Final frantic run for health care

Like a roller-coaster ride on its last twisting turns, President Barack Obama's campaign to remake health care is barreling into final days of breathless suspense and headlong momentum.

Democrats — led by Obama himself — are deploying this weekend to salvage an unpredictable Senate race in Massachusetts, while senior White House and congressional staffers in Washington hurry to finish work on cost and coverage options at the heart of the sweeping legislation.

A Republican victory in the race to fill the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's seat would deprive Democrats of the 60-vote majority needed to pass the bill in the Senate. Obama and Democratic congressional leaders would have a political window of perhaps days only to try to ram the bill through — at considerable risk of incurring public wrath.

"If Scott Brown wins, it'll kill the health bill," said Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass, reflecting that the Republican would provide opponents of the health care bill a decisive 41st vote to uphold a filibuster and block passage in the Senate...

SOURCE: Associated Press > Atlanta Journal

Obama to Campaign for Coakley in Massachusetts

President Barack Obama will travel to Massachusetts to campaign for embattled Democratic Senate candidate Martha Coakley before Tuesday’s special election, the White House confirmed today.

“I think the president believes he will be helpful and is happy to accept the invitation,” spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters.

Former President Bill Clinton is campaigning for Coakley today in Massachusetts. The race has become intensely competitive as GOP state Sen. Scott Brown has surged in the polls.

The closeness of this race -– it has been rated a toss-up by veteran political analysts — is causing intense worry in Democratic ranks.

SOURCE: Wall Street Journal

Health Bill Can Pass Senate With 51 Votes, Van Hollen Says

Even if Democrats lose the Jan. 19 special election to pick a new Massachusetts senator, Congress may still pass a health-care overhaul by using a process called reconciliation, a top House Democrat said.

That procedure requires 51 votes rather than the 60 needed to prevent Republicans from blocking votes on President Barack Obama’s top legislative priorities. That supermajority is at risk as the Massachusetts race has tightened.

“Even before Massachusetts and that race was on the radar screen, we prepared for the process of using reconciliation,” said Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee...

SOURCE: Bloomberg