Healthcare Reform Takes Another Step Forward.
The healthcare reform bill reported out of the Senate Finance Committee yesterday is a moderate one in Chairman Max Baucus's opinion.
"Ours is a balanced plan that can pass the Senate. Our bill should win the support of Republicans and Democrats alike," said Senator Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana.
All the Democrats on the committee did vote for it, but with one exception all the Republicans voted against it, agreeing with Utah's Orrin Hatch.
"This is a very costly bill. As moderate as it is in the eyes of the Democrats, its not moderate. It's very costly. It's going to cost us an arm and a leg," said Senator Orrin Hatch, Republican of Utah.
The exception was Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, who voted for it even though she admits she doesn't like it very much.
"Is this bill all that I would want? Far from it. Is it all that it can be? No. But when history calls, history calls," said Senator Olympia Snowe, Republican of Maine.
Liberal Democrats refer to Republicans who vote with them on an issue as moderate Republicans. President Obama expressed his appreciation after the committee vote yesterday.
"I want to particularly thank Senator Olympia Snowe for both the political courage and the seriousness of purpose that she has demonstrated throughout this process," said President Barack Obama.
Senator Snowe says her vote was all about the process.
"People do have concerns about what we will do with reform, but at the same time they want us to continue working. And that is what my vote to report this bill out of committee here today represents," said Senator Olympia Snowe, Republican of Maine.
She knows this bill can change tomorrow, and so does Mr. Obama.
"We are not there yet. Now is not the time to pat ourselves on the back. Now is not the time to offer ourselves congratulations," said President Barack Obama.
Senator Snowe doesn't want the voters in Maine to think those Democrats have her in their pocket.
"My vote today is my vote today. It doesn't forecast what my vote will be tomorrow," said Senator Olympia Snowe, Republican of Maine.
The Plan for Afghanistan.
President Obama's assessment of General McChrystal's assessment of the situation in Afghanistan is still weeks off.
"I would expect that we will have a completion of this current process in the coming weeks," said President Barack Obama.
The General's report is still secret, theoretically, although parts have been selectively leaked. And this much we know.
"Based on what we've seen from General McChrystal's leaked reports, McChrystal has concluded that there is still the ability to change the course of this war and to change the momentum that the Taliban has and to ultimately find victory," said Juan Zarate, CBS News National Security Analyst.
However, says CBS News National Security Analyst Juan Zarate.
"What is being leaked now is the suggestion that the corruption is so rampant, and the lack of faith in the Afghan government so deep, that it doesn't seem likely that any number of troops will guarantee success. And no doubt this has to be bedeviling the White House and the President," said Juan Zarate, CBS News National Security Analyst.
Military troop strategy in Afghanistan may be the easiest decision President Obama and his advisors have to make.
"They've also got to consider, seeing as it is part of the general's concern as well, the political aspects of our strategy in Afghanistan. Who is our political partner there in light of the recent elections and widespread accusations of fraud," said Jeff McCausland, Retired Army Colonel and CBS News Military Consultant.
CBS News Military Consultant and retired U.S. Army Colonel Jeff McCausland.
"Whether that's done by agreeing to a run-off election with his primary opponent Abdullah, or whether or not it’s some agreement on a government of national unity with his primary opponent, it seems to be they are some of the alternatives being bandied about in the White House," said Jeff McCausland, Retired Army Colonel and CBS News Military Consultant.
That could affect President Obama's decision and its timing.
"I think certainly one thing we'll hear is what the outcome of the elections are before any announcement is made on additional troops," said Jeff McCausland, Retired Army Colonel and CBS News Military Consultant.
The Further Thawing of the Cold War.
President Obama hoped to reset America's relations with Russia when he cancelled a missile defense system Moscow took exception to. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.
"President Obama and I believe that it is this cooperative relationship and the acceptance of shared responsibility that is really at the core of the 21st century relationship between the United States and Russia," sadi Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State.
But there was a setback today.
Russia seemed to like the reset idea, said Secretary Clinton in Moscow today.
"Russia has been extremely cooperative in the work that we have done together back at the United Nations General Assembly," said Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State.
She was there to get Russia to go along with tougher sanctions against Iran,
"In the absence of significant progress and assurance that Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons, we will be seeking to rally international opinion behind additional sanctions," said Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State.
Russian President Medvedev had even gone so far as to suggest that the Russians might change their opposition to tough sanctions against Iran, saying sanctions sometimes are inevitable. But Foreign Minister Lavrov said in effect, 'nyet." Sanctions were a last resort but we're not there yet. We need more negotiation and diplomacy he said. That was disappointing.
"We want to pursue engagement and diplomacy. But it might not work. It is our preference, but as President Medvedev says sometimes sanctions and pressure are inevitable," said Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State.
Sometimes people and countries misunderstand one another. This seems to be one of those times.
"I believe in a world in which our inter-dependence and our inter-connectedness is recognized, and we're not living in a bi-polared world, we're not even living in a multi-polared world, we're living in a world of inter-dependence," said Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State.
Whatever.
How the Foreclosure Crisis Affects the Upcoming Census.
In every year starting with a zero the Census Bureau is charged under the U.S. Constitution with the mandate of going out and counting how many people live here in the United States and collecting where they live for the purpose of assigning representation in the House and information about demographics of the population.
Next year, which starts in ten weeks or so, is 2010, so the Census Bureau is raring back to do its thing. But a lot has changed since the last census in 2000, not the least of which are the effects of the recession, as you'll hear from the Census Director Robert Groves.
America doesn't sit still long enough so that you can use the information from the prior census as a basis from which to begin the decennial nose count. This time, job losses have left 13 percent of American homeowners behind on their mortgage payments or even in foreclosure. The worst of the trouble has been concentrated in the sun belt..especially Florida, Nevada, Arizona and California.
"We have more families that are homeless,' said Robert Groves, Census Director.
Says Census Director Robert Groves. And more houses without anybody home, he says.
"I'm in L.A. right now and there are RV's parked on city streets where people who, as little as a couple of years ago, were well off, but now their only possession is this RV, and they park in a neighborhood for a couple of days and live there, then go somewhere else," said Robert Groves, Census Director.
It's going to be expensive, but trying to pin down where everybody went is their job.
"We're going to spend more money knocking on those vacant doors," said Robert Groves, Census Director.
See you later, enumerator.
"In May, we'll send out an enumerator to knock on that door and then make sure that it is indeed a vacant home," said Robert Groves, Census Director.
E-Mail Story
Print Story
