The "Girls Gone Wild" videos are a distressing metaphor for the health care legislation that was ramrodded through the Senate at 7 a.m. on Thursday. Senators — like the young women in the videos — really exposed themselves for what they are. ...more

December 27, 2009

Senate Democrats passed a landmark health care bill in a climactic Christmas Eve vote that could define President Barack Obama's legacy and usher in near-universal medical coverage for the first time in U.S. history. The 60-39 vote on a cold Christmas Eve morning capped months of arduous negotiations and 24 days of floor debate. It also followed a succession of failures by past congresses to get to this point. Vice President Joe Biden presided as 58 Democrats and two independents voted "yes." Republicans unanimously voted "no." ...more

December 24, 2009

The costs of health care reform being pushed through Congress by Democrats will be felt long before the benefits. ...more

December 24, 2009

Jobs trump airplane After reading the story, "Unequipped pest plane idle 6 years" (front page, Dec. 20), I started shaking my head in disbelief over our local government at work. All I can say is that I hope come mosquito season the overpriced 1979 King Air finally gets in the air and does the job it was meant to do in 2003, or I say let's go back to the trucks. It just might save a few county workers their jobs in 2010! ...more

December 24, 2009

Two down, one to go. President Barack Obama's health care overhaul cleared its second 60-vote test in the Senate early Tuesday morning - moving it a step closer to passage by Christmas. ...more

December 22, 2009

Senate Democrats won a crucial test vote on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, putting them on track for passage before Christmas of the historic legislation to remake the nation's medical system and cover 30 million uninsured. ...more

December 21, 2009

Democratic leaders secure the support of Sen. Ben Nelson to provide the 60th and deciding vote for sweeping health care legislation in the Senate, capping a year of struggle and a final burst of deadline bargaining on President Barack Obama's top domestic priority. ...more

December 19, 2009

Harry Reid can rightly claim to be making history. If he passes health care reform, he'll depend on a series of historic "firsts." It'd be the first time Congress had passed a major new entitlement program without bipartisan support; it'd be the first time it passed such a program without popular support; and the first time it passed such a program without knowing or particularly caring what's in it. ...more

December 19, 2009

We meltdown or wind down at 2009's end. We've hit speed bumps that annoy, even jolt, but lead to needed slowdowns and lifesaving stops in our personal and national lives. Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid said: "Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all the Republicans can come up with is, 'slow down, stop everything, let's start over.'" Reid intended to denounce, but let's ponder his unintended wisdom. ...more

December 17, 2009

Senate Republicans vowed Wednesday to use every available tactic to delay voting on the health care bill, as Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., scrambled to unify Democrats in support of the legislation. ...more

December 17, 2009