Progressives Call Out Harry Reid in New Ad

Progressives actually provided most of the votes

(NEWSER) - Lately the left has been taking its lumps, courtesy of the conventional wisdom that health care reform passed over liberals’ objections. That’s just plain incorrect, writes Tom Schaller for FiveThirtyEight . A lingering narrative holds that liberals can’t govern because the left is so unmanageable. But progressives provided most of the votes for health care. “They were its progenitors and protectors.” More»

He will meet with Senate Democrats to try to iron out differences

(NEWSER) - President Obama will head to Capitol Hill tomorrow afternoon to try to keep health care reform from flying off the track in the Senate. Obama will attend a meeting of Senate Democrats at 2pm as internal squabbles intensify over key parts of the legislation. The two big ones revolve around abortion language and the public option, notes the Hill . More»

'Hammer public option' emerges as Plan B

(NEWSER) - Facing the reality that his "opt-out" public option doesn't have enough votes to clear the Senate, Harry Reid will reveal a Plan B public option next week in a bid to break the gridlock on health reform. The new plan, largely the work of Sen. Tom Carper, looks likely to feature a "hammer public option" recently touted by Carper, The Hill reports. More»

Public option weaker than House's, abortion restriction less severe

(NEWSER) - Harry Reid rolled out the Senate’s combined health care reform bill last night, earning oohs and ahhs from fellow Democrats, particularly over the price tag, and setting the stage for a cloture vote Saturday. The bill would cost a svelte $849 billion over 10 years while reducing the deficit by $127 billion—the biggest reduction of any bill to date. Here’s the nitty gritty:

• The bill would set up health insurance exchanges for the uninsured, including a national public option, which states could opt out of.

Both sides have vocal opponents, could halt bill without compromise

(NEWSER) - With a last-second concession barring federal dollars from funding abortions, Nancy Pelosi largely skirted the full brunt of the issue, but Harry Reid may not be so lucky. The Senate majority leader likely won't get the 60 votes he needs without similar language— which a Planned Parenthood VP calls a “middle-class abortion ban”—but pro-choice lawmakers could also stall a too-restrictive bill, Politico reports. More»