memeorandum: Opinions turn favorable on health care plan (Susan Page/USA Today)

7:50 PM ET, March 23, 2010

Top Items:

Susan Page / USA Today:

Opinions turn favorable on health care plan — WASHINGTON — Americans by 9 percentage points have a favorable view of the health care overhaul that President Obama signed into law Tuesday, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, a notable turnaround from surveys before the vote that showed a plurality against it.

Discussion: Democracy in America, The Monkey Cage, Taylor Marsh, Washington Monthly, TPMDC, Associated Press, Alas, a blog, The Moderate Voice, Left in the West, The Hill and Hullabaloo

Lydia Saad / Gallup:

By Slim Margin, Americans Support Healthcare Bill's Passage — Independents evenly split in their basic reactions, but more are “angry” than “enthusiastic” — PRINCETON, NJ — Nearly half of Americans give a thumbs-up to Congress' passage of a healthcare reform bill last weekend, with 49% calling it “a good thing.”

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, The Politico, Matthew Yglesias, Politics Daily, The Plum Line, Ezra Klein, FiveThirtyEight, Eunomia, Hot Air, Pollster.com All Content, New West Notes, New York on the Potomac and The New Republic

Mark Silva / The Swamp:
Obama's healthcare ‘bump:’ Possible?

Discussion: D.C. Now

Washington Post:

Patrick Kennedy leaves note for Ted on gravesite: “Dad, the unfinished business is done.” — The political odyssey of health care reform in many ways is the story of Ted Kennedy, and as President Obama signed the historic bill into law Tuesday, Kennedy's gravesite was a place of quiet celebration and poignant reflection.

Discussion: The Impolitic

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:

Obama Signs Health Care Overhaul Bill, With a Flourish — WASHINGTON —With the strokes of 20 pens, President Obama signed his health care overhaul — the most sweeping social legislation enacted in decades — into law on Tuesday during a festive, at times raucous, White House ceremony.

Discussion: CNN, About.com US Liberal Politics, Prescriptions, Left Coast Rebel, Gothamist, Liberal Values, New Mexico Independent, Weekly Standard, New York Times, Truthdig and The TrogloPundit

Ceci Connolly / Washington Post:

How Obama revived his health-care bill — It was the Barack Obama the American public rarely sees — irritated and wondering if he had arrived at the moment of defeat. — Shortly after 6 p.m. on Jan. 19, with a political crisis about to explode, the president summoned the two top Democrats …

Discussion: Bloomberg, Weekly Standard, The Politico, Top of the Ticket, Wall Street Journal, Matthew Yglesias and The Hill

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Is a Republican-controlled House better for President Obama in 2012?

Discussion: The Rothenberg Political … and Open Left

Shannanb / CNN:
Steele defends ‘Fire Pelosi’ Web page

Discussion: The Politico and The Swamp

The Huffington Post:

NRSC's Cornyn: We Won't Call For Repealing All Of Health Care — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — In the wake of the passage of health care reform, nearly the entire slate of Republican senatorial candidates seems ready to run on a repeal of the bill. But now, the lawmaker overseeing their election strategy is softening the message.

Discussion: Ezra Klein, Mother Jones, Hotline On Call, Washington Monthly, AmSpecBlog, Hot Air, The Corner on National …, The Hill, Riehl World View, The Huffington Post, Vox Popoli, The New Republic, Ross Douthat and Daily Kos

The Huffington Post:
Republicans Scoff At Frum's Thesis, Demand More Obama Opposition

Discussion: Mediaite, Hullabaloo and The Politico

Adam Nagourney / New York Times:
Republicans Face Drawbacks of United Stand on Health Bill

Discussion: The Politico, msnbc.com, The Moderate Voice, Swampland, Left Coast Rebel, DailyFinance, The Caucus, DownWithTyranny!, Indecision Forever, NewsBusters.org, The Daily Politics, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Gist, PostPartisan and Washington Monthly

Think Progress:

Fox News Makes A ‘Big F—ing Deal’ Out Of Biden's Private Remark At Bill Signing Ceremony — Expressing his great enthusiasm for what he called “a historic day,” Vice President Biden turned to President Obama at this morning's health care bill signing ceremony and whispered, “This is a big f—ing deal!”

Discussion: ABCNEWS, The TrogloPundit, Political Punch, TigerHawk, Washington Monthly, PERRspectives and Left Coast Rebel

David M. Herszenhorn / The Caucus:

At White House, Biden's Expletive Caught on Open Mike — Beyond the ebullient atmosphere, shout-outs and cheers at the White House signing ceremony of the health care bill, there's another moment that is being rewound and played again and again: Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s overheard, overly effusive aside to President Obama.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Zachary Roth / TPMMuckraker:

Could SCOTUS Be The Death Panel For Health-Care Reform? — Now that President Obama has signed health-care reform into law, opponents of the bill are pinning their hopes of stopping it on a last-ditch legal strategy. A group of 13 state attorneys general has filed suit (pdf), arguing that the law is unconstitutional.

Discussion: PointOfLaw Forum, Hullabaloo, First Draft, TPMDC, Law Blog, Talking Points Memo and The Liberty Papers

Ezra Klein:
Is there a legal case against the health-care bill?

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Washington Post, Newsweek Blogs and The Spot

David Weigel / The Washington Independent:
Anti-Health Care Reform Suits Face Steep Hurdles

Discussion: Gawker, No More Mister Nice Blog, Guardian, Washington Monthly and TPMDC

Bob Herbert / New York Times:

An Absence of Class — Some of the images from the run-up to Sunday's landmark health care vote in the House of Representatives should be seared into the nation's consciousness. We are so far, in so many ways, from being a class act. — A group of lowlifes at a Tea Party rally in Columbus …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Media Matters for America, Hit & Run, The Awl, Riehl World View, Gateway Pundit, McClatchy Washington Bureau, American Power, At-Largely, Firedoglake, Prairie Weather and The Lonely Conservative

Matt Taibbi / Taibblog: Baby Killers! … Again apologize for the inattention to the blog.

