As our feature story notes, it’s not over yet. There’s still the big reconciliation vote in the Senate. As I’ve argued, the Republicans are pretty much just blowing smoke about being able to trip things up there. But still, the senate’s an inherently unpredictable place. So you never know. But I wanted to make sure that everybody understands that on the most fundamental level, it is over. 100% over. Read More
The White House will undertake a three-phase public relations push to sell health care reform to voters. That and the day’s other political news in the TPMDC Morning Roundup.
We take a look at the path ahead for health care reform in the Senate, where the reconciliation “fix” still has to pass.
It’s been an exceptionally long year for the president, his party, the Democratic caucuses in the Congress and everyone who was involved in whatever fashion in the 2008 election. A year ago, the Health Care debate got started in a climate in which there was little doubt that the president would pass his plan, and soon. That reality was most clearly expressed in the stance adopted by the key industry stakeholders who wanted to be in the discussion and on board rather than in opposition to it. They figured that passage was a done deal and wanted to affect the final bill in their favor as much as possible rather than waste time opposing it. Read More
Speaker Pelosi opening post-vote press conference. Watch it here.
As I noted earlier, while Rep. Stupak was making his statement at the end of the vote in favor of the Senate bill, a House Republican yelled “Baby Killer” at him. Here’s what we know so far about who said it.
11:59 PM: A few moments ago Christina Bellantoni interviewed Rep. Obey (D-WI) who was presiding in the House during the incident. That means he was looking out over the floor when it happened. He told Christina he knows who said it but “doesn’t see any point” in identifying who it is.
Asked if the member should be admonished, Obey said “I think people have a right to make a fool out of themselves every once in awhile without causing armageddon.”
12:00 AM: Bellantoni talks to Rep. Joe Wilson of “You Lie!” fame. Presumably he’s an expert on outbursts. Wilson told Christina he didn’t know who said it. Should the person be admonished, given the pressure Wilson came under after his outburst: “There was yelling on all sides tonight and then. It really is amazing I got singled out. Could be a double standard.”