SNL opened last night with Obama (Fred Armisen) speaking on health care and the upcoming elections in San Francisco and Nevada. Flanked by Nancy Pelosi (Kristen Wiig) and Harry Reid (Will Forte), they repeatedly acknowledged the consistent unpopularity of health care reform and the affects it would have their chances for reelection.
Obama brushed off the notion that a vote for this legislation is political suicide: "Does anyone seriously think Nancy Pelosi could lose in her San Francisco district? A place where Republican candidates often finish fourth, behind professional dominatrixes and homeless people." He was more skeptical of Reid's chances, as the health care bill is "angry mob unpopular" in Nevada. Not to mention his lack of charisma or "sleazy" moves.
More...
March 7, 2010
March 1, 2010
Poll: Obama’s Nevada Visit Hurt Reid More Than It Helped
President Obama traveled to a fundraiser in Las Vegas in February hoping to aid the uphill reelection campaign of Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid. It turns out, however, that the President may have actually done more harm than good, a Mason-Dixon poll released on Sunday shows.
During his speech, Obama repeatedly heaped praise on Reid, but voters were apparently unimpressed. Subsequent polling shows that only 7 percent of voters surveyed said they would now be more likely to vote for the senator, while 17 percent said they would be less likely. Seventy-five percent said the president's visit would have no effect on how they vote.
More...
During his speech, Obama repeatedly heaped praise on Reid, but voters were apparently unimpressed. Subsequent polling shows that only 7 percent of voters surveyed said they would now be more likely to vote for the senator, while 17 percent said they would be less likely. Seventy-five percent said the president's visit would have no effect on how they vote.
More...
February 24, 2010
Bipartisan Blight 4: The Shrinking Jobs Bill
"Yesterday, we took a step, a strong first step toward putting Americans back to work, but ... it's a first step. This is the beginning, not the end," Senate Majority Leaded Harry Reid said, hailing the pending passage of a $15 billion jobs bill, as five Republican Senators, led by newly elected Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown, joined to break the reflexive Republican filibuster.
The Christian Science Monitor suggested Reid had discovered "the secret for moving legislation" -- proceed in piecemeal fashion, focusing on measures that have broad popularity. Next up, a thirty day extension of unemployment insurance, and then a second jobs bill focused on "a tourism promotion bill, a series of measures to help small businesses, and a package of popular tax-credit extensions, including an extension of unemployment benefits."
More...
The Christian Science Monitor suggested Reid had discovered "the secret for moving legislation" -- proceed in piecemeal fashion, focusing on measures that have broad popularity. Next up, a thirty day extension of unemployment insurance, and then a second jobs bill focused on "a tourism promotion bill, a series of measures to help small businesses, and a package of popular tax-credit extensions, including an extension of unemployment benefits."
More...
February 19, 2010
Reid Will Push For Public Option Through Reconciliation
Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced on Friday afternoon that he would work with other Democrats and the White House to pass a public option through reconciliation if that's the legislative path the party chooses.
"Senator Reid has always and continues to support the public option as a way to drive down costs and create competition," said Reid aide Rodell Mollineau in a statement provided to the Huffington Post. "That is why he included the measure in his original health care proposal. If a decision is made to use reconciliation to advance health care, Senator Reid will work with the White House, the House, and members of his caucus in an effort to craft a public option that can overcome procedural obstacles and secure enough votes."
More...
"Senator Reid has always and continues to support the public option as a way to drive down costs and create competition," said Reid aide Rodell Mollineau in a statement provided to the Huffington Post. "That is why he included the measure in his original health care proposal. If a decision is made to use reconciliation to advance health care, Senator Reid will work with the White House, the House, and members of his caucus in an effort to craft a public option that can overcome procedural obstacles and secure enough votes."
More...
February 18, 2010
Public Option, Medicare Buy-In Could See Senate Floor Fights
Real health care reform is threatening to emerge from the ashes of the Massachusetts special election that exploded the effort in January. A growing movement in the Senate to urge Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to reinsert the public option into a health care reform package that would move through the chamber under majority-only rules depends on just how many votes backers can muster.
