it won’t be because Congress likes it. That’s one of the sadder dynamics of this whole affair. If it passes, it’ll pass because of deals, not because our representatives think it’s any good. In that context, it can already be viewed as a classic failure. The people who have to pass this thing don’t like it, but they’ll probably pass it anyway. Sad.

schedule a vote if the votes weren’t there for her. So until a vote is actually scheduled, I think it’s safe to assume they don’t have the votes. It seems clear they don’t have the votes now. But as the week progresses, I think the pressure put on Dems currently leaning toward a “no” vote will be incredible. Threats, bribery, you name it. I think they’ll almost have to have the vote before the Easter recess, when House members have to go home and face their angry constituencies. If the bribes and threats haven’t worked by then, the Dems will be forced to rely on the Slaughter scheme and hope for the best.

Is Gibbs right that ObamaCare will be the law of the land by next Sunday?
Will the vote keep being postponed until Obama and Pelosi can strong-arm enough House Democrats to vote for the Senate bill?
Will the Democrats use the tricky maneuver of not really voting on the Senate bill but voting for the rule only, and thereby getting it through?
Will Obama and Pelosi call “uncle” before the Easter recess?
Will they hold the vote this week, and the bill goes down to defeat?
If the vote is held this week, or before the Easter recess, what will be the final count?
Will Republicans shut down the Senate (don’t know how this would work if they don’t have the majority)?
Will the Republicans take any extraordinary action, aside from continuing to bad-mouth ObamaCare?

If these democrats can hold off until Easter they will have the cover to do the right thing (why do they need cover to do the right thing?) bc we are going to have 2 weeks of intense town halls on TV every night. My optimism for killing this bill goes through the roof if it isn’t passed next week. I still don’t know, it seems like the holdouts have dwindled enough that the gang can muscle through the last few votes but we’ll see. Easter can save us, it did once, now we need one more.

I thought Obama said the American people wanted an “up or down vote” on this thing. Why don’t they go ahead and have an “up or down” vote on it RIGHT NOW? There’s nothing stopping the Democratic leadership from calling for a vote NOW. Oh, wait… by “up or down” vote Obama really means “a vote that passes by hook or by crook, with no chance of failure.”

That’s why they’re kicking around the Slaughter Solution gambit or whatever else they can think of.

I don’t know what does.

The Obama Administration seriously thinks people are that stupid or that gullible.

Boy..

I don’t like these guys.

Let’s hope the parliamentarian refuses to allow them to do this. At least if they pursue this avenue, this *should* be an easy overturn in court.

of this terrible bill is win-win for all sides, especially the American people. By all means, give the President his up or down vote…again, and after it fails both sides can celebrate, Hillary can push a “reset” button for the cameras, and then we all can get back to the more pressing task of reviving our economy.

Do you have any predictions on Atmire? He has been getting a lot of press as a key swing vote. He went against the house bill, but seems like he really wants to vote for this bill. His district went for McCain and opposes the bill 58 to 30. I read this from LA Times.

His comments were very pro doing something on healthcare. Of course the dems could have done something to improve health care coverage by now if that was real their goal. They even quoted him after his meeting with Tea Party activists and he indicated that they wouldn’t vote for him anyway.

… for the Dems that are the real “undecideds”. Would like to know if they are in districts where friends and family live so I can convince them to help stop it.

http://news.firedoglake.com/2010/03/14/new-health-care-whip-count-191-yes-203-no/

I don’t know this site, but it warmed my heart!

…says to pull the plug? Obamacare is in serious trouble if the editorial board of the New York Daily News is telling the President and his party to start over. Check it out…

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2010/03/14/2010-03-14_pull_the_plug_barack.html

This is the usual Obama/Pelosi BS to create a sense of inevitability, that we’ve seen a dozen times this miserable year

I can’t remember the source but on Fox 2 week ago a WH staffer leaked that they are tired of this dragging on like a millstone around their necks and are going to push for a vote and let it sink or float once and for all

IMHO Pelosi will force a vote even if she’s 5 votes short this week once and for all– they hope that the fencesitters will be able to be cajoled or threatened or get swept up in the momentum once the vote goes live– this is not uncommon

let’s hope to God we can see this monstrosity finally killed and voted down once and for all this week after 13 months of misery

Dan, thank you again for being such a consistent voice of optimism– as a young physician, all of this has stressed me in particular out to no end the last year

You have talked me off the ledge several times, when it seemed like even everyone on our side had lost hope

I just want to go to sleep tonight and wake up in November already

Dan, Phillip Klein tweets that it is an old dusted off bill and it includes the Public Option. Holy Heck! Does this change things? Surely this doesn’t help them since the public is vehemently against a public option.

I don’t even know what this reconciliation bill means. . . if they pass it, same thing has to get green light in Senate since they haven’t passed it, so maybe it doesn’t mean much and our eye still needs to be on the ball (i.e. Senate bill passing in House).