Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Ind., Indiana Democrats' likely nominee for the U.S. Senate, will vote "yes" on health care. This probably makes his run for Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh's seat futile. Immediately upon his announcement, former Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., attacked:

COATS: VOTING 'YES' ON OBAMACARE AN ENORMOUS ERROR

INDIANAPOLIS (March 19, 2010) - Dan Coats, candidate for United States Senate, released the following statement in response to Congressman Brad Ellsworth's decision to vote in favor of Obamacare:

"I am shocked by Congressman Brad Ellsworth's decision to vote in favor of the irresponsible, radical and intrusive Obama-Pelosi job-killing health care bill. Congressman Ellsworth's decision, made in Washington apparently after some serious arm twisting by liberal special interests, goes against an overwhelming and consistent majority of Hoosiers who oppose this legislation.

Coats also summarized a letter from Mitch Daniels, which summarized what ObamaCare will do to the Hoosier State:

 · The massive expansion of Medicaid will cost Hoosier taxpayers billions more in state taxes, leaving one in four Hoosiers on public assistance

· There will not be enough health care professionals to care for this huge new influx of Medicaid patients

· The Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) would be eliminated, adversely affecting 45,000 Indiana families

· A study of the effects in Indiana showed premium increases ranging up to 78 percent

· A job killing tax of $2,000 per employee will be levied on many companies

· The costs for this massive entitlement expansion are vastly and misleadingly understated: An honest estimate would show an additional of more than a trillion dollars of national debt

If Ellsworth is being pushed into voting for this, you can bet that Speaker Pelosi has no votes to spare. But by the same token, you wouldn't be hearing him commit in public if she didn't have the votes.

COATS: VOTING 'YES' ON OBAMACARE AN ENORMOUS ERROR

Job Killing Bill Supported by Cong. Ellsworth is Irresponsible, Radical and Intrusive

 

INDIANAPOLIS (March 19, 2010) - Dan Coats, candidate for United States Senate, released the following statement in response to Congressman Brad Ellsworth's decision to vote in favor of Obamacare:

 

"I am shocked by Congressman Brad Ellsworth's decision to vote in favor of the irresponsible, radical and intrusive Obama-Pelosi job-killing health care bill.  Congressman Ellsworth's decision, made in Washington apparently after some serious arm twisting by liberal special interests, goes against an overwhelming and consistent majority of Hoosiers who oppose this legislation.

 

"I fundamentally disagree with Congressman Ellsworth on the impact of this health care bill on Hoosiers and Americans.  I'm not sure which Hoosiers the Congressman has been talking to, but in my travels across the state there has been overwhelming opposition to the ultra-liberal Obamacare plan.

 

"Just days after Governor Mitch Daniels' statement on the enormously negative impact in Indiana - with billions of dollars in new taxes --  Congressman Ellsworth's decision is an enormous error and a stunning example of how members of Congress can lose their way when they stop listening to the people they represent.

 

"There are plenty of reasons to oppose the Obama-Pelosi health care plan including the massive tax increases and government intervention in personal health care decisions, but to think Congressman Ellsworth could support legislation that will raise premiums on Hoosier families, eliminate the Healthy Indiana Plan and cause hundreds or maybe even thousands of Hoosiers to lose their jobs is incomprehensible."

 

Background

Governor Daniels' letter to Indiana's Congressional delegation stated that the Obama-Pelosi-Ellsworth plan was "hopelessly misguided, unaffordable, and dangerously adverse to the interests of Hoosiers today and tomorrow."  According to the letter:

 

·         The massive expansion of Medicaid will cost Hoosier taxpayers billions more in state taxes, leaving one in four Hoosiers on public assistance

·         There will not be enough health care professionals to care for this huge new influx of Medicaid patients

·         The Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) would be eliminated, adversely affecting 45,000 Indiana families

·         A study of the effects in Indiana showed premium increases ranging up to 78 percent

·         A job killing tax of $2,000 per employee will be levied on many companies

·         The costs for this massive entitlement expansion are vastly and misleadingly understated: An honest estimate would show an additional of more than a trillion dollars of national debt

 

 

# # #

 

Contact:  Pete Seat, Press Secretary, at 317-395-3232 or pseat@coatsforindiana.com

 

 

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House GOP whip Rep. Eric Cantor has sent out a brief memo outlining the health care vote count from the Republican perspective. The best way to look at it is not to ask whether Speaker Nancy Pelosi has gotten the 216 votes needed to pass the Democrats' national health care bill, but whether opponents have the votes to defeat it.

