China Holds Firm on Major Issues in Obama’s Visit

Nov 18, 2009 - President Obama toured the historic Forbidden City in Beijing on Tuesday during a break from meetings with Chinese leaders. Source BEIJING — In six hours of meetings, at two dinners and during a stilted 30-minute news conference in which President Hu Jintao did not allow questions, President Obama was confronted, on his first visit, with a fast-rising China more willing to say no to the United States. On topics like Iran (Mr. - 1 Comment

Health reformers prepare for Senate hurdle (Financial Times of London)

Nov 09, 2009 - Health reformers prepare for Senate hurdle By Edward Luce in Washington Published: November 8 2009 20:19 | Last updated: November 8 2009 20:19 The first thing Barack Obama did late on Saturday night following the passage of the healthcare bill in the House of Representatives was to phone the heads of three industry lobby groups to thank them for their support. Not included on the list was the largest insurance lobby group, American Health Insurance Plans, which doggedly continues to oppose Democratic reform efforts. Amid all the late night celebrations after the razor-thin 220-215 vote for the bill, Karen Ignagni, head of AHIP, warned that it would be a much tougher battle to push reform through the Senate in the weeks ahead. - 0 Comments

Health care businesses at risk in House overhaul

Oct 30, 2009 - WASHINGTON – The health care overhaul bill produced by House Democrats would impose an array of new taxes, fees and government mandates on major players in the health industry, including insurers, doctors and drugs and medical devices makers. In most cases, the pain has been meted out with an eye toward raising the money needed to finance President Barack Obama's plan for reshaping the health system but also with careful regard for gaining the votes that will be needed to pass a final bill. Democrats hope to vote next week on the measure, which would extend health coverage to tens of millions of Americans who don't have it, impose sweeping new restrictions on private insurers and create a government-run insurance plan to compete with them. - 14 Comments

All the President's Mavericks

Oct 18, 2009 - All the President's Mavericks By W. James Antle, III "Forget Sarah Palin," gushed the Associated Press' Laurie Kellman. "The female maverick of the Republican Party is Sen. - 0 Comments

Who Killed California?

Oct 15, 2009 - by Troy Senik http://nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/who-killed-california My apologies for having nothing originally in this post.  The text was here but didn't show up. Apparently this article is too long to be printed here, at about 11 pages.  It is nevertheless worth reading, unless, as someone has already done, you have made your  mind up what to believe before reading. - 29 Comments

The New Liberalism and the end of American ascendancy.

Oct 09, 2009 - Decline Is a Choice The New Liberalism and the end of American ascendancy. by Charles Krauthammer The weathervanes of conventional wisdom are registering another round of angst about America in decline. New theories, old slogans: Imperial overstretch. - 0 Comments

An Obama Glossary

Sep 26, 2009 - All I can say is this rocks! My favorites: Facts, Misinformation, Scare Tactics, and Security. :D ~~~~~~~~~~~ A helpful Obama glossary September 24th, 2009 Bob Maistros Many Americans are no doubt confused by some of the terminology used by the president in recent weeks as he has given speeches before a joint session of Congress and the United Nations, conducted a variety of television interviews and introduced new policy proposals. - 3 Comments

Obama missing in action

Sep 13, 2009 - Missing in Action Obama has opted out of the Iraq–Syria crisis. By John P. Hannah It’s hard to believe, but nearly three weeks into a major crisis involving Syrian sponsorship of terrorism in Iraq, the United States is feigning neutrality. - 2 Comments

A Ted Kennedy Retrospective In Buttons

Aug 28, 2009 -       Sen. Edward Kennedy, first elected in 1962, died late last night at the age of 77. He had been suffering from brain cancer, which was first diagnosed in May 2008. - 11 Comments

Obama the Underminer

Jun 03, 2009 - Obama the Underminer By addressing the "Muslim world" from Cairo, the president is helping Tehran. By Lee Smith (Slate) If President Barack Obama's speech in Cairo on Thursday is designed to hit "reset" on Washington's relations with the Muslim world, the White House may soon find that it is pushing the wrong buttons. Public diplomacy in the lands of Islam is a deeply complicated affair, and Muslims do it much better than U.S. - 0 Comments