Tens of Thousands Tea Party Protesters March in Washington

(ABCnews).Thousands of conservative protesters from across the country converged on the Capitol Saturday morning to demonstrate against President Obama's proposals for health care reform and voicing opposition to big government, what they say is over-the-top spending.

Carrying signs depicting President Obama as Adolf Hitler and the Joker, and chanting slogans such as "'No big government" and "Obamacare makes me sick," approximately 60,000 to 70,000 people flooded Pennsylvania Ave, according to the Washington DC Fire Department.

Organized by FreedomWorks, a conservative activist group led by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, many of the protestors were affiliated with the Tea Party movement, grassroots demonstrations that began across the country last spring to protest Democratic tax policies, and government bailouts of the banking and auto industries.

"Mr. Obama, you try to instill socialism into this country. Our message to you is "No you can't," said Debby Dooley, a Georgia woman who riffed on Obama's "Yes We Can" campaign slogan.

Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., and Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., also spoke at the rally. DeMint said he'd had enough of "Alice in Wonderland" politicians promising more programs at the risk of financial disaster.

"The president has warned us if we disagree with him he's going to call us out," DeMint said. "Well, Mr. President, we are out."

You Lie.. We Pay.. Wilson winning.. Raises over $1 Million in 48 hours

(BenSmith-Politico). A source on Rep. Joe Wilson's campaign says his fundraising has broken $1 million -- and surpassed that of his Democratic rival, Rob Miller -- since his outburst of "You lie!" during President Obama's address to Congress Wednesday. The source said Wilson's current tally is $1,005,021 from 18,859 donations amid a high-profile campaign on the Drudge Report and elsewhere telling conservatives that Wilson is "under attack" for his willingness to take on Obama. Wilson, who initially apologized for his words, is now riding a reaction that has surpassed the liberal backlash to his words: Miller has raised less than $900,000, according to the Democratic fundraising site ActBlue -- though still more than enough to envigorate his challenge

23% say Obama's policies make Country less safe

As the country marks the eight-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Americans are giving the Obama administration a mixed report card on the issue of terrorism, according to a CBS News poll.

A quarter of Americans thinks the policies of the Obama administration have made the U.S. safer from terrorism, though nearly as many – 23 percent - think they have made the country less safe. Forty-two percent think the Obama administration's policies have made no difference.

Democrats are more inclined to think the policies of the Obama administration have made the country safer while Republicans are more likely to say they have made the country less safe, though a large number of both groups – as well as 44 percent of independents – think they have made no difference.

Americans Prefer Republicans for Combating Terrorism,Majority of independents favor GOP on the issue

(Gallup).Americans continue to give the Republican Party a slight edge over the Democratic Party -- 49% vs. 42% -- in their perceptions of the party that will better protect the United States from international terrorism and military threats. The Republicans' edge on this issue is unchanged from last year but has diminished from earlier in the decade.

Gallup instituted this question in September 2002, a year after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the United States. At that time, with President George W. Bush's approval rating approaching 70%, the Republicans had a substantial advantage over the Democrats as to which party would better protect the country from terrorism, 50% to 31%.

Since 9/11, the Republicans have led the Democrats in most yearly updates of the question on terrorism, with the exception of 2006-2007 (periods when Bush's approval rating was below 40%).

91 percent of Republicans say the Republican Party will do a better job of protecting the country from terrorism.Independents choose the Republicans by a wide margin, 52% vs. 31%.

GOP base fired up - "Joe Wilson is under attack" - Wilson raises more than $200,000 after outburst

(CNN) — Less than a day after Rep. Joe Wilson formally apologized to President Obama over his "you lie" outburst, a campaign aide confirms to CNN the South Carolina Republican has raised "more than $200,000″ in the wake of the now-infamous moment.

News of that cash haul comes after Wilson directly asked in a Web video for campaign cash to fend off attacks from political opponents and said he's standing by his opposition to Democratic efforts at health care reform.



"On these issues, I will not be muzzled, I will speak up and speak loudly against this risky plan," Wilson said in a YouTube video released Thursday evening. "The supporters of the government takeover of health care and the liberals who want to give health care to illegals are using my opposition as an excuse to distract from the critical questions being raised about this poorly conceived plan."

