All Blog Posts from Political Hotsheet

Blue Dog Democrat Jim Matheson (D-Utah) told CBS News' John Dickerson that members of the moderate Democratic coalition are the "true Democrats because we wear that label even when it may actually effect us in a negative way in our elections," on "Washington Unplugged" Tuesday.

"At the end of the day if people want to question the Democratic credentials of the Blue Dogs," Matheson said, "I'll tell you what, by Blue Dogs running as Democrats we face a handicap in running in our districts. There are other people who by running as a Democrat they automatically win."

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As Congress prepares to pick up its heated health care debate next month, it appears dealmakers on both sides of the aisle may be double-crossing their negotiating partners.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), one of the few Republicans supposedly working on a bipartisan compromise for health care reform, upped the threshold this week for what he would consider a bill worth voting for.

At a town hall meeting Wednesday in Le Mars, Iowa, the Senate Finance Committee member said the soaring federal budget deficit "puts a stake in the heart" of the costly health care reform package Congress is considering, Bloomberg reports. Grassley reportedly said health care reform legislation will have to be scaled back if it is to pass in the current economic climate. He also said he may not vote for the bill unless he is guaranteed Iowa's hospitals will not be harmed by an agreement hospitals made with the Obama administration to lower their costs.

Grassley is one of six committee members (called the "gang of six") attempting to write a version of health care reform legislation that could garner some Republican support. He has, however, become increasingly critical of the reform proposals on the table. He and fellow gang of six Republican Sen. Mike Enzi have said they will not vote for a bill unless it wins the support of a number of Republicans -- which is very unlikely to happen.

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Moderate Democrats are at the epicenter of the controversy and anger over health care reform, and both Democrats and Republicans are attempting to control the situation.

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has created a memo detailing the negative impacts of health care reform in each Blue Dog district. The memo was distributed in an e-mail Monday, the newspaper Roll Call reports.

For instance, the memo claims that under the House Democrats' health care plan, hospitals in the fourth district (PDF) of Arkansas would see cuts in Medicare payments of at least $324.8 million. That district is represented by Mike Ross, chairman of the Blue Dogs' health care task force.

In his e-mail, Cantor encouraged his whip team to explain the "impact of a government takeover on (Blue Dog) districts and constituents," according to Roll Call.

Meanwhile, House Democrats have set up a "war room" to assist politicians put on the spot about health care at town halls, the Hill reported. The "war room," according to the Hill, is set up in House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's office and staffed around the clock to give Democrats immediate answers to policy questions.

The "war room" is just one of a series of steps taken recently by Democrats to more forcefully convey their message for health care reform. The White House, for instance, recently launched a "reality check" Web site to debunk health care myths. Addtionally, President Obama's political arm at the Democratic National Committee, Organizing for America, is asking supporters to visit their congressmen's offices in support of health care reform.

Liberal grassroots organizations are mobilizing their members to appeal to Congress to put its weeks-long vacation on hold until health care legislation is passed.

Just yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) dealt a serious setback to President Obama's desired timeline for health care reform, saying the full Senate would not vote on a health care bill until Congress returns from its August recess. Negotiations remained stalled in the House as well. The House is scheduled to break for recess on Aug. 1 while the Senate is scheduled to break on Aug. 8.

Today, the liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org and the liberal news Web site FireDogLake are handing petitions to Congress asking them to stay.

On July 22, FireDogLake launched a petition for the House to stay in session until it passes health care reform. Today they deliver it to Congress with at least 35,000 signatures.

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Republican Sen. Jim DeMint refused to back down from comments last week in which he said a White House defeat on health care reform would be President Obama's "Waterloo."

"If we're able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him," the South Carolina Republican was quoted last week as telling fellow conservatives.

Waterloo is a reference to French Emperor Napoleon's final defeat in 1815 at the hands of a British-led coalition, before finally being sent into permanent exile.

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The First Dog finally has a baseball card to call his own.

The White House released Bo Obama's official portrait and baseball card Friday, complete with fun facts.

The Portuguese water dog (who, according to the card, ironically cannot swim) was named after both the first lady's father, whose nickname was "Diddley," and the first daughters' cousins, who have both a cat named "Diddley" and another cat named "Bo."

Born in fall 2008, Bo was a gift from Senator Edward Kennedy and his wife. His favorite food is apparently "tomatoes – or toys," he enjoys running and "then napping near the Obama girls," and his hobbies include playing on the lawn and going for walks.

His goal while in the White House? "Make friends with foreign dognitaries."

UPDATE: Gawker discovers the shocking truth: Bo doesn't really eat tomatoes! (The claim was a joke tied to a comment President Obama made about the dog getting into the first family's vegetable garden. Tomatoes are actually poisonous for dogs.)

The entire first family came out to the South Lawn for the debut of their six-month old Portuguese Water Dog, Bo this afternoon.

Each of the family members took turns petting the black puppy with white paws.

"Here he is, the newest addition to the family," the president said in an introduction adding that "we all have to take turns walking the dog" – famous last words for parents of puppies.

Swarms of cameras and reporters anxiously awaiting Bo’s entrance.

"It is spectacular and well deserved," President Obama said of the press coverage the dog is getting, "he is a star, he has star quality."

Asked where Bo will be sleeping, the president said they have a couple of spots but "not in my bed,"

"We want to make sure that we are responsible dog owners and everyone else is too," the president also said.

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CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller takes a comical look at what an interview with the new White House puppy could look like.

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Bo, the new White House puppy, stayed indoors today, since there were thousands of people on the South Lawn for the Easter Egg Roll.

He’s still getting acclimated to his new home, and agreed to take a few questions in the family quarters of the White House.

Q. Let me start by asking you about your breeding, just what is a Portuguese Water Dog.

A. I’m not really sure.

Q. Well, do you like the water?

A. Not crazy about it, no.

Q. Are there American water dogs?

A. Actually, I consider myself more American than Portuguese.

Q. So how did you come to be picked by the First Family. Was there much of a vetting process?

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As media speculation about the breed and arrival date for the First Dog reaches a fever pitch, Greg Nelson, founder of Labradoodles For Obama anxiously awaits an official announcement.

Mr. Nelson, a marketing consultant by day, started the campaign for the Obama family to pick his breed of choice – a Labradoodle – about a week before the Inauguration.

The campaign’s founder says he never expected the type of attention his mission would garner.

“At no point did I expect for this to take on a life of its own,” Mr. Nelson told CBSNews.com. “The cause started as a fun way to get people energized around the inauguration.”

Eventually, he says, his campaign has adopted a mission of responsible ownership of man’s best friend.

The campaign website has seen as many as 2,500 hits a day and 5,000 people have voted in the online poll hosted on the site, he said. Eighty-nine percent, Mr. Nelson points out, chose a Labradoodle for the Obamas rather than a Portuguese water dog.

Mr. Nelson and his miniature Labradoodle, Arbo – who is the President of Labradoodles for Obama – live in what they claim is the “closest single family home to the White House on 16th Street.” He said he has set out large signs around his property which have added to his cause’s success.

Labradoodles for Obama has opened up its own store on CafePress and all proceeds are donated to The Washington Humane Society and Washington Animal Rescue League.

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The First Lady's press secretary Katie McCormick Lelyveld says "definitely not this week," when asked for guidance on the arrival of the Obama's family dog.

President Obama has said the First Family would get the dog "after I get back from the G20 summit."

He has said the family had already selected the dog it wants.

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