The View From Here

What I'm reading today, 3/11

1. Robert Kaplan's piece in The Atlantic explores how the geography and culture of Afghanistan influence our military operations there.
2. An editorial in The New York Times  states that now is the time for President Obama to move the Isreali-Palestinian peace process forward.
3. The Eric Massa saga continues to provide plenty of Washington fodder.
4. Bill Gates is still rich, but no longer is he the richest man in the world.

What I'm eyeing today, 3/10

1. Karl Rove talks about his new book and Obama's first year in a Q&A with USA Today.  He'll join Tom Brokaw on MTP this Sunday.
2. The now eliminated Cornhusker kickback and Louisiana Purchase fueled GOP criticism of the healthcare bill.  But Kathleen Parker of The Washington Post writes that the legislation gives everyone a special deal.
3. Obama may find success in November by failing the least, writes Michael Hirsh in Newsweek. 
4. Thomas Friedman sees hope in Iraq.

What I'm reading today, 3/9

1. David Brooks writes that Democrats passion for health care reform has led to an imbalanced bill.  To fix health care, Brooks writes we need legislators who are "passionate about fiscal sanity."
2. What can Google tell us about the health care debate?  The Washington Post's Richard Cohen says the search engine doesn't give the whole story.
3. An editorial in the Los Angeles Times calls for the U.S. to stand back and give Iraqis control over their country.
4. Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY) is going out with guns blazing.  But as he slams Democratic leadership, is he becoming a hero to conservatives?
5. With "Hurt Locker" scoring the big win Sunday night, here is a look at what military bloggers are writing about the film's accuracy. 

This Sunday: Health care down the final stretch

Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told me she is confident health care reform will pass but would not commit on whether a final bill will be sent to the president before Congress' Easter recess.

The Congressional schedule plays an integral role in deciding policy, and if a bill is not passed by the end of the month, it will become even more difficult for the president to get it done.

"We'll have the votes when the leadership decides it's time to call for the vote," said Sebelius.

Obama seems aware that time is not on his side. On Wednesday he made what sounded to many like a final plea for a reform bill.  He said, "For us to start over now could simply lead to delay that could last for another decade...I believe the United States Congress owes the American people a final vote on health care reform."

Gaining much Republican support for reform seems unlikely as well.  Sebelius said many GOP ideas have been included in the bill but, "Those ideas still haven't produced Republican votes."

And it is not just Republicans who are voicing their opposition.  Democrat Bart Stupak says he has a coalition of legislators who will not vote for the bill unless the language about federally funded abortions is changed.

Sebelius was direct when I asked her about what the Senate bill states. "There is no federal money paying for abortions," she said.  The secretary called Stupak "misinformed" about the language in the Senate's legislation. 

And health care certainly wasn't the only issue the White House dealt with last week.  Violence in Iraq during the country's parliamentary election and ethics problems for several Democrats have caused even more concern about the majority party's chances in November.

Watch video from our roundtable discussion with Sen. Orrin Hatch, Harold Ford, E.J. Dionne and Rich Lowry.  Along with health care, we hit on Ford's decision not to run for Senate in New York and a controversial Power Point made by a member of the Republican National Committee.

Best reads on the Web this Friday

1. The director of the Office of Management and Budget and the president's health care czar penned an op-ed stating that fiscally responsible health care is doable.  But Charles Krauthammer writes that the bill will be an expensive failure.
2. Paul Krugman thinks Sen. Bunning's blockade this week proves that both parties live in two different universes.
3. The former prime minister of Iraq questions if the fragile democracy can survive this critical moment.
4. The Washington Post reports that the Obama administration is "nearing a recommendation that Khalid Sheik Mohammed...be prosecuted in a military tribunal."  Here is reaction from writers around the Web.