The congressman disbursed the video via Twitter and asked his followers to "please watch and pass on."

"[Democrats] want to silence anyone who speaks out against it," Wilson also says in the video. "They made it clear they want to defeat me and pass the plan. I need your help now… contribute to my effort to defeat the proponents of government-run health care."

Wilson also sent a fundraising appeal via e-mail, saying he is confident "my voice is serving as the voice for Americans across the country who are tired of irresponsible government programs that have only worsened our situation."

Sabato Predicts Sizeable 30 seat GOP Gains in 2010

(Newsmax).Larry J. Sabato’s Crystal Ball published today its initial U.S. House race rankings, detailing district-by-district the likely outcome of the 2010 midterm elections. In a preliminary projection, the Crystal Ball predicts the Republican Party will pick up between 20 and 30 seats in that election, a sizeable gain, but insufficient to retake the majority.

The Crystal Ball reached this conclusion after intense analysis of all 435 U.S. House districts, rating each race on a scale ranging from “Safe Democratic” to “Safe Republican.” The full article can be read here: http://bit.ly/HouseRatings

In 2006, the most recent midterm election, the Crystal Ball predicted that Democrats would pick up 29 seats, the exact number of their actual gain on Election Day. The Crystal Ball was the only publication to correctly predict the pick-up, leading the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism to label the Crystal Ball as the most accurate political website in the nation. Over its lifetime, Sabato’s Crystal Ball has a 98% accuracy rate in predicting U.S. House races, which is unrivaled among political prognosticators.

The Crystal Ball’s race ratings also identify 13 “toss-up” races which will likely be the most fiercely contested in the country: AL-2, ID-1, IL-10, MD-1, MS-1, NH-1, NM-2, NY-29, OH-1, OH-15, PA-6, PA-7, and VA-5. The complete ratings chart, with all 104 competitive races, is available here: http://bit.ly/HouseChart

Larry J. Sabato says, “In 2010, a Republican wave may well eliminate many of the Democratic gains in 2006 and 2008. This explains why the Obama administration is pushing as hard as it is to accomplish healthcare reform and other major goals before the 2010 midterm election. If the economy comes back strongly and President Obama’s approval ratings begin to rise substantially before November 2010, the current Republican tide may recede a bit, enabling some of today’s tenuous Democratic House incumbents to hold on.”

Crystal Ball House Race Editor Isaac Wood adds, “The upcoming midterm election looks to be a reversal of recent Democratic gains, potentially in a big way. In spite of all their optimism, however, Republicans will probably fall short of the crucial 40-seat pick-up they need to retake the majority.”

Romney: Obama claim he pulled Economy from the brink, like the kid who thinks he's responsible for sun rising in the am"

Listen to Mitt Romney on Hannity radio show - On Obama Fantasy Care

Rove: Obama Speech Was "Bitterly Partisan"

Flashback: Democrats Boo Bush At 2005 State Of The Union

YES YOU LIE!! FACT CHECK: Obama uses iffy math on deficit pledge

via Yahoonews-AP:
*OBAMA: "I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits either now or in the future. Period."

THE FACTS: Though there's no final plan yet, the White House and congressional Democrats already have shown they're ready to skirt the no-new-deficits pledge.

House Democrats offered a bill that the Congressional Budget Office said would add $220 billion to the deficit over 10 years. But Democrats and Obama administration officials claimed the bill actually was deficit-neutral. They said they simply didn't have to count $245 billion of it — the cost of adjusting Medicare reimbursement rates so physicians don't face big annual pay cuts.

Their reasoning was that they already had decided to exempt this "doc fix" from congressional rules that require new programs to be paid for. In other words, it doesn't have to be paid for because they decided it doesn't have to be paid for.

*OBAMA: "Don't pay attention to those scary stories about how your benefits will be cut. ... That will never happen on my watch. I will protect Medicare."

THE FACTS: Obama and congressional Democrats want to pay for their health care plans in part by reducing Medicare payments to providers by more than $500 billion over 10 years. The cuts would largely hit hospitals and Medicare Advantage, the part of the Medicare program operated through private insurance companies.

