Lanny Davis

Last week I argued in my column that, even though I strongly oppose the Stupak amendment because I am pro-choice, if things come down to a bad choice — a national healthcare bill with the Stupak language — or a worse choice — no healthcare bill at all this year — I would favor a vote for the Democratic healthcare plan this year, even with the offensive Stupak amendment.

I am a pro-choice liberal Democrat. I believe the Hyde Amendment, passed in 1977, which forbids the expenditure of federal tax dollars to fund abortions, directly or indirectly, is unfair and wrong. It discriminates against poor women. But it is passed every year, since it needs to be reauthorized each year as part of the appropriations process. I haven’t noticed the vocal opponents of Stupak-Hyde leading opposition each year to reauthorization of the Hyde Amendment.

With Tuesday night’s results in, and Democratic candidate Bill Owens defeating Conservative-Republican candidate Doug Hoffman in New York’s 23rd congressional district, I thought about the civil war within the Republican Party that preceded the election and will be further accelerated by the experience in this upstate New York conservative Republican district.

I remain surprised at the almost total silence by liberals about a common, uncomfortable fact of all the plans Democrats have introduced in both houses: that so few people will have true choices in purchasing a health insurance plan, and if there is a public option, that more than 150 million insured workers will not have access to it.

The national unemployment figure announced as of the end of September is bleak and distressing: 9.8 percent. Since the start of the recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed has more than doubled — an increase of 7.6 million, to 15.1 million people. If you take into account those who are unemployed but have stopped looking for jobs, the number is probably over 17 million.

Full disclosure: I used to represent Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) as an attorney regarding legal and media issues in the summer and fall of 2008. Once the following matter was referred to the House ethics committee, which began an investigation on Sept. 24, 2008, I discontinued my legal representation since I am not an expert on congressional ethics investigations.

I began my involvement in politics in the winter of 1967 in a snowy neighborhood in Nashua, N.H.

Note that the headline refers to a clash between the responsibilities of CIA Director Leon Panetta and those of Attorney General Eric Holder — not between their personalities.

After President Barack Obama’s speech, there was a lot of controversy about an offensive and obnoxious shout — “You lie!” — from Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.). And there were various Republicans and pundits who took to the cable programs to pronounce the verdict that the speech, as eloquent and passionate and well-delivered as it was, did not move anybody’s position.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) was established in 1949 — so it is about to celebrate its 60th anniversary. American taxpayers are contributing a lot of money to support UNRWA — to the tune of $148 million in 2008 alone. Since 1950, the U.S. has contributed more than $3.4 billion to UNRWA—the single largest monetary contributor to this U.N. organization.