by Mark Silva
President Barack Obama, delaying a 10-day trip to Asia by a day so that he can travel to Fort Hood, Texas, on Tuesday to take part in a memorial for those killed in the shooting spree there, also will be taking his time with a decision about the deployment of additional troops in Afghanistan.
But the president won't need much time at all, the White House says, to sign any worthy health-care bill that the Congress sends him by the year-end deadline that he has set.
On Tuesday, in Texas, Obama will meet with the families of the 13 killed in an alleged attack by an Army psychiatrist who faced deployment to Afghanistan, a major and a Muslim who is reported to have uttered that God is great before opening fire on fellow soldiers last week. Obama also plans to address the public memorial service.
The president also will hold another meeting in the White House Situation Room on Wednesday about the way forward for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, pushing back until Thursday his trip to Asia for a summit of Pacific-rim nations with stops in Japan, South Korea, China and Singapore.
As for any long-awaited announcement about the U.S. strategy and deployments, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said today, "it is doubtful that that it will happen prior to Thursday.''
How about during the president's trip to Asia?
"Not likely, I wouldn't think,'' Gibbs said, offering no other guidance "other than to characterize it as in the coming weeks.''
What about a Christmas deadline for a health-care bill signing, now that the House has passed one and the president is calling on the Senate to "pick up the baton?''
"Well, I can assure you, if we get a bill out of the Senate and the House somewhere around Christmas, the president won't take a lot of time in trying to sign....'' Gibbs said.
"We want to get health care done by the end of the year,'' he said. "If it gets to his desk, I can assure you there's not a huge amount of gap between when it gets here...
"Understand, if I say he's going to sign it, let's assume conference has happened, right? Let's assume we've got a bill that is ready for the president... We've been doing this for how many months?... And when we say the end of the year, we've got a pretty firm end-of-the-year deadline.''
That means getting a bill or signing one?
"How much clearer could I be?'' Gibbs replied. "Seriously, how much
clearer could I be? Do you think it's ambiguous?''
Comments
"White House: Health care by 'end of year"
In your face Repukelican Teabaggers and Health Insurance Lobbyists!
The people are speaking and you cretins lose again!
Posted by: former Republican | November 9, 2009 3:33 PM
Of course he will sign a 2000+ page bill without reading it. As for soldiers dying while he dithers, screw em, they are just a bunch of muslim hating bigots. We wouldn't want to place national security above diversity.
Posted by: Hans | November 9, 2009 3:36 PM
The Teabagger rally on Capitol Hill Saturday was made up almost exclusively of angry middle-aged-and-older white people.
That's why they call todays GOP - dinosaurs.
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http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7503
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http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2474/3759254171_744cf24fa9.jpg
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Posted by: Snoop Doug | November 9, 2009 3:49 PM
Of course he will sign a 2000+ page bill without reading it
Posted by: Hans | November 9, 2009 3:36 PM
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And you know this.....how?
Because Crazy Michelle Bachmann and Faux News told you so?
Posted by: ThepartyofOwe | November 9, 2009 4:25 PM
Liberals, I know you only are allowed to get your news from the STATE APPROVED NEWS SOURCES, so you don't know anything...Illegals will be covered under the bill. There is nothing in the bill that calls for documentation of US citizenship.
On Saturday, the rule was adopted on the House floor by a vote of 242 to 192. (Roll Call Vote 882). The adoption of the rule eliminated any chance that the House would consider any immigration related amendments to the bill. During debate on the bill, Rep. Nathan Deal stated the following: "make no mistake about it, illegal aliens will receive government-funded health care under this because all they are required to show is a Social Security number and a name. There is no way to prevent the same Social Security number from being used by numerous individuals, and there is no requirement that a picture ID be produced in order to prove that the person is in fact the name that appears on the Social Security card. If you think identity theft is a problem now, just wait until this bill passes." (Congressional Record, November 7, 2009, H12836). The House later passed H.R. 3962 - without any fixes to the immigration problems contained in the bill - by the slimmest of margins: a vote of 220 to 215.
Posted by: Gary | November 9, 2009 4:26 PM
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Liberals, I know you only are allowed to get your news from the STATE APPROVED NEWS SOURCES, so you don't know anything...Illegals will be covered under the bill. There is nothing in the bill that calls for documentation of US citizenship.
Posted by: Gary | November 9, 2009 4:26 PM
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Wingnuts - I know you only are allowed to get your news from the STATE APPROVED NEWS SOURCES (Fixed News Channel), so you don't know anything but illegalls aren't going to be covered by this bill unless you count "coverage" as meaning going to the Emergency room.
Quiting hating on brown people, Scary Gary.
Posted by: HHH | November 9, 2009 4:33 PM
Liberals, I know you only are allowed to get your news from the STATE APPROVED NEWS SOURCES
Ahhhh....another El Rushbo moonbat! Talking points...check!
Posted by: bill r. | November 9, 2009 4:44 PM
Loons, it is the Demoncraps who are not listening to the people, but they will hear the people loud and clear come November 2010.
Then the deck head says there may even be a decision on Afghanistan by the end of the year. By the end of the year?!?!? Barack Obimbo: Loser in Chief.
