Health law repeal on Tuesday agenda

Washington Week
This past week, the House conducted Memorial Services for those murdered and injured in the Arizona shootings last weekend. The House of Representatives also passed resolutions and conducted general speeches concerning this horrific act of violence. On Thursday, many members of Congress traveled to Tucson, Ariz., for the national memorial service where the president and dignitaries addressed the nation. The memorial service was moving, inspiring and especially uplifting when the president announ...

Healthcare Industry Moves Against Repeal
Suzy Khimm reports: The health Insurance Industry turned against the Affordable Care Act before the law passed, arguing that the onerous new regulations and reforms would make their business unsustainable. But despite its vocal objections, industry insiders now appear to believe that reform will help Health Insurers and other big stakeholders. Politico reports that industry investors are becoming more confident that President Barack Obama’s Health Care initiative won’t massively d...

Obama: Time to tackle nation's challenges again
President Barack Obama speaks at a memorial service for the Victims of Saturday's shootings at McKale Center on the University of Arizona campus Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011, in Tucson, Ariz. Citing "great challenges for us to solve," President Barack Obama is pledging to work with Democrats and Republicans in the aftermath of the Arizona shooting that killed six, grievously wounded a member of Congress and brought legislative debate to a virtual standstill. In his weekly radio and Internet address...

Obama: Time to tackle nation's challenges again (AP)
WASHINGTON – Citing "great challenges for us to solve," President Barack Obama is pledging to work with Democrats and Republicans in the aftermath of the Arizona shooting that killed six, grievously wounded a member of Congress and brought legislative debate to a virtual standstill. In his weekly radio and Internet address, the president moved to turn the page from the week of solemn observance for the dead and the Victims to the governing business ahead. "We carry on because we have to,...

Party peace
Republican members of the US House of Representatives, dressed casually in jeans and sweaters, have been meeting this weekend in Baltimore for their annual policy retreat. Topics under discussion include the Budget, the Deficit and their plans to Repeal President Obama's Health Care package. But after suspending Congress for a week in the wake of the tragic shootings in Tucson in Arizona, they are also using the opportunity to reflect on the state of politics in Washington. The shooting ...

House GOP sets new date to vote on health care law repeal
House Republicans say they will vote to Repeal the Health Care reform law on Wednesday, after taking a week off to show respect for those injured and killed in Arizona last weekend. "This week, our thoughts and prayers are with Congresswoman Giffords, her family, the Victims of this inexplicable tragedy and their families," said Laena Fallon, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's spokeswoman. However, she said Congress needed to get back to fighting for the Repeal of the law. "Americans have legit...

House Republicans to restart health-care repeal effort
WASHINGTON — House Republicans said Thursday they will proceed with a vote next week to Repeal President Obama's health-care law, reigniting a divisive debate amid calls for comity in the aftermath of the Arizona shootings. Elected officials are facing a delicate balance as they return to the business of governing amid partisan-policy differences amid promises for a more Civil Discourse. "As the White House noted, it is important for Congress to get back to work, and to that end we will ...

Evil Health Insurance Corporations Love ObamaCare
By RightKlik What do Health Insurance executives think of ObamaCare? This will upset principled Activists at both ends of the political spectrum (and about 60% of the adult population): As Republicans push forward on repealing health reform, planning the law’s demise, a different conversation is happening among thousands of Health Care investors gathered in San Francisco for this week’s J.P Morgan Health Care Conference: how to capitalize on health reform’s new business oppor...

White House Works on Shedding Boys Club Image with New Blog Post
Based on a recent blog posting to the White House website, it seems the administration is trying to shed the image of a boy's club at the White House. The Obama Administration has been criticized for sticking to an old Washington stereotype that at the highest levels, the president only surrounds himself with men. Friday they released on the White House blog a posting with a photo gallery titled, "Women and Girls and the Obama Administration." The posting by Jenny Kaplan, Deputy Director of the ...

Faux Repeal; Faux Right
Bernstein suspects Republicans aren't serious about healthcare Repeal: Republicans certainly didn't hesitate to oppose the bill in 2009-2010 despite the support from several groups who are normally GOP-aligned or at least GOP-friendly. Will they fight against the interests of those groups now? Will they, if they win full control of Congress and perhaps the White House in the near future? I don't know.  What I do know, or at least suspect, is that industry Lobbyists aren't...

Ernest J. Wilson: Hu's Coming to Dinner: A Year After the Google-China Dust-Up, Has Anything Changed?
On Jan. 19, China's President Hu Jintao will attend a State Dinner at the White House. This comes about a year since his government and Google Corporation duked it out over Google's refusal to abide by the PRC's laws to control Internet content. There were punches thrown and punches pulled. The heavyweight fight was sort of a draw, with no clear winner or loser. Now is a good time to revisit what the dust-up meant then, what it means today, and what it might mean for the future of U.S.-China r...

Clinton presses China on rights before visit
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged China to free Dissidents and improve treatment of Minorities, pledging not to shy away from disagreements when President Hu Jintao pays a state visit. In a wide-ranging Speech Friday days before Hu was due in Washington, Clinton said the Pacific powers had reached a "critical juncture" in relations and said the United States had no interest in containing China's rise. Clinton was unusually forthright in her call for Human Rights, urging China to free d...

