August 5, 2009 – Capitol Hill Blue

Blackwater founder implicated in murder plots

August 5, 2009

Erik Prince, the fanatical right-wing founder of mercenary contractor Blackwater Worldwide, murdered at least one informant who cooperated with federal investigators probing the company’s illegal operations in Iraq and may have killed more, two former employees say.

The two former employees, one an ex-Marine, say Prince was guilty of many crimes while he ran the massive "security" company that murdered civilians in Iraq and lost its contract with the State Department because of that incident and other abuses.

Prince has resigned from the company,which now operates under a new name, Xe. Xe recently obtained contracts to guard American ships from piracy.

Government health plan would pay for abortions

August 5, 2009

Health care legislation before Congress would allow a new government-sponsored insurance plan to cover abortions, a decision that would affect millions of women and recast federal policy on the divisive issue.

Federal funds for abortions are now restricted to cases involving rape, incest or danger to the health of the mother. Abortion opponents say those restrictions should carry over to any health insurance sold through a new marketplace envisioned under the legislation, an exchange where people would choose private coverage or the public plan.

Abortion rights supporters say that would have the effect of denying coverage for abortion to millions of women who now have it through workplace insurance and are expected to join the exchange.

Insurers lay out cash to buy Congress

August 5, 2009

As the nation faces a political showdown over health-insurance reform, insurers worried that an overhaul could hurt their bottom line are funneling a wave of cash to members of Congress.

Health and accident insurers and HMOs have spent more than $40 million on current members of Congress over the past 10 years, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which analyzed Federal Election Commission data.

They’ve also spent an additional half-billion dollars lobbying during the decade.

Insurers ramped up their contributions in 2008 when health-care reform emerged as a major campaign issue. So far, the insurance industry has given $3.9 million this year.

The right turns to an old leftist tactic

August 5, 2009

One of the more obnoxious tactics of the left, especially the student left, during the 1960s and ’70s was to disrupt the meetings of those with whom they disagreed — on the war, race, feminism, whatever — until finally the targeted speaker gave up and left.

You would have hoped we had learned our lesson, but apparently not.

With funding and staff support from advocacy groups opposed to health-care reform in particular and the Obama administration in particular, organized groups have been showing up at congressional town-hall meetings held mostly by Democrats in favor of health-care reform.

Sotomayor headed for historic confirmation

August 5, 2009

Judge Sonia Sotomayor was expected to win Senate confirmation as early as Thursday as the first Hispanic US Supreme Court justice, in a major victory for President Barack Obama.

The 55-year-old appeals court judge was to become the third woman to sit on the bench that serves as the final arbiter of the US Constitution and is called upon to decide bitter feuds on volatile issues like gun rights and abortion.

Support from all of Obama’s Democratic allies and a handful of Republicans meant the outcome was never seriously in doubt — though the final days brought increasingly harsh debate over the place of race in the nomination.

Day: August 5, 2009

Blackwater founder implicated in murder plots

Government health plan would pay for abortions

Insurers lay out cash to buy Congress

The right turns to an old leftist tactic

Sotomayor headed for historic confirmation