The Administration continued to push back on one particular story from Shahien Nasiripour by devoting an entire blog post about whether bank servicers can count the incentives from HAMP modifications toward the “credits” in the foreclosure fraud settlement. But Shahien’s story didn’t make that claim (thought the title hinted), and we’re still without actual terms to see how it all works.

In an age where so many economies are desperately trying not to lose any more ground in the present, could it be that the ones more responsive to their rank-and-file electorates are the ones in the best position to (to borrow a quickly forgotten phrase) win the future?

The recently appointed Connecticut state health care exchange board contains three former high ranking private insurance executives.

This is just the latest example of how many of the new state based insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act are becoming dominated by individuals with close ties to the private insurance and hospital industries.

This piece of marijuana reform wouldn’t have passed without the direct advocacy of Gov. Malloy. The law only barely cleared the State Senate with Malloy’s Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman forced to cast the tie breaking vote in favor of the legislation.

Delaware Governor Jack Markell signed a law approving the use of medical marijuana. His signature makes Delaware the 16th state (plus Washington, DC) to approve the medical use of marijuana.

It looks like the possibility of a strong, state-based public option in Connecticut has been kiledl by the state’s top Democrats, lead by Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy.

Recently elected Democratic Governor Dan Malloy wants Connecticut to join its neighbor Massachusetts in making the penalty for minor marijuana possession a simple fine.

This morning Susan Bysiewicz announced to CT reporters that she would be a contender in the 2012 CT Senate race. While matching her up against Joe Lieberman (I-CT) we failed to question why she would be announcing this news now, why so early? She may have had a bit of knowledge not disclosed to the public. Lieberman will be hosting a supporter event at the Marriott hotel in his hometown of Stamford, CT tomorrow at 12:30 pm EST to announce his plans to either run for a 5th term or to call it quits. Kevin Rennie of Daily Ructions, a CT base blog predicts that Lieberman will announce his retirement from the US Senate. Tim Tagaris, the New Media Director for SEIU, and former new media director for likely 2012 Senate candidate Chris Murphy (CT-5), is up in arms, looking forward to the opportunity of ousting the often flip-flopping independent. Tagaris tweets today:

“Make no mistake, if Joe Lieberman decides not to run, it wasn’t his decision – the people of Connecticut decided for him.” and

“I will be running a Draft Lieberman movement if he announces his intent to retire tomorrow.”

Connecticut is poised to be on the leading progressive edge of what is possible under the new federal health care law by providing a rather robust state-based public option. If the state adopts the proposed SustiNet health plan (PDF) it would integrate the many different group insurance plans the state currently provides into a unified [...]

With talk of repealing health care in the air, I thought it would be a good time to look at a couple New England states going in the opposite direction: Vermont and Connecticut. Both of them are in the midst of designing or recommending alternatives to the private health care market, which could go all the way up to a single payer program.