Weekend Open Thread

Hello Saturday.

President Barack Obama greets supporters of all ages after a town hall meeting at Green Valley High School in Henderson, Nev., Feb. 19, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza.

President Obama in Virginia: "In just a few days, a century-long struggle will culminate in a historic vote."

This morning, President Obama traveled across the Potomac to speak at George Mason University in Virginia, where he delivered his closing argument on health reform just days before a final vote in the House of Representatives: 

A few miles from here, Congress is in the final stages of a fateful debate about the future of health insurance in America. It is a debate that has raged not just for the past year, but for much of the past century. It’s a debate that is not only about the cost of our health care but the character of our country – about whether we can still meet the challenges of our time; about whether we’re still a nation that gives its citizens a chance to reach their dreams.

... And in just a few days, a century-long struggle will culminate in a historic vote. We’ve had historic votes before. We had a historic vote to put Social Security in place to make sure that our elderly did not live out their golden years in poverty. We had a historic vote in civil rights to make sure that everybody was equal under the law. As messy as this process is, as frustrating as this process is, as ugly as this process can be, when we have faced such decisions in our past, this nation, time and time again, has chosen to extend its promise to more of its people.

... I know this has been a difficult journey. I know this will be a tough vote. I know that everybody is counting votes right now in Washington. But I also remember a quote I saw on a plaque in the White House the other day. It’s hanging in the same room where I demanded answers from insurance executives and just received a bunch of excuses. And it was a quote from Teddy Roosevelt, the person who first called for health care reform -- that Republican -- all those years ago. And it said, “Aggressively fighting for the right is the noblest sport the world affords.”

Now, I don’t know how passing health care will play politically -- but I know it’s right. Teddy Roosevelt knew it was right. Harry Truman knew that it was right. Ted Kennedy knew it was right.

And if you believe that it’s right, then you've got to help us finish this fight. You've got to stand with me just like you did three years ago and make some phone calls and knock on some doors, talk to your parents, talk to your friends. Do not quit, do not give up, we keep on going. We are going to get this done. We are going to make history. We are going to fix health care in America with your help.

Whether you've called your representative before or haven't yet spoken out on health reform, it's now time to raise your voice. Call your representative today.

"Mo" defeating "No"

Momentum for passing health insurance reform is growing faster and faster. While we are raking in more endorsements than we can count, the opposition is fizzling out. Just today, Representatives Boccieri (D-OH), Wilson (D-OH), Kirkpatrick (D-AZ), Langevin (D-RI) and Titus (D-NV) stood up for more affordable care, expanded coverage, and deficit reduction by declaring their support for the bill.

Health insurance reform also picked up support from the AARP, which represents more than 40 million Americans, and the American Medical Association, representing physicians and medical students across the country. This comes on the heels of the three new votes in support of reform picked up yesterday as well as endorsements from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, the AFL-CIO, and the National Catholic Reporter.

At the same time, incredible energy is coming from the bottom up – tens of thousands of citizens are turning out at events across the country with OFA and other pro-reform allies. In North Carolina, a poll released today shows that a whopping 78% of North Carolinians believe we need reform.

As “Big Mo” builds for reform, the forces of “NO” are getting increasingly desperate. Republicans are passing around a counterfeit memo purporting to be from Democrats on Medicare. But, it turns out it was a hoax. And in an interview with the National Journal, Mitch McConnell said “unified opposition has been the single most important thing that occurred this [past] year.” But just saying No isn’t enough.

We already know that Republicans and their allies in the insurance industry are going to say and do anything to protect their interests. But we also know the momentum is with the American people who are saying that it’s time for reform, now.

Fight the Fear

Want any more proof that Republicans are in the throes of desperation? They are forging counterfeit memos intended to scare Americans about Medicare. Soon after it was passed around to the Press, TPM exposed the memo as a fake. While Republicans have used smears and lies to scare Americans about Medicare throughout this debate, forging a document purporting to be a Democratic memo is a new low that is reminiscent of the Nixon Dirty Tricks squad.

Thankfully, the news outlet that first reported the fake memo, has pulled it after it could not be verified. But we must be vigilant.

As they see reform becoming a reality and the status quo coming to an end, Republicans are increasingly desperate and it’s clear that they and their insurance company allies are willing to say and do anything to stop change. Please make sure your friends know about this dirty trick, and be aware of other Republican fear tactics.

House vote Sunday: Call your representative today

From David Plouffe:

This is it: After months of hard work, the final vote on health reform in the House of Representatives is expected Sunday. It's a chance to make history and finally give Americans control over their own health care -- but it's shaping up to be incredibly close, and every member of Congress will play a critical role. 

So we're aiming for as many calls to Congress as possible from your area before offices close this evening. Whether you've called your representative before or haven't yet spoken out on health reform, it's now time to raise your voice. 

As an active constituent, your voice has particular weight with your representative -- so all those who share our commitment to reform are depending on you to speak up.

Click here to look up your representative's phone number and make a call.



