Sad Funeral Planned For Sen. Reid's Long Political Career?

"Light-skinned" appearance and speaking patterns "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." Sen. Harry Reid, 2008



Is Sen. Harry Reid's Political Career Over?


His days in politics may be numbered.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid - hugely unpopular at home in Nevada - is being skewered on the national stage for controversial comments he made about then candidate-Obama.

In the new book "Game Change" - Reid is quoted as saying Obama could succeed as a black candidate in part because of his light-skinned appearance... and speaking without a "Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."

Reid has since gone on an apology tour - saying he's sorry to anyone who would listen: the president, plus several top African-American political figures... including members of congress, the head of the NAACP, civil rights leaders, etc.

President Obama accepted the apology "without question"... and top Democrats are defending Reid. No doubt they'd like the whole thing to just go away so the country can focus on issues like health care - instead of the party's own issues.

But several Republicans are calling on Reid to step down from his leadership position in the senate. They're comparing his comments to ones that cost former Republican Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott his LEADERSHIP job.

Meanwhile - Reid is facing an uphill battle just to keep his job as senator. A new poll shows only one-third of Nevada voters have a favorable opinion of him... 52-percent have a negative view of the four-term senator. And - that poll was taken before these comments surfaced.

Reid says he deeply regrets his "poor choice of words"... points to the work he's done for blacks... and insists he has no plans to step down.

Here’s my question to you: Is Sen. Harry Reid's political career over?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

Brian from Las Vegas writes:

As a Nevadan, I can tell you the climate here is that Harry Reid's newly revealed poor choice of words is yet another issue in a long list of issues that will cost Harry Reid his senate seat. While Nevadans were once proud that the senator worked his way up as the majority leader, he has since ignored his home state and instead entrenched himself in partisan politics instead of solutions. That will be his ultimate demise.

Vince from Waterford, Pennsylvania writes:

Harry Reid is a jackass for many reasons, this is not one of them. In this case he simply spoke the politically incorrect truth, and we're all aghast. Barack Obama would not have received as much of the "white vote" if he was "darker", had "blacker features" or spoke with a "negro accent". Unfortunately, if he was "blacker," some white voters would have been turned off. That is the truth, ugly as it might be. Is this right? Hell no! But in our society, it is true. Yes, it's politically incorrect, and God forbid if a politician speaks a non-PC truth.

Don from Mobile, Alabama writes:

He seemed to be in trouble in his home state prior to the dustup over his comments about candidate Obama. The hypocritical, racist GOP conservative base smells blood in the water. They are, of course, using this incident to further their goal of regaining that seat for themselves. Why is anyone surprised? It is called politics.

Carol writes:

Why are you making such a big deal about this? What he said is true. I am a light-skinned African-American. People tell me I sound like a white girl. People have been saying this to me since the 1980s! Who cares?

Bob from Thousand Oaks, California writes:

Mr. Reid made an unfortunate mistake. He has apologized and his apology his been accepted by the President. Having been in public service for 40 years, I know how hard it is to always say the right thing, and when you blow it you hope people can put it in context and forgive you.

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Schwarzenegger Says Senators Were Bribed For Health Care Votes

In a recent interview to be broadcast on Sunday’s “Meet the Press,” California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger criticized and accused the U.S. Congress for passing Health Care Reform bills by "buying" votes.

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"While I enthusiastically support health care reform, it is not reform to push more costs onto states that are already struggling while other states get sweetheart deals".

"Health care reform, which started as noble and needed legislation, has become a trough of bribes, deals and loopholes".

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2010 State of the Union Address

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Schwarzenegger, Paterson Slam Senate Health Care Bill

Blue State Governors Rip Senate Health Care Bill


The governors of the nation’s two largest Democratic states are leveling sharp criticism at the Senate health care bill, claiming that it would leave their already financially strapped states even deeper in the hole.

New York Democratic Gov. David Paterson and California GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger are urging congressional leaders to rework the Medicaid financing in the Senate-passed bill, warning that under that version their states will be crushed by billions in new costs.

After the Senate passed the bill in a Christmas Eve vote, Paterson said the expansion would leave New York $1 billion in the lurch. The state faces a $6.8 billion budget shortfall heading into the 2010 fiscal year.

