Live Blogging the DNC: Kathleen Sebelius

9:11 Kathleen Sebelius has the misfortune of coming out after Ted Strickland's barn-burning speech.

9:12: I'm experiencing Ted Strickland withdrawal.

GOP consultant Rick Wilson asked on Twitter if Sebelius is flat. The answer is yes.

Obama's War On Reproductive Rights

President Barack Obama signed an executive order strengthening the federal restrictions on federal funding for abortions. The Hyde amendment already prohibited federal funds for abortions. The Obama administration went one step further in restricting reproductive rights. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius overruled the FDA on the morning after pill.

NARAL sent out a press release.

NEW YORK—Today the FDA announced the Secretary of Health and Human Services – for the first time ever – has invoked her authority to overrule the agency’s decision to approve the emergency contraceptive pill Plan B One-Step for full over-the-counter sale, which would have removed what was widely recognized to be a politically motivated age restriction on its access. This is the first time in history the Health Secretary has ever used this power to overrule an FDA decision. Had the FDA decision gone into effect, women of all ages would have been able to purchase this back-up birth control method without a prescription and without delays at the pharmacy counter.

“This is a deeply disappointing betrayal from an Administration that had pledged to promote the health and well-being of women and families and be guided by science and medicine,” said Andrea Miller, President of NARAL Pro-Choice New York. “The evidence is clear, the FDA has done more than its due diligence, and women across the nation deserve ready access to a safe, effective second chance to prevent an unintended pregnancy. The decision to overrule the FDA is reminiscent of a troubling era, when the Bush Administration routinely allowed politics to trump science, especially in its interference with the FDA’s deliberations over this product.”

The FDA first approved Plan B as a prescription product in 1999. Seven years later, in 2006, the FDA approved over-the-counter access to Plan B for those eighteen and older – an age restriction later deemed by the Government Accountability Office and federal courts to be politically, not scientifically, motivated. In response, the age restriction on the over-the-counter product was lowered to seventeen the following year.

Does the Obama political team think that the Tea Party and the Christian Right (which is one and the same) is suddenly going to vote for Democrats because of restrictions on Plan B? This is a political decision that does nothing to win the mythical middle.

Obama apologists will defend this as part of the President's 3D chess game with Republicans. The debt ceiling disaster proves that Obama isn't that politically astute. What we do know by Obama's actions is that he is not passionate about protecting the reproductive rights of women. People can write commentary about how Obama actually cares about women. These same people will ignore Obama's actions on reproductive rights. Tell a woman after she has been sexually violated that the reason she can't get the the Plan B pill is because Obama cares. I dare you to try it. I will be suprised if the woman doesn't slap you in the face.

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

The U.S. Senate has released the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. I am reading the bill now. President Barack Obama issued a statement on the bill.

Today we passed another critical milestone in the health reform effort with the release of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. I was particularly pleased to see that the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the bill will reduce the deficit by $127 billion over the next ten years and as much as $650 billion in the decade following, saving hundreds of billions while extending coverage to 31 million more Americans.

From day one, our goal has been to enact legislation that offers stability and security to those who have insurance and affordable coverage to those who don't, and that lowers costs for families, businesses and governments across the country. Majority Leader Reid, Chairmen Baucus and Dodd, and countless Senators have worked tirelessly to craft legislation that meets those principles.

Just yesterday, a bipartisan group of more than 20 leading health economists released a letter urging passage of meaningful reform and praising four key provisions that are in the Senate legislation: a fee on insurance companies offering high-premium plans, the establishment of an independent Medicare commission, reforms to the health care delivery system, and overall deficit neutrality. The economists said that these provisions 'will reduce long-term deficits, improve the quality of care, and put the nation on a firm fiscal footing.' Those are precisely the goals we should be seeking to attain.

The challenges facing our health care system aren't new - but if we fail to act they'll surely get even worse, meaning higher premiums, skyrocketing costs, and deeper instability for those with coverage. Today, thanks to the Senate's hard work, we're closer than ever to enacting solutions to these problems. I look forward to working with the Senate and House to get a finished bill to my desk as soon as possible.

Update: the bill's lanuage clearly states no federal funds maybe used for abortions.

ABORTIONS FOR WHICH PUBLIC FUNDING IS PROHIBITED. The services described in this clause are abortions for which the expenditure of Federal funds appropriated for the Department of Health and Human Services is not permitted, based on the law as in effect as of the date that is 6 months before the beginning of the plan year involved.

Sec. Kathleen Sebelius will have the power to determine what over funding relating to abortion. That dtermination will be made by the CBO and Government Accountability Office. The bill states insurers are not required to carry coverage for abortions. The bill is following the law of the hidious Hyde amentment.

NO PREEMPTION OF STATE LAWS REGARDING ABORTION.— Nothing in this Act shall be construed to preempt or otherwise have any effect on state laws regarding the prohibition of (or requirement of) coverage, funding, or procedural requirements on abortions, including parental notification or consent for the performance of an abortion on a minor.

Reid wants private insurers to federal funds from private premiums. The short answer is we are requiring health insurers to create different accounts.

The senate bill will tax costemic surgery. I'm looking forward to Republicans standing up for less taxes on boob jobs.

Update: RH Reality Check finds the bill does not contain language as Draconian as the Stupak-Pitts amendment.