"Senator Reid remains a strong supporter of the public option, but it's always a question of where the votes are," Reid spokesman Jim Manley told HuffPost.
More...
"Senator Reid remains a strong supporter of the public option, but it's always a question of where the votes are," Reid spokesman Jim Manley told HuffPost.
More...
February 4, 2010
Reid Threatens To Bypass Senate With Recess Appointments
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid warned Republicans Thursday that if they use the arrival of Scott Brown as an opportunity to filibuster every Democratic nominee, then his party may have to bypass the legislature and rely on appointments made during recess.
"I hope that we can get more cooperation here. I have been someone, Madam President, who has tried hard not to do -- have the president do recess appointments," Reid said from the Senate well Thursday afternoon. "But what alternative do we have? What alternative do we have?"
More...
"I hope that we can get more cooperation here. I have been someone, Madam President, who has tried hard not to do -- have the president do recess appointments," Reid said from the Senate well Thursday afternoon. "But what alternative do we have? What alternative do we have?"
More...
Jobs Bill Could Be Scott Brown’s First Vote
The Senate will vote on a jobs package on Monday, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters Thursday morning.
The vote could be incoming Sen. Scott Brown's first chance to weigh in as the newly sworn-in GOP senator from Massachusetts. Reid said he hopes to unveil a bipartisan jobs package later on Thursday -- but if he can't get Republican support, plans to push ahead regardless.
More...
The vote could be incoming Sen. Scott Brown's first chance to weigh in as the newly sworn-in GOP senator from Massachusetts. Reid said he hopes to unveil a bipartisan jobs package later on Thursday -- but if he can't get Republican support, plans to push ahead regardless.
More...
February 3, 2010
Labor Steaming Over Scott Brown’s Early Seating
The labor community is fuming over the expedited plan to seat Senator-elect Scott Brown (R-Mass) this Thursday afternoon, arguing that Democratic leadership is torpedoing one of its most important causes -- the nomination of Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board.
On Wednesday, Brown shocked political observers by announcing that he was asking Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to sign his election certification papers and that he would present those papers to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) the next day. The offices of Patrick and Reid, both Democrats, insist they have little institutional power to delay Brown's seating, even though the Massachusetts Republican initially pegged February 11th as his start date.
More...
On Wednesday, Brown shocked political observers by announcing that he was asking Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to sign his election certification papers and that he would present those papers to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) the next day. The offices of Patrick and Reid, both Democrats, insist they have little institutional power to delay Brown's seating, even though the Massachusetts Republican initially pegged February 11th as his start date.
More...
A Fight for our Future
There is almost a universal consensus: the nation's political system has ground to a halt. We are paralyzed (Rich, NYT, January 31). We are "stuck." (Friedman, NYT, January 31). The country is in desperate need of leadership.
But America now does have a leader, and a consensus across much of the political spectrum: he must lead. No more passing the buck to Pelosi and Reid. Obama did step up and reassert his direction in his State of the Union speech. He then met with Congressional Republicans and reminded them of "their obligation now" (after Massachusetts) to govern.
More...
But America now does have a leader, and a consensus across much of the political spectrum: he must lead. No more passing the buck to Pelosi and Reid. Obama did step up and reassert his direction in his State of the Union speech. He then met with Congressional Republicans and reminded them of "their obligation now" (after Massachusetts) to govern.
More...
February 2, 2010
Reid: GOP ‘Endangers Our National Security’ By Holding Up Obama Nominees
If Republicans are as serious as they claim to be about national security, they ought to stop holding up President Obama's nominees for top defense and intelligence posts, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday.
"It really isn't a game," Reid said at a press conference following the weekly Democratic caucus lunch. "Their partisan obstruction of critical nominees does not merely poison our political system -- it endangers our national security."
More...
"It really isn't a game," Reid said at a press conference following the weekly Democratic caucus lunch. "Their partisan obstruction of critical nominees does not merely poison our political system -- it endangers our national security."
More...