Lieberman, Bunning, and Palin - What I have my eye on, 3/4

1. Joe Lieberman introduces legislation to end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in the military.
2. EJ Dionne calls Republicans hypocrites for trying "to turn reconciliation into a four letter word" and accuses the GOP of misleading the public about the legislative process.
3. Embattled senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) defends his recent votes to withhold payment of federal unemployment benefits.
4. Is America in a throw-the-bums-out anti-incumbent mood?  The Wall Street Journal analyzes the differing fortunes of Charlie Crist and Rick Perry, and concludes that Americans are more anti-Washington than anti-incumbent.
5. Sarah Palin is pitching a television show to LA entertainment executives.

What I'm reading this Wednesday, 3/3

1. Ruth Marcus writes about how the House ethics committee "never fails to disappoint."
2. The spotlight has fallen on the president's chief of staff at the wrong time, writes the AP's Jennifer Loven.
3. The U.S. is facing a crisis that is not getting much attention, according to The New York Times' Thomas Friedman; technological innovation is no longer dependent on American talent.
4. Sen. Orrin Hatch's op-ed  in The Washington Post caught the eye of bloggers who say the piece was inaccurate.

What I'm reading today, 3/2

1. Reconciliation has been getting a lot of attention lately as a means to pass health care reform.  Slate takes a look at the math behind passing health care legislation.
2. Sen. Orrin Hatch writes that passing health care reform through reconciliation would "degrade our system of government." 
3. Harold Ford declares he will not run for Senate in New York because, "If I run, the likely result would be a brutal and highly negative Democratic primary - a primary where the winner emerges weakened and the Republican strengthened."
4. Sen. Jim Bunning is taking fire from all sides for blocking a bill that would continue benefits for government employees.   

This Sunday: What has changed in the health care debate?

There was no shortage of opinions and analysis from last week's health care summit, but the question I asked this Sunday was, "Has anything changed?"

The answer seems to be no.

Joining me this morning were two leaders from different sides of the debate - Republican Sen. John McCain and White House Health Reform Director Nancy-Ann DeParle.

McCain said a "fundamental problem" still exists between Republican's and Democrat's views of what health care reform should be.  He and Rep. Eric Cantor reiterated the GOP's call to start over, citing that the current bill was crafted in a partisan way and has been rejected by the American people.

But DeParle made clear that the White House has no intentions of starting from scratch and would not rule out the use of reconciliation to get the legislation passed.

McCain has been vocal in his opposition of passing health reform through reconciliation, saying the procedure that would prevent an attempted filibuster is not meant to pass such sweeping reform.  However, McCain has on nine occasions voted for bills that passed through reconciliation.

"Yes, I have voted for them, but I objected strenuously to us changing the rules of the Senate so that 51 votes would prevail," McCain told me.

That defense does not have much traction with Democrats who are quick to point out the parliamentary tactic has historically been used more frequently by Republicans. 

Whether it is through reconciliation or not, DeParle predicted Democrats "will have the votes to pass this in Congress."

More from McCain

Pundits have observed the Arizona senator has been shifting more conservative in the months leading up to his re-election bid.  One area of particular interest is the former POW's stance on Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

McCain has said he supports the law because that has been the recommendation of military leaders.  But with Adm. Mike Mullen and Gen. Colin Powell recently calling for an end to the policy, McCain has been under increased pressure to change his view.

But even with Powell and Mullen's comments, the senator has yet to change his mind about Don't Ask.  He told he me he would only be willing to change his view if a comprehensive study recommended an end to the policy.

For more from McCain and DeParle, plus an explosive roundtable with Reps. Eric Cantor and Debbie Wasserman Shultz, visit our Web site.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

What I'm reading this Friday

1. A lot has been written and said about yesterday's health care summit.  Here's a list of the major takeaways from the event.
2. A piece in The New Yorker examines the increasingly turbulent relationship between the Taliban and Pakistan.
3. Holding the KSM trial in NYC has caused some major debate.  A former judge has a solution in today's Washington Post - try the alleged 9/11 mastermind in DC.
4. It looks like NY Gov. David Paterson will not be campaigning anytime soon. The decision to drop out of the governor's race comes two days after The New York Times published a story questioning Paterson's intervention in a domestic abuse case involving one of his top aides.