Although wasteful spending in Medicare is widely acknowledged, many experts believe some seniors almost certainly would see reduced benefits from the cuts. That's particularly true for the 25 percent of Medicare users covered through Medicare Advantage.

*OBAMA: "There are now more than 30 million American citizens who cannot get coverage."

THE FACTS: Obama time and again has referred to the number of uninsured as 46 million, a figure based on year-old Census data. The new number is based on an analysis by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, which concluded that about two-thirds of Americans without insurance are poor or near poor. "These individuals are less likely to be offered employer-sponsored coverage or to be able to afford to purchase their own coverage," the report said. By using the new figure, Obama avoids criticism that he is including individuals, particularly healthy young people, who choose not to obtain health insurance.

Wilson apologizes: 'I let my emotions get the best of me'

(CNN) — GOP Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina issued a statement Wednesday night apologizing for his outburst during President Obama's speech to Congress:

“This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the President’s remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill. While I disagree with the President’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the President for this lack of civility.”

Is Hillary stepping down to Run for NY Governor?

(weeklystandard).The boss hears from two sources that Hillary Clinton is considering stepping down as Secretary of State this fall in order to run for Governor of New York.

John Mccain pays back a defense to Obama for mentioning his name 2 times in Speech

Appearing on CNN following President Obama's speech to Congress Wednesday night, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) lashed out at a member of his own party for interrupting the president's speech.

Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst - the South Carolina Republican shouted "lie" after Obama claimed his reform plans would not fund health care for illegal immigrants - was "totally disrespectful," McCain told CNN's Larry King."No place for it in that setting or any other, and he should apologize for it immediately," McCain said.

Rep. Boustany Delivers Republican response to Health Care Address

"Our country is facing many challenges. The cost of health care is rising. Federal spending is soaring. Were piling huge debt on our children. And families and small businesses are struggling through a jobless recovery, with more than 2.4 million private-sector jobs lost since February. Its clear the American people want health care reform, but they want their elected leaders to get it right".

"I read the bill Democrats passed through committee in July. It creates 53 new government bureaucracies, adds hundreds of billions to our national debt, and raises taxes on job-creators by $600 billion. And, it cuts Medicare by $500 billion, while doing virtually nothing to make the program better for our seniors. The President had a chance tonight to take government-run health care off the table. Unfortunately, he didnt do it".

Obama says "Time for bickering is over" in Partisan Speech to Congress - "The only full, formal definition of liberalism"(Maddow-MSNBC)

President Obama outlined his vision of a 10-year, $900 billion health care plan on Wednesday, challenging Republican critics to drop their "bogus claims" about his proposals and help address the problems of rising medical costs and Americans who lack insurance.

"The time for bickering is over," Obama said. "The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action."

"There are now more than thirty million American citizens who cannot get coverage.” Obama went on to claim, While at a presser in Mexico,on 8/10/09 he claimed: “We've got 46-47 million people without health insurance in our country.”

Obama attacked "bogus claims" made about his plan. Calls the allegations of "death panels" nothing more than "a lie, plain and simple." Says it is "false" to claim his plan would provide insurance for illegal immigrants, or would create a "government takeover" of the health care system.

Obama addressed another touchy issue: How to pay for his plan. He pledged not to add a single pennyto the deficit. Says he will seek spending cuts in other areas if his health care plan doesn't realize projected savings. That includes saving waste and inefficiency in Medicare, Assures seniors their Medicare benefits will not be cut, attributing "scary stories" from those who "have fought against Medicare in the past, and just this year supported a budget that would have essentially turned Medicare into a privatized voucher program."

The bottom line financially: Around $900 billion over 10 years -- "less than we have spent on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and less than the tax cuts for the wealthiest few Americans that Congress passed at the beginning of the previous administration."

Obama pledges to work with Republicans -- but also issues them a warning: "I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it's better politics to kill this plan than improve it ... If you misrepresent what's in the plan, we will call you out. And I will not accept the status quo as a solution. Not this time. Not now."

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

‘You Lie!’: Loud Shout From GOP Rep. Wilson Interrupts Obama Point in Address to Congress

South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson shouted "You lie!" after Obama had talked about illegal immigrants.