Start with all 178 GOP lawmakers. (There have been rumors that Rep. Joseph Cao, who was the only Republican to vote for the health bill the first time, is wavering, but Cantor says Cao is a firm no.) Beginning the count with 178 Republicans means that opponents need 38 Democrats to vote against the bill for it to be defeated. This is how Cantor breaks it down:

Thirty-seven Democrats voted against the health care bill last November. Of those, five have publicly switched their votes to yes. That leaves 32. In addition, some others might change their votes to yes as well, and Cantor names six: Baird, Kosmas, McMahon, Murphy, Tanner, and Teague.

But if there are in fact 32 original Democratic no votes that are still no votes, then Republicans need to find six other Democrats to vote no in order to defeat the bill. Cantor points to one original yes vote that has switched to no -- Arcuri -- and suggests there might be five others who could switch: Berry, Costa, Giffords, Lynch, and Space.

That leaves the much-discussed Stupak Group. The pro-life Democrat originally said he had 12 colleagues who originally voted yes but would now vote no. Stupak has lost some of those, but it is not clear how many.

Cantor suggests that in combining those two categories -- the yeses who have become no plus the Stupak group -- there might be another 12 votes against the bill. "If we add 12 to 32, we get 44 -- which leaves Speaker Pelosi seven votes short," Cantor concludes. Of course, if there are less than 32 original no votes who remain no votes, the margin is tighter.

Who is correct? It's clear the Democrats are working around the clock to create a sense of momentum and inevitability about the vote. But the fact is, there are still enough unknowns to say the outcome is entirely in doubt.

 

Roll Call reports that the congressional switchboard has been overwhelmed with telephone calls for four consecutive days, since conservative Talk Radio host Rush Limbaugh encouraged to call their congressmen and protest Obamacare.

"Calls to the House numbered close to 100,000 an hour, creating a bottleneck in a phone system only meant to handle 50,000 calls an hour. The chamber has been similarly overloaded for four consecutive days, beginning on Tuesday when radio host Rush Limbaugh told viewers to call the Capitol switchboard phone number," Roll Call said.

Jeff Ventura, a spokesman for Dan Beard, the House Chief Administrative Officer - who works for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi - seems to be seeking to minimize the significance of this deluge of public opinion focused on Congress.

“It’s not like Congress has come to a communication standstill,” Ventura told Roll Call.

Roll Call notes that "this isn’t the first time Congress has been overcome with phone calls and e-mails in the runup to an important vote. Interest in the 2008 stimulus bill crashed House.gov and some Member Web sites, and in November, the Senate’s voice mail system was overloaded before the chamber’s cloture vote on health care reform legislation."

But four consecutive days?

I don't recall Congress being thus beseiged since President Ronald Reagan encouraged the public to contact Congress and urge passage of his tax cut bill. As I recall, the capitol switchboard was overwhelmed for a day or two and Western Union was similarly flooded with an unprecedented flood of telegrams.

 

 

On the House floor a few moments after 5:00 p.m. Friday, Florida Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings, discussing Republican protests over the handling of the Democrat's national health care bill, said that "Extreme times require extreme measures to ensure that we pass a health care bill that America deserves." As far as those extreme measures are concerned, the House Rules Committee will hold an "emergency meeting" at 10 a.m. Saturday to consider the health care measures. It will be open to the press and should be televised on C-Span.

Like Democratic Reps. Steve Lynch (Mass.) and Mike Arcuri (N.Y.), Travis Childers (Miss.) is voting no on the health care bill. This comes as no big surprise, given the district he will have to defend and his generally conservative lean in office so far.

A bigger surprise is Rep. John Adler, D-N.J., who had grumbled earlier but now appears adamant in opposition.

