To quote a commenter from Hot Air today, “It’s almost like a personal vendetta against the American people at this point for the Democrat leadership”.

How true.

From Politico:

After a brief period of consultation following the White House health reform summit, congressional Democrats plan to begin making the case next week for a massive, Democrats-only health care plan, party strategists told POLITICO.

A Democratic official said the six-hour summit was expected to “give a face to gridlock, in the form of House and Senate Republicans.”

Democrats plan to begin rhetorical, and perhaps legislative, steps toward the Democrats-only, or reconciliation, process early next week, the strategists said.

After the summit, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid planned to take the temperature of their caucuses.

“The point [of the summit] is to alter the political atmospherics, and it will take a day or two to sense if it succeeded,” the official said.

Positive statements by Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) of late “are early signs the environment is already shifting a little in favor of revisiting health care.”

Democrats plan to take up the president’s comprehensive, $950 billion plan — referred to on the Hill as “the big bill.” The alternative would be a smaller — or “skinny” — bill that would provide less coverage and cost less. But that would amount to starting the complex process over.

I cannot help but wonder what new payoffs, buyouts and cushy appointments will come out of this latest round of hedonistic haggling.

Also, a suggestion to the GOP. Do not emulate the Dems and use the same talking point word over and over. I have heard the term “clean sheet of paper” about 20 times too many since yesterday. Be more direct and accurate and say, “strangle this bill in the crib”.

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