How Healthcare Reform Will Benefit You

The Committee on Energy and Commerce has created a document showing the results of healthcare reform in every congressional district in the United States.

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Video: Death Panels Are REAL!

Death Panel Advisors - watch more funny videos

Dr. Dean on Political Strategy for Public Option

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JOE: If you were Senator Dean from Vermont and the president tried to pass a health care bill that didn't have a public option in it, like this one that's going to be on the floor of the senate at some point, would you vote for a health care bill without a public option?

DEAN: I wouldn't vote for a final bill without a public option under any circumstances. Because I don't think we ought to dump $60 billion into the health insurance industry, which is what this bill would do. On the other hand, I think what is going on here is nothing more than politics. The president knows very well that you aren't really going to have health care reform without a public option. But he also knows he has to get this out of the senate. And he's got a very important member of the Finance Committee, Kent Conrad, who doesn't want to vote for this bill if it has a public option in it. And he knows he's not going to get any Republicans votes of any kind. So at the end of the day this bill's going to be written by Democrats, it's got to get out of the senate and you only need a few Democrats to take out the public option.

JOE: Let me explain to people what you're saying. The House is going to pass a version with a public option. The senate will pass a version without a public option. You get past the 60 votes. You go to reconciliation, you put the public option back in. And then you vote it on it and you only need 50 votes. And you get a public option.

RON BROWNSTEIN: Wow.

JOE: Is that what you're saying?

DEAN: Basically, yes.

[...]

RON BROWNSTEIN: Governor, that's a complicated political strategy...

DEAN: It's very complicated. It's why we're getting all this talk. It's why the message has to be so simple in August...what's most likely to happen, honestly, is the Republicans are going to continue, as they've made very clear, to obstruct the bill. October 16th is going to come along and that's when reconciliation kicks in. They're going to have to write this bill in the budget. There's no question in my mind about this.

Video: Thousands Line up for Free Healthcare

 

Healthcare Factcheck

The White House has a new "Fact Check" page on healthcare reform.

By now, you've probably heard some rumors about President Obama's plan for health insurance reform that don't sound very believable. And that's because they're not. Special interests and partisan attack groups are trying to hijack this debate by peddling distortions, half-truths, and flat out lies about reform.

It's time for a reality check. Monday, the White House launched a new online resource to help Americans clear up the lies and confusion floating around about health care.

Visit the White House's new "Reality Check" site -- and then make sure everyone you know learns the truth.

There's nothing accidental about the lies floating around -- they are cooked up specifically to prey on people's fears and terrify them into opposing the insurance reforms we all need. It's a desperate, shameless tactic -- but with your help, we can set the record straight and make sure Americans know the truth about health insurance reform.

At the "Reality Check" site, you'll hear from some of President Obama's top officials who set the record straight on the rumors and lies that the opponents of reform have been circulating.

Securing real reform and fixing the broken status quo are too important for us to stand on the sidelines and hope for the best. To win this fight, we have to make sure the real facts prevail.

Check out the new site, and do your part by giving health care rumors a reality check:

http://my.barackobama.com/RealityCheck

Thanks,

Organizing for America Action Wire

Video: Sec. Clinton on African Economic Development

Sec. Clinton addressed the 8th Forum of the African Growth and Opportunity Act. She talks about the opportunity and enormous economic potential of the continent.

More than 600 items can be imported into the U.S. from sub-Saharan Africa duty-free through the African Growth and Opportunity Act.

Click here for full remarks.

Video: Sec. Clinton on U.S. North Korea Relations

My Kenyan Birth Certificate

And if this isn't enough to convince the wingnut in your life, send them to Salon's Handy-Dandy Guide to Refuting the Birthers.

And a fun idea that was given to me by a reader, post fake Kenyan birth certificates of right-wing media pundits like Buchanan, Hannity, Dobbs, etc. and post them on your blog so that they start to come up in searches.

Video: Laura and Euna Homecoming

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Pres. Obama's Statement on Release of U.S. Journalists from North Korea

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
____________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release August 5, 2009

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
ON THE RELEASE OF LAURA LING AND EUNA LEE

South Lawn

9:37 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. I want to just make a brief comment about the fact that the two young journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, are safely back with their families. We are obviously extraordinarily relieved. I had an opportunity to speak with the families yesterday once we knew that they were on the plane.

The reunion that we've all seen on television I think is a source of happiness not only for the families but for the entire country.

I want to thank President Bill Clinton -- I had a chance to talk to him -- for the extraordinary humanitarian effort that resulted in the release of the two journalists. I want to thank Vice President Al Gore who worked tirelessly in order to achieve a positive outcome.

I think that not only is this White House obviously extraordinarily happy, but all Americans should be grateful to both former President Clinton and Vice President Gore for their extraordinary work. And my hope is, is that the families that have been reunited can enjoy the next several days and weeks, understanding that because of the efforts of President Clinton and Gore, they are able to be with each other once again.

So we are very pleased with the outcome, and I'm hopeful that the families are going to be able to get some good time together in the next few days.

Thank you very much.

END
9:39 A.M. EDT

Healthcare Reform Consumer Protections

How healthcare reform will help the consumer.

Click on the image to enlarge.


Click here to download a pdf flyer.

Open Government Gallery

The Open Government Innovations Gallery is a site where the public can browse examples of ways in which Executive branch agencies are promoting transparency and collaboration.

Video: Last Tango in the White House

The President and First Lady hosted a reception for ambassadors to the United States at the White House last week. Spontaneous dancing ensued.

Obama Stimulus Is Working

According to USA Today, the stimulus plan is doing its job.

A huge influx of federal stimulus money to state and local governments more than offset a sharp drop in tax collections, helping to put the brakes on the nation's economic decline, new government data show.

The stimulus funds helped reverse six months of spending declines, pushing state and local government expenditures up 4.8% in the second quarter, reports the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Read more here

Palin Wordle

I was so inspired by Sarah's words, I decided to make a Wordle of her resignation speech.

Video: William Shatner Recites Palin Poetry

William Shatner does his best Beat interpretation of the words of La Palin.

I mean, seriously, how hard is it to put two coherent sentences together when you have a prepared speech in front of you?