President Obama is now asking for a modified version of the line-item veto, called the Reduce Unnecessary Spending Act of 2010 (PDF). This law would give the President the ability to force the United States Senate to take a guaranteed up-or-down vote on a set of budget cuts without amendments. This request by the President [...]

For the first time in more than 30 years, House Democrats are considering not making a budget resolution. They’ve decided to give up completely on governing despite having an overwhelming majority. Why should we care about this non-binding budget resolution? Because you need a budget resolution to use reconciliation, which remains the main option to [...]

The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c The Word – Straight to Video www.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Fox News COLBERT: I don’t believe this allegation. If Lindsey Graham found men sexually attractive, why would he hang out with Joe Lieberman? Plus, for the last three years, Human Rights Campaign, the [...]

Federal investigators have told Reuters that WellPoint, the country’s largest insurance company, is using an algorithm to target women with breast cancer for the express purpose of dropping their coverage. Murray Waas writes that WellPoint “specifically targeted women with breast cancer for aggressive investigation with the intent to cancel their policies”: None of the women [...]

After a full year of debate and dozens of excuses, the Democratic leadership now stands naked in their opposition to the public option. President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid all claimed they that wanted one. They are the three most powerful people in Washington and have huge margins in [...]

When Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Joe Lieberman (I-CT), and the entire Republican Senate caucus stepped up to kill the public option in the Senate, it is important to remember that the health insurance industry won a victory—a victory worth $300 billion. As Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) now [...]

Now the apologists are peddling the “it’s this or nothing” false choice, as if their “60 vote” myth didn’t just explode. How is it suddenly Raul Grijalva’s fault if he stands firm and won’t accept a hideous bill crafted on the imperative of getting Joe Lieberman’s vote, which isn’t necessary any more?

51: it’s the new 60.

Tell the House Progressives to stand firm: keep your word and vote “no” on the Senate bill.

Finally, all it takes is the possibility of losing a Senate seat in Massachusetts plus tanking poll numbers for House Democrats for Congressional leaders to admit they really only need a simple majority in the Senate to pass health care reform. “Even before Massachusetts and that race was on the radar screen, we prepared for [...]

As David Sirota reminds us, this can only happen if member of the House consent, according to simple math.

And if they don’t take a stand?

Well, it’s Joe Lieberman’s world now, you’re just living in it.

How else to interpret Joe Lieberman’s latest revelation about his talks with the White House?