CNN Poll: 55 Percent Favor Public Option

The latest CNN poll shows 55 percent support for the public option. Approval for the public option is two points higher than a CNN poll on President Obama's approval rating.

Majorities now disapprove of Obama’s handling of the economy, health care policy, taxes, the federal deficit, and Medicare. He still gets majority support for his handling of foreign affairs, race relations, terrorism, and Afghanistan.

Two major reasons for why Obama is polling better on foreign policy than domestic matters. Obama's foreign policy team of Hillary Clinton, Robert Gates, George Mitchell, James Jones, Richard Holbrooke and Susan Rice are amazingly competent people. The people selling Obama's health care proposal are Rahm Emanuel, Robert Gibbs and David Axelrod. Would you have those three men handle Pakistan? Obama's threee close advisors are so concerned with protecting the President that Obama has become too cautious. Obama bears much of the blame, as well.

Obama has no heavyweight to sell health care. Obama's neoliberal tendencies will not allow him to have the progressive Howard Dean near the White House. Tom Daschle was a hysterical bust. Kathleen Sebelius is to boring to sell the message. The White House has no one but Obama. The President's handlers fear having him commit to the public option. Fear is a horrible way to make policy.

Public Option is Dead

Progressive bloggers can quit writing about the public option. Health & HS Sec. Kathleen Sebelius and Press Sec. Robert Gibbs went on the Sunday talk shows and made it clear the public health insurance option was dead.



Sebelius:

"I think what's important is choice and competition and I'm convinced at the end of the day, the plan will have both of those. But [a public option] is not the essential element," said Sebelius.

Gibbs:

"What I am saying is the bottom line for this for the president is, what we have to have is choice and competition in the insurance market. Again, if you are in a place in this country where you only get one choice, how in the world are you going to be able to convince anybody that you are driving down costs when you don't have to compete against anything."

Notice Gibbs talked about the private market and made no mention of the public option. Today, Obama reached out to Senators Charles Grassley, Olympia Snowe and Mike Enzi. The President dumped the public option and Republicans still won't vote a weakened version of health care reform. Any astute policial observer knew this was going to happen. Now the White House is pretending they didn't give up on the public option.

Health care dominated the morning briefing with White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, who denied reports that the White House and Democrats are giving up on a bipartisan reform bill.

“Absolutely not,” Gibbs said. “We continue to be hopeful that we can get bipartisan support and will continue to work with those that are interested in doing that.”

“Our goal is to get this done in a bipartisan way,” he said. “There are several more weeks to go in potential negotiations between Republicans and Democrats. I don’t know why we would short circuit any of that now.”

Why does a President with supermajorities in the House and Senate need Republican votes? Obama's attempts at bipartisanship have given the Republicans operating room to attack. To make matters worst for Obama: a Rasmussen poll found only 34 percent of voters support health care reform without a public option. Only 9 percent of voters "strongly" support reform without the public option. Obama needed the public option when he started pushing for reform. Obama needs it more now.

Obama's political strategy was to appeal to Republicans and hold a townhall meeting that let tea baggers rip into him. Obama did not care about progressive supoorter or the Congressional Democrats that had to face hostile townhall meetings. Obama operates under the delusion America is the New Republic and Democratic Leadership Council. Both TNR and DLC have advocated bashing the Left and appeasing the Right as the best way for a Democrat to govern. Obama has put that theory to the test. It turned out to be a massive failure.

The American people elected supermajorities in Congress. Obama opted to appease Republicans and put no pressure on corporate-friendly Democrats. Obama never voiced complaint about Max Baucus shutting Democrats out of writing the health care bill. Rahm Emanuel was allowed to speak out against the public option. If this is change then I don't want to believe.

Quote of the Day

I will oppose the confirmation of Kathleen Sebelius for HHS Secy. Her ability to do the job will be adversely affected by her extreme views."

Mel Martinez

Martinez and other Republicans are attempting to kill Sebelius' nomination because of her veto of a Kansas late-term abortions bill. The bill would have only allowed a late term abortion if the woman's life was in danger.

RNC chairman Michael Steele has called for President Barack Obama to withdraw Sebelius' nomination. I am not the least bit worried about Steele mounting a serious offensive against Sebelius.

St. Petersburg Obama Rally

There will a rally for Barack Obama in St. Petersburg on September 20th. Governors Kathleen Sebelius and Janet Napolitano will be the featured speakers. Make sure you RSVP.

Change We Need
Women's Economic Security Event

Eckerd College -- Fox Hall
4200 54th Avenue S.
St. Petersburg, FL
View map

Saturday, September 20th
Doors Open: 1:30 p.m.
Program Begins: 2:15 p.m.

My VP Pick

Kos posted his top Democratic Vice-President picks. I decided it would be fun to say who I want for Vice-President. I like to throw Nancy Pelosi's name out there.

Barack Obama should be able to win California. Despite John McCain's efforts to win the state. Would Obama feel comfortable having a pol as skillful as Pelosi as VP? It's easy to see a Vice-President Pelosi as powerful as Dick Cheney.

The advantage to Pelosi on the ticket is she has name-recognition and is fantastic with the media. She is also a skilled political tactician. The negative is a Democratic victory makes Steny Hoyer House Speaker.

The only Kos pick that intrigues me is Kansa Governor Kathleen Sebelius. She is from a Southern state and good on the stump. Bill Richardson is a horrible public speaker. I admire Chris Dodd, but don't see him as Vice-President.