memeorandum: Abortion compromise — One of the biggest hurdles to passing … (Chris Frates/The Politico)

1:15 PM ET, December 19, 2009

Top Items:

Sen. Ben Nelson to announce support for health-care bill — Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.), the final Democratic holdout on health care, was prepared to announce to his caucus Saturday morning that he would support the Senate reform bill, clearing the way for final passage by Christmas.

Chris Frates / The Politico:

Ben Nelson's Medicaid deal — Sen. Mary Landrieu got the “Louisiana Purchase.” Sen. Ben Nelson got the federal government to pick up most his state's future Medicaid tab — forever. — As part of the deal to win Nelson's support, the federal government will pay for Nebraska's new Medicaid recipients.

Discussion: The Hill, Betsy's Page and NewsBusters.org

John McCormack / Weekly Standard:

Nelson Agrees to Abortion Funding in at Least 13 States? — Harry Reid has released the manager's amendment that Ben Nelson has reportedly agreed to vote for, meaning that the Senate bill has 60 votes. The abortion language includes the phony segregation of funding language that was rejected in the House.

Discussion: Gateway Pundit, The Other McCain and Riehl World View

Igor / Wonk Room:

Nelson's Nebraska To Receive Extra Medicaid Funds Under Senate Bill — This morning's managers amendment to the merged Senate health bill goes a long way towards satisfying the demands of Democratic hold-out and all-important 60th vote Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE).

Discussion: Think Progress, Matthew Yglesias and AmSpecBlog

New York Times:

Democrats Clinch a Deal on Health Bill — WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats said on Saturday that they had clinched an agreement on a far-reaching overhaul of the nation's health care system, and that they were on track to approve the legislation by Christmas over fierce Republican opposition.

Discussion: The Agenda on National …, MyDD and Hotline On Call

Prescriptions:

Senate Democrats Clinch a Deal on Health Bill — Brendan Smialowski for The New York Times — Sen. Ben Nelson, right, agreed after hours of negotiation Friday to back the Senate Democrats' legislation, making him the pivotal 60th vote. — WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats …

Discussion: The Politico, The Moderate Voice, FiveThirtyEight, Jezebel and TPMDC

Kevin Bogardus / The Hill:

Obama slams insurance industry going into health reform's home stretch — As the Senate prepares for a final round of votes on its healthcare reform bill, President Barack Obama chastised the insurance industry for its lobbying against the legislation. — In his weekly address Saturday …

Discussion: The Swamp and TBogg

Igor / Wonk Room:

Senate Bill Would Allow States To Prohibit Abortion Coverage In Exchange — The new managers amendment to the merged Senate bill incorporates Sen. Bob Casey's (D-PA) language strengthening the segregation of private and public funds and increasing federal support for adoptions …

Discussion: Dennis the Peasant and RHRealityCheck.org

Chris Frates / The Politico:

Abortion compromise — One of the biggest hurdles to passing a health reform bill was satisfying Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson's demand that restrictions on the federal funding of abortion be tightened. And in the manager's amendment Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid threaded the needle …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, The Gaggle and Associated Press

Patricia Murphy / Politics Daily:

Health Care Breakthrough: Ben Nelson Will Vote for Health Reform — Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) announced Saturday that he will vote for health care reform when it comes up for a cloture vote in the Senate early next week. As the 60th and final Democrat to signal that he will support the bill …

Discussion: Townhall.com, The Hill, Bob McCarty Writes and Real Clear Politics

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:
Remember What The Fight Is About — So Ben Nelson is in.

Discussion: TPMDC and The Daily Dish

Kevin Bogardus / The Hill:
Defense appropriations bill passes Senate 88-10, clears way for health bill

Discussion: The Politico

Chris Frates / The Politico:
Nelson at the mic — In announcing his support of the Senate …

Discussion: The Page

CNN:
Health care holdout reaches agreement, senators say

Discussion: Associated Press and The Moderate Voice

David M. Herszehorn / Prescriptions:
An Obama Team Vets Ben Nelson's Wish List

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Scared Monkeys, National Review, msnbc.com, Think Progress and The Hill

Alec MacGillis / Washington Post:
Ben Nelson's Medicaid concerns questioned

Discussion: TPMDC, Ezra Klein, Wonk Room, Matthew Yglesias, Washington Monthly, The Washington Independent and Power Line

The Huffington Post:

John Kerry Breaks Out Oppo, Takes On Howard Dean For ‘Kill The Bill’ Comments — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — The pushback against Howard Dean for his call to “kill” the Senate health care bill, continued on Friday night, with a prominent Senate Democrat picking out an old quote …

Discussion: Firedoglake

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:

Ben Nelson's A Yes! Reform Edges Closer To Reality — Senator Ben Nelson's announcement moments ago that he will vote to end debate on the Senate health care bill puts Dems within striking distance of the first major progressive legislative achievement of the 21st Century, even if the legislation is deeply flawed.

Discussion: TPMDC, Washington Monthly, The Daily Dish, Washington Post and The Other McCain

Chris Frates / The Politico: Boxer and Murray on board with abortion compromise

Chris Frates / The Politico:
MoveOn opposes Senate bill

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, The Page, Hot Air and The Hill

Victoria Reggie Kennedy / Washington Post:

The moment Ted Kennedy would not want to lose — My late husband, Ted Kennedy, was passionate about health-care reform. It was the cause of his life. He believed that health care for all our citizens was a fundamental right, not a privilege, and that this year the stars …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Washington Monthly, The Hill, TPMDC and Jack & Jill Politics

Guardian:

Low targets, goals dropped: Copenhagen ends in failure — Deal thrashed out at talks condemned as climate change scepticism in action — The UN climate summit reached a weak outline of a global agreement in Copenhagen tonight, falling far short of what Britain and many poor countries …

Discussion: Grist, Telegraph, QandO, DeSmogBlog, AMERICAblog News, Daily Kos, Jay Currie, Scared Monkeys, The Other McCain and Wall Street Journal

Mark Matthews / Orlando Sentinel:

Grayson wants to send critic to jail for five years — WASHINGTON — Not everyone thinks imitation is the best form of flattery. — In fact, U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson of Orlando took such offense at a parody website aimed at unseating him that the freshman Democrat has asked …

Discussion: Hot Air, YID With LID and JammieWearingFool

Josh Kraushaar / Scorecard's Blog:
Grayson threatens to imprison critic

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Perfunction

Taegan Goddard's Political Wire:

Flashback of the Day — When Sen. Al Franken objected to Sen. Joe Lieberman's request for additional time, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said that in his 20-plus years in the Senate he had never heard a senator do that before. — However, a Political Wire reader sends this excerpt from the Congressional Record from October 10, 2002:

Discussion: The Political Carnival