This is perfect for the insomniacs tonight. Instead of watching informercials with the late Billy Mays, let’s watch the Education and Labor Committee mark-up process, which is still going on.

My skepticism about the validity of the 50 vote whip count list continues.  Michael Capuano’s office just released this statement: As Congress continues to debate health care reform the most publicized aspect of the discussion relates to whether or not a public insurance option should be part of any reform package. I strongly support such [...]

Feinstein’s sense of personal entitlement with regard to her job as a US Senator seems to be without limit, and her willingness to make decisions based on what benefits her personally could doom meaningful health reform for all of us.

Mike Stark trapped Earl Pomeroy (D-ND)  in a phone booth outside the Ways & Means Committee, then called me and we waited.  Eventually, he had to come out. I wanted to talk to him because he’s recently gone on record saying he won’t vote for the House health care bill because Medicare rates are set [...]

a Chairman Henry Waxman today released Chairman’s amendments to the tri-committeed House bill on health care reform. In addition to the usual technical fixes, Waxman’s substitute contains improvements designed to lower costs and improve the cost-efficiency of both Medicare and the public plan.

Shortly before the list of 50 names was “leaked” yesterday, nyceve and I were talking with Jerrold Nadler at length about the mysterious internal whip count list that was rumored to exist. I asked Nadler in the video above what exactly it was that they’d whipped on:

While Hilda was taping CNN Eve and I got into an argument with some health insurance industry lobbyists, and when Hilda was taping MSNBC we argued with Kent Conrad. 

Lesson learned:  when the camera’s on Hilda, head for the hills.

This is what members of the Committee see when they look down from their seats in the chamber. Thanks to Hilda and Grigor for being here on behalf of Nataline, and to everyone who helped make that possible.

Rob H. drove to DC from Baltimore to stand in line for the Sarkisyans. Which is a good thing — we called their congressman’s office, Brad Sherman, and were told that if we came down their health care policy person would meet with the Sarkisyans. We came straight down and they said she wasn’t there.

Hilda’s going to be on MSNBC today with David Shuster and Tamryn Hall at 3:45 today.

Today, we’ve got to keep on supporting nyceve and Jane Hamsher over at FireDogLake in standing in line today for today’s Education and Labor Committee mark-up of health care reform! We’ll be making phone calls to Democratic members of the Education and Labor Committee to thank them for supporting the House health care bill, and to ask them NOT to vote for any amendments that would weaken the bill