memeorandum: Health Care: Obama's Mercenaries Vs. Freedom Fighters (Dr. Melissa Clouthier)

10:50 AM ET, August 10, 2009

Top Items:

‘Un-American’ attacks can't derail health care debate — Americans have been waiting for nearly a century for quality, affordable health care. — Health coverage for all was on the national agenda as early as 1912, thanks to Teddy Roosevelt's Bull Moose presidential run.

Debra J. Saunders / San Francisco Chronicle:

Dissent is patriotic - not — Imagine it's four years ago and an aide to President George W. Bush posted a blog on the Whitehouse.gov Web site that bemoaned Internet criticism of the Iraq war, then continued: “These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain e-mails or through casual conversations.

Discussion: Wake up America, Dean's World and American Power

Byron York / Washington Examiner:
Limbaugh responds to David Brooks' “insane” comment

Discussion: NewsBusters.org

Andrew Breitbart / Washington Times:
I am Kenneth Gladney

Discussion: The Corner, Gateway Pundit and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Wall Street Journal:

Taliban Now Winning — U.S. Commander in Afghanistan Warns of Rising Casualties — By YOCHI J. DREAZEN in Kabul and PETER SPIEGEL in Washington — The Taliban have gained the upper hand in Afghanistan, the top American commander there said, forcing the U.S. to change its strategy …

Discussion: Politics Daily, The Washington Independent, Telegraph, Raw Story, Informed Comment and msnbc.com

James Risen / New York Times:

U.S. to Hunt Down Afghan Drug Lords Tied to Taliban — WASHINGTON — Fifty Afghans believed to be drug traffickers with ties to the Taliban have been placed on a Pentagon target list to be captured or killed, reflecting a major shift in American counternarcotics strategy in Afghanistan …

Discussion: Guardian, The Washington Independent, The Page and Truthdig

Michael Evans / Times of London:
Another 45,000 US troops needed in Afghanistan, military adviser says

Discussion: The New Republic, democracyarsenal.org, MyDD and Newshoggers.com

Anthony Cordesman / Times of London:
More troops, fewer caveats. Let's get serious

Discussion: Taylor Marsh

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Averting the Worst — So it seems that we aren't going to have a second Great Depression after all. What saved us? The answer, basically, is Big Government. — Just to be clear: the economic situation remains terrible, indeed worse than almost anyone thought possible not long ago.

Discussion: The Sideshow, Economist's View, D-Day, Arkansas News and Connecting.the.Dots

Ross Douthat / New York Times:

The Unfunny Truth — It's been a melancholy summer for social conservatives. Their movement is fighting a rearguard battle in Barack Obama's Washington. A cluster of family-values politicians — some of whom bunked down in the same Christian-sponsored D.C. townhouse …

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, Cafe Talk Aggregator, Sadly, No! and TBogg

Scott / Power Line:

Does Linda Douglass know about this? — Last week White House flack Linda Douglass responded to a video of Barack Obama expressing support for a government takeover of the health care system (I.e., “single payer") with a vehement denial. Douglass disparaged the video of Obama as “disinformation.”

Michael Barone / Real Clear Politics:
Government Health Care in Stealth Mode

Discussion: Fausta's Blog

Political Punch:

Congressional Budget Expert Says Preventive Care Will Raise — Not Cut — Costs — In yet more disappointing news for Democrats pushing for health care reform, Douglas W. Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office, offered a skeptical view Friday of the cost savings that could result …

Discussion: QandO, Wake up America, Blue Crab Boulevard, The Strata-Sphere, Scared Monkeys, Liberal Values, Flopping Aces, Betsy's Page, Pundit & Pundette, Patterico's Pontifications and Washington Post

Walter Alarkon / The Hill:
Deficit grew by $181 billion in July

Discussion: msnbc.com, The Caucus, naked capitalism and Blue Crab Boulevard

Michelle Malkin:

Rep. Tsongas tries to explain why Congress is exempt from Obamacare. Fails. — Herein lies the ultimate Achilles' Heel of Obamacare. Watch as Democrat Rep. Niki Tsongas of Massachussetts attempts to explain why Congress is exempt from the government health care takeover mandates.