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | November 9, 2009 5:57 PM
To former Republican, grow up and stop the childish name calling.
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To Snoop Doug, grow up and stop the childish name calling. And using far left wing nutsack sites does not help you at all.
And the Tea Party last was put together in less then three days and near 20k showed up, not bad.
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To ThepartyofOwe, we know Obama and most of the Democrats will not read it because they did not read the stimulus bill. Just like with that bill the rushed it to a vote.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.)
“No, I don’t think anyone will have the chance to [read the entire bill],” Lautenberg told CNSNews.com.
When CNSNews.com asked members of both parties on Capitol Hill on Thursday whether they had read the full, final bill, not one member could say, "Yes."
Do you need more?
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There are 13 new taxes in HR 3962. So much for hope.
Posted by: Crooks_In_DC | November 9, 2009 7:03 PM
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
To ThepartyofOwe, we know Obama and most of the Democrats will not read it because they did not read the stimulus bill. Just like with that bill the rushed it to a vote.
There are 13 new taxes in HR 3962. So much for hope.
Posted by: Crooks_In_DC | November 9, 2009 7:03 PM
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Clown in DC
And you know this....how?
Because Druggy Rush told you so, right?
It's not our fault that you can't read. And by the way - we're still paying for the Bushco Republicans war in Iraq and tax cuts for billionaires.
Posted by: HHH | November 9, 2009 7:59 PM
OK HHH, show me were in the bill it states that illegals won't be covered and show how the government is going to verify that those applying for health care (remember you can't be excluded so you can wait until you need it to start paying) are citizens and show me where the bill sets up funding for verification. You can't because there are no provisions to verify citizenship, and the Hispanic caucus refused to support any language that would exclude illegals.
So stop lying and repeating the lie of Pelosi and Obama.
Posted by: Gary | November 9, 2009 8:51 PM
And HHH, you can't say that those who watch and listen to "alternative to the White House approved New Sources" watch STATE APPROVED NEWS SOURCES, you flatliner.
Now go watch the SOS from PMSNBC and CNN and stop trying to think, it's not good for you.
Posted by: Free to Watch Whatever I Want | November 9, 2009 9:07 PM
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And HHH, you can't say that those who watch and listen to "alternative to the White House approved New Sources" watch STATE APPROVED NEWS SOURCES, you flatliner.
Posted by: Free to Watch Whatever I Want | November 9, 2009 9:07 PM
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No, but I can say that you live in a delusional fantasy world with the rest of the Teabagger/Birther/Death Panel morons who make up Faux's viewing audience.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdHzWMPLiow
Posted by: HHH | November 9, 2009 10:12 PM
Scary Gary,
Why don't you show us where it DOES say that illegals are going to be covered by health care with this bill? Proof Gary, show us proof! And not just some crap that Joe "You Lie" Wilson said...
As much as you right wing racists hate it, we are not going to start making people show their birth certificates before they get treated at the Emergency Room.
Posted by: HHH | November 9, 2009 10:18 PM
Posted by: HHH | November 9, 2009 7:59 PM
Clown in DC
And you know this....how?
Because Druggy Rush told you so, right?
It's not our fault that you can't read. And by the way - we're still paying for the Bushco Republicans war in Iraq and tax cuts for billionaires.
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Once more with the childish name calling. Did you even read the post. Here try again but, this time read slower.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.)
“No, I don’t think anyone will have the chance to [read the entire bill],” Lautenberg told CNSNews.com.
When CNSNews.com asked members of both parties on Capitol Hill on Thursday whether they had read the full, final bill, not one member could say, "Yes."
HHH did you get that its from Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and CNSNews.com. Understand now. Who can't read?
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Posted by: Crooks_In_DC | November 9, 2009 11:31 PM
The announcement on Afghanistan will be made after Thursday, but not before the coming weeks......................... if at all.
Posted by: Count Dracula | November 9, 2009 11:39 PM
Loons, it is the Demoncraps who are not listening to the people, but they will hear the people loud and clear come November 2010.
Then the deck head says there may even be a decision on Afghanistan by the end of the year. By the end of the year?!?!? Barack Obimbo: Loser in Chief.
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | November 9, 2009 5:57 PM
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you right wingnuts are trippin on your own koolaid. Last week, 2 more democrats were elected to congress. what does that tell you ?
Posted by: writerofwrongs | November 10, 2009 9:38 AM
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you right wingnuts are trippin on your own koolaid. Last week, 2 more democrats were elected to congress. what does that tell you ?
Posted by: writerofwrongs | November 10, 2009 9:38 AM
That would tell me that the Democrats rule and the Republicans drool!!
Posted by: Libby Jimmie | November 10, 2009 4:55 PM
Posted by: writerofwrongs | November 10, 2009 9:38 AM
you right wingnuts are trippin on your own koolaid. Last week, 2 more democrats were elected to congress. what does that tell you ?
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One of the seats was in the democrats hands (CA) already. And the other is for one year at the most. So its just one seat but, who lost two state. And NJ to top it off a Democrat strong hold. I'll play Who's Crying Now for you in Nov 2010.
Posted by: Crooks_In_DC | November 10, 2009 9:37 PM