On Ed Morrissey’s show today, I was asked to make a prediction if Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) would succeed in passing the health care bill this weekend. I answered Ms. Pelosi would fail in this endeavor.
Why? As majority leader of the House, Steny Hoyer (D - Md.) handles the Blue Dog and New Democrat coalitions, while Ms. Pelosi represents the the liberal faction of her party. Mr. Hoyer has already said the bill may need to be pushed back farther than planned, and GOP Whip Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) lists at least 69 Democrats still opposed to the healthcare bill.
The bill has already been delayed before back in August, and the victories for Republicans in New Jersey and Virginia were not an issue during the summer, and they are today. It looks as if this bill could be delayed past this weekend’s target, if Democrat’s cannot get their coalitions on the same page.