“[I] am deeply troubled that the Senate version of the bill worsens what was already an inequitable situation for New York and I will continue to be an advocate on behalf of New Yorkers to ensure we are treated fairly by this critical federal legislation,” Paterson said in a statement.

In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Schwarzenegger wrote that the legislation would create a “crushing new burden” for a state with a whopping $20.7 billion budget deficit.

“When asked for my support, I was assured that federal legislation would not increase costs to California or include new unfunded mandates,” Schwarzenegger wrote. “Unfortunately, under nearly every scenario we can predict, the federal health care reform legislation being debated would cost California’s General Fund an additional $3 billion to $4 billion annually.”

The resistance from the governors of two Democratic megastates underscores the anxieties facing states as they grapple with the prospect of a massive expansion of the Medicaid program.

The problem is that New York and California, both of which already have expansive Medicaid programs, will pay a higher share of the new expansion costs than many other states that have traditionally limited coverage.

“The inequity built into the bill puts hardship on states and would put them in the position of making cuts to providers,” said Susan Van Meter, vice president of federal relations for the Healthcare Association of New York State.

Schwarzenegger warned that the Senate health care legislation could sink his state.

“As the partner responsible for implementing this program, I am telling you that our Medicaid program is already at the breaking point, and if federal health care reform is passed without addressing the underlying faults in the system, health care reform will fail,” Schwarzenegger wrote in his letter to Pelosi. “[I]f Congress fails to address the existing unfunded mandates and adds yet another layer, federal health care reform could collapse the very safety net system it seeks to expand.”

Both governors’ criticisms are notable because they are distinct from the opposition to the health care bill voiced by many Republican governors. Neither Paterson nor Schwarzenegger has opposed Democratic health care reform efforts in general and both have been largely supportive of President Barack Obama’s domestic agenda.

Schwarzenegger has embraced Obama and singled him out for his “great leadership” in a joint appearance in Los Angeles in March. Obama returned the favor by calling the California governor an “outstanding partner.” And in an interview with CNN as recently as last week, Schwarzenegger said Obama "should get a straight A" for his first year in office "when it comes to effort."

While Paterson’s relationship with Obama has been cool since the White House asked him earlier this year not to pursue a bid for a full term in 2010, he is not philosophically at odds with the administration.

“The bottom line here is money,” Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) told POLITICO on Monday, adding that bill the House passed in November was far more generous to New York. “I think that if a state like mine is doing what it is supposed to be doing we should be praised and not punished.”

In a Christmas Day op-ed that appeared in the Buffalo News, Paterson wrote, “New York taxpayers are being used to pay for handouts to other states.”

“New York was an early leader in covering its citizens, with limited assistance from the federal government. The Senate bill will fund Medicaid expansions for states that lagged far behind New York while depriving New York of the same funding. We are being punished for our leadership,” Paterson wrote.

Paterson has an ally in another prominent officeholder who is considered a presidential ally: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has enjoyed a mutually beneficial political relationship with Obama.

Last week, Bloomberg called the Senate-passed bill a “disgrace,” and warned that if it could result in city health clinic closings if it were enacted as passed.

Paterson also carries the backing of the majority of the New York House delegation, which last week wrote a letter to Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asking them to correct the inequities as the bill moves into conference negotiations.

New York Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand said they were receptive to Paterson’s concerns.

"We agree that states that have already expanded their Medicaid programs should be rewarded for their generosity, and we are going to work very hard to make sure that happens in conference," Schumer said in a statement.

Brendan Daly, a Pelosi spokesman, told POLITICO that the speaker intended to address Schwarzenegger’s concerns in the upcoming conference negotiations.

“While the House health insurance reform bill is more favorable to California than the Senate bill, we understand the governor’s concerns, and we will work with the Senate to address them when we reconcile the two bills. Our goal is to ensure that all states are treated fairly,” Daly said.



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Palin vs Arnold: "Greener Than Thou"

Palin fires back at Schwarzenegger


Sarah Palin is hitting back at California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's dig at the former Alaska governor over the issue of Climate Change.

"Why is Governor Schwarzenegger pushing for the same sorts of policies in Copenhagen that have helped drive his state into record deficits and unemployment?" Palin wrote on her Facebook page Tuesday night. "Perhaps he will recall that I live in our nation's only Arctic state and that I was among the first governors to create a sub-cabinet to deal specifically with climate change."

