MAN OF STEELE - AT 10:24 A.M. ET:  The Republican national chairman is doing an Eastwood and daring Democrats to pass health-care "reform" on their own, as Fox News reports:

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele on Thursday dared Democrats to try a one-party push to overhaul the nation's health care system.

Steele told reporters that he thinks if Democratic senators think they have the votes, they should try a tactic that would allow them to get around a bill-killing filibuster without the 60 votes usually needed. Steele said he didn't think Democrats would do it because of potential voter backlash.

"Get it to the floor. Up or down, baby," Steele said at a news conference at the state GOP headquarters. "Put it on the table. And if you don't think you've got enough votes to get to 60, you've got the nuclear option. You've got 51."

And...

"You want it done? Pass the bill," Steele said. "But they know it's poisonous and they know the American people will not tolerate it. They're scrambling now and they're beginning to turn on each other because they've got a big problem, a political one, and they can't solve it."

COMMENT:  A big problem indeed.  But the Republicans also have a problem - a perception that they're all about "no" and not about "solving."  Steele should be urging his party to come up with practical alternatives to the Democrats' "Marx wasn't entirely wrong" health plan, and present those alternatives to the American people.  That's how you win.  Right now the GOP is simply hoping for the Dems to lose.

August 21, 2009