A quick trip around Hannity's America...
Nice Try
The president was hoping last week's big speech would produce a big bump in support for his health care bill. But that hasn't happened. Two new polls show support for the bill is, well, less than enthusiastic. Get this: According to the Washington Post, while 41 percent of Americans say the more they hear about the bill, the more they like it, 54 percent say the opposite.
Unbelievably enough, Hillarycare had better numbers. Forty-four percent, as compared to Obama's 41 percent, said that the more they heard about it, the more they liked it.
And finally, a new Rasmussen poll shows that despite a short post-speech bounce, support for a sweeping health care bill has returned to pre-speech levels, with 45 percent in favor of the bill and 52 percent opposed.
That's bad news for the president, but good news for the country.
Boos For Baucus
As we mentioned earlier, Senator Max Baucus is getting ready to unveil his committee's health care reform plan. Baucus is hoping his bill will garner support from Republicans. But, it turns out, it's not the Republicans he should be worried about.
After a closed-door meeting yesterday, several of Baucus' fellow Democrats emerged and voiced serious concerns with the plan. Chief among those critics was Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden. Take a look:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RON WYDEN, D-ORE.: What is being discussed is the idea of 13 percent of your income is what you would have to pay for some of this basic health coverage.
So what members are going to be grappling with is how you would go home and tell folks something like that would be affordable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Here's a prediction: I'm sure Senator Baucus will find a way to blame Republicans anyway.
Payback Time
It appears Bill Clinton doesn't forgive, nor does he forget. According to ABC 7 in California, the former president is reportedly set to endorse San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.
By doing so, Clinton could gravely damage the campaign of one of his old political rivals, California's current Attorney General Jerry Brown, who many consider to be the front-runner over Newsom.
As you may remember, the two went head to head in the heated 1992 Democratic presidential primary. Well, I guess old Clinton grudges die hard.
Stark Raving Mad
Another Democrat who seems to carry around a perpetual grudge is California Congressman Pete Stark. The congressman has gained notoriety in recent weeks for his outbursts at town hall meetings. He once threatened to throw a constituent out the window, and it looks like he's only gotten more offensive. Take a look at this exchange from a town hall meeting held over the weekend:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOWN HALL PARTICIPANT: You've got Social Security broke, you've got Medicare broke. You've got abysmal care for veterans. Rats running around in Walter Reed hospital before they fianlly fired a couple of generals, they finally got the message…. Now you mucked up everything you get your hands on… Mr. Congressman, don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining.
REP. PETE STARK, D-CALIF.: Thank you but I wouldn't dignify you by peeing on your leg. It wouldn't be worth wasting the urine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Wow. Well that's just lovely. Isn't it ironic that these are the people who say the Republicans lack civility?
Grim Prediction
Earlier today, House members passed a resolution voicing displeasure with Congressman Joe Wilson for his outburst last week. And I'm sure that news was welcomed by Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson who said that if the House failed to do so people would be, "putting on white hoods and white uniforms again, and riding through the countryside."
I don't know, Congressman, that sounds like a bit of a stretch to me. Don't you think?
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