HEALTH CARE VOTE SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW, SO COUGH NOW AND HOPE YOU CAN GET THE MEDICINE - AT 8:16 P.M. ET:  Queen of hearts and lungs, Nancy Pelosi, dreams of a House vote on her mammoth health-care plan tomorrow.  It may or may not happen.  The Dem votes may not be there.  Arms are being twisted, and twisted arms aren't covered by the new plan.  The New York Times reports:

WASHINGTON — The House majority leader, Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, said on Friday that he expected the House to pass sweeping health care legislation on Saturday evening. But he acknowledged that Democrats were still trying to corral the necessary 218 votes, and that what he called Republican delaying tactics could push the vote back to Sunday or early next week.

All hail the delaying tactics.

House Democratic leaders are still trying to draft an amendment to the bill that would tighten restrictions on some uses of federal money, as demanded by Democrats who are opposed to abortion.

At the same time, the leaders are trying to satisfy the large number of House Democrats who support abortion rights.

Try reconciling those two views. 

Republicans cited the Labor Department’s report on Friday that the unemployment picture continued to worsen in October as evidence that this is the wrong time to pass the health care legislation.

“There is no higher priority than putting Americans back to work,” said Representative Mike Pence of Indiana, the No. 3 Republican in the House. “I have never seen greater evidence that Washington is out of touch with the American people. Democrats continue in a headlong rush to a government takeover of health care in the face of rising unemployment.”

COMMENT:  A lot of drama in Congress this weekend.  It may be the best show on the air.  The American health-care system and a sixth of our economy hang in the balance.

Oh, by the way, do you know of a news organization that's provided a detailed account of what's in this bill?  If you hear of one, please let me know.  If you know what's in the bill, tell me that, too.

November 6, 2009