It wasn't the only interruption during Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress in the House of Representatives. Earlier, Republicans laughed when Obama acknowledged that there are still significant details to be worked out before a health overhaul can be passed.

Wilson's outburst caused Obama to pause briefly before he went on with his speech. Overhead in the visitors' gallery, first Lady Michelle Obama shook her head from side to side.

Drudge/ WHIP COUNT: DEMS LACK THE VOTES - 44 democrats oppose bill, 57 liberal Dems oppose without Public option

(Drudgereport).At least 44 more moderate Members of the Democrat Caucus have gone on the record in opposition to the current health care bill in the House, a Hill source claims. Likewise, at least 57 liberal Members of the Democrat Caucus have gone on the record saying they will vote against a health care bill without a strong public option.

Unless multiple Democrats flip on their stated position on health care, Speaker Pelosi lacks the votes to pass a bill through the House on the strength of Democrat votes alone.

read here more....

Obama disapproval on health care up to 52 percent

(AP).An Associated Press-GfK poll says that public disapproval of President Barack Obama's handling of health care has jumped to 52 percent.

The same survey shows that 49 percent now disapprove of his overall performance as president. In July, just 42 percent disapproved of how he was handling his job.

The poll was released hours before a nationally televised speech before Congress in which the president plans to make a renewed case for overhauling the nation's health care system. The survey, conducted Sept. 3-8, underscores how the political climate shifted against Obama during the summer.

Dan Burton On The Senate Floor Hits Obama For His Appointee Van Jones

23 Dems have said they will vote ‘no’ on healthcare reform

(The HILL).At least 23 House Democrats already have told constituents or hometown media that they oppose the massive healthcare overhaul touted by President Barack Obama.

If Republicans offer the blanket opposition they’ve promised, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) can afford to lose only 38 members of her 256-member caucus and still pass the bill.

Most Democrats opposed to healthcare reform argue it costs too much, imposes a new tax and fines businesses that don’t provide insurance to employees. Some fear that the bill would subsidize abortion.

Many other Democratic members, including those berated by protesters at raucous town hall meetings in August, are still undecided.

Voting against a president from your own party is starkly different from defying a Speaker or a committee chairman, and Obama is stepping up his involvement, starting with a speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night.

Newt: Obama's speech will give him 3 days

(GOP12).Newt Gingrich tells National Public Radio's, Renee Montagne, how much time Barack Obama will buy himself with a good speech tomorrow.

I think that he's going to discover, as Bill Clinton did, that a really good speech gives him about three days.

It literally took about four days for the Clinton joint session address to disappear, because people said no. They looked at — they said nice speech; really well delivered; articulate guy. And then he said, "What do you think about the policy?"

They said, "No. We're against it."

How Republicans will respond

(POLITICO 44).Looking to score points in the immediate aftermath of President Barack Obama’s speech Wednesday, Republicans have readied a response strategy that they hope will steal some of the president’s thunder.

Republicans are prepared to take on the president following the speech no matter what he unveils Wednesday night and will attack Obama for supporting a public option even if he backs off from such a program in his speech.

“Even if Obama says that he doesn’t support a public option, Republicans still expect him to work towards one, whether in the form of [an insurance] co-op or through another way, and we will continue to hit him on it,” a Republican National Committee official told POLITICO.

The Republicans also are pushing hard to frame the Obama’s speech in the hours leading up to its delivery.

Tuesday night, RNC Chairman Michael Steele kicked off a series of national and regional television and radio interviews with an appearance on Fox News host Sean Hannity’s show, criticizing the president’s anticipated remarks.

Steele also has an op-ed in POLITICO Wednesday accusing the president of not being “serious” on health care reform, in which he jokingly writes that Obama will tell Americans “that if you like your current health care plan you can keep it, that no one will interfere with the doctor patient relationship, there will be no threat of rationing care for seniors, there will be no cuts to Medicare, the Cubs will win the World Series and gravity is no longer a factor.”

Conservative opponents of health reform dominated the month of August, showing up at congressional town halls to criticize the Democratic plans as a big-government solution to the health care. The White House tried to strike back at some of the criticisms – labeling GOP talk of “death panels” and coverage of illegal immigrants as outright falsehoods – and in the op-ed, Steele steers clear of some of the more incendiary language used by conservative supporters.

