President Obama meets with Blue Dogs: “Inaction is not an option”

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: After a weeklong overseas trip that pushed him to the fringes of Washington’s health care debate, President Obama moved aggressively to reclaim control. He summoned top Democrats to the White House to urge them to stick to his legislative timetable — he wants the House and the Senate to pass bills before the … Read more

Blue Dog / New Democrat rebellion over the public option?

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: David Safier has written about the Blue Dogs in the House of Representatives doing their part to sabotage healthcare reform, by forcing the Democratic leadership to delay introducing their proposed bill. A letter sent by some 40 members of the Blue Dog Democrats last week (including our own Rep. Gabriel Giffords) raised … Read more

Rally Friday, Giffords’ office

by David SafierSaturday I only got it half right when I said teabaggers would be rallying outside Giffords' office opposing health care reform, and the Pima Dems were planning a counter demonstration. In fact, the "Tucson Tea Party" are rallying Friday to protest President Obama's Clean Energy and Security Act, which Giffords supports. The Pima … Read more

Some “balls and strikes”

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: I have only been able to catch bits and pieces of the opening statements by Senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee on the first day of confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor. The best I have heard so far has been by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), a former prosecutor, who denounced Supreme … Read more