AP: End In Sight, Health Care Battle Tilts Obama's Way

[Purveyor]

(03-19) 16:19 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

One by one, House Democratic fence-sitters began choosing sides Friday, and the long, turbulent struggle over landmark health care legislation tilted unmistakably in President Barack Obama's direction.

In full campaign mode, his voice rising, the president all but claimed victory, declaring to a cheering audience in Virginia, "We are going to fix health care in America."

With the showdown vote set for Sunday in the House, Obama decided to make one final, personal appeal to rank-and-file Democrats, arranging a Saturday visit to the Capitol. Republicans, unanimous in opposition to the bill, complained anew about its cost and reach.

Under a complex — and controversial — procedure the Democrats have devised, a single vote probably will be held to send one bill to Obama for his signature and to ship a second, fix-it measure to the Senate for final passage in the next several days.

Democratic leaders and Obama focused last-minute lobbying efforts on two groups of Democrats, 37 who voted against an earlier bill in the House and 40 who voted for it only after first making sure it would include strict abortion limits that now have been modified.

Reps. John Boccieri of Ohio, Scott Murphy of New York and Allen Boyd and Suzanne Kosmas of Florida became the latest Democrats to announce support for the bill after voting against an earlier version that passed, bringing the number of switches in favor of the bill to seven.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/03/19/national/w042957D11.DTL#ixzz0ifWn0adt

[HughMoran]

1. Unreccecd even before I could rec it

The haters here are on double-overtime trying to kill the bill (and millions of Americans.)

[Purveyor]

2. Don't trust these 'predictions'....please keep up your personal lobbying efforts! eom

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. We Are Making History...

At last.

K&R

I am so proud to be witnessing this.

[damonm]

4. Good generally, but here's a massive WTF...

"Under a complex — and controversial — procedure the Democrats have devised"...
Excuse me?

[4lbs]

5. Maybe Rupert Murdoch fought to have that part inserted in the AP article. He is on the board of the

Associated Press after all. ;)