On Thursday, Steele will counter the president with appearances on CNN’s “Situation Room,” Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” and Florida television stations where the RNC is pushing its so-called “seniors’ bill of rights.”.

The RNC will also live-blog the speech, which House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced Tuesday will be rebutted by Louisiana Rep. Charles Boustany, a career thoracic surgeon

Obama gets praised for School speech: "Quitting in School Is Quitting on America".

"We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country."

(Newsmax).In a pep talk that kept clear of politics, President Barack Obama on Tuesday challenged the nation's students to take pride and ownership in their education — and stick with it even if they don't like every class or must overcome tough circumstances at home.

"Every single one of you has something that you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer," Obama told students at Wakefield High School in Washington and children watching his speech on television in schools across the country. "And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is."

Obama preceded his broad-scale talk with a meeting with Wakefield students, where at one point he advised them to "be careful what you post on Facebook. Whatever you do, it will be pulled up later in your life."

"When I was your age," Obama said, "I was a little bit of a goof-off. My main goal was to get on the varsity basketball team and have fun."

*Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich defended President Barack Obama’s speech to school children Tuesday, urging “every child” to read the remarks.

“President Reagan did it, President George H.W. Bush did it,” he said. “I read the speech yesterday when it was posted and I think the White House was smart to post it.”

“It’s a good speech,” Gingrich added. “I recommend it to everybody if you have any doubts. I would love to have every child in America read it, think about it, and learn that they should stay in school and they should study.”

“If he can give a speech tomorrow night in the tone of his speech to the students, this country would be much better off,” Gingrich said.

* U.S. Senate candidate Pat Toomey called President Obama’s speech today to school children in Arlington, Virginia “an inspiring and moving speech for students across America.”

“Education is the cornerstone of our country’s future,” Mr. Toomey said, “and it is important that we relay that message to our young students. The President’s emphasis on responsibility and the personal stories about his own education are exactly the kind of inspiring messages our children need to hear from our country’s leaders.”

Hardball: Odds Improving For GOP Takeover Of The House

Per Online traders - a 30% chance that the GOP will take over control of the House in 2010

Watch Chris Matthews on hardball

Obama's tactic: Just One more Speech and it will be Done

"The President has a big megaphone, and he intends to use that megaphone,"(David Axelrod) .

(news.yahoo.-Time).This is what Barack Obama does. Back him into a corner, get the press all wee-weed up, send his polls ratings plummeting and the aging basketball player responds again and again with the same move: he delivers a major speech. And why not? It keeps working. It's the thing that first introduced him to the nation, at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. It is what extricated him from the Jeremiah Wright mess during the campaign. It has become the central method of his foreign policy push, in Prague, Cairo, Moscow and Accra.

It's also been the method of choice in his push for health-care reform. In just the last two months, he has held six health-care town halls and a prime-time news conference. But public support for his plans has been declining through the summer. So the answer, he believes, is one more speech, Wednesday night in front of a joint session of Congress.

So Obama will take his case for health-care reform directly to the American people - again - and compete head-to-head with the 8 p.m. season premiere of America's Next Top Model. The speech is less a recalibration of his health-care effort than a restatement of purpose. Aides caution that he will neither demand a so-called public-health-insurance option nor abandon his desire to see one achieved. He will not give up his quest for a bipartisan compromise in the Senate, nor will he vow to abandon the possible use of parliamentary procedures that would allow Democrats to pass major portions of reform with just 51 Senate votes.

He will make clear, as he has before, that the time for action is now. On Monday, at a fiery Labor Day rally in Cincinnati, Ohio, Obama offered a sneak peek. "Debate is good, because we have to get this right," he told the crowd. "But in every debate there comes a time to decide, a time to act. And Ohio, that time is now."

Obama's mission, when he takes the podium in the House, flanked by his Vice President and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will be less about forcing the hand of Congress than re-energizing public support for reform, something that is essential for members of Congress to feel they have the cover to vote yes.

It's the kind of message Obama has delivered many times before - as a state legislator from Chicago, as an embattled presidential candidate and as a victorious newly elected President. The question this time is: Will sweeping oratory still carry the day?.