HEALTH CARE ROUND UP

White House Has Watch Dogs Barking As Health Care Continues To Be Negotiated Behind Closed Doors. When Barack Obama was running for president, he vowed to lead the most open and transparent government in history. Candidate Obama even promised to negotiate health care reform live on television. Then it came time to govern, and President Obama has negotiated major parts of the health care bill behind closed doors. Earlier this year, he announced deals his administration had cut with drug companies and hospitals after brokering them out of public view. And now his top lieutenants are working in secret with leading Democrats to craft the health care bill that will be debated on the Senate floor. Politico

Reid Caves To Liberals Via “Opt-Out”, Appears To Lack The Votes. With Republicans united for now in opposition to any bill including a public option, Mr. Reid needs support from all members of his caucus — 58 Democrats and two independents — to take up the legislation. Aides said Monday that he appeared to be short of that goal, lacking firm commitments from several members of the caucus. The New York Times

Controlling Costs, Something To Keep In Mind. … government insurance programs have historically cost more than planned. Medicare had modest cost expectations when it was created in 1965. It is now one of the biggest contributors to the federal budget deficit. The Wall Street Journal

Democrats Walk Back Their Own Measures For Cost Containment. Democrats have already significantly weakened major cost-containment provisions in the House and Senate bills. A proposal to end the tax-free treatment of employer-provided health benefits -- the most expensive loophole in the tax code -- has been scaled back in the Senate to become a tax only on the most expensive policies. And neither chamber has fully embraced an independent commission conceived to dilute Congress's powers to determine Medicare spending. The Washington Post

ECONOMY: Liberal Backed Legislation In Congress Is Slowing Economic Recovery

Stimulus Fails To Meet Administration’s Goals. Though the economy has returned to growth, it has still lost millions of jobs since February, despite the stimulus. Compounding the problem is criticism over the White House's assessment of economic conditions. White House officials said in January that the unemployment rate would climb from 7.2% at the end of 2008 to well above 8% without the stimulus. As the crisis dragged on, the White House eventually warned that unemployment could top 10%. As of September, it was 9.8%. The Wall Street Journal

The Recession Lingers As Businesses Are Slow To Hire And Unemployment Remains Near 10%. A recession is popularly defined as two or more consecutive quarters of negative economic growth, or declining output. But a more refined determination is made by the National Bureau of Economic Research, a private group of leading economists charged with dating the start and end of economic downturns. It not only looks at GDP but at employment levels, real personal income, industrial production and wholesale and retail sales. It put the start date at December 2007 and has not yet called an end. The Associated Press

Liberal Agenda In Congress Hurts Small Business, Slowing Economic Recovery. But a health-care overhaul grinding through Congress could bring unknown new obligations to insure employees. Bush-era tax cuts are set to end next year, and their fate is unclear. Legislation aimed at tackling climate change might raise businesses' energy costs. Meanwhile, a bill aimed at increasing transportation spending is stalled. Many companies say they have responded by freezing hiring, cutting benefits and delaying expansion plans. The Wall Street Journal

AFGHANISTAN: No Word From The White House On Afghanistan As Republicans Look To Members Who Served.

White House Looks At Small Number Scenarios In Afghanistan. It is still unclear what specific approach Obama is likely to endorse. The White House has not committed to McChrystal's troop request, or to his specific plan for countering the Taliban while protecting the Afghan people, said officials familiar with the discussions who spoke about them on condition of anonymity. The White House is considering other proposals that would send fewer troops, prioritize key population centers or emphasize training. But, the officials said, the alternative plans are fundamentally still counterinsurgency campaigns. The Los Angeles Times

Cohen: As The Administration Wavers, Britain Shows Resolve. When I asked if the mission needed substantially more troops, Miliband said, “What I think that you can see from the prime minister’s strategy is that we believe in serious counterinsurgency. Counterinsurgency is a counterterrorist strategy.” He continued: “The Taliban has shown what it means to provide safe space for Al Qaeda.” Describing the fights against the Taliban and Al Qaeda as “distinctive but related missions,” Miliband said “the badlands of Afghanistan and Pakistan are the incubator of choice for international terrorism,” adding that, “Ceding ground happened in the ’90s and then we all know what happened.” The New York Times

Meanwhile, Republican Military Veterans In The House Urge Support For Gen. McChrystal’s Assessment. … five years later and a freshman congressman from California, Hunter is in a much better position to have his voice heard. As an Iraq war veteran, he has been enlisted by the House Republican leadership to help make its case that President Barack Obama should support Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s request for more troops in Afghanistan — and do it soon. … But Hunter predicts that listening to McChrystal and Gen. David Petraeus can bring results. “It’s like having Belichick and Brady,” he said, referencing New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. “A dream team that can bring us a win in Afghanistan.” Politico

IN OTHER NEWS

• NYT: German Limits On War Are Facing Reality In Afghanistan
• Lowry: Public Option, If This Is Inevitable, What's A Heavy Lift?
• Sen. Coburn: Lessons For The White House From The Doctor Fix Debacle
• WSJ: 'NATO Has The Watches, We Have The Time'
• LAT: Keeping Our Allies On Our Side In Afghanistan
• Politico: Obama To Announce Smart Grid Plans
• Bloomberg: Deal-Breaker For Climate-Change Treaty May Be Obama’s Congress

THE SCHEDULE

• The House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour debate and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business. Last votes expected are at 3:00 p.m.
• The Senate will convene at 10:00 a.m. and begin a period of morning business. Thereafter, proceed to executive session to consider the nomination of Irene Berger, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of West Virginia