The Fish Wrap of Record goes with a front page story about how the Dems are going to be challenged in merging their bills
Even as the Senate took a significant step toward passing its version of a sweeping overhaul of the health insurance system before Christmas, Democrats were grappling Monday with deep internal divisions over abortion, the issue that most complicates their drive to merge the Senate and House bills and send final legislation to President Obama.
In the House, advocates and opponents of abortion rights and conservative Democrats have made clear that they object, for different reasons, to the Senate’s compromise language on abortion. Interest groups on both sides of the spectrum — Planned Parenthood on the abortion rights side, Catholic bishops for the anti-abortion rights camp — also oppose the abortion provision in the Senate bill, leaving Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a challenge in rounding up the votes she needs in the House.
Ms. Pelosi’s room for maneuvering is limited because any changes to the language in the Senate bill could unravel the deal that provided Democrats with the 60 votes they need to get the legislation through the Senate.
Shouldn’t their challenge be in convincing the American people that this is a good bill?
The latest Rasmussen Reports weekly tracking update shows that 41% of voters nationwide favor the bill and 55% are opposed. Those figures are essentially unchanged from a week ago. This the fifth straight week with support for the legislation between 38% and 41%.
Week after week, month after month, poll after poll show that the American people are in a majority against this legislation. Wasn’t there a time when Democrats told us we should listen to the will of the People? I guess that went out the window when they regained power, and now their House leader thinks people should be jailed for failing to purchase health insurance.
The intensity remains with those who oppose the legislation. Just 19% Strongly Favor the plan while 45% are Strongly Opposed.
If the GOP was smart, they would cite these polls again and again and again. Furthermore, they need to take a chill on the abortion talk, and discuss how bad the legislation actually is more often, while hammering specific, target points from their own health care legislation. Get everyone on board and using the same points.
Crossed at Right Wing News and Stop The ACLU
Sadly, I think this is wishful thinking. Betcha the House ends up passing whatever bill made it through the Senate, with just barely enough votes.