PUNCHLINES

Everything is so cheap—it's all totally fine like it is, right? Over there, I mean. Why would you want to…do the…[garbled]."

-- Addict Reginald "Bones" Dillow in the "news" story, "Heroin Addicts Pressure President To Stay Course In Afghanistan."

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Page last updated: 8:50 a.m., November 20, 2009
60% say Palin not qual. for WH   |   3K Owens vote lead   |   10-pt. Cuomo lead over Rudy

8 a.m. ET: Cancel those weekend plans: You've now got a date Saturday night with health-care reform.

The Senate measure faces a key procedural vote Saturday evening, and Harry Reid is still working to assemble the requisite 60 votes. Politico says Reid and fellow Democrats "projected confidence they could clear the first hurdle for health reform." The Washington Post writes that "a tepid assessment of the public insurance plan he crafted emerged as the latest potential obstacle" to passage. USA Today notes that the public option in the Senate bill "would cover less than 1.5% of the population," raising questions about how much impact the provision will actually have, positive or negative.

The New York Times says that Reid has essentially taken "ownership" of the Senate bill, which, if it eventually becomes law, "would be the biggest accomplishment of his career. Should the bill fall victim to the complex political, procedural and substantive fights raging around health care, it would be a stinging defeat for him, his president and his party — all while he faces a tough re-election fight at home." Reid is courting moderates the old-fashioned way -- with cash. ABC News reports that the bill contains a provision, estimated to cost $100 million, that would boost Medicaid subsidies for "certain states recovering from a major disaster." Translation -- Louisiana, the home state of Mary Landrieu.

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WHAT'D THEY SAY?

I agree with almost nothing in what you said, and I think that almost nothing in what you said represents a fair and accurate perception of where this economy is today."

-- Tim Geithner, responding to criticism by Rep. Kevin Brady at a House hearing.

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