video This is the game-changer, folks: Democratic Congressman Bart Stupak held a press conference at 4 p.m. today saying he's voting yes on the House health care bill, with President Barack Obama signing an executive order that places restrictions on federal funding that can go to abortions in order to get the necessary voting bloc that Stupak brings to the table. (more...)

video At 1 pm today, MSNBC was reporting that Democratic House member Bart Stupak was voting "yes" on the health care bill, via a chyron on the bottom of their screen, even as the hosts were saying he was "close to" a deal. C-Span repeated the same story. At 1:20 pm Stupak told reporters that he's still planning on voting no, but "getting there." So how did a major news org end up reporting otherwise? (more...)

video After a week of debate over the process behind passing the potentially historic health care legislation before them, it appears that the Democrats in the House will now not be using the "deem and pass" method to move the bill through the house. Representatives Steny Hoyer and Tom Clyburn just announced to the press on Capital Hill that they expect to have the votes to pass the Senate bill deeming the "deem and pass" tactic unnecessary to pass the bill. (more...)

video As the efforts to reform health care come to its end, the evidence on both sides of the debate is being used - and disabused - of its value (depending on where one sides on this controversial issue.) Case in point, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently reported that the current bill would cut the U.S. budget deficit by $1.3 trillion over 20 years, all while covering 95%. Good news for the White House, but in an interview with CNN's Rick Sanchez, RNC chairman Michael Steele has a simple explanation: "That's a lie," he said of the CBO report. (more...)

video When we look back on 2010, we wonder if future generations will consider this as anything other than "The year everyone said crazy stuff about health care." Like these analogies are just getting a tad ridiculous. Texas congressman Louie Gohmert may have made some good points about the Democrats reform bill, but all we heard was "I'll vote for it when you eat it." (more...)

coming attractions Can it be possible that when it comes to bitter partisan divide we haven't seen anything yet? Last summer's Tea Party/Town Halls appeared to take much of Washington, and the media, by surprise (and by storm), but with this November's midterms already looming large on the political horizon (they are more than seven months away in real world time) it's entirely possible those were just a warm up. To what exactly, one shudders to think. (more...)

Well...at least the conservatives are getting a little more relevant! Probably to appeal to us hip kids these days and make groovy 20-somethings care about Republican opposition to the health care bill, today Rep. Paul Broun released a statement saying, "Snookie, from the Jersey Shore, has more substance than President Obama's offer." Wait, it gets better. (more...)

The former governor of Alaska has had her share of ups and downs with the internet. On one hand, she led the political field with major moves on Facebook and Twitter, only to fall out of online relevance as quickly as she appeared. The key to this internet thing is consistency, Mrs. Palin! And here's another hint: no one actually uses LinkedIn. (more...)

The fortieth anniversary of Sesame Street makes me wonder if our long-drawn-out debate on health care might have been better served by the likes of Kermit and Big Bird than it has been by the current cast of broadcast pundits.

I am not suggesting that the biggest policy debate in recent history should have been set to song and presented by talking puppets, but — the media's contribution to the health care discussion would have been much more useful if it emphasized effective and memorable explanation over political histrionics and diatribe. 

video Here's an excerpt from ABC News' (and recent Office Hours guest) Jake Tapper interview with President Obama earlier today. Interesting to note Tapper's first question is about the Stupak amendment. I suspect that in the coming days that last-minute addition may trump the public option in terms of what the cablers (and the protesters) decide to focus on. Video clip of the interview below.
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video Much of the day-after health care bill coverage has focused on the GOP Senators (and Joe Lieberman) who intend to stall the bill in the Senate unless the public option is removed. However yesterday on Meet the Press Rachel Maddow was the only panelist who took the time to note how the Stupak amendment, the last-minute add-on which restricts funding for abortion unless it's the result of rape or incest, might complicate things for President Obama going forward. Says Maddow (video below): (more...)

I'll be honest: I didn't read the Health Care bill. I didn't attend a Tea Party or or a Town Hall. On any given day, I couldn't tell you the state of the public option or Sarah Palin's views on death panels. In many ways, therefore, I'm a regular voter. Most people, even accounting for inflation, weren't involved in protests over health care, and didn't make calls for Obama. Most people didn't watch C-SPAN all day yesterday. Most people don't pay attention, but get their information tangentially. With the exception of the C-SPAN thing, that's me. And, as a regular voter, not a Capitol Hill wonk, it's hard for me to see the House vote on health care as anything but a massive victory for President Obama. (more...)

video Sometimes it seems that Rachel Maddow is the Glenn Beck of MSNBC....merely in so far as she is able to explain things simply, engagingly, often with the aid of props! Behold her explanation of the various public option options facing the Senate and the country after yesterday's announcement by Senate majority leader Harry Reid that some form would be included in the Senate's legislation (because there is actual news that has nothing to do with Fox!). Maddow employs flags, and signs, and stickers as she walks the audience through: the public option; the public option for the uninsured, the public option that defers to state rules, and the maybe some day option. (more...)

In so many ways former Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin is leading the social media charge where politicians are concerned. She boasted a heavily followed Twitter account back in July before she shuttered it after resigning her post, and since then has famously taken to Facebook where she almost single-handedly derailed President Obama's health care bill with her "death panel" assertions. Obama has frequently been referred to as the first Internet President for his use of the Web during campaigning but should Sarah Palin really make a run for it in 2012 she may deserve the Internet crown. (more...)

Ever listen to President Obama make a speech (all things considered, the answer is probably yes) and think "wow, this sound very familiar"? Make no mistake about it! It's not your imagination! According to the AP the president has a few favorite phrases. (more...)

Heckling the President during a joint session of Congress will get you a lot of cable flack, a long conversation with Rahm Emanuel (oh to be a fly on the wall for that chat), raise your Democratic opponent's election funds by about 1000%, AND turn you into an Internet meme. (more...)

Overlooked in much of the post-speech, "You Lie!" chatter last night was the fact that President Obama also used the word "lie" in his address and not just to describe (smackdown!) Sarah Palin and her death-panel assertions. He also, rather boldly, called out the "bogus claims" of "radio and cable talk show hosts." (more...)

We're experimenting with a new sort of Tweetfinder for tonight's Presidential address. Instead of our usual widget, which pulls tweets based on a common hashtag, we're trying a widget that pulls multiple feeds based on the handles we choose. Sort of like a curated twitter live blog. Alas, it's not nearly as pretty as our regular Tweetfinder (if you have suggestions, we're all ears) and, double alas, you have to refresh to get the latest tweets. Oh, technology. Nonetheless, it should should provide a nice, edifying, streamlined look at tonight's media coverage. Tonight's tweets courtesy of: Mark Knoller, Major Garrett, Ana Marie Cox, Jake Tapper, Karen Tumulty, and Mediaite. (more...)

Sarah Palin has found a new home for her health care, death panel rantings: the op-ed pages of the Wall Street Journal! What exactly qualifies the former, sometime Governor of Alaska, and failed running mate for John McCain to speak on the issue of health care remains unclear (energy, was a bit more understandable). Certainly it's a free country, and the Journal is allowed to publish whatever they like, but there isn't there also a implicit understanding and trust on the WSJ reader's part that the writer know what they are talking about? (more...)

The New York Times does not want you to text and drive. Does not! The paper has been running a series all summer called "Driven to Distraction" about the dangers of texting while at the wheel, and I swear it feels like every time I click on the homepage there is a new story about it. (more...)