Better Donkey

Sen. Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, announced on Oct. 26 that he is moving forward with a plan for healthcare reform that includes a public option, and allows for states to opt-out of the public program if they choose.

The announcement means Reid is confident he would be able to garner the 60 votes necessary to block a filibuster against the healthcare bill. There are currently 60 Democrats in the Senate, and Reid would need every one of them to vote with him to pass the legislation.

The healthcare debate has been the main issue on Congress' agenda throughout the past year. And now that several proposals have passed the House and Senate committees, it will likely move to the floors of the House and Senate in the weeks ahead.

Photo (c) Office of Sen. Harry Reid

The Public Option Makes Progress originally appeared on About.com US Politics on Mon...

President Obama declared the H1N1 flu pandemic a national emergency in October 2009. The order means hospitals can now set up triage facilities and provides additional resources to handle the potential surge of patients.

The announcement came as many community facilities are being inundated with people seeking the H1N1 vaccine. There are fewer vaccine doses available around the country than originally anticipated. That means more people need to take other precautions against the swine flu, rather than assuming they will be vaccinated in time.

There's a lot of questions and a lot to learn about the flu pandemic, how to prevent it and what to do if you or a family member contracts it. These answers to frequently asked questions is a great place to start. You can also look at the federal government's flu headquarters, flu.gov.

H1N1: A National Emergency originally appeared o...

The Washington, D.C. City Council will begin hearings on Oct. 26 to consider a bill that would legalize same-sex marriages. If it passes, D.C. would join Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Iowa and Vermont in legalizing marriages between two men or two women. It is expected to pass the council, which is overwhelmingly Democratic.

Large groups of churchgoers have protested against the gay marriage bill. They are urging the Washington, D.C. Board of Election and Ethics to put the issue up for a public vote in November.

Because of Washington, D.C.'s unique standing, the issue could eventually be decided by the U.S. Congress. All D.C. legislation is reviewed by Congress, which can overturn the law within 30 days of its passage. But Congress did not intervene when the D.C. City Council voted earlier this year to recognize gay marriages performed in other states.

Same-sex marriage is one of several gay rights issues being discussed this yea...

The first Monday in October is the traditional opening of the new Supreme Court term. And Oct. 5, 2009 marked the start of Sonia Sotomayor's tenure on the court.

Sotomayor could be the first in a wave of new justices to join the court in the near future. Justice John Paul Stevens, age 89, has hired fewer law clerks than the other justices for next year, increasing speculation that he will retire after this year's session. And Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is battling pancreatic cancer, was hospitalized in late September for an iron deficiency.

If one or both justices retire, it will give President Obama a larger role in shaping the future of the court. But don't expect major rulings to be overturned. Ginsburg and Stevens are both reliable liberal votes, which means their replacements will not change the conservative majority rule. The five conservative justices are seen as less likely to retire in the near future.

This year's Supreme Court d...

President Obama took a risk, traveling to Copenhagen Oct. 2 and making the pitch for Chicago to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. He was the first American president to appeal directly to the International Olympic Committee for an American city to host the games. And just hours after Obama boarded Air Force One back to Washington, the IOC eliminated Chicago in the first round of voting.

Because the Olympic bid was for Obama's hometown, and because so many members of his inner circle were backing the effort, the selection of Rio de Janeiro over Chicago and the other two finalists - Madrid and Tokyo - is a  personal blow for the president. It immediately raises questions about his standing in the international community. Rio was considered the front runner heading into the final meeting, which only increased the pressure on Obama. If Chicago overtook Rio, it would have been Obama's victory.

But now Republicans and other Obama critics are likely to suggest he does...

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is moving forward with a presidential campaign, announcing major supporters and donors in a run for the 2012 Republican nomination. Pawlenty has said he will not seek a third term and he was one of the finalists to be John McCain's running mate last year.

Certainly Pawlenty does not have the name recognition of Mitt Romney, who came close to winning the 2008 Republican nomination, or Sarah Palin. But he will be an intriguing candidate. I watched Pawlenty speak in Washington, D.C. last summer, and came away impressed with his ability to deliver a new message to the GOP. He showed a real interest in moving the Republican Party beyond its natural base and out to a broader constituency. He speaks often of reaching out to what he calls "Sam's Club Republicans," working class moderates more in line with the Republican Party on fiscal issues but turned off by the party's conservative agenda.

Right now, he's trailing badly in the polls. Pawle...