Health Care Reform is dead! Pelosi doesn't have the votes

Nancy Pelosi announced today that she did not have the votes to pass the Senate version of ObamaCare. In her statement to the press she said: 

"I don't see the votes for it at this time," Pelosi said. "The members have been very clear in our caucus about the fact that they didn't like it before it had the Nebraska provision and some of the other provisions that are unpalatable to them."

"In every meeting that we have had, there would be nothing to give me any thought that that bill could pass right now the way that it is," she said. "There isn't a market right now for proceeding with the full bill unless some big changes are made."

While she didn't say the option was dead -- "Everything is on the table," she said -- she outlined two very different options for passing a bill.

"There's a recognition that there's a foundation in that bill that's important. So one way or another those areas of agreement that we have will have to be advanced, whether it's by passing the Senate bill with any changes that can be made, or just taking [pieces of it]," Pelosi said.

"We have to get a bill passed -- we know that. That's a predicate that we all subscribe to."

When will that happen? Who knows!

"We're in no rush," Pelosi said.

Here is why I think this sucker is as dead as a doornail:

1. This is Nancy’s poker face. All this talk about finding the kickbacks and dirty deals unpalatable is just a cover story. It is the excuse given to her by House Democrats. Even if those provisions could be removed, House Democrats would move the goal posts and bitch about something else. Why?  Because they are all up for re-election and the Massachusetts special election told them loud and clear the health care reform bill is a loser.

2. There simply is not enough time to keep working on this. The 2010 elections are 10 months away and Democrats have nothing to run on. Taking more time for the very unpopular healthcare reform bill means less time to work on something positive like jobs or the economy. What would you rather run on, job creation and the economy or a healthcare reform bill no one likes?

3. Using Reconciliation to fix the bill so that the House can pass it is just a dream at this point. Senate Democrats know that using Reconciliation is as radioactive as not seating Scott Brown. I don’t think Harry can even scrounge up 50 Senators to stick their necks out that far. Already Lieberman, Webb, Bayh and McCaskill are singing different tunes. Nelson and Landrieu are already signing on with Republicans to fight the EPA ruling on Carbon. Who knows how many other Democrats are planning a 180?

4. All this talk about “trying again later” is just that…talk. Nancy says stuff like this so that the base won’t go completely ape shit on her, Obama and Reid for wasting so much political capital. Instead they are going to let it quietly and slowly dawn on the base that Healthcare Reform died today. You will continue to hear optimistic talk about still passing this bill, but at the end of the day, nothing is going to happen.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Talking Points Memo

Via: CBS News