Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic leaders just emerged from a closed-door caucus meeting that included a personal appearance by President Obama confident the House will pass a sweeping health care reform bill today.
Addressing reporters outside the caucus meeting room just now, Pelosi looked back briefly before announcing what seemed like a deal to pass reform.
It was three years ago today that Pelosi led Democrats to retake the House after more than a decade of Republican control. She said the date was "appropriate."
"It is appropriate that the promise we made [to voters] ... will be manifested today," she said. "We will pass health care reform."
Obama came to the Hill today as Democrats were in the midst of eleventh-hour negotiations to secure passage of the bill in a vote expected to come this eventing.
Pelosi didn't give many details on the closed-door session with Obama, but said that the president's continued push for reform was instrumental to getting the process to this point.
"Without President Obama, we would not be in the position to get this done today," she said.
A final House vote is expected to come late this evening.

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johnmccsf
November 7, 2009 1:23 PM
That's my Congresswoman!
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Tofu611
November 7, 2009 3:42 PM in reply to johnmccsf
Hang your head in shame for having such a law maker. She makes me sick.
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Kuyleh
November 7, 2009 3:53 PM in reply to Tofu611
Then feel free to leave the country. If our Congress critters doing the will of the people that put them there makes you sick, you're certainly not that great an American.
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Armageddon T. Thunderbird
November 7, 2009 5:31 PM in reply to Tofu611
Your illness sustains me.
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geofu54
November 7, 2009 6:09 PM in reply to Tofu611
I love tofu. Both firm and silken ones. Your handle name is an insult to tofu :(
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puckerupAmerica
November 7, 2009 3:55 PM in reply to johnmccsf
"Without President Obama, we would not be in the position to get this done today," she said.----------------She is right about that one; without a fascist in power, we wouldn't be talking about this.
Let's talk fascism for a moment, why don't we? It starts with an indoctrination of nationalism (a type of collectivist attitude toward defining one's national identity - i.e. we NEED universal healthcare because other countries have it and we are inferior because we don't) and syndicalism (community/labor ownership in companies and wealth, regardless of how it is achieved - i.e. unions awarded ownership in GM despite their role towards the demise of said company). Despite these philosophies being contradictory to US principles and the constitution, the masses are influenced by their promises of leveling the socio-economic order disregarding quality and quantity of work associated with success in capitalism. The fascist also has an interest in destroying the civil society community we now know and replacing it with statism (the worship of the 'state' - i.e. govt). This diminishes our current community beliefs and/or laws in favor of national control and/or decisions. Why and to what end? To disassemble our constitutional structure that provides us with local and state solutions and replace it with 'one size fits all' national programs. The combination of these forces all work to eliminate the idea of individual rights/property/responsibility. The nation is then influenced by only those few left with the resources to 'play politics' - big business, big labor, big social/environmental groups. The "little" people no longer have a voice. Obama is certainly not the beginning of this movement, but fascism is definitely on the rise and staring right at us, right now.
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ttarleton
November 7, 2009 3:59 PM in reply to puckerupAmerica
Backlash troll droppings!
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puckerupAmerica
November 7, 2009 4:07 PM in reply to ttarleton
Also common in fascism, attacks - and personal, no less...
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Armageddon T. Thunderbird
November 7, 2009 5:36 PM in reply to puckerupAmerica
This lazy Ayn Rand'er copy and pasted this post from a previous one. Word-for-word.
There are no bigger statists than Republicans.
Our Navy sustains the Oil industry. What would Ayn Rand have to say about that?
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theone718
November 7, 2009 4:04 PM in reply to johnmccsf
Lucky bastard!
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mjshep
November 7, 2009 1:51 PM
Yes!
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seashell
November 7, 2009 1:52 PM
According to HuffPo, Obama told the Democrats that it doesn't matter how they vote, the GOP will attack them anyway.
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Tanjaoui
November 7, 2009 7:22 PM in reply to seashell
....Which is why Obama and Congress should have started with single payer on the table.
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par4
November 7, 2009 2:24 PM
If the Dems pass coercive legislation mandating Americans buy insurance from corrupt corporations they are no better than the Republicans. From Pelosi saying impeachment is off the table through retroactive immunity for the telecoms they have repeatedly gone against popular opinion. This disaster should secure their defeat at the next election except for the fact that there is no viable alternative party. If the Republicans win by default get ready for real dark times ahead.
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John Hamilton Farr
November 7, 2009 2:29 PM
Anyone cheering this news is a shallow-minded, blithering idiot. The bill enriches insurance companies, does nothing to reduce premiums, and contains no public option that will actually help anyone. It also restricts access to women's reproductive health care. Before the day is out, the bastards will probably legalize segregation again, too.
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tweakyd
November 7, 2009 3:14 PM in reply to John Hamilton Farr
You look scary
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Tofu611
November 7, 2009 3:41 PM
The idea of the government in control of our health care is scary as hell. The same government that runs the post office, medicare, welfare. People that want "free medical" care are indeed "shallow-minded, blithering idiots".
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ttarleton
November 7, 2009 3:47 PM in reply to Tofu611
Lots of little troll heads popping up out of their holes today!
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Dunvegan
November 7, 2009 6:08 PM in reply to ttarleton
Trolls, you say?
I think it's because the Insurance Lobby is paying trolls Saturday/Holiday time and a half today. Plus a restaurant voucher.
Hope that sustains you if you have a cataclysmic accident as I did. A spinal injury in an instant changed me from an executive to a live-alone disabled person. Sold house, car, and paid down $240K leaving me with SSDI. I can now choose each month: Rent. Medicine. Food. Utilities. Pick two.
I'd say the trolls make me sick, but it's them that they should fear being sick/injury/catastrophic illness/the fates themselves.
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BeeClone
November 7, 2009 4:55 PM in reply to Tofu611
OK, the government runs the post office and my mail gets delivered six times a week I can send a letter from the east to the west for 44 cents. Can we stop hating on the post office?
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Armageddon T. Thunderbird
November 7, 2009 5:44 PM in reply to Tofu611
The government put a man on the moon in less than 10 years.
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TheraP
November 7, 2009 3:49 PM
Hello, tt! :-)
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ttarleton
November 7, 2009 3:51 PM in reply to TheraP
Hello to you!
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jo3wang
November 7, 2009 4:16 PM
*Public Service Announcement* "Please do not feed the trolls"
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Jay
November 7, 2009 5:26 PM
I think a lot of Democrats are negatively effected by the Joint Tax Committee Memo
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/15141066/You-Will-Go-To-Jail-Under-the-Pelosi-Health-Care-Bill-If-You-Dont-Buy-The-Government-Option
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WineDarkSea
November 7, 2009 6:43 PM
Anyone who doesn't cheer this news is a shallow-minded, blithering poopie-head. And fascist. Whose mother dresses them funny.
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