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May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
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May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
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Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
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Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
Nov. 2, 2009
/ 15 Mar-Cheshvan 5770
Reid's landmines
By
Cheri Jacobus
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), while trying to be clever, instead has planted landmines for lawmakers in literally every state in the union. Remarkably, he doesn't even seem to be aware he was doing just that.
Much like his backroom insertion of the public option into the Senate healthcare reform bill Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe (Maine) supported in committee specifically because it did not have the public option, Reid's latest freelancing is unnerving his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. His announcement that he tucked in a neat little "opt-out" provision for states has many scratching their heads. The strange move appears to be turning senators off as much for the suddenness, secretiveness and confusing presentation of the idea as the idea itself. It seems to be having the opposite of Reid's desired effect of luring public-option opponents to his side.
Reid lost Snowe and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) with the public-option rope-a-dope, and he could lose a number of Democrats without Lieberman and Snowe as a political buffer, causing him to fall short of the needed 60 votes.
While shoving the public option into the bill behind closed doors was unseemly, Reid sought to pacify jittery senators by conjuring up this new element allowing individual states to opt out.
Unable to explain just how the states would opt out - if it would be a governor's choice, the legislature's, or done by way of a state referendum - Reid's Senate crowd is inching away from him, bit by bit.
With a "trust me - I know what I'm doing" plea as his sole offering, it's doubtful Senate Democrats, en masse, will swallow it hook, line and sinker.
At its core, the proposal, the manner in which it suddenly appeared out of thin air with no Senate committee deliberation, no public airing, no independent analysis, no anything at all, as it turns out, is fundamentally dishonest.
Even if the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scores the measure in a way that allows Reid to save face, he nonetheless tossed a wrench into the engine, and many of his colleagues will likely find it difficult to trust his leadership, trustworthiness and judgment - not to mention how governors and state legislators may react once the full scope of the mess starts sinking in.
In one fell swoop, Harry Reid may have guaranteed that what was already sure to be a congressional campaign issue will also be a top issue in literally every state-level race in 2010. Many states are already gearing up to "opt out" of Washington's healthcare reform mandates.
Kansas state Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook plans an amendment to the state constitution allowing Kansas to "opt out" of any federal mandate requiring everyone to purchase healthcare. Two-thirds of the State Legislature must vote in favor, as must Kansans in a 2010 referendum.
Kansas is only the latest - it's an idea that has caught on in 18 other states as more Americans feel smothered by the clumsy Big Brotherly love emanating from Washington. They'd rather opt out of the entire package and just call the whole thing off.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
To comment, please click here.
JWR contributor Cheri Jacobus, president of Capitol Strategies PR, has managed congressional campaigns, worked on Capitol Hill and is an adjunct professor at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management. She is a columnist for The Hill and appears on CNN, MSNBC and FOX News as a GOP strategist.
Previously:
10/26/09: Public option for Congress
10/19/09: Big Brother wins
10/13/09: Dancin' DeLay
09/26/09: Paterson under the bus
09/14/09: Start over, Mr. President
© 2009, Cheri Jacobus
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