Health care foes 11 votes shy of defeating bill  —  Washington (CNN) — Five more House Democrats said Tuesday that they will vote against Senate health care legislation, which puts opponents of reform just 11 votes shy of the 216 needed to prevent President Obama from scoring a major victory on his top domestic priority.

Hypocrisy: A Parliamentary Procedure  —  Any veteran observer of Congress is used to the rampant hypocrisy over the use of parliamentary procedures that shifts totally from one side to the other as a majority moves to minority status, and vice versa.  But I can't recall a level …

Palin: Hit ‘reset’ — with Israel  —  Former Governor Sarah Palin, increasingly willing to criticize Obama on foreign policy grounds, is joining the chorus of Republican critics of his confrontation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, contrasting his policy of engaging enemies with the tough talk to an ally.

THIS IS CNN?.... If I didn't get independent confirmation of this, I honestly would have assumed the announcement was some elaborate practical joke.  Alas, it's true. … This is easily the worst decision CNN has ever made.  That the network probably reviewed Erickson's work before hiring him …

Fineman Reports Kucinich to Vote “Yes”  —  Dennis Kucinich has called a press conference for tomorrow.  Howard Fineman is reporting that Kucinich will vote “yes” on health care.  —  Kucinich told Obama that he wants a full ERISA waver and a public option in exchange for his vote.

Opinions Harden on Health  —  Nearly half call plan a ‘bad idea’ in latest Journal/NBC poll, but Democrats who oppose it risk alienating base  —  Democratic lawmakers may be tempted to vote against the health-care overhaul plan pending in Congress because it remains unpopular with a broad swath of the public.

Eric Holder: Osama bin Laden won't be brought in alive  —  Attorney General Eric Holder told a congressional panel Tuesday that the question of reading Osama bin Laden his Miranda rights is absurd - because he won't be brought in alive.  —  “Let's deal with reality,” Holder said.

Everything David Brooks says about reconciliation is wrong  —  Jon Chait did a very funny job taking apart David Brooks's column on reconciliation.  I want to do a serious job on it.  The factual statements Brooks uses in his argument are wrong.  Not arguable, or questionable, or suspicious.

What Obama is Actually Trying to Do in Israel  —  There is much speculation that this kerfluffle over 1,600 theoretical apartments on the wrong side of the green line in Jerusalem will lead to a rupture in American-Israeli relations, but analysts who suggest this are missing the point of President Obama's maneuverings.

On the Matter of Karl Rove's Father  —  In his book and the various interviews and speeches surrounding publication, Karl Rove has made a point of attacking information Wayne Slater and I reported and published regarding Rove's background and the formative years of his political belief system.

My Inflation Nightmare  —  RIGHT-WING TALK RADIO these days is carrying fewer commercials for second mortgages.  (Consolidate your debts, lower your monthly payments, and have enough left over for that dream vacation!)  They've been replaced by commercials for gold.

Petraeus: 'I Believe The Time Has Come To Consider A Change To Don't Ask, Don't Tell'  —  “I believe the time has come to consider a change to Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” General David Petraeus told the Armed Services Committee today, in his most direct public comments about the policy.

Dems Still Don't Have the CBO Score They Want  —  As Democrats have delayed releasing their final health care reconciliation bill, they've consistently tried to create the impression that they're essentially finished, but are merely waiting on the Congressional Budget Office.

Anzalone Liszt Research Swing District Healthcare Polling Memo  —  Anzalone Liszt Research recently did a poll on health insurance reform for AFSCME, CWA and NEA - polling over 1,000 likely voters across 92 Blue Dog, Rural Caucus, and Frontline districts between February 26 and March 4, 2010.

‘Slaughter Solution’ not bulletproof  —  The so-called “Slaughter solution” for enacting health care reform without a conventional House vote on an identically worded Senate bill would be vulnerable to credible constitutional challenge, experts say.  —  No lawyer interviewed by POLITICO thought …

Napolitano scraps U.S.-Mexico fence  —  Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has put the brakes on SBInet, the $3 billion plan to build a virtual fence along the U.S. border with Mexico.  —  “Not only do we have an obligation to secure our borders, we have a responsibility …