Daschle: Conservative Pundits Not Serving The Public

By Brandon Kosters - Talk Radio News Service

Former Democratic Senator Tom Daschle (S.D) hit back at Republican criticism over the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) today, which according to Daschle has large support from U.S. military.

Daschle called on the Senate to quickly ratify the treaty, and added that will improve the nation’s level of national security by allowing the U.S. to continue monitoring weapon development in Russia.

He blasted conservative political commentators who are opposed to the treaty, such as Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, and Rush Limbaugh. Daschle said that if they are motivated by “a concerted to effort to cause the President of the United States to fail…[then] they are not public servants.”

Former Senate Majority Leader Frustrated By Pace Of Climate Policy

Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) stated Friday that he is frustrated by the pace at which climate policy is developing in the U.S.

“It’s fairly clear at this point that we’re not going to be in a position to make a significant, new legislative achievement between now and the time of the Copenhagen meeting,” said Daschle during a telephone briefing with reporters, referencing December’s United Nation’s climate change conference.

“Time is wasting, work needs to be done,” he added.

Daschle acknowledged that health care reform has monopolized a great deal of Congress’ time, but expressed hope that after work on the issue is completed, legislators will give greater focus to climate change legislation.

“As we go forward, this will become more and more central,” said Daschle. “The House has acted, and there’s every expectation the Senate will as well.”

The American Clean Energy and Security Act passed through the House in June. The Senate moved the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, sponsored by Senators John Kerry and Barbara Boxer, through the Environment and Public Works Committee in early November.

Baby Boomers Hit Retirement Age

By Courtney Costello- Talk Radio News Service

Volunteers of America hosted a discussion today on the baby boomer generation’s affect on the future of health care and Social Security.

America is at a turning point, where the oldest baby boomers will be 65 in the next two years. By 2030 there will be an estimated 71 million seniors in comparison to the current 37 million seniors, said Donna Brazile, Democratic political strategist and moderator at the discussion.

Baby Boomers were born between the years 1946 to 1964 and it is estimated that there were 77 million babies born within these years.
.
Said Brazile, “We have to re-think the way that we deliver care for our nation’s older Americans in the future.”

Tom Daschle, former Senate Majority Leader, said, “Clearly cost is an issue that we have to address...we also need to bring everyone under the system resulting in coverage for all... many Americans are underinsured [and] 48% of the people who have insurance don’t have the care they need today.”

Today, one of the biggest health concerns for seniors in this country is Alzheimer’s, and with more research, more positive outcomes can be expected.

“If you could imagine a world without Alzheimer's by 2030, you have changed for probably half the baby boomers the trajectory of their life, and you have changed for their children a great deal of the trajectory of their lives,” said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

On the issue of the future of Social Security, author and anthropologist Mary Catherine Bateson said, “trust in the system is urgent to reassure people that social security will be there.”

“The earlier we find a way to migrate towards some kind of compound [social security] interest model, where you know what you have invested, and you get back the compound interest effect for 50-55 years of work...remember people will work longer in the next generation, not shorter.” said Gingrich.

85 % of Americans expect long term care to be a part of health care reform... It requires Presidential leadership, said the panel.

Today At TRNS

White House Correspondent Victoria Jones will be attending a White House briefing with Robert Gibbs.

Legal Affairs Correspondent Jay Goodman Tamboli is covering the release of opinions at the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Washington Bureau will be covering the following events:

-A panel with former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga), former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), Mary Catherine Bateson and Chuck Gould of Volunteers of America; and political strategist Donna Brazile on "Boomer Bust: From Greatest Generation to Crisis Generation".

- A discussion on "Political Developments Since the Surge" with Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Rafi Al-Issawi.

-A conservative leadership seminar with Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.), former U.S. Treasurer Bay Buchanan, and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Liz Cheney.

-A briefing to introduce a report on the "Ocean and the U.S. Economy" with Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.) in recognition of Capitol Hill Ocean Week.

Healthcare Experts: Insurance Competition Healthy

By Aaron Richardson-Talk Radio News Service

Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and Joseph Levitt, former Secretary U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, spoke to reporters today at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Both answered questions from the press on why they thought U.S. healthcare reform is needed and purposed strategies on how to make it a reality. “(The U.S. has) not succeeded in the past in part because we (Congress) has failed to come together and reach the common ground to do something,” Daschle said.

With the November election of Barak Obama as U.S. President and so many Americans unable to access healthcare there is a new diligence to come to some type of agreement on how to alleviate the problem. Insurance companies are the greatest critics of making universal healthcare a reality, both men said. “Are we designing this system for the insurance companies or are we designing it for the American people?” said Levitt.