Daily Democratic Wire 3-8-2010

George Wenschhof



Today, President Barack Obama will travel to Philadelphia to promote health care reform - he will speak at Arcadia University. On Wednesday, he will travel to St. Louis to further promote the need to pass the health care bill. Politico.com has more here.

The House is poised to vote on the passed Senate health care bill on March 18. Stay Tuned...

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Iraqis vote in record numbers in spite of explosions - the outcome of the election will be known within days. One independent observer of the election remarked he felt the election had gone smoothly with a high degree of transparency. In many cases, results were posted at the close of voting on the doors outside the polling location.

Two political parties led by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Miliki and former interim leader Ayad Allawi appear to winning large number of seats in Iraq's Parliament. Sunnis also voted after sitting out the last election in protest. The NY Times has more here.

The next test for the country is how the Parliament comes together and whether or not splits along ethnic and sectarian lines transpire.

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Three Senators work to develop compromise on Climate bill - the cap-and-trade provisions passed in the House bill are what is holding up serious consideration in the Senate. Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) are writing compromise legislation. Kerry wants to rename the bill either "clean air bill" or "energy independence bill". TheHill.com has more here.

Do not look to see this bill introduced in the senate until after health care reform has been passed and signed into law by the President.

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