As the health care reform debate heads into its final days, the Republican opposition is turning on the sick themselves. This week, the right-wing echo chamber blasted an 11 year old boy whose mother passed away due to lack of health insurance. And a day after the conservative blogosphere protested that Obama insurance reform case […]

As the year-long health care debate approaches its end game in Washington, opponents of reform are being buffeted by a double-whammy of bad news. Last week, a Goldman Sachs analysis documented insurance rates for individuals jumping by up to 50% in some markets. Now, a new survey of large employers found that 56% will hold […]

As Ron Reagan Jr. made clear to Frank Gaffney and Pam Geller, the relatives of political icons don't always echo their views. (Gaffney went so far as tell Reagan, "Your father would be ashamed of you.") Now, as the health care debate nears it climax, the Washington Times has trotted out Dr. Milton Wolf, "Barack […]

Back in 2007, former House Majority Leader Tom Delay explained the Republican emergency room health care plan to a British audience. "There's no one denied health care in America," he announced to laughter, "there are 47 million people who don't have health insurance, but no American is denied health care in America." Which makes Tom […]

For years, Republican leaders including President George W. Bush, former House Minority Leader Tom Delay and current Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have insisted that "no American is denied health care in America" because "you just go to an emergency room." But while Mitt Romney reminded Joe Scarborough that the funds Massachusetts used to pay […]

When it comes to the budget reconciliation process in the Senate, the truth is not setting Republicans free. On Sunday, John McCain vowed to end the use of reconciliation to change Medicare, despite the GOP's repeated deployment of that same tactic for 30 years. Now, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, who previously warned Democrats that resorting […]

Republicans desperate to halt health care reform at all costs are turning to a new gambit. To Democrats intent on passing a Senate bill with a 51 vote simple majority via the reconciliation process, Republicans for months have warned the move would trigger a "holy war" (Hatch), a "nuclear war" (Kyl) or even "end the […]

In May 1996, a sheepish businessman admitted to a hotel bellhop, "There's a guy in the lobby who was running for president two months ago, and now I've forgotten his name." When the bellhop told him the man was the former Tennessee Governor, the businessman quickly remembered, "that's right, Lamar Alexander." Now, 14 years after […]

For years, Republican leaders including President George W. Bush, former House Minority Leader Tom Delay and current Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have insisted that "no American is denied health care in America" because "you just go to an emergency room." Apparently, Minnesota Governor and 2012 White House Republican hopeful Tim Pawlenty didn't read the […]

At Thursday's White House health care summit, President Obama pleaded with the participants for "a discussion, and not just us trading talking points." Alas, as Tennessee Republican Lamar Alexander made clear from the get-go, the President was destined for disappointment. In his opening remarks, Alexander insisted Democrats should abandon the bills they've already passed and […]