David Brooks / New York Times:
The Democrats Rejoice — Parties come to embody causes.

Discussion: Roll Call, Washington Post, The Moderate Voice and Daily Kos

Tom Shales / Washington Post:

ABC's choice of Amanpour for ‘This Week’ has critics inside the network and beyond — If being the moderator of “This Week,” ABC's Sunday morning news-talk show, required Senate approval, then journalist Christiane Amanpour — recently named by ABC News President David Westin to take over the job — would already be in big trouble.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The Daily Dish, Gawker, Michael Calderone's Blog, Paul Krugman, NewsBusters.org and mediabistro.com

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
WashPost: Christiane Amanpour can't be “objective”

Discussion: Media Matters for America

Ezra Klein:

Republicans might reform health-care reform, but they won't repeal it — When people think about the GOP's threats to repeal the health-care bill, they need to think about the actual votes that Republicans would need, and when they would take place. In the short term, they'd need …

Discussion: The Caucus, American Power and The Liberty Papers

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling: Politics of Repeal

Stanley B. Greenberg / New York Times:
For Democrats, a Win Is a Win — PASSAGE of the new comprehensive …

Discussion: Boston Globe, DailyFinance, Swampland and Jules Crittenden

Michael Schneider / Cynthia Littleton On The Air:

Discovery expected to land “Sarah Palin's Alaska” — Sarah Palin to Discovery? You betcha. — Discovery Communications is expected to announce that it has won the Sarah Palin tourney. The cabler had been a front-runner to land the untitled Alaska-themed series, to be produced by Mark Burnett Prods., along with A&E.

Discussion: Politics Daily, Ben Smith's Blog, Taegan Goddard's …, Wonkette, Washington Wire, The Page and The Wire

The Live Feed | THR:
Sarah Palin near deal for reality show

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Mediaite, Company Town and Gawker

Paul Blumenthal / Sunlight Foundation:

Transparency Testimony Interrupted by Reconciliation Obstructionism — “Sunlight is the best of disinfectants...” Those were practically the last words out of the mouth of the Sunlight Foundation's Executive Director Ellen Miller as a hearing on federal financial management and transparency …

Discussion: Open Congress and Daily Kos

Amanda Terkel / Think Progress:
Protesting Health Reform, GOP Attempts To Bring Senate Hearings …

Discussion: The Hill

Amanda Terkel / Think Progress:

Vandals hit at least five Dem offices nationwide, threaten to ‘assassinate’ children of pro-reform lawmakers. — Yesterday, ThinkProgress reported that several Democratic offices around the nation had been vandalized in the days surrounding the House health care vote.

Discussion: CNN, WHAM-TV and Daily Kos

Judy L. Thomas / Kansas City Star:
Democratic offices vandalized across the country

Discussion: TPMMuckraker and Emptywheel

WRAL-TV:

Having insurance ‘going to be like Christmas’ — DURHAM, N.C. — Uninsured Triangle residents said Monday that they eagerly await the overhaul of the nation's health care system. — “It's just going to be like Christmas,” said DeCarlo Flythe, who lost health coverage for his family when he was laid off almost three years ago.

Discussion: Political Byline, alicublog, Weasel Zippers, Confederate Yankee, The Lonely Conservative and JammieWearingFool

Chris Frates / The Politico:

No Viagra for sex offenders — Republicans are doing their best to use Senate procedure to derail the reconciliation bill. And true to form, Republican Sen. Tom Coburn has introduced a few amendments that will be very hard for Democrats to vote against, including no Viagra for sex offenders.

Discussion: The Note, Pajamas Media, Prescriptions and AmSpecBlog

Nir Hasson / Haaretz:

New East Jerusalem homes approved hours before Netanyahu-Obama meet — The Jerusalem municipality has given final approval to a group of settlers construct 20 apartments in a controversial hotel in East Jerusalem, Haaretz learned on Tuesday. — The announcement comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu …

Discussion: Laura Rozen's Blog, CNN, ATTACKERMAN, Political Punch, Associated Press, The Page, The Washington Independent and FP Passport

Russell King / tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com:

An open letter to conservatives — The years have not been kind to you. I grew up in a profoundly Republican home, so I can remember when you wore a very different face than the one we see now. You've lost me and you've lost most of America. Because I believe having responsible choices …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and Dennis the Peasant

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

Coburn sees difficulty forcing changes to reconciliation bill — Republicans are unlikely to force major changes to the measure making final tweaks to healthcare legislation, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said Monday night. — Inhofe said the GOP would have a difficult time forcing changes …

Discussion: TPMDC, Washington Monthly, Roll Call, Los Angeles Times, The Hill, Firedoglake, Ezra Klein, Congress Matters, JOSHUAPUNDIT, Daily Kos, The New Republic, Matthew Yglesias and The Politico

Erick Erickson / Erick's blog:

A note from Congressman Randy Neugebauer — Congressman Neugebauer sent along the note below and asked if I'd post it. Gladly. I also sent him $30.00 yesterday. — Erick

Discussion: The Huffington Post, National Review Online, Hot Air, Riehl World View and The Note

CNN:

Hoyer criticizes House Republicans' behavior during debate — Democrat Steny Hoyer criticized Republicans Tuesday for their behavior during the health care debate. — (CNN) - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer denounced House Republicans Tuesday for their behavior on the House floor …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog