On November 7, Nancy Pelosi threaded the House Health Care Reform Bill 220-215 with the pro-life Stupak Amendment.

The Senate passed a health care reform bill without the Stupak Amendment, thus risking the pro-life defeat of health care reform on a bill that spends taxpayer dollars on health care policies that fund abortions.

Nancy Pelosi cannot afford to lose even one vote:

• On December 16th, Joseph ‘Anh’ Cao, the lone Republican supporter of the bill, declared his opposition to the Senate bill due to its lax abortion provisions.
• On January 2nd, Democratic Representative Robert Wexler of Florida resigned to become the President of the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation.
• On February 8th, John Murtha died of complications relating to surgery.
• On March 1st, Democratic Representative Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii resigned to run for Governor.

216-216. Tie game.

(The Democrats may be able to force the resignation of health care opponent Eric J.J. Massa of New York, which would lighten the burden on their whip count, but that will not be resolved until tonight).

With this Susan B. Anthony List poll demonstrating fierce opposition to abortion funding in the Districts of pro-life Democrats, it is clear why Bart Stupak is able to whip up opposition (to the tune of “at least twelve” votes) to the pro-choice Senate Health Care Reform Bill.

Now, of the 38 remaining Democrats who voted against the health care bill (Parker Griffith is now a Republican), 29 are still committed to opposing the Senate Health Care Reform Bill.

Only 9 are not sure how they will vote this time around.  However, even if the Democrats are able to win the special elections in Hawaii, Florida, and Pennsylvania and flip all 9 of the Democrats who opposed the bill last time, the vote will be a dead heat – no passage … unless Nancy Pelosi can accept the resignation of Eric Massa.

This is politics at its most riveting.