And suddenly, "there's no rush" to get health care reform passed. So says Harry Reid in comments echoed up and down the party line today. Democrats essentially called a halt to President Obama's No. 1 priority now that Scott Brown's win in Massachusetts has gummed up the works. Coming just a day ahead of the State of the Union, the comments make it unlikely that Obama will lay out a specific path forward tomorrow.
“It’s a timeout,” Dianne Feinstein tells the New York Times. “The leadership is re-evaluating. They asked us to keep our powder dry.” All kinds of legislative maneuvering, from budget reconciliation to fast-track approval, have been bandied about, but nothing looks promising at the moment. “Frankly, we’re trying to figure out what is possible,” said House majority leader Steny Hoyer.