Bart Stupak: Pelosi 16 Votes Short - at least: House GOP to Force vote on Slaughter Rule

Here's a jumble of thoughts regarding passing health care. In Rep. Bart Stupak's interview with Greta Van Susteren, said he "would be surprised if Pelosi has "200 votes." If he's right, she is 16 votes short. The Weekly Standard says Obama took his talking points from them when he told Democrats "We need courage," since he is not on the ballot in November, and further, he voted "present" nearly 130 times as a state legislator and... See the Greta video below.

...never, as a U.S. senator, took on any powerful interest group in his own party.

Pullout Quote from The Weekly Standard:

It takes courage for a polity to say no to the temptations of welfare state politics. It takes courage to turn away from the public trough and refuse to think of ourselves as victims and entitlees. It takes courage to become, once again, self-governing citizens. And it takes courage to rally ourselves to fight against—and to preempt—the forces of terror and the nations that harbor and sponsor them.

If you haven't seen Rep. Michele Bachmann's video, calling to fight illegitimate health care and illegitimate taxes, it will make your day.

Larwyn, an extraordinary newshound, who has brilliant mindbursts to share with us, gathers and posts some of the best blogging around. One of her mindbursts suggested in an email that all the Democrat "no" voters on health care tell Pelosi they will vote "yes," spurring her to call for the vote. Then they vote "no." Ding Dong the Bill is Dead! This is real courage and Democrats, by showing that courage and following the President's call for it, can claim it as their own in November, and probably have a chance at keeping their seat. Without that courage, they'll have no chance. Sounds like a plan to me, Larwyn.

Staci at Bliss talks about Oklahoma Congressman Dan Boren - a Democrat - who "gets it," and says something about breaking his arms and walking over his "dead body." Read it at Bliss and see what Boren, a real Democrat, has to say about health care.

Mary Katherine Ham at The Weekly Standard says the following is a resolution they will introduce today to force a vote on the legality of the Slaughter Rule. Snippet:

Resolved, That the Committee on Rules may not report a rule or order that provides for disposition of the Senate amendments to H.R. 3590, an Act entitled The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, unless such rule or order provides for—

(1) at least one hour of debate, equally divided and controlled by the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader, or their designees; and

(2) a requirement that the Speaker put the question on disposition of the Senate amendments and that the yeas and nays be considered as ordered thereon.

And, we all know how fond the Democratic caucus is of an up-or-down vote.

I heard Rep. Jim Clyburn this morning on FOXNews talking about the Slaughter Rule. He said 60 people had already voted on the Senate bill, so there was no reason for the House to do so. They could legally 'deem' that the House had done so, and he saw no problem with it. See the Clyburn video here. Here's the Van Susteren and Stupak video. The comment about Pelosi having only 200 votes comes at the end.





Greta Van Susteren and Rep. Bart Stupak (video)



Others Talking about the GOP Forcing a Vote:
Memorandum - lots more discussion - look for topic Slaughter House Rules
Michelle Malkin
Hot Air