Healthcare Showdown

The lead article in today’s New York Times, “Democrats Woo Foes of Abortion for Health Vote,” describes the continuing wrangling to secure 216 votes in the House of Representatives to finally pass President Obama’s national healthcare legislation.

And if they suceed, it will be exactly that, President Obama’s victory. For even though he only gave guidance to the House and Senate during the legislative drafting process, it has only been through his perseverance that we have reached this stage.

Our representatives were giving up healthcare for dead after the election of Scott Brown as Senator in Massachusetts, and the loss of the Democratic supermajority in the Senate.

But through a clever series of events and timing, the President nursed the healthcare debate back to life, cleverly playing off Republican intransigeance during his summit at the White House, and then using that summit as a springboard to the current final push.

The article in the Times lists additional “yes” votes and even notes the possible placation of Bart Stupak and other conservative Democrats to go over the top. But for those who doubt the final result, you must remember that Nancy Pelosi, one of the strongest and most talented Speakers of the House in recent memory, almost always succeeds.

We can only pray she does so on Sunday, too.