Cold War returns to White House for a day
Washington (CNN) - It was what Diplomats might call a "frank exchange of views" Thursday as White House spokesman Robert Gibbs got into a Cold War-style tiff with a Russian reporter about whether American freedoms go too far and may have led to the tragic shooting in Tucson. In one of the most surreal moments I have ever seen in nearly seven years covering the beat, Andrei Sitov of the Itar-Tass News Agency pressed Gibbs at his daily briefing about whether "the quote, unquote 'freedom' of a dera...

Don't Call Killer's Actions 'American', Gibbs Tells Russian Reporter
There is nothing "American" about the "deranged actions of a madman" who would kill six people and shoot another 13 at a Tucson strip mall on a Saturday morning in January, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs sternly told a Russian reporter today at the White House. It's sometimes part of a White House Press Secretary's job to correct what he or she sees as the mistaken impressions of foreign reporters — and Gibbs did just that. You can listen and we'll put the transcript below: This featur...

Gibbs spars with Russian journalist who ties Tuscon shootings to U.S. freedoms
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and Andrei Sitov of Russia's official news agency ITAR-TASS entered into a somewhat passionate exchange Thursday regarding the Tuscon shootings. After Gibbs called on him during questioning, Sitov expressed his condolences for the Victims and commented that the shooter's "deranged" actions represented "the reverse side of freedom." Gibbs countered by describing the "Congress on your Corner" event that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) was hosting in a sh...

White House Mum on Palins Latest Words
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs gestures Thursday while discussing the president’s (lack of) response to Sarah Palin’s statement. If the president, or anyone in Obama’s close advisory circles, has an opinion about Sarah Palin’s latest rhetorical creation—her already infamous “blood Libel” zinger—the world will have to do without that information for the time being. During an exchange with the press Thursday, White House spokesman Robert G...

Gibbs, Russian reporter debate the meaning of freedom
Today's White House briefing ended with an interesting exchange that reminded some folks of the Cold War. Andrei Sitov, from Russia's official news agency ITAR-TASS, challenged Press Secretary Robert Gibbs by saying, basically, that the Arizona shooting resulted from too much American-style freedom. Gibbs said he couldn't disagree more. To be sure, Sitov expressed condolences to the Victims, but added that people from outside the United States saw the shooting as "the reverse side of freedom." ...

White House Responds to Concerns about Pep Rally Atmosphere at Arizona Memorial
Thursday, January 13, 2011 By Fred Lucas White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs talks to reporters about President Obama in Tucson last night where he gave a Speech to console the nation and honor the Victims of a shooting rampage that that killed six people and left 14 injured, at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Washington (CNSNews.com) - White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs explained Thursday the atmosphere at the previous nig...

Gibbs spars with Russian journalist over Tucson shootings
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and Andrei Sitov of Russia's official news agency ITAR-TASS entered into a somewhat passionate exchange Thursday regarding the Tuscon shootings. After Gibbs called on him during questioning, Sitov expressed his condolences for the Victims and commented that the shooter's "deranged" actions represented "the reverse side of freedom." Gibbs countered by describing the "Congress on your Corner" event that Rep. Gabrielle Giffo...

Don't Call Killer's Actions 'American,' Gibbs Tells Russian Reporter
There is nothing "American" about the "deranged actions of a madman" who would kill six people and shoot another 13 at a Tucson strip mall on a Saturday morning in January, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs sternly told a Russian reporter today at the White House. It's sometimes part of a White House Press Secretary's job to correct what he or she sees as the mistaken impressions of foreign reporters — and Gibbs did just that. You can listen and we'll put the transcript below: This featur...

Mortal Recoil
Consider the following reactions to the tragic shooting in Tucson: First, President Barack Obama’s Speech got rave reviews (“magic,” New York Times columnist Gail Collins called it), even though, by the standards, say, of Bill Clinton’s Oklahoma City address, it was pretty humdrum, especially during those times when the president was trying to draw lessons from the tragedy rather than eulogizing its Victims. Second, Obama’s Approval Rating, taken after the killings...

Barbour: GOP must recognize it doesn't run gov't
Baltimore—Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour on Friday told Republicans newly in charge of the U.S. House that they must keep voters' frustrations with the nation's lagging economy focused on Democrats who still run the Senate and control the White House. Barbour told House Republicans that should learn the lessons of 1995, when some in the GOP became cocky after winning the majority. Some Republicans then asserted that President Bill Clinton didn't matter, giving his poll numbers time to imp...

'Essential benefits' a complex question in new health-care law
Should Health Insurers have to cover treatment of Lyme disease? What about Speech Therapy for autistic Children? Or Infertility treatments? This Story 'Essential benefits' a complex question in new health-care law House GOP to resume health-care Repeal effort, but with more civil tone Justice Department challenges ruling against same-sex marriage ban Gabrielle Giffords, congresswoman from Arizona, shot in Tucson In his response to Tucson shootings, Arizona's John McCain avoids the spotlight V...

Mayor Daley, Maggie invited to White House State Dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao
WASHINGTON--Mayor Daley and wife Maggie have been invited to their first Obama White House State Dinner--on Wednesday, honoring China's president Hu Jintao--with Chicago's trade ties to China a good a reason to include them--as well as having a Chicago president and top aides from the city. I confirmed the state dinner invitation with the White House. Daley's visit here next week will also include him being honored at the winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, a group he has been ver...

Obama, China's Hu will try to smooth rocky relations
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao will meet in Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday in a state visit meant to reset relations after a rocky year, but while dozens of major global issues will be on the table, one thing will be missing: trust. From the waters of the South China Sea to the halls of Congress to the coffers that hold Beijing's deep foreign currency reserves, the United States and China increasingly eye each other with suspicion. Locked in ...