Palin's comments came hours after the California Republican questioned Palin's stance on Climate Change in an interview with the Financial Times at the Copenhagen climate change summit:

"You have to ask: what was she trying to accomplish?" said Schwarzenegger, who has backed strict new emissions controls to combat climate change. "Is she really interested in this subject or is she interested in her career and in winning the (Republican presidential) nomination? You have to take all these things with a grain of salt."

The former Republican vice presidential nominee has questioned whether human activity contributes to climate change, and wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post last week blasting the cap and trade policy promoted by the Obama administration to limit emissions. She has also called on President Obama to boycott the Copenhagen conference.

On her Facebook page Tuesday night, Palin said Schwarzenegger was acting "greener than thou."

"While I and all Alaskans witness the impacts of changes in weather patterns firsthand, I have repeatedly said that we can't primarily blame man's activities for those changes," she wrote. "And while I did look for practical responses to those changes, what I didn't do was hamstring Alaska's job creators with burdensome regulations so that I could act 'greener than thou' when talking to reporters."

Palin also mixed it up last week with former vice President Al Gore, who dubbed her a climate change "denier."

Also on her Facebook page, Palin criticized the former vice president for promoting "doomsday scenarios": "Climate change is like gravity – a naturally occurring phenomenon that existed long before, and will exist long after, any governmental attempts to affect it."



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Sources: CNN, The Daily Beast, Fox News, Google Maps

Republican Support For Health Care Reform Gaining Momentum...Weekly Address

Weekly Address: New Momentum for Health Reform





Pres. Obama: In fact, what’s remarkable is not that we’ve had a spirited debate about health insurance reform, but the unprecedented consensus that has come together behind it. This consensus encompasses everyone from doctors and nurses to hospitals and drug manufacturers.

And earlier this week, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg came out in support of reform, joining two former Republican Senate Majority Leaders: Bob Dole and Dr. Bill Frist, himself a cardiac surgeon. Dr. Louis Sullivan, Secretary of Health and Human Services under President George H.W. Bush, supports reform. As does Republican Tommy Thompson, a former Wisconsin governor and Secretary of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush. These distinguished leaders understand that health insurance reform isn’t a Democratic issue or a Republican issue, but an American issue that demands a solution.

Still, there are some in Washington today who seem determined to play the same old partisan politics, working to score political points, even if it means burdening this country with an unsustainable status quo. A status quo of rising health care costs that are crushing our families, our businesses, and our government. A status quo of diminishing coverage that is denying millions of hardworking Americans the insurance they need. A status quo that gives big insurance companies the power to make arbitrary decisions about your health care. That is a status quo I reject. And that is a status quo the American people reject.



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Sources: Whitehouse.gov, Huffington Post, AP, Wikipedia, Google Maps

Prop 8 Ban On Gay Marriage Upheld By California Supreme Court....Will This Be Obama's Next Legal Battle?

Today the California Supreme Court upheld a previous ruling regarding banning same sex marriages.

Since California voters opposed legalizing Same Sex marriages last November,
there has been much debate on this subject.

In May 2008, the CA Supreme court ruled 4-3 that Same Sex couples be legally given the same right to marry as Heterosexual couples.

However after much outcry from constitutes, Prop 8 (a ballot proposition) was created and placed on voting ballots to ban legalizing Same Sex marriages.

Campaigns for and against Proposition 8 raised approximately $39.9 million and $43.3 million respectively.

Despite both Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and then Democratic Presidential Candidate Senator Barack Obama's opposition of Prop 8, on Nov. 4, 2008 it won strong approval from citizens by a vote of 52 to 48 percent.

Although the CA Supreme Court did uphold the ban on Tuesday, it also recognized 18,000 Same Sex unions which took place prior to the ruling.

Regarding the court's recent decision, Maggie Gallagher, president of the National Organization for Marriage, called it a "victory for children, for civil rights and for the common good."

Considering all the pressure he's receiving lately from Liberal groups and Gay Advocates on such issues as repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", Abortion, etc., will Prop 8 become yet another legal battle for President Obama?

Stay tuned.

(CNN captures the reaction of one gay rights activist as a rally turned to a protest when Proposition 8 was upheld by the California Supreme Court.)




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Sources: CNN, The Daily Beast, LA Times, Wikipedia, Youtube, Google Maps