CENTCOM Commander General David Petraeus came to the meeting of the Senate Armed Services Committee preparing to deliver an "eight-minute statement" expressing his personal feelings about the repeal of the military’s "Don’t Ask Don’t Tell" policy. Unfortunately, Senator Carl Levin, who chaired the committee, put the kibosh on those plans, citing time constraints. Instead Petraeus simply told the committee that "the time has come" to give a repeal some due consideration. Petraeus endorsed the ongoing review of the matter that commenced at the direction of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

PETRAEUS: I believe the time has come to consider a change to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. But I think it should be done in a thoughtful and deliberative matter that should include the conduct of the review that Secretary Gates has directed that would consider the views in the force on the change of policy. It would include an assessment of the likely effects on recruiting, retention, morale and cohesion and would include an identification of what policies might be needed in the event of a change and recommend those polices as well. CONTINUED

David Petraeus On DADT: ‘The Time Has Come’

As soon as health care passes, the American people will see immediate benefits. The legislation will:

• Prohibit pre-existing condition exclusions for children in all new plans;
• Provide immediate access to insurance for uninsured Americans who are uninsured because of a pre-existing condition through a temporary high-risk pool;
• Prohibit dropping people from coverage when they get sick in all individual plans;
• Lower seniors prescription drug prices by beginning to close the donut hole;
• Offer tax credits to small businesses to purchase coverage;
• Eliminate lifetime limits and restrictive annual limits on benefits in all plans;
• Require plans to cover an enrollee’s dependent children until age 26;
• Require new plans to cover preventive services and immunizations without cost-sharing;
• Ensure consumers have access to an effective internal and external appeals process to appeal new insurance plan decisions;
• Require premium rebates to enrollees from insurers with high administrative expenditures and require public disclosure of the percent of premiums applied to overhead costs.

By enacting these provisions right away, and others over time, we will be able to lower costs for everyone and give all Americans and small businesses more control over their health care choices.

The Top Ten Immediate Benefits You’ll Get When Health Care Reform Passes | House Democrats

In 2008, voters in Louisiana’s 2nd congressional district voted to send President Obama to Washington to fight for change — including for desperately needed health insurance reform. They expected Republican Representative Joseph Cao to reach across the aisle to be a partner for change.

Unfortunately, after supporting reform last fall, Rep. Cao is reportedly now planning to vote to let insurance companies continue jacking up premiums and denying care to sick people. But it’s not too late for him to put average Americans and the middle class ahead of corporate and special interests.

The next make-or-break vote on reform is just a few days away, it’s expected to be extremely close, and Rep. Cao could be critical. So for Day 7 of the Final March for Reform, our plan is to reach out to voters in his district and ask them to call their representative to speak out for reform.

Using our easy online tool, we’ll give you a list of friendly voters and tips on what to say. If we can help even a few of these folks call Rep. Cao’s office it could make a huge difference — so please take a few minutes and get started now.

Our online Neighbor-to-Neighbor tool makes calling quick and easy. Once you log in (it only takes a few seconds) you’ll get a list of like-minded voters in Rep. Cao’s district.\

Our message is simple: Rep. Cao can stand with Louisiana families and businesses by casting a key "yes" vote or continue on the path of bitter partisanship and suffer at the polls in November.

Today, OFA supporters across the country are calling voters in similar districts as part of our Final March for Reform. It’s not too late for Republican representatives to do the right thing for their districts and the nation — we only hope they’re willing to listen to their constituents.

After so many months of work, a final vote could come any day, and every vote in the House could tip the balance. Please don’t wait — call a few of these critical voters now:
http://my.barackobama.com/Day7

Thanks,
Mitch
Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

P.S. — Would you rather make these calls with other volunteers? This week, OFA supporters nationwide are hosting Final March for Reform events to reach out to voters in critical districts.

You can find one in your area here:

http://my.barackobama.com/Day7RSVP

 

 

A leading Democratic consultant who serves in an official capacity with the Democratic National Committee has come out in favor of primary challenges to Democratic lawmakers who help kill the president’s health care bill.

Donna Brazile, who is the Vice Chair of Voter Registration and Participation at the DNC and a top-ranking strategist within the party, said on Monday that Democrats who "decide to defeat" the health care bill "deserve to get a primary challenge" in future elections.

The one-time Al Gore presidential campaign manager told the Huffington Post that while at home in Louisiana she had "decided to stop pretending that I will go back to support anyone not backing health reform."

Brazile declined to elaborate, but made her view clear in a tweet she wrote shortly after President Barack Obama made an impassioned health care speech in Ohio on Monday.

DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan said that Brazile’s call to support primary candidates for Democrats who vote against health care was not committee policy. Indeed, as former DNC Chair Howard Dean noted to the Huffington Post, the committee is prohibited under its bylaws from "being involved in a primary challenge."

Nevertheless it is a telling illustration of just how high emotions are running in this crucial late-stage portion of the health care reform debate. Until now, the main voices calling for primaries for Democrats who withhold their support for reform have been progressive organization and union groups.

Brazile doesn’t carry the same type of threat as these institutions, both of which can rally supporters or funnel donations behind candidates. But to the extent that her remarks illustrate reluctance among those with close ties to the party to support candidates who oppose reform, they are foreboding. Though for Dean, they are no different than how emotions run in any big legislative battle.

Donna Brazile Urges Primaries For Dems Who Vote Against Health Care Reform