Sept. 10, 2009

Obama at Congress:

U.S. President Barack Obama grabbed the rhetorical high ground on healthcare reform in his prime-time speech before a joint session of Congress.

Obama outlined what he wanted reform to cover -- insurance coverage availability for all Americans, slowing the increase in the cost of healthcare, patients not being dropped for pre-existing conditions -- but again left the legislative dirty work to Congress.

The Obama administration and its allies in Congress provided Obama with all the trappings to give the speech gravitas and visual power following a summer in which rancor was the rule with loud opposition to reform in town hall meetings followed by sagging poll support for the president. The ploy worked -- at least for the short term -- and Obama gave a strong performance.

Details, however, were again scant. He pointed out that several committees had moved on healthcare reform legislation but then set a ceiling of $900,000 and said any plan could not add to the budget deficit. But none of the Democratic plans on the table would cost less than $1 trillion and, the Congressional Budget office has said, would add substantially to the deficit. That would suggest there is a lot of congressional committee work ahead.

Obama's speech may rein in some public concern on healthcare reform but it will be the actions of Congress that will keep the speech from providing more than the expected bump in the polling data.

Republican outbursts:

The visuals were very striking -- Democrats fired up and enthused; Republicans dour.

That was to be expected but outbursts from the Republican side of the House of Representatives chamber further fueling partisan splits weren't. U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., became the poster child for the antis when he interrupted President Barack Obama's comment regarding illegal immigrants and health coverage by blurting out, "You lie."

Wilson later apologized but the televised perception to the U.S. public was made -- Republicans were the party of dissent and weren't going to be polite about it.

Republicans have complained they have been left out of the healthcare reform debate, alleging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi won't consider their ideas and pointing out that Obama hasn't invited the GOP congressional leadership for talks for months.

When the president said he was willing to listen to all ideas on reform, Republicans -- silently -- held up copies of their plans, which they claim have been ignored.

Obama started his speech with a call for "bickering" to end. His speech made it appear he was ready to move past that. Wilson's actions suggested the Republicans weren't. It is up to the GOP to prove that perception wrong.

Iran's nuclear program:

The United States continues to warn Iran may soon -- if it doesn't already -- have enough enriched uranium to produce a nuclear weapon.

Glyn Davies, the U.S. envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said, "We have serious concerns that Iran is deliberately attempting, at a minimum, to preserve a nuclear weapons option."

Davies spoke at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting Wednesday.

Iran called the U.S. allegations "false" and contends its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes; a stance many other countries doubt. The IAEA has said Tehran hasn't revealed all needed information about its program to prove Iran's stated position.

Western countries have offered Iran incentives in exchange for a suspension of nuclear enrichment work but Iran said such a program is within its sovereign rights.

Tehran has given the IAEA a new proposal regarding its nuclear program. Details haven't been released but the document is to be discussed this week. It is reported to be a terse 10 pages and ignores the IAEA's biggest questions..

Stabilizing U.S. economy:

All but one of the 12 regional banks of the U.S. Federal Reserve reported stable or rising economic data in their areas the last two months.

The analysis, issued Wednesday in the Fed's Beige Book, said only the St. Louis region didn't claim at least a "stabilizing" economy and there the word was "moderating." The conclusion is that the current recession may be ending.

However, the Fed pointed out that unemployment is likely to climb past the 10 percent level and the commercial real estate market is extremely soft while data released Thursday showed foreclosures in August were just below record levels suggesting the path to economic recovery could be long.

Ellen on 'American Idol':

Comedian and talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres was selected to take the fourth spot at the "American Idol" judges' desk.

DeGeneres made the announcement during taping of Thursday's installment of her syndicated talk show and said she'll represent the "people's point of view" when considering the relative talent levels of "Idol" contestants.

"American Idol" has been one of television's most viewed programs since its 2002 debut. DeGeneres joins Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson, who have been with the program since the beginning, and Kara DioGuardi, who was added to the panel last year, as judges.

She replaces Paula Abdul, who announced this summer she wasn't returning to "Idol." She, like Cowell and Jackson, had been around the competition since 2002.

The ninth edition of "American Idol" is to return to the Fox schedule early next year.