On Saturday November 7, Democrats in the House of Representatives voted to pass Pelosi's "Health Care" bill by the slim margin of 220-215. The bill passed by a mere 3 votes, an extremely thin margin with 39 Democrats against the proposed legislation. There are several things we can learn from the voting record.

First, GOP Rep. Joseph Cao of Louisiana allowed himself to be purchased, and used by the Democrats so that Steny Hoyer could claim the vote was "bipartisan." Rather than voting with party, and supporting the will of the American people, he chose to vote for massive new spending and government controls. I will not be surprised when he loses his seat in 2010. Though some have argued he made the appropriate choice for his future political career, I disagree. His voting district is primarily comprised of Democrats, which means he faces an immense challenge in obtaining his reelection. As such, he needs every Republican vote he can get and the votes of any "fiscally conservative Democrats." His actions on this vote will make the GOP support he needs to win his re-election campaign a scarce commodity.

The second lesson is mere affirmation of what we already knew. The Democrat leadership is willing to ignore the will of the people and force through their agenda, no matter the cost. However, the far left leadership of Pelosi and her comrades is fracturing the party. No matter what our delusional speaker may think, passing a bill with a 220-215 vote is not a demonstration of major momentum for Obama's agenda. They can only twist arms for so long before their strong-armed tactics backfire.

Such a narrow margin also casts further doubt that Sen. Reid will be able to muster the votes he needs to accomplish the same feat in the Senate where Sen. Lieberman has already stated he will join a GOP filibuster if the bill contains a public option. Even the Associated Press admits the House bill faces a virtual stonewall in the Senate, and is unlikely to pass in its current form. The House could afford 40 Democrat defections; the Senate can't afford one.

Finally, the squalid nature of the Democrat leadership was on full display during their post-vote press conference. Pelosi was high on the thrill of Chicago-style victory and could barely contain her giddiness as she envisioned the massive new government powers this bill could provide. Meanwhile, if it weren't for the crowd's reaction, Rep. Hoyer would have been able to keep a competely straight face as he announced the bill had passed with a "bipartisan" vote.

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ErikSoderstrom.com

The Aftermath of the PelosiCare Vote.

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