And the biggest surprise, to me, is Rep. Jason Atlmire, D-Pa., who moments ago announced he is a "no."

Rep. Joseph Cao, R-La., who voted "yes" in November on the House health care bill, now looks like a firm "no" as well. So with all 178 Republicans voting "no," I now count 33 Democrats on the record as planning to vote "no," for a total of 211.

Assuming that they all really do vote no -- a big assumption -- here are what I consider the 13 biggest question marks at this point for the Democrats:

Nick Rahall, D-W.Va. -- Update: His attempt to cut an unrealistic abortion deal involving passage of a Senate bill "in the future" demonstrates that he's not sincere in his opposition to the Senate language. He told locals yesterday afternoon that he will vote against the bill unless its abortion provisions are changed -- which they will not be. (The lede in the linked story is buried.)
Mike Michaud, D-Maine -- His name suddenly popped up when he voted against the use of the Slaughter Solution yesterday.
Brad Ellsworth, D-Ind. -- He's running for Senate in Indiana, and he really diminishes his chances if he votes "yes."
Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D. -- The revelation that the bill now contains a special provision for North Dakota will be damaging this fall, as he faces a serious challenge for the first time in years.
Harry Teague, D-N.M. -- Voted against the Slaughter Solution yesterday.
Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz. -- Voted against the Slaughter Solution yesterday.
Chris Carney, D-Pa. -- He looks like a no, but a deal by Rahall could change that.
Henry Cuellar, D-Tex. -- Leans "yes."
Kathy Dahlkemper, D-Pa.
Glenn Nye, D-Va. -- Voted against the Slaughter Solution yesterday.
Zack Space, D-Ohio
Solomon Ortiz, D-Tex.
Jim Matheson, D-Utah

I'm just assuming that all of the liberals who have voiced doubts -- such as Suzanne Kosmas (Fla.), Luis Gutierrez (Ill.), Mike Capuano (Mass.), Ed Markey (Mass.), and Carol Shea-Porter (N.H.), among others -- will fold and vote "yes" for the party's sake. If Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, can break and vote for what he has called an insurance industry giveaway, so will they.

Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, looks like a "yes" too. Her opposition to abortion funding seems to have melted away with a kiss on the cheek from Obama.

I would caution, however, based on my experience with the Prescription Drug Benefit of 2003, that this kind of whip counting is just so much pre-hatch chicken-counting. I was at Human Events then, and my colleague John Gizzi and I had spoken to several firmly committed "no" votes -- including Trent Franks (Ariz.), Butch Otter (Idaho) and Steve King (Iowa) -- who buckled under pressure.

Also, do not expect this bill to fail on the floor. Pelosi will either get the votes she needs, or else she will pull the bill and wait until special elections to fill vacant seats in Hawaii, Pennsylvania and Florida, and until the planned resignation of Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga., who is running for governor and, according to some reports, trying to evade an ethics investigation.

Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pa., has announced that he is voting "no" on health care reform. Until now, I have firmly believed, based on his statements, that he would support this bill in the end, so it comes as something of a shock.

Meanwhile, Allen Boyd, D-Fla., will vote yes, despite his opposition to the student loan provision that will be part of ObamaCare. (h/t The Corner)

Altmire could be trouble for Speaker Pelosi. Either that or she has the votes sewn up, and she is now giving out the free passes.

A new reason to  get out of bed on Sunday -- other than brunch.

Maybe the biggest question is: Does Christiane Amanpour care much about the tedious domestic issues that consume the Sabbath Gasbags? As the newly minted host of ABC News' "This Week," is the silky internationalista really going to indulge the likes of John Boehner on the topic of socialized medicine?

Beltway totally digs Amanpour -- always has -- but we wonder. She is not a creature of Washington -- she is top-notch foreign correspondent. The Sunday shows are so Washington that they are sometimes painfully unwatchable. Still and all, though, her husband is Jamie Rubin, former State Department spokesman during the Clinton administration, so it's not like she's unfamiliar.

So, we are curious. And hopeful. Disappointed for our pal Jake Tapper who we were shamelessly hoping would land the gig, but glad he will stick around the White House and continue to pile grievance upon Robert Gibbs and Co.

