American Morning
Floridians weigh in on House-approved bill
(CNN) – There was a fiery response last night from House Minority Leader John Boehner. He said the House-approved health care legislation failed to give Americans what they wanted and what they asked for.
So what's the reaction from average folks like you? Our John Zarrella headed to Fort Lauderdale, Florida where he sat down with the breakfast crowd at Lester's Diner.
Has the health care debate changed politics for good?
By Carol Costello and Eric Marrapodi, CNN
(CNN) – The journey to health care reform, in the president's words, has been a "difficult journey." Some might say that is the understatement of the year.
The debate over health care reform has been more than difficult - it's been arduous, bitter, extreme and divisive. Some say it's been so emotional and so overwrought it has changed our political culture for good.
"I think Americans got to see how the sausage was made in real time...and it didn't smell very good," says Drew Westen, a political psychologist.
That "smell" sent approval ratings south. A recent Pew Research Poll shows the most frequent one-word descriptions of Congress include: dysfunctional, corrupt, and inept.
Avlon: Partisan politics leads to health care hypocrisy
Editor’s note: John P. Avlon is a senior political columnist for The Daily Beast and author of the new book "Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America." Previously, he served as chief speechwriter for New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and was a columnist and associate editor for The New York Sun.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/07/13/john.avlon.art.jpg caption="CNN independent analyst John Avlon says partisanship is trumping principle and eclipsing patriotism in government."]
By John Avlon, Special to CNN
This week, Washington combined high stakes poker and parliamentary procedures with health care reform in the balance. And despite more than a year of heated debate, the American people remain deeply divided on the issue – the only thing they seem to agree on is that D.C. is dysfunctional. A new poll shows Congress with a 17% approval rating.
Part of the reason is an epidemic of situational ethics: politicians reversing supposedly principled stands depending upon whether or not their party is in power.
The most egregious example is support for reconciliation – a measure to ensure an up-or-down vote, bypassing the threat of a filibuster. Republicans have lately been conflating reconciliation with the closely related, controversial (and conveniently scary-sounding) “nuclear option.”
When Larry King asked Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, “what’s wrong with majority rules?” on LKL earlier this week, she replied: “Because that's not how the Senate works. The Senate works with 60 votes. And now, what the president is promoting is a nuclear option, which is 50 votes.”
But the so called “nuclear option” was invoked 5 years ago by Republicans when they accused Democrats of blocking President Bush’s judicial nominations via filibuster.
As then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist explained, “Every judicial nominee brought to the floor should get a fair up or down vote...We were prepared to use this approach. The minority attempted to demean it by calling it the nuclear option surrounding it with the threats of the closure of government stopping this body from working…The proper term for our response is the constitutional option because we would rely on the constitution's power of self-governance to restore senate traditions barring judicial filibusters.”
In other words, Republicans were for forcing up-or-down votes before they were against it. As is so often the case in politics, where you stand is a matter of where you sit.
CNN Special investigation: End of ACORN?
(CNN) – A once-powerful ally of the president now appears to be powerless. New election fraud charges have been filed against former ACORN workers, stemming from the 2008 presidential campaign.
In a CNN special investigation, Drew Griffin tell us the scandal-plagued, liberal activist group is crumbling.
Health care debate erupts into 'March Madness'
(CNN) – The battle over health care reform in Washington is erupting over the possibility a bill could be passed without a direct vote. The uproar is coming from the House, where Democrats may vote on a rule that would deem the Senate's version of the bill to be passed.
Both sides of the aisle are playing hardball politics. Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski used a basketball metaphor to voice her opposition, saying Congress is giving new meaning to March Madness. Our Jim Acosta reports on the war of words breaking out on Capitol Hill.
Read more: House Dems weigh controversial rule in health care vote
Chamber of Commerce lobbies against health care bill
By Carol Costello and Bob Ruff, CNN
(CNN) – Once upon a time, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its many local chapters went about the business of championing free enterprise and the advancement of commerce throughout the nation.
They still do all of that, but nearly 90 years after its birth, the Chamber of 2010 is not your grandfather’s or even your father’s Chamber.
Today, the nation’s largest business association is a key player in the crafting of legislation, as well as the electing of candidates for public office.
A perfect example: the health care debate. Turn on cable TV for any amount of time and you’re likely to see more than once this Chamber advertisement urging Congress to vote down the Democratic plan.
Bruce Josten, executive vice president of the Chamber, told us the president’s plan “is not going to work” and that “when you’re trying to restructure fundamentally between a sixth and a fifth of the economy all at once, you are going to have unintended consequences.“
The Chamber’s health care message, says Evan Tracey of the Campaign Media Advisory Group, made its way into $42 million worth of TV ads last year. So far this year, the Chamber’s TV ad total is $3 million and growing.
And that’s not all.
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