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Tsongas: I won't take ObamaCare because I have better options

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and theblogprof

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:

Durbin: Health bill 'doesn't have to be perfect' — Two highly influential senators suggested on Sunday that key provisions in their chamber's health insurance reform legislation may be in jeopardy after they return from recess. — Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) …

Discussion: Northwest Progressive …, BuzzFlash.org, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/* and The Hill's Blog Briefing Room

Fox News:
No. 2 Senate Democrat ‘Open’ to Health Care Bill With No Public Option

Discussion: Open Congress and Viking Pundit

Rebecca Sinderbrand / CNN: Politcians trade fire over health care protests

Wall Street Journal:

Opposition Emerges to House's Jet Spree — WASHINGTON — Bipartisan opposition is emerging in the Senate to a plan by House lawmakers to spend $550 million for additional passenger jets for senior government officials. — The resistance to buying eight Gulfstream and Boeing planes comes …

Discussion: On Deadline, Wizbang and Pajamas Media

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

'IT'S NOT IN THE BILL'.... The health care discussion between Howard Dean and Newt Gingrich on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” yesterday was pretty good, and it covered a fair amount of ground in a short period of time. There was one exchange, though, that stood out for me.

Discussion: ABCNews.com and The Hill's Blog Briefing Room

Financial Times:

Banks make $38bn from overdraft fees — US banks stand to collect a record $38.5bn in fees for customer overdrafts this year, with the bulk of the revenue coming from the most financially stretched consumers amid the deepest recession since the 1930s, according to research.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Washington Independent, DailyFinance, Gawker and naked capitalism

Rasmussen Reports:

On Health Care, 51% Fear Government More Than Insurance Companies — When it comes to health care decisions, 51% of the nation's voters fear the federal government more than private insurance companies. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% hold the opposite view and fear the insurance companies more.

Discussion: Don Surber and Wake up America

Robert Reich / Robert Reich's Blog:

How the White House's Deal With Big Pharma Undermines Democracy — I'm a strong supporter of universal health insurance, and a fan of the Obama administration. But I'm appalled by the deal the White House has made with the pharmaceutical industry's lobbying arm to buy their support.

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Dennis the Peasant and Economist's View

Jennifer Rubin / Commentary:

Who Are These People? — This probably isn't the ideal way for congressmen to handle their constituents: … One has the sense that lawmakers are just stunned that ordinary citizens would have the temerity to speak up. Spending most of their time with staffers, lobbyists, and fellow legislators …

Discussion: Redhot

Jared Allen / The Hill:

House Dems set up healthcare ‘war room’ — House Democratic leaders have set up a healthcare “war room” to help their rank-and-file members navigate a tumultuous August in which they find themselves on the defensive on their signature issue. — The effort is being run out of Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's …

Discussion: Washington Monthly and The Hill's Blog Briefing Room

Susan Stellin / New York Times:

Bank Will Allow Customers to Deposit Checks by iPhone — The Internet has taken a lot of the paperwork out of banking, but there is no avoiding paper when someone gives you a check. Now one bank wants to let customers deposit checks immediately — through their phones.

Discussion: DailyFinance and Silicon Alley Insider

Scott Lanman / Bloomberg:

Fed Focusing on Real-Estate Recession as Bernanke Convenes FOMC — Aug. 10 (Bloomberg) — The collapse in commercial real estate is preventing Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke from declaring the economy and financial markets are healed. — Property values have fallen 35 percent …

Georgina Gustin / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Protestors gather outside closed union office — AUGUST 8, 2009 - St. Louis police officers were on the scene of Saturday's protest by members of the St. Louis Tea Party who gathered in front of the SEIU headquarters on Pershing Avenue to protest Thursday's beating of conservative activist Kenneth Gladney.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Talking Points Memo, The Moderate Voice, Gateway Pundit, The Political Carnival and Sadly, No!