THE RUMBLE – AT 9:16 A.M. ET:  It has a bit of the feel of "West Side Story."  The House will clash on, then vote on, health care today or tonight, at least according to the script.  The sides will soon gather in the House chamber, on the bad side of town, for a rumble. 

The Washington Post has the latest:

House leaders decided Saturday to stage a vote on the Senate's health-care bill, dropping a much-criticized strategy of allowing lawmakers to "deem" the landmark legislation into law. But the outcome of that vote remained in doubt as a pivotal bloc of Democrats continued to withhold its support over fears that the bill would open the door to the federal funding of abortion.

House leaders were working to secure their votes late Saturday with the promise of an executive order affirming President Obama's commitment to a longstanding ban on public abortion funding except in cases of rape or incest, or to save the life of the mother. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), a key antiabortion vote, said she thought the document would be insufficient to bring the entire group of about 10 antiabortion Democrats onboard.

Senior Democrats predicted a cliffhanger when the House is expected to vote Sunday night, saying they are likely to clear the 216-vote threshold for final passage by the narrowest of margins. Democratic leaders huddled in the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) late into the evening, reviewing the final list of commitments.

COMMENT:  What a way to seize one sixth of the national economy and decide the medical fate of the entire population – a party-line affair that may pass by a few votes, without a single Republican in support.  All truly historic legislation, as Bill Kristol pointed out yesterday, has had bipartisan support.

March 21,  2010