The Looming Deadline for Healthcare Reform
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On Tuesday, President Obama was "cautiously optimistic" about his Christmas Eve deadline for healthcare reform from the Senate. Since then, a "kill the bill" movement’s been gaining force among Democrats. We get a progress report. Also, the US expresses readiness to join $100 billion climate aid fund, and militants in Iraq used $26 software to hack into live video feeds from US Predator drones.
Banner image: Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) speaks to reporters about the healthcare reform bill being debated in the Senate, on December 15, 2009 in Washington, DC. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Making News
US Ready to Join $100 Billion Climate Aid Fund ()
Hillary Clinton arrived in Copenhagen today, hoping to put new life into the climate talks. She said the US will join other countries in raising $100 billion a year by the year 2020 to help poor nations adjust to global warming. Bryan Walsh is in Copenhagen for Time magazine.
Guests:
- Bryan Walsh: Staff Writer, Time Magazine, @bryanrwalsh
Main Topic
The Looming Deadline for Healthcare Reform ()
The President and Democratic leaders have an agenda for healthcare reform. Pass the Senate version by Christmas Eve, and a compromise out of both Houses for a White House signing ceremony before the State of the Union Address in late January or early February. Supports call the Senate version the most important social achievement in decades, but Progressives call it "an insurance company's dream," with a legal mandate to buy their product with no regulation. Big Labor calls it a "catastrophe." Has former Democrat Joe Lieberman sabotaged real reform? Has President Obama abandoned core Party values to get it passed? If he can't pull it off by next week, will that produce further delays and further declines in public approval in an election year?
Guests:
- Sheryl Gay Stolberg: White House Reporter, New York Times, @sherylstolberg
- Darcy Burner: former Congressional candidate (D-WA)
- Ezra Klein: Staff Writer, Washington Post, @ezraklein
- Michael Lighty: National Policy Director, National Nurses United
- John Mercurio: Senior Editor, The Hotline
Links:
Reporter's Notebook
Military Drones Hacked over Iraq ()
Predators and other unmanned drones are increasingly important to the Pentagon for surveillance and aerial bombing. The Pentagon knew for a decade that drones might be vulnerable to computer hacking, but assumed that enemies in Iraq and Afghanistan couldn't exploit that fact. Today's Wall Street Journal reports that a captured Shiite militant in Iraq had a laptop with files of drone video feeds, intercepted with $26 off-the shelf software. August Cole co-authored the story.
Guests:
- August Cole: Defense Industry Reporter, Wall Street Journal
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