GOP plots Senate health roadblock  —  Democrats might like to think that health care reform is all but a done deal if it clears the House, but the Senate is where Republicans have been plotting for months to sentence it to a painful procedural death.  —  Republican aides have been mining …

Stupak: Health fight has been ‘living hell’  —  Leading a revolt against President Barack Obama's healthcare legislation over abortion has been a “living hell” for Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.).  —  The telephone lines in his Washington and district offices have been “jammed” …

Lynch mobbed  —  Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) is a firm “no” on health care reform — in large measure because he opposes the idea of any kind of excise tax on Cadillac plans, even one that's delayed for years and years.  —  That's put Lynch a former ironworkers union official in Boston …

Rules Panel Dem To Vote Against Bill  —  A key House Dem has begun informing party leaders he plans to vote against health care legislation both on the House floor and in the rules committee, on which he sits.  —  Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-NY), a sophomore Dem who had a tougher …

President Barack Obama Talks to Bret Baier About Health Care Reform Bill  —  This is a rush transcript of “Special Report With Bret Baier” from March 17, 2010.  This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.  —  BRET BAIER, “SPECIAL REPORT” HOST: Welcome to Washington.

Health Care Pollyanna Update  —  MSNBC's First Read reports, “We're told that the White House and House Dem leaders are fewer than five votes away from 216.”  I have always thought that the key is to get within four or five votes.  Once you're there, you're very likely to win.  Why?

Has Rahm's assumption about progressives been vindicated?  —  Politico's Ben Smith yesterday suggested that one important aspect of Rahm Emanuel's health care strategy — to ignore the demands of progressives on the ground that they would fall into line at the end no matter what — has been vindicated.

Obama's pitch: Fate of presidency on the line  —  President Barack Obama had exhausted most of his health care reform arguments with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus during a White House meeting last Thursday when he made a more personal pitch that resonated with many skeptics in the room.

GOP Doc Asks Pelosi: ‘Are you so arrogant ... ignorant ... incompetent?’  —  ABC's Z. Byron Wolf reports: Democrats might have themselves a health reform bill, but Republicans have doctors - way more doctors in Congress, anyway, than Democrats.  And they're steamed.

Steve Levy Plans Switch to G.O.P., Stirring Governor's Race  —  ALBANY — A governor's race that seemed all but settled is about to be upended again, by a popular Democrat from Long Island who is set to announce that he is switching parties.  The move is certain to excite Republican leaders pessimistic …

I-Team: DOJ Serves Subpoenas in Senator Ensign Investigation  —  LAS VEGAS — Nevada Senator John Ensign is in the crosshairs of a Department of Justice criminal investigation.  —  The criminal probe stems from a romantic affair Ensign had with the wife of his key staffer and close friend …

Obama postpones overseas trip to focus on health-care debate  —  Bowing to public and private complaints from lawmakers, President Obama decided Thursday to delay his overseas trip to Indonesia and Australia so that he can be in Washington for the culmination of his year-long effort to pass health-care legislation.

He Took My Lunch Money, Or, Why Women Need Full Health Care  —  Once more, with feeling ...  I'm not the only woman in the country who once had a partner who took my paychecks and deposited them in an account that I had no access to; not by debit card, not by checkbook.

Rep. Steve King and Glenn Beck agree: Voting for health reform on Sunday is ‘an affront to God.’  —  With this morning's release of the Congressional Budget Office's reconciliation package score, the House appears ready to vote on health care reform this Sunday.

Canceling the trip  —  The cancellation of President Obama's trip to Asia marks the full reversal of the strategy his presidency began with: Flooding the zone with policy, keeping the President out of the weeds.  —  The decision to cancel his trip may look like a sign of urgency but it's also …

AFL sees improvements, will back bill  —  The AFL-CIO's leadership agreed this afternoon to support the health care legislation despite a last-minute change to hard-fought tax provisions, a meeting participant said.  —  The labor leaders will swallow a change in the plan under …

Savage Love  —  (662) 862-3104 by Dan Savage My husband and I have been married for one year, but we had been dating for 10 years prior to that.  I thought we had a very understanding relationship.  In the last couple of days, I have found out that he has a serious obsession with females wearing running shoes.