Goodbye 'Deem And Pass,' It Was Fun Knowing What You Were For Five Days

America is saved from Democrats! The House Rules Committee, after a contentious meeting in its chamber above the River Styx, has consulted with the leadership and willnot  go ahead with "deem and pass," or as Peggy Noonan's nightmares call it, DEMON PASS. Instead the House will "take three votes Sunday: first, on a resolution that will set the terms of debate; second, on a package of amendments to the Senate bill that have been demanded by House members; and third, on the Senate bill itself."

This is probably a good move, since Democrats are completely incapable of explaining obscure but legal procedural moves to the media. It also saves the bill from being locked up in courts for the next ten years! Ha ha, if only. Obviously Republicans will file 100 lawsuits against the Democrats' five-day consideration of "deem and pass." TORT REFORM NOW!

Meanwhile, phew:  

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Saturday rejected an offer to hold a separate vote on abortion provisions in the sweeping health-care legislation, setting the stage for the final talks with the last Democratic holdouts.

Pelosi told reporters that she rejected the solution offered by Rep. Bart Stupak (Mich.), the leading antiabortion Democrat who proposed passing separate, strict language that would clarify that no federal funds in the proposed legislation could go toward abortion coverage.

The American people will not stand for Nancy Pelosi's "Baltimore hardball politics."

[ Washington Post ]