On Khalid Shaikh Mohammed’s Trial

I chimed in on today's Big Question on The Hill.

Where should the Obama administration move Khalid Shaikh Mohammed’s trial if it is not held in New York?

Khalid Shaikh Mohammed should face trial in New York City, where he murdered over 3,000 people. To say it's too "expensive" or "inconvenient" for the City to be a part of him getting justice is flabbergasting. Who do people think Mohammed is, Magneto from X-Men? Does anyone think he's really going to escape? Is it a remotely serious notion that his buddies will attempt to bust him out of prison? Try the coward downtown, stop pretending he's more powerful than he actually is, and bring him to justice in New York City.

On Democrats & Health Care Reform

I chimed in today for The Hill's Big Question.

Will Dems push ahead with healthcare reform?

I don't know if they will push forward with reform or not, but they certainly should. It's time for House Democrats to pass the Senate bill. Maybe they can add more reforms through budget reconciliation after, or maybe they can't. Either way, it's clear that the Senate bill is far better than the status quo. Failure to pass health care reform brings more than just electoral problems. We're talking about 30 million Americans who will finally gain access to health care because of this bill. Progressives need to hold their noses and vote for it. We don't have to lose this one.

On Joe Lieberman

I chimed in on The Hill's Big Question today.

How will Lieberman's stance on healthcare affect him politically?

Impact Joe Lieberman politically? This is a guy who hasn't behaved responsibly politically in years. Remember his incredibly sad, ill-manged 2004 Presidential campaign? Where, after the New Hampshire primary, he said one of my favorite quotes of that race, "We are in a three-way split decision for third place!" Remember when he bucked his party and ran for Senate as an independent after being defeated in the Democratic Senate primary? Or, that time he supported Republican John McCain for President over Barack Obama. That didn't make any sense politically either, but he did it. Now, Joe decides to completely reverse his views on the Medicare expansion, just to be a jerk. Lieberman constantly surprises me with his ability to avoid any and all consequences for his actions. Why should this move be any different.

The Hill: Big Question

I'm now part of The Hill's Big Question section, where they ask their pundits for opinions on topics throughout the week.

Friday's Big Question was: "What should President Obama be more concerned about: Passing healthcare reform, or improving the economy?"

My response:

It’s disingenuous to suggest that Obama can seriously improve the economy without real health care reform. Heath Care spending represents 17% of America’s GDP and that number is forecasted to grow to 20% by 2017. Too much of this money comes out of the pockets of individuals and small businesses. Anyone serious about trying to fix the economy in a long-term way has to look to serious health care reform as a major part of the solution.