Harry's Revenge

++Using the new filibuster rules, Patricia Millet won confirmation to the D.C. Circuit Court by a 56 to 38 vote.

++Mel Watt passed a cloture vote. Dozens of Obama nominees were unanimously confirmed. 

++Harry Reid filed cloture motions on another 10 of Obama's judicial appointees.

++Harry Reid said he refused to extend the old Farm Bill. The House was trying to extend it until January 31 for fear of the increase in milk prices. Earlier this morning it was reported that the new Farm Bill would not have as severe cuts in the Food Stamp program.

++The new Volcker Rule has been adopted by regulators of financial institutions. This would prevent banks from engaging in high-risk trades.

++Bernie Sanders has filed a "Medicare for All" bill to bring a single-payer system of healthcare to the United States.

++The people or guy at ACASignups.net reports over 520,000 have signed up on the exchanges without counting California.

++The Right still pumps out wrong stories about Obamacare, doctors fleeing it,couples not being able to cover their child with cancer.

++BY the way, I had my annual checkup with no co-pay courtesy of Obamacare.

++Yesterday was the anniversary of the autobailout and the announcement the US would sell its last shares of GM. Final tally--2.6 million jobs saved,$284 billion in personal income added. Thanks Obama!

++John Podesta moves back into the White House. The previous weeks have seen the Pundit clamour for another Dave Gergen. I guess this is the Obama Administration's answer.

++HHS gave Iowa a waiver to implement their own Medicare expansion. HHS has been flexible in tailoring Medicaid to the state's needs and we expect Pennsylvania to follow suit. The expansion of Medicaid and the private exchanges are here to stay in any future form of ACA. Republicans here are beginning to murmur these might be good things.

++The Gillbrand Amendment on Sexual Abuse in the military has been jettisoned. The Defense Budget being offered is $552.1 billion of a total budget of $1 trillion. Eric Cantor is trying to amend it to attach more sanctions on Iran to appease BiBi.

++A BFD you might not be aware of is the Water Project agreement between Jordan, Palestine and Israel. By the happenstance of geography, water will play a key role in any peaceful settlement between Israel and Palestine. I have known  people who have worked on this issue for over twenty years. This is big.