After a century of false starts and a year of grueling negotiations, we may be just hours away from real health insurance reform in America.

But if we fail, our next chance may not come for a generation.

You make the call.

Call your representative right away. Folks across the country will be calling, so if you get a busy signal, please try again. Look up your representative's phone number here:

http://my.democrats.org/finalmarchcalls

Let's win this thing,

David Plouffe

Watch President Obama in Virginia

UPDATED: The event has now concluded.

Watch live as President Obama speaks in Virginia this morning and makes the closing argument in the final push for health reform.

Friday Open Thread

Happy Friday.

Trip Director Alan Fitts, center, briefs from left, First Lady's Communications Director Camille Johnston, First Lady Michelle Obama, First Lady's Traveling Aide Kristen Jarvis, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, First Lady's Policy Director Jocelyn Frye, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack during the flight from Andrews Air Force Base to Philadelphia, Pa., Feb. 19, 2010. Photo by Lawrence Jackson.

Spurring Job Growth in the Private Sector: President Obama Signs Jobs Bill

Earlier today, President Obama signed the HIRE Act into law -- a bill that helps businesses hire new workers, encourages job creation by investing in clean energy and schools, and invests in roads and construction projects that will spur hiring.

At the signing ceremony, the President explained how today’s bill fits into his broader agenda on job creation:

A consensus is forming that, partly because of the necessary -- and often unpopular -- measures we took over the past year, our economy is now growing again and we may soon be adding jobs instead of losing them. The jobs bill I’m signing today is intended to help accelerate that process.

I’m signing it mindful that, as I’ve said before, the solution to our economic problems will not come from government alone. Government can’t create all the jobs we need or can it repair all the damage that’s been done by this recession.

But what we can do is promote a strong, dynamic private sector -- the true engine of job creation in our economy. We can help to provide an impetus for America’s businesses to start hiring again. We can nurture the conditions that allow companies to succeed and to grow.

And that’s exactly what this jobs bill will help us do. Now, make no mistake: While this jobs bill is absolutely necessary, it’s by no means enough. There’s a lot more that we’re going to need to do to spur hiring in the private sector and bring about full economic recovery -- from helping creditworthy small businesses to get loans that they need to expand, to offering incentives to make homes and businesses more energy efficient, to investing in infrastructure so we can put Americans to work doing the work that America needs done.

The President closed by highlighting the stories he hears from everyday Americans behind why creating jobs is so critical:

The jobs bill I’m signing today -- and our broader efforts to achieve a recovery -- aren’t about politics. They’re not about Democrat versus Republican. This isn’t a game that we’re playing here. They’re about the people in this country who are out of work and looking for a job; they’re about all the Americans -- of every race and region and age -- who’ve shared their stories with me over the last year.

The single mother who’s told me she’s filled out hundreds of job applications and been on dozens of interviews, but still hasn’t found a job. The father whose son told me he started working when he was a teenager, and recently found himself out of a job for the very first time in his life. The children who write to me -- they’re worried about their moms and their dads, worried about what the future holds for their families.

That’s who I’m thinking about every morning when I enter into the Oval Office. That’s who I’m signing this bill for. And that’s who I’m going to continue to fight for so long as I am President of the United States.

Big Mo’ Today

As we near the finish line in the push to pass health insurance reform, we are seeing momentum build at an exponential pace. This week we gained more support from Members of Congress and advocacy groups, the CBO reported the bill will reduce the deficit by $1.3 trillion dollars over the next two decades and we got more proof that the opponents of reform are basing their arguments on lies and misinformation.

Just this morning, the independent, non-partisan CBO reported the health care bill being considered would reduce the deficit by 1.3 trillion dollars over the next two decades, deflating Republican arguments to the contrary.

And this afternoon, the AFL-CIO announced their support of the bill, saying that it will help working families. This key endorsement will help strengthen and unify the party and put a wrench in Republican attempts to pit Democrat against one another. And this follows the important endorsement yesterday from the National Catholic Reporter, reinforcing the support of prominent Catholic nuns and the religious community.

We’re also gaining more support from members of congress. Today Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus announced their support for the bill. This comes on the heels of Rep. Denis Kucinich (D-OH) and the previously undecided Rep. Mark Schauer (D-MI) announcing that they too will support the bill.

Meanwhile, Republicans are playing defense on the revelation that their caucus, led by Mitch McConnell, decided on a strategy to reject any attempts at bipartisanship and vowed to refuse to work with the President or Democrats in Congress regardless of the issue or the ideas presented, even before President Obama was sworn in.

At the same time we are seeing more evidence of what we already know too well – that opponents of reform are basing their attacks on lies and misinformation. This week, the New York Times called into question the methodology of a poll by the most prominent anit-reform special interest, the insurance industry-funded Chamber of Commerce. And today, the New England Journal of Medicine announced that they never conducted the poll that Fox News claimed offered evidence that doctors opposed reform.

