HEALTH CARE – THE COUNTDOWN – CUE DRAMATIC MUSIC – AT 7:52 A.M. ET:  The deadline is slipping.  From The Hill:

House Democratic leaders on Wednesday night said the long-awaited Congressional Budget Office score of the reconciliation bill will not come out until Thursday, forcing an acknowledgement that a Saturday healthcare vote is likely off the table.

But leaders are still hoping for a score on Thursday, and are still preparing for a possible vote before the end of the weekend.

The "score" is the CBO's estimate of what the bill, and its various components, will cost the nation.

The release of a CBO score on Thursday – triggering the Democrats' 72-hour clock – would mean that voting on the reconciliation bill would “most likely happen on Sunday, if that scenario plays out,” Assistant to the Speaker Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) told reporters after leaving Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) office Wednesday night.

Dear Leader is scheduled to leave for Indonesia, or, as he calls it, the old country, at noon on Sunday.  Would he leave before the vote is complete? 

Maybe we could have a guest president, like a guest host, acknowledge the result of the vote.  "Barack couldn't make it this afternoon, but sitting in for him is...Jimmy Carter." 

Many sources say the Dems are still five votes or so, maybe a few more, away from sealing the deal.

March 18,  2010