memeorandum: Rules Committee meeting descends into chaos (Byron York/Washington Examiner)

3:00 PM ET, March 20, 2010

Top Items:

Robert Costa / The Corner on National Review Online:

Stupak is ‘Finished with Pelosi’ — By: Robert Costa — Two pro-life GOP members close to Stupak tell NRO that any Stupak deals are off. They just spoke with him and they said he's finished with Pelosi. They rejected his enrollment corrections proposal.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Weekly Standard, The Plum Line and The DC Trawler

The Hill:

Pro-Choice Caucus livid at talk of deal with Stupak on abortion — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Friday evening met with a visibly angry Pro-Choice Caucus amid rumors from Democratic aides that the Speaker was working on a last-minute deal with Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) to give his abortion language a separate vote.

Discussion: The Note, CNN, Ben Smith's Blog, The Daily Caller, Gretawire, Washington Monthly, Newsweek Blogs, DownWithTyranny!, American Power, Firedoglake, Weekly Standard, Taylor Marsh, Hullabaloo, Congress Matters, New York Times and ama-assn.org

Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:

Stupak Abortion Language to Be Substituted for Senate Language in Deal to Secure Health Care Votes — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has made a deal with Rep. Bart Stupak in order to secure his vote and that of other anti-choice Democrats for the health care bill, which is scheduled to be voted on this Sunday.

Discussion: The Politico, Prescriptions, Wake up America, Left Coast Rebel, Emptywheel, The Corner on National …, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, culturekitchen, Gateway Pundit, Another Black Conservative, Townhall.com, Hot Air, Riehl World View, The Hill and Michelle Malkin

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:

Stupak Postpones Key Press Conference—But Why? — In somewhat dramatic fashion, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI)—a leader of pro-life House Democrat—has indefinitely postponed a press conference that had been scheduled for 11 this morning, as House leadership seeks a solution to a dilemma …

Discussion: Daily Kos and Talking Points Memo

Jonathan Allen / The Politico:

Pelosi shoots down abortion vote — Anti-abortion Democrats renewed their threat to sink an overhaul of the nation's health care system Saturday, after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi decided not to give them a separate vote that would have implemented a strict ban on federal funds subsidizing abortion.

Discussion: CNN, The Daily Caller, The Caucus and AmSpecBlog

The Hill:

Pelosi: No votes on any side issues, including abortion — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Saturday there wouldn't be any votes on side issues on healthcare legislation, including abortion. — Speaking to reporters just off the House floor, Pelosi made clear she wouldn't allow votes on …

Discussion: Roll Call, Washington Monthly, Daily Kos and The Corner on National …

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

Dingell says he'll work to defeat Stupak's abortion efforts — Veteran Democratic Rep. John Dingell vowed Saturday to work to defeat fellow Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak (D) on abortion in the healthcare bill. — Dingell, the longest-serving member of the House whose career …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Huffington Post, Taylor Marsh and Hullabaloo

Michelle Malkin:

Reports: An executive order to pay off pro-life Democrats? — Both Left and Right are hearing rumors that the Dems are drafting an executive order to quell pro-life Democrat opposition to the government health care takeover plan. — Daniel Foster reports the buzz at NRO.

Discussion: LifeNews.com Pro-Life …, Townhall.com and The Corner on National …

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:

Pelosi: ‘No Separate Vote’ For Stupak...Or Anybody Else — House Democratic leadership has apparently told Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) to go take a hike—and they'll move forward without him, or any other anti-abortion Dems threatening to switch their votes from ‘yes’ to ‘no.’

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Talking Points Memo, TalkLeft and The Plum Line

Lynn Sweet / Chicago Sun Times:
Lipinski, Quigley: 2 Dems hold out over abortion issues

Discussion: The Hill and Hot Air

David Dayen / Firedoglake:
Stupak is Back: What's an Enrollment Corrections Bill?

Discussion: Congress Matters, The Confluence, The New Republic, The Hill, Mother Jones, The Politico, MyDD, Open Left and Winds of Change.NET

David Dayen / Firedoglake:
Teague a “No,” Pelosi Would Have to Run the Table Without Stupak Bloc

Discussion: The Plum Line, New Mexico Independent, TPMDC and The Moderate Voice

Byron York / Washington Examiner:
GOP: Dems are bluffing, don't have the votes

Discussion: Left Coast Rebel, Gateway Pundit and Hot Air

Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Déjà Vu? Abortion Contretempts Still Threaten Health Bill

Discussion: The Mahablog, GRITtv, The Corner on National …, New Mexico Independent and Wonk Room

Jeffrey T. Kuhner / Washington Times:
Impeach the president? — The ‘Slaughter Solution’ would violate the Constitution

Discussion: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sadly, No!, No More Mister Nice Blog and The Other McCain

CNN: Abortion standoff as health care vote nears

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

Rules Committee meeting descends into chaos — At the House Rules Committee meeting, Democrats desperate to pass their national health care plan are running into the barrier of basic civics. Here is the problem: The Senate has passed its HCR bill. If the House passes the same bill …

Discussion: Power Line, Townhall.com, The Other McCain, Hot Air, Althouse, Wake up America and Michelle Malkin

Michael W. McConnell / Wall Street Journal:
The Health Vote and the Constitution—II

Discussion: Althouse, The Strata-Sphere, PoliBlog, Riehl World View, Hot Air and The New Republic

Balkinization: Michael McConnell and the metaphysics of bills

Glenn Reynolds / Instapundit:

PROTESTING OBAMACARE IN WASHINGTON: Reader Barrett Cunningham sends this photo and reports: “It's an incredible turnout Glenn, and people just keep coming.” — And reader Alan Poston sends this pic and reports a crowd estimate of 30,000 was given at the scene. Not sure of the source.

Discussion: Mudville Gazette, Michelle Malkin, HazZzMat and RedState

Mark Silva / The Swamp:

Healthcare vote (maneuver?) nears — President Barack Obama, summoning the House's Democrats to the White House midday for one more push before expected action on the healthcare legislation Sunday, is turning the focus of his weekly address to next week's start of action on financial regulatory reform in the Senate.

Discussion: CNN

Roxana Tiron / The Hill:
Obama turns eye to financial reform in weekly address

Discussion: The Politico and CNN

Jesse Lee / White House.gov Blog Feed:
Weekly Address: Time for Action on Financial Reform for the Economy

Discussion: Politics Daily

The Note:

Plus 2, Minus 1 for Dem Health Bill This Morning — ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf reports: — None of these are extremely surprising, but here are three more Democratic congressmen now on the record on health reform - two in favor and one opposed. — Most notable here is Rep. Baron Hill, D-Indiana, because he opposes abortion rights.

Discussion: United States House …, Syracuse Post-Standard and The Page

Ian Urbina / New York Times:

Acorn on Brink of Bankruptcy, Officials Say — BALTIMORE — The community organizing group Acorn, battered politically from the right and suffering from mismanagement along with a severe loss of government and other funds, is on the verge of filing for bankruptcy, officials of the group said Friday.

Discussion: Politics Daily

Carrie Budoff Brown / The Politico:

Reid to release letter — without signatories — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will release the contents - but not the signatories - of a letter Saturday aimed at reassuring House members that the Senate will act on the reconciliation bill. — The letter has caused …

Discussion: Wake up America, The Page and Hot Air