But the ethical and political problems plaguing House Democrats is only part of their party's growing troubles, as spooked financial markets worried about draconian tax increases and job-killing business regulations, uncontrolled spending and a meteoric $14 trillion debt that threatens America's global credit rating.
Reports of bitter political infighting and deep dissension within Barack Obama's high command also clouds the Democrats' efforts to show that they can govern.
At the heart of Obama's troubles are stories surfacing that suggest his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, is complaining to his former colleagues in the House about Obama's dubious decision-making abilities.
Washington is abuzz over Washington Post reporter Dana Milbank's story that said, "Obama's first year fell apart in large part because he didn't follow his chief of staff's advice on crucial matters. Arguably, Emanuel is the only person keeping Obama from becoming Jimmy Carter."
Some in the White House urged Obama to agree to a scaled-back, bipartisan package of healthcare reforms as a first step. But the president in a roll of the dice wants an up-or-down vote on the unpopular Senate bill, a political gamble that many vulnerable Democrats in the House aren't willing to take.
Moreover, the downward trajectory on Obama's numbers seems to be gathering speed. A recent survey by Republican pollster Bill McInturff finds that the president's job-approval score among independents (the voters who elected him) has dropped from 56 percent in mid-2009 to 44 percent today. McInturff points to Obama's stubborn refusal to change his direction on health care as a key reason behind the decline.
Through it all, Pelosi struggles to find enough Democratic votes to pass the president's last-ditch plan, with desertions mounting weekly.