American Morning
Avlon: Hyper-partisan blast from the past
Editor’s note: John P. Avlon is the author of Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics and writes a weekly column for The Daily Beast. 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/08/21/wingnuts.shaheen.delay.art.gi.jpg caption="Cindy Sheehan (L) and Tom DeLay (R)."]
The health care debate continued to heat up with week. There was an eruption of wingnuttery on the left, as liberals went into reflexive protest mode against the Obama administration’s indication that they might support a bipartisan bill with a non-profit co-op instead of a public option.
On the right, rock-ribbed partisans are devoted to doing whatever they can to derail Obama’s health care reform in any form. They share a my-way-or-the-highway approach to politics that condemns compromise and denies the concept of common ground.
This week’s Wingnuts are two hyper-partisan blasts from the past who’ve emerged from semi-retirement in an unwelcome attempt to reinsert themselves into the national debate – Cindy Sheehan and Tom DeLay.
On the left, Cindy Sheehan has announced her intention to protest President Obama on his summer vacation in Martha’s Vineyard, according to the Washington Examiner. Sheehan was a far-left fixture a few years ago, protesting then-President George W. Bush outside his ranch in Crawford, Texas. Now she’s back because the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan haven’t stopped per her instructions. Here’s a partial list of her demands:
What’s on Tap – Friday August 21, 2009
Here are the big stories on the agenda today:
- Did the Bush White House use the politics of fear during the 2004 election? There are explosive new allegations that there was political pressure to raise the country's terror threat level, before the 2004 election. And they come from the man hired after 9/11 to stop another 9/11: the first Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. We’re live from Washington. We’re also talking to CNN Contributor Fran Townsend, who was a Bush homeland security insider during that time.
- Hurricane Bill is now a powerful category three storm and it could again become a category four. It’s expected to bring extremely dangerous rip tides as it heads up the Atlantic – in line with our East Coast. Rob Marciano's tracking the extreme weather for us this morning.
- And from town halls to talk radio, President Obama keeps pushing his make or break plan for health care reform. He says there's still way too much misinformation going around. Plus, see why the president thinks, quote – "everyone in Washington gets all wee-wee'd up."
- This weekend only! Across the country, car lots are bracing for a busy, busy weekend. After a month and nearly three billion bucks, the amazingly popular "cash for clunkers" program expires on Monday. So just how successful has the rebate program been? Will some dealers ever see a dime? What will its end mean for Detroit?
- The tractor pull isn’t in town, so we’re going to them. Rob’s Road Show is live in “Pull Town” today, for the National Tractor Pull Championships, at the Wood County Fairgrounds in Bowling Green, Ohio.
We Listen – Your comments 8/20/2009
Editor's Note: American Morning’s Thursday audience continued to express their opinions towards the Obama administration’s health care reform proposals. Viewers were split on whether a public option should be made available and viewers questioned how President Obama intends on paying for the reforms.
- Carol: I wish that you would stop saying that we can keep our own insurance if a public plan is passed. Many clips of the president have been shown in which he says that eventually everyone will be on the public plan–either by choice or being forced on it. Businesses won't be able to afford the high taxes put upon them by the gov, so people who work for small businesses will be forced on the public plan. Also, what is going to happen when private insurance companies downsize or go out of business???–millions of middle class Americans who work for insurance companies will start to get laid off and they'll be without jobs. This will definitely put this country into a depression.
- Larry: Why is it, if this health care bill is so good (per the US Congress) why did they exempt themselves from it? If it is good enough for us, shouldn't it be good enough for them?
- Bernard: Good morning. I am surprise about the negative the Canadian health care that your country suppose to know about. The republican and some other organizations know what about our system. John Robert should know better as a Canadian. He should take a week to do interview and explain what our system is all about. It is not bad at all. Is it perfect? No, but it is working.
- William: I just viewed your piece on how Obama's healthcare plan is similar to the universal healthcare plan in Massachusetts. Your piece seemed to reflect how successful this plan has been. Unfortunately, this is not the case. I was surprised that there was no interviewing done with doctors in some of the major hospitals in Boston. I know I have read articles in a health newsletter put out by Public Citizen that were written by these doctors and pointed out the several problems this program has produced.
- Noah: not being discuss as an option for the shortage in Primary care providers, these provider have been practicing for decades
What do you think? Continue the conversation below:
The War at Home: Back from war and unemployed
In our special series "The War at Home," we're seeing just how difficult it can be to make the transition back home after months, in some cases years, on the battlefield.
One of the biggest problems facing young veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan – finding a job. CNN's Chris Lawrence talked to some returning soldiers about the challenges.
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