Harry Reid & the Anti-Heath Care Reform Dems

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) takes issue with ads supporting the president’s healthcare plan.

Senator Harry Reid slammed the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Thursday for running ads designed to pressure centrist Democrats into supporting the president’s healthcare plan, calling the effort a “waste of money.”

Reid’s comments sent his staff into damage control mode, as they sought to clarify his remarks, but also reflect a growing frustration among those centrists who have been reluctant to back a government-run health insurance plan at the center of President Obama’s healthcare proposal.

“I think it’s a waste of money,” Reid said when asked about the ads. “Democrats running ads against Democrats?”

So where does Sen. Reid stand on this issue?

An aide to Reid sought to clarify his remarks later on, saying Reid has no problem with the ads in question.

“Sen. Reid was led to believe by the question posed to him that the DNC was attacking members of his caucus,” the aide said. “In fact, the DNC is running non-specific call-to-action ads in states with both Democratic and Republican senators, an effort he has no problem with."

John Amato has the correct perspective on this issue.

First of all they are not centrist. That's a bogus word to try and muddle the issue. Dems like Blue America's target Blanche Lincoln, Evan Bayh, Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu and all the rest are Conservative Dems.

Health care is not a right/left issue, but an American issue.

Standing in the way of real reform makes one a republican obstructionist at this time and not a centrist.

And Harry Reid should be careful who he backs in this fight. These ads came with a blessing from the White House so is he going against the President now? You're supposed to be the majority leader so if they come whining to you again just tell them to act like Democrats.

Progressives over Centrists

Jeff Cohen has an interesting article about the need for Barack Obama to pick a new Progressive Supreme Court Justice.

The article is titled, Forget "Centrists," We Need Progressives in the Supreme Court -- Right-Wingers Will Fight Whomever Obama Picks.

The point is that "unless Obama gives up his centrist approach and appoints real progressives, our right-wing court may get even more conservative."

Read the article here.

Where is the Outrage?

The Senate “centrists,” led by Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Susan Collins (R-ME), are proud of the fact that they’ve cut $86 billion in spending from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

According to Paul Krugman "the centrists have shaved off $86 billion in spending — much of it among the most effective and most needed parts of the plan. In particular, aid to state governments [...] But in the name of mighty centrism, $40 billion of that aid has been cut out."

It appears that GOP and the centrist Democrats have also done a good job of cutting billions in spending for the arts, environment, law enforcement, science, and education, to name a few.

CNN obtained, from a Democratic leadership aide, a list of some programs that have been cut, either entirely or partially:

Partially cut:

• $3.5 billion for energy-efficient federal buildings (original bill $7 billion)

• $75 million from Smithsonian (original bill $150 million)

• $200 million from Environmental Protection Agency Superfund (original bill $800 million)

• $100 million from National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (original bill $427 million)

• $100 million from law enforcement wireless (original bill $200 million)

• $300 million from federal fleet of hybrid vehicles (original bill $600 million)

• $100 million from FBI construction (original bill $400 million)

Fully eliminated
• $55 million for historic preservation

•$122 million for Coast Guard polar icebreaker/cutters

• $100 million for Farm Service Agency modernization

• $50 million for Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service

• $65 million for watershed rehabilitation

• $100 million for distance learning

• $98 million for school nutrition

• $50 million for aquaculture

• $2 billion for broadband

• $100 million for National Institute of Standards and Technology

• $50 million for detention trustee

• $25 million for Marshalls Construction

• $300 million for federal prisons

• $300 million for BYRNE Formula grant program

• $140 million for BYRNE Competitive grant program

• $10 million state and local law enforcement

• $50 million for NASA

• $50 million for aeronautics

• $50 million for exploration

• $50 million for Cross Agency Support

• $200 million for National Science Foundation

• $100 million for science

• $1 billion for Energy Loan Guarantees

• $4.5 billion for General Services Administration

• $89 million General Services Administration operations

• $50 million from Department of Homeland Security

• $200 million Transportation Security Administration

• $122 million for Coast Guard Cutters, modifies use

• $25 million for Fish and Wildlife

• $55 million for historic preservation

• $20 million for working capital fund

• $165 million for Forest Service capital improvement

• $90 million for State and Private Wildlife Fire Management

• $1 billion for Head Start/Early Start

• $5.8 billion for Health Prevention Activity

• $2 billion for Health Information Technology Grants

• $600 million for Title I (No Child Left Behind)

• $16 billion for school construction

• $3.5 billion for higher education construction

• $1.25 billion for project based rental

• $2.25 billion for Neighborhood Stabilization

• $1.2 billion for retrofitting Project 8 housing

•$40 billion for state fiscal stabilization (includes $7.5 billion of state incentive grants)

Krugman has a way of putting these cuts in perspective:

My first cut says that the changes to the Senate bill will ensure that we have at least 600,000 fewer Americans employed over the next two years."

The real question now is whether Obama will be able to come back for more once it’s clear that the plan is way inadequate. My guess is no. This is really, really bad.