Somethin's happenin' here

I am a longtime Democrat, so I am not unmindful of their capacity to shoot themselves in the foot with a gun that ain't even loaded, but...

WASHINGTON — The White House and Congressional leaders put Democrats on notice Friday that they would push ahead next week toward climactic votes on the health care legislation, as President Obama delayed a foreign trip and Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she hoped to complete House action before he leaves.

As early as Thursday or Friday, Democrats said, they would first pass the health care bill already approved by the Senate in December, clearing the way for Mr. Obama to sign it, and then approve a package of changes in a separate bill that the Senate would also pass by a simple majority vote.

The White House said Mr. Obama had delayed his departure for a trip to Guam, Indonesia and Australia to March 21, from Thursday, so that he could keep the pressure on Congress, shortening the trip and not taking his family along — all clear signals that he wants this seen as a make-or-break moment.

“I’m delighted that the president will be here for the passage of the bill,” Ms. Pelosi said. “It’s going to be historic. And it would not be possible without his tremendous, tremendous leadership, his persistence, his concern for the American people, always guided by his statement that we will measure our success by the progress being made by America’s working families.”

And this is just all-round smart politics.

Ms. Pelosi said House Democrats were happy that a proposed overhaul of student loan programs would also be attached to the package. The bill is popular in the House and would help sway fence-sitters, said Democrats, who need 216 votes in the House. The student loan package would be hard to pass in the Senate except by sharing the health bill’s fast track.

The president’s international trip had grown into a source of frustration among many House Democrats, who complained privately to the White House that they were being forced to take a quick vote on health care so Mr. Obama and his family could leave on the overseas trip next week.

The president is no longer taking the first lady, Michelle Obama, and their two daughters on the trip, an administration official said. Mr. Obama agreed to delay his departure by three days, an administration official said, shortening the trip for official business only in an effort to show flexibility in the final push on health care legislation and to give Mr. Obama more time to win over skeptical House members.

I've said it before and longtime readers know I'm a rank Obamabot, but he understands the long view on this. That he couldn't just drop a bill in Congress and expect them to pas it. That, therefore, the legislative process was going to be messy, un-transparent, and ugly (read, "Nebraska"). That while news cycles are short, legislation is long and tempers cool. Much as he and his advisers exhibited during the campaign, it's a long slog and a lot of hard work and you got to pick your moments

He stepped in at the right moment and led the final charge when all sides were exhausted, but also when Dems began to realize that failure to pass this bill would only add to an appearance that they can't govern.

Things can still go wrong. House lawmakers haven't seen the budget bill that would be passed through reconciliation. Does Pelosi really have the 216? Who knows where Stupak is these days. But this feels like we really are on the verge of a historic moment. The Tell, as usual, is in the Concern Trolls.

Oh, and kudos to Sasha and Malia.