REID NAILS IT - AND NAILS US - AT 10:19 A.M. ET:  Late news on health care:  Harry Reid has apparently rounded up the votes needed to prevent a GOP filibuster and pass health-care "reform" by Christmas.  From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats said they neared agreement Saturday on a major overhaul of the nation’s health care system, putting them within reach of approving legislation by Christmas.

As the Senate convened in a driving snowstorm, Democratic lawmakers and senior officials said a breakthrough came when Senator Ben Nelson, Democrat of Nebraska, agreed after hours of negotiation Friday to back the legislation, making him the pivotal 60th vote.

Same old story - a Dem moderate caving in.  Nelson will vote for a measure that is demonstrably unpopular in his home state.  But he'll be bringing in some extortion money for his efforts.  Harry Reid will introduce an amendment just for old Ben:

Mr. Reid’s amendment includes major restrictions on abortion that were intended to win support for the bill from Mr. Nelson....

...Mr. Reid’s amendment also includes a substantial increase in federal contributions to Nebraska’s costs of providing Medicaid coverage to the poor.

And that is the way the game is played.

At the same time, we're happy to report that Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, who might have emerged as the sole Republican to vote for the Senate health bill, has announced her opposition:

Republicans remained deeply opposed to the proposal and Senator Olympia J. Snowe, a Maine Republican who had been considered a possible Democratic ally, said she would oppose the measure, saying it was being rushed through.

“It is a take-it-or leave it package,” she said.

COMMENT:  One of the most extensive pieces of legislation in American history, dealing with the life-and-death question of health care, and designed to rearrange a sixth of the nation's economy, will apparently be passed in the Senate without a single Republican vote. 

That does not mean full Congressional passage.  The Senate bill will have to be reconciled with the already-passed House bill.  But the momentum is now with the Democrats. 

Barack Obama will probably have something to sign very soon, despite public opposition, registered in virtually every poll.

December 19,  2009