Snowe Called to White House as GOP Stumbles on Health Care

Over the weekend, the Senate continued debate on its version of the government takeover of health care with Republican “unanimous consent” cooperation on floor procedure.

Democrats fell into a rhythm of voting down Republican amendments to jettison the half-trillion dollars worth of Medicare cuts while passing their own -- garnering Republican votes (at times 100-0) on their amendments for political cover.

As early as today, they will begin consideration of an amendment to bar abortion funding by or through any government-run “public option” insurance plan. This issue still may be the one that kills the bill for the year. Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson -- reportedly working on a provision like the Stupak Amendment included in the House bill -- still appears adamant on preventing abortion coverage.

On Saturday, President Obama visited the Senate Democrats to deliver a pep talk on the bill. Conspicuously absent from his remarks was any mention of the “public option.”

Does that mean the “public option” is dead? No, it just means the Democratic leaders are trying to sell it softly, behind closed doors.

The radical left Senate leadership continues its attempts in meetings behind closed doors to convince Democrat senators from red states that they won’t really be committing political suicide by voting in favor of the measure. By the end of this process, the $300 million “Louisiana Purchase” buyoff of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) will likely appear cheap.

Democrats are focused on trying to peel off at least one of the two most liberal Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine. On Saturday, Snowe was summoned to the White House for a chat with the president. Snowe says she opposes the government-run public option.

SOURCE: Human Events

Abortion vote today could decide fate of heath plan

A pep talk by President Obama wasn't enough to give Senate Democrats the votes they needed to pass a massive health care overhaul, but a Monday vote on abortion funding could determine whether the legislation survives.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the chamber would take up an amendment by Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., that would strictly prohibit taxpayer money from being spent on abortion.

"I want to get it out of the way," Reid said. "I think we all do."

But the amendment could ultimately stand in the way of the bill's final passage, no matter what the outcome of the Monday vote.

SOURCE: Washington Examiner