We’re also seeing momentum build at rallies across the country in support of health reform. Just last fall, the Tea Party claimed they had a million people marching on Washington against reform, but this week their de facto leader Sarah Palin called a ‘code red alert’ and they could barely muster up 300 supporters.

As more information comes out, reinforcing the truth about what health reform will do to help hard working middle class Americans, reduce costs and lower the deficit, we are seeing moment build – and we’re seeing the opposition, which had come in with a bang, go out with a whimper.

The Cost of Inaction

If we fail to act on health reform, everything stays the same, right? Wrong. If we turn back now, the health care system we currently have quickly starts to unravel.

Breaking News: CBO Report Health Reform Plan Will Cut the Deficit by $1.3 Trillion

Upon release of the CBO report this morning indicating that the health reform plan will cut the deficit by $1.3 trillion over 20 years and cover 95% of Americans, please see above for a synopsis of what this package offers to American families and businesses. Some key points of note: the plan closes the prescription drug donut hole, bolsters Medicare by curbing wasteful spending, improves coverage for middle class Americans and is fully paid for.

Watch Live: President Obama Signs Jobs Bill

At 11:20 a.m. ET this morning, President Obama will sign the HIRE ACT into law, a jobs bill designed to put Americans back to work.

Watch at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

The HIRE Act encourages job growth in several critical ways:

* Forgiving payroll taxes for businesses that hire someone who's been out of work for at least two months.
* Encouraging smaller businesses to grow and hire by letting them write off investments they make in equipment.
* Encouraging job-creation by expanding investment in schools and clean energy projects.
* Maintaining investments in roads and bridges, keeping our infrastructure strong while encouraging construction job hiring.

Today's bill is another step toward accelerating the process of rebuilding our economy and creating new jobs to get Americans back to work.

Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

President Barack Obama waves to the crowd as he departs an event at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, Colo., Feb. 18, 2010. Photo by Pete Souza.

Senate Passes Jobs Bill

Earlier today, the Senate passed a bill to help small businesses hire workers and provide highway funding to encourage job growth. The bill, one of many proposals to spur job creation, now goes to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

The Associated Press reported:

Companies that hire unemployed workers will get a temporary payroll tax holiday under a bill that easily won congressional approval Wednesday in what Democrats hope is just the first of several election-year measures aimed at boosting hiring.

The 68-29 bipartisan vote in the Senate sent the legislation to the White House, where President Barack Obama was expected to sign it into law Thursday. Eleven Republicans voted for the legislation, an impressive tally considering the politically charged atmosphere on Capitol Hill.

..."It is the first of what I hope will be a series of jobs packages that help to continue to put people back to work," Obama said after the vote.

The bill contains about $18 billion in tax breaks and a $20 billion infusion of cash into highway and transit programs. Among other things, it exempts businesses that hire people who have been unemployed for at least 60 days from paying the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax through December and gives employers an additional $1,000 credit if new workers stay on the job a full year. Taxpayers will have to reimburse Social Security for the lost revenue.

"This is just the first, certainly not the last, piece of legislation that we will put forward in relation to jobs," said its sponsor, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "If we don't create jobs, the economy will not move forward."

It also extends highway and mass transit programs through the end of the year and pump in $20 billion in time for the spring construction season. That money would make up for lower-than-expected gasoline tax revenues.

Chairman Tim Kaine: "The Republicans have failed the American people"

Today, the New York Times ran a story highlighting Senator Mitch McConnell and the GOP’s strategy to delay and use obstructionist tactics to defeat every piece of significant legislation supported by President Obama and Congressional Democrats.

DNC Chairman Tim Kaine released the following statement:

“Today’s news report on Republican obstructionist tactics offers further proof of what we already know – even before President Obama was sworn in, Mitch McConnell and the GOP developed a strategy to push the GOP caucus to reflexively oppose the President’s legislative initiatives in the hope of securing short-term political gains. This is appalling—but not surprising—news. Senator McConnell’s strategy is the embodiment of what is wrong with Washington – instead of fighting for his constituents or working to solve America’s problems, his priority is defeating the President by obstructionist procedural tactics.

“We are facing challenging times and now is not the time to play political games. President Obama and Congressional Democrats have worked to stabilize and rebuild the economy, create jobs, rein in the excesses of Wall Street, and reform the health insurance system to reduce skyrocketing premium increases while giving Americans greater control over their own care. Every step of the way, Republicans have fought tooth and nail to hold up Democrats’ plans to get our country back on track. By rejecting any effort to work with the President on a bipartisan basis, the Republicans have failed the American people. This is not leadership, and it’s not what the American people want. It’s the reason Americans have lost faith in Washington. Changing this approach of politics above results, rigid partisanship, and protecting special interests at all costs is why voters sent President Obama to the White House to change the way government works.

“Senator McConnell is playing these games at the expense of the American people. It’s time for Senator McConnell and his Republican colleagues to put politics aside and start working with the President and Democrats to solve our nation’s problems.”