Blog - October 2009

Earlier this year, Sen. John Ensign, a rising star in the Republican party, revealed that he had had an affair with the wife of a top aide and close friend. Unlike the more famous affair revelation of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, Ensign's affair wasn't a tale of true love, but a story about corrupt politicians paying out hush money.

The Finance Committee's health care mark-up is over. Now they wait a few days to get an official budget scoring on the bill from the Congressional Budget Office and then vote take a final vote some time next week. Before they finished, they approved an amendment that pushes the bill about as far to the left as the Finance Committee, which is more conservative than the Senate as a whole, was willing to go.

A few more details are emerging today about the public option alternative that Sen. Tom Carper [D, DE] has been shopping around the Senate. From what's being reported, it's even more conservative than Sen. Olympia Snowe's [R, ME] "trigger" plan.

Alan Grayson gives an unexpected apology. The Senate votes to keep the government up and running. And Sen. Harkin insists that there are 60 votes in the Senate for a public health insurance option. That and more in today's roundup of links on Congress.