Dems Put on Happy Face Before Recess

Its being spun as a major win, of course that is true if you ignore the collapse in support for the bill as well as the bitter fighting that occurred over it, and this is only in the House! Wait till the Senate puts forth its final version. Anyway this about providing a talking point for Obama and the Democrats, it does nothing about the key issue of whether the president will opt for a bi-partisan bill or simply push the radical agenda:

Moving the legislation through the House Energy and Commerce Committee is a crucial last step before a full debate on the House floor, since the legislation has already been approved by the Education and Labor Committee and the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. The Blue Dogs wield a lot of clout on the energy and commerce panel, controlling seven seats, which could be vital in advancing the legislation against nearly unanimous Republican opposition.

The announcement that the Energy and Commerce Committee was resuming work Wednesday afternoon, focusing on relatively non-controversial aspects of the package, came just after a meeting at the Capitol that brought together Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House leaders; Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the majority leader; six of the seven Blue Dogs on the panel, and Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff.

Later Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Hoyer issued an optimistic statement saying that “Congress is closer than ever before in history to passing comprehensive health insurance reform, and noting that the committee would report out a bill this week.“Over August, the three House committees will work to reconcile their versions and produce strong legislation,” they said.

“We want to particularly recognize the valued leadership of the Blue Dog Coalition to lower costs, to make the legislation work better for their constituents, and to assist small businesses,” the said adding that “in order to allow more time to carefully review the additional proposed legislative language, we will bring the bill to the House floor in September.”

On learning of the progress, Mr. Obama issued a statement saying that he was grateful to the committee members that so many members, including some Blue Dogs on the panel. “Those efforts are extraordinarily constructive in strengthening this legislation and bringing down its cost,” he said.

On the other side of the Capitol, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana, who is leading efforts to develop a compromise health care bill, announced Wednesday that negotiators had pared the price tag to under $900 billion over 10 years and that lawmakers had agreed on ways to cover the cost.

In other news the President has hinted he would sacrifice the public plan in favor of the co-operatives. Although not definitive this is the closest the President has come to clarifying what type of compromise he might accept. As for the Senate, Kent Conrad is clearly stating its the way to go.