In the best news all day category, House leadership has washed their hands of Stupak. There really wasn't any way around it, since he refused to budge. But it also suggests that leadership doesn't think the 12 supporters Stupak has claimed are firm in their support of him.
Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman of California, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said the leadership will press ahead without reworking the abortion provision adopted by the Senate. Abortion opponents say the provision falls short in restricting taxpayer dollars for abortion coverage.
Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., has been pushing for stricter provisions and says he and a dozen or so abortion opponents would vote against the health care bill if the Senate's version is retained. Leaders will try to peel off some of those lawmakers and make up for any remaining deficit with Democrats who opposed the health care legislation on the first round, when it passed 220-215.
"Many of the pro-life members are going to support passage of the health care bill," Waxman predicted. "They're either satisfied enough with the Senate provision, or they decide that that's as much as they're going to get and they don't want to defeat health care."
Dday has been keeping a whip count and has the current numbers at 189 yes, 202 no. With Massa's resignation, the magic number in the House is 216.