Harry Reid has his eyes on Nebraska's Ben Nelson, who's holding out support for the health care bill until he's satisfied that tax dollars won't be used to pay for abortions. According to the Times, Reid has asked Pennsylvania senator Bob Casey to draft language to appease Nelson. Casey delivered the language to Nelson yesterday. Reid will have to file for cloture by this weekend, I hear, if he wants a vote before Christmas. He not only has to worry about Nelson, however; he also has to consider the brewing discontent on his left. Big Labor isn't satisfied with the emerging compromise, either. The latest rebuke to the left happened yesterday, when Bernie Sanders of Vermont was forced to withdraw his "Medicare for All" proposal after Tom Coburn insisted the clerks read all 767 pages of the amendment. Sanders says his vote isn't guaranteed. And who knows what's going on inside the mind of Roland Burris. Final word goes to Matthew Dowd, who writes in the Washington Post:
As Wednesday's Post-ABC poll shows, a majority of Americans believe that if this bill passes, their health-care costs will rise, the federal deficit will increase, the costs of the overall health-care system will climb, and their own care would be better if the system stays as is. Democrats (including former president Bill Clinton) claim that they need this bill to pass for political reasons. But let's examine that. At present, a majority of Americans are against the effort, the legislation lacks bipartisan support, the costs of the reforms are upfront, and the benefits won't kick in until after the 2012 elections. When has that ever been a formula for political success?
The Democrats are playing health care reform limbo: How low can support for their reform go?