Health Care Whack-A-Mole

Jillian Bandes | February 22, 2010 8:23 AM

Obama's holding his "bipartisan health care summit" this week, but that's not the biggest news on the health care front. There's rumors that the meeting is only a move designed to soften the blow before Democrats institute reconciliation to pass the bill.

This morning, Obama is expected to introduce a revised health care plan on the White House website. Later today, Obama will speak before the National Governors Association, focusing on health care and education. On Thursday, there's the "bipartisan summit." So despite the oft-repeated "health care is dead," the issue seems to have resurrected itself once again.

Twenty Democratic Senators have signed a letter in support of reconciliation, but the GOP has identified 18 other Democrats that are ideologically opposed to using the maneuver. Other experts say the number of Democrats opposed to using it could be closer to 8 or 12.

Eight Democratic Senators would be few enough to enable reconciliation to be used, and bring health care back from the dead.