Unless some backroom deals are made with Lieberman, which is a possibility, the trigger will be the only chance to pick up Snowe (thus offsetting Lieberman) then possibly get the other 3 on board.

I'm fine with that as long as this bill actually can reduce costs and increase coverage. If it doesn't, then they won't have a leg to stand on when we have to add more to the system like a public option.

I can hear the talking points now..."you said this bill would reduce costs and it didn't, now you say that this public option will...it won't."

I don't see the reason of even giving her more attention. You posted a few things that show "bloopers" but none of those are major nor would anyone but left political junkies care about them.

She's not going to succumb to anything on the left says because it's all about her ego. Nothing anyone has said about her so far has really had a dent. Her fervent supporters will ignore anything negative about her and none of them are ever going to vote Democrat even if they did.

In short, she's won, well as much as she can. She's won is the ability to influence the already ignorant masses that think she's the best thing ever to grace politics and she believes it too. You aren't going to make a dent in that with anything you write for the left.

So why fight a fight you can't win? She's already shown the ability to effectively blame everyone else for whatever problem is brought up. I see no point in continuing on with this Palin obsession. Seriously, ignore her. The left will have no effect on her ambition but when someone like David Brooks calls her "a joke", it's clear the right will. She won't get the nomination for the GOP in 2012. No serious Republican will let that happen nor does she have the support she thinks she has. But what we do is just keep wasting our time thinking we are "proving" how inept and egotistical she is to people that care. Everyone has basically made up their mind about her already.

I agree that leaving Defense out is ridiculous but we have to start somewhere and I do believe that defense will get cuts in the future.

You simply cannot spend indefinitely and when a crisis happens, we can't just keep adding on to the deficit. It's not sustainable.

This is a good plan and shows the long-term thinking that the Obama administration does. You seem to be on the opposite side of spending but on the same short-term vision for the future. They don't have to implement any plan to cut 5%, but they will have one. That to me is something we need to have more of in budget planning from the White House.

Cutting down on government spending must happen at some level and using the recession as an excuse to continue spending money we don't have isn't going to bode well for the future. If things are bad Obama isn't going to cut spending, but what if they are good? He will and that is the right thing to do.

Politico reported that he was released from his contract, which wasn't up till 2011? Or is that when you want to quit without issue?

Again, a beautifully crafted rant which will influence no one.

Your post is why no one listens to most "critics" of the President seriously.

If you don't know why, then you really should try and figure it out. Your lack of understanding what America stands for and how that relates to Muslims might be a good place to start.

There must be a solution in Afghanistan. Of course this solution is not entirely military, something must be done and military involvement is a key component of that.

While a lot of people think we should just leave, I firmly believe this is the wrong approach. Failed states need international attention and while I believe something has to be done, I don't believe that America is the only state to do something. We need much more international support in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, and Ethiopia.

I know the President realizes this, but I think before other states would be willing to commit more resources, there has to be some progress. I think he completely understands this and why he's taken the time he has. This is not just a no troops/more troops issue. We should easily see that from history.

"I don't understand why the President took so long to do what the General asked him months ago. The whole time our young men and women have been dying because President Obama couldn't make the hard decision. His dithering cost American lives."

Anyone want to take bets?