor Day leaves little doubt that the president is as optimistic as ever about delivering CHANGE. From the looks of things, Fall 2009 may just turn out to be just as sweet as Fall 2008.

Video: Real People Denied Real Healthcare

"This healthcare problem is a product of greed."

President Obama's Weekly Video Address

Making it easier to save money in America.

Liberals Were Right

Bob Cesca makes the case.

The left was never this crazy during the Bush years. And, in fact, we were amost always right.

1) Liberals were right about Bush being incompetent.
2) Liberals were right about WMD.
3) Liberals were right about torture authorizations.
4) Liberals were right about Dick Cheney's executive power grab.
5) Liberals were right about the economy.
And on and on...

The wingnuts are claiming that President Obama was born in Kenya, they're claiming that his presidency is a communist plot, they're claiming that he wants to kill old and disabled people including Downs babies, and they're claiming that a 30 percent increase in the Dow means there's an "Obama Depression." None of this is right, nor will it ever be.