On healthcare, Obama juggles losses and gains
If the president’s speech succeeds in reversing the public’s declining confidence in his handling of the overhaul, he may also shift the balance of hope and fear among swing votes in Congress.
Reporting from Washington – The challenge facing President Obama’s effort to revamp healthcare can be summed up with these words from Nobel Prize-winning economist Daniel Kahneman: Losses loom larger than gains.
Reactions to the Speech: A Health Care Roundtable
We asked a few experts on health care delivery and policy to share their first reactions to President’s Obama’s speech this evening. Here are their thoughts.
On Brink, Obama Is Resolute and Clear
There was high drama in the setting and most of all in the timing. After a summer of chaos, criticism and confusion, President Obama stood before Congress on Wednesday night — with three major networks broadcasting live (Fox sat out the speech in favor of the season premiere of “So You Think You Can Dance”) — and tried to seize the last word on health care reform.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/arts/television/10watch.html?hp
Rep. Joe Wilson– prophet of the coming immigration wars
It’s quite appropriate, in a way, that President Obama’s health care speech was interrupted by a heckler hung up on a single issue– illegal immigration. South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson yelled out “You lie!” after Obama promised his health care plan didn’t cover illegal immigrants. Then, he was booed in turn.
Families slowly leaving Texas detention facility
DALLAS — As immigrant children and their parents depart a disparaged former Texas prison that housed them while they awaited decisions in their immigration cases, advocates are questioning if the government has fully thought out what happens to the families now.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hSxn7BzM37A-H7tnJkFZI1pXvfYAD9AK2PAG0
Health fight arouses immigration battle
Regardless of how the stormy health care debate ends, the lingering question will be whether the rest of President Barack Obama’s legislative agenda was swept away in the political debris.
One priority that has become entangled in the messy health care discussion is immigration, a reliable lightning rod for conservatives who habitually try to confuse any issue by playing to xenophobes’ fears.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/26933.html#ixzz0Qhnx20UJ
Stop deportations, marchers urge at immigration rally
About 2,000 at event, seek change to ‘broken system’
With most of Washington concentrating on economic policies and health care, reforming immigration isn’t a priority. Marchers at an immigration rights rally Monday in Chicago hope to change that and called on President Obama and Congress to act or face political trouble at election time.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1758092,CST-NWS-immig08.article
Martinez exits Senate — with some regrets
Mel Martinez left his Senate seat with 16 months left in his term, declaring successes as well as setbacks
WASHINGTON — Sen. Mel Martinez, the nation’s first Cuban-American senator, left office Wednesday with pride, a “heavy heart” and a lingering regret that Congress has been unable to reach agreement on revamping the nation’s immigration laws.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1225966.html
Latino groups advise against census boycott
MADISON, Wis. – A national Latino group is asking immigrants to boycott the 2010 census, but immigrant advocates in Wisconsin are advising against that.
The goal of the boycott is to pressure Congress to pass Immigration reform. Organizers say states and cities with undercounted minorities will get less federal aid. They hope their threat will spur action.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-census-latinos,0,4621004.story
Hispanic leaders hope to boost Latino response to census
The census count begins in April, and Spanish-speaking communities have been identified as hard to reach because there’s a lot of fear of government.To get the message out about the importance of being counted, about 30 Hispanic leaders from across the state gathered yesterday at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond to create the first Hispanic Complete Count Committee in Virginia and other Southern states to partner with the U.S. Census Bureau.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/article/CENS10_20090909-215605/291771/
