Politics

The Day In Review

By Sunlight Foundation & Participatory Politics Foundation

President Obama unveiled his health care bill/plan/blueprint today. Democrats seem largely re-energized while Republicans are maintaining their posture of opposition for the most part. We’ll see what effect Thursday’s health care summit will have on the debate. Until then, check out today’s web roundup:

• Confused about all the different health care plans out there? The Wonk Room’s Igor Volsky has an indispensable table running through the differences between the House and Senate health care bills and President Obama’s health care plan. (The Wonk Room)
• Conspicuously absent from the president’s health care blueprint was any mention of the public option. The liberal Firedoglake is not happy. (Firedoglake)
• Speaking of the public option, 21 senators have now signed the infamous public option letter. The latest signatory? Sen. Tim Johnson [D, SD]
• Facing massive recalls, constant media scrutiny and the wrath of politicians, how will Toyota prepare for the company’s first round of congressional hearings this week? Apparently by hiring lobbyists. (The Washington Post)
• Could the Democrats actually lose control of the House after the midterm elections this November? That’s what veteran pollster Charlie Cook is suggesting. (National Journal)
• Ross Douthat warns the GOP that it risks becoming irrelevant if the party continues to cater mostly to the over-65 crowd and ignores younger voters. (The New York Times)
• The Washington Post’s gene Weingarten flips through the phone book to see if random individuals would know more about politics than the lawmakers we currently have. The random individuals, plucked from the Washington, D.C. Area, turned out to be not-so-surprisingly on the ball. (The Washington Post)

Full post as published by Open Congress on February 22, 2010 (boomark / email).