Daily Democratic Wire 8-24-2009

George Wenschhof

President Barack Obama and family to enjoy quiet vacation at Martha's Vineyard - or so he hopes. Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton says don't expect any news this week as the President enjoys his first full week of vacation since taking office. However, the media will attempt to follow every move the family makes so look forward to daily photo ops of the First Family when they venture out from the Blue Heron Farm vacation compound. The Washington Post has more here.

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Only 43% of policy making jobs in Obama administration have been filled - perhaps the President should have taken some resumes of job seekers with him to Martha's Vineyard. These are 500 high level positions which require Senate confirmation. The NY Times has more here.

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Time to break up the big health insurance companies - studies show that in many locations across the country just a few insurance companies dominate the market. This leads to rising costs for the consumer. The "public option" inclusion in many of the health care reform bills circulating on the Hill is designed to create competition and lower premiums. If the public options fails, perhaps it is time to further regulate the insurance industry. MSNBC.com has more here.

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Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) points out the obvious on health care reform - it is not that the Republicans want a bipartisan bill - they don't want health care reform. Yesterday on NBC "Meet The Press", Schumer indicated the Democrats are prepared to go it alone with their 60 votes in the Senate if a bipartisan agreement is not reached soon. Politico.com has more here.

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Afghanistan situation deteriorating - Admiral Mike Mullen who is the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday on CNN "State of the Union" the security situation is worse now and the Taliban are using more sophisticated methods. Bloomberg.com has more here. Senator McCain (R-AZ) called for more U.S. troops. This is not good news as additional charges of a rigged national election abound in Afghanistan. The results of the election are expected to be released tomorrow.

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