Also of interest: Will Christiane ditch the jaunty safari jackets she is widely noted for and don the horrible power uniform of the Washington female? Hopefully she can preserve some of that flair and not descend into unspeakable jackets and pearls.

(cnn.com)

In December, when the Senate passed this health-care bill, President Obama praised the chamber for "standing up to the special interests -- who've prevented reform for decades, and who are furiously lobbying against it now." The President was not speaking truthfully at the time, but most liberals parroted the line or at least provided some covering fire.

But today, liberal Washington Post blogger Ezra Klein, who has covered this battle as exhaustively as anyone and supported its passage as continuously as anyone, admits this is bill sits fine -- or better -- with all the special interests, and that the attacks on Republicans, made by President Obama and others, as shills for industry were dishonest or at least mistaken:

This year, the Obama administration succeeded at neutralizing every single industry. Pharma supports the bill. Insurers are incoherent on it, but there's not a ferocious and united campaign to kill the proposal. The American Medical Association has endorsed the Senate bill. The hospitals have endorsed the bill. Labor has endorsed the bill. The business community is split, with larger employers holding their fire.

You can take that as a critique of the bill's deals and concessions. But it represents a remarkable level of industry consensus. And it's been almost meaningless when it's come to Republican support. For all that liberals think the GOP is owned by insurers and pharmaceutical companies, this battle has been proof positive that they are owned by their base and they represent industry only when convenient.

I'm glad Klein's come around to my way of thinking, but he continues to make this odd argument:

we really judge the extremism of legislation based on the positioning of Republicans and Democrats. If I'd told you that the Obama administration was going to release a health-care bill that would attract every Senate Democrat -- from Bernie Sanders and Barbara Boxer to Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman -- and either endorsements or neutrality from the American Medical Association, the hospital industry, the pharmaceutical industry, AARP, labor, and much of the insurance industry (though they're press releases have become more oppositional recently), you'd have thought that was a pretty moderate, consensus-oriented bill. Which it is! But most Americans don't think that because the Republicans decided to treat it as the second coming of fascism.

So, most of the American people, some Democratic congressmen, all Republican congressmen, and all Republican Senators are against the bill. But the special interests and the majority party are for it. And this speaks ill of the Republicans?

House Democrats say they will hold a vote on their national health care plan Sunday afternoon. But what are they actually doing between now and then? Behind the scenes, they're begging, offering bribes, threatening punishments, etc. But on the House floor, where lawmakers conduct their public business, the Democratic leadership is engaged in a days-long time-wasting effort to keep the House in session until the party can come up with enough votes to pass Obamacare.

For example, Friday afternoon -- a time when the House would normally have adjourned and lawmakers gone home -- the House considered H.Res. 1040, "Honoring the life and accomplishments of [novelist] Donald Harrington for his contributions to literature in the United States." The Democratic leadership allotted 40 minutes of debate to the subject, which is just a bit less than will be given to national health care. (For a summary of House proceedings, see here.)

Before the Harrington matter, the House considered H.Con.Res 244, "Expressing support for the designation of March 20 as a National Day of Recognition for Long-Term Care Physicians." Democrats gave that one 40 minutes, too. And before that weighty matter, the House dealt with H.Res. 1027, "Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the historic dive to the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in the world's oceans, on January 23, 1960."

Pressing matters all. But wait -- there's more. Before Harrington, long-term care doctors, and the Marianas Trench, the House dealt with H.Res. 1133, "Recognizing the extraordinary number of African-Americans who have overcome significant obstacles to enhance innovation and competitiveness in the field of science in the United States."

Throughout it all, Republicans have had the temerity to change the subject to health care, ignoring the time-fillers with which the Democratic leadership had filled the schedule. That left some Democrats very unhappy. Minnesota Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison, for example, said during what was supposed to be the Donald Harrington time, "The fact is, we're honoring a great American novelist, but we have to divert that important conversation…the Republican caucus wants to go toe-to-toe on health care." California Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier also chided her GOP colleagues, saying, "While we are trying to recognize the life and work of a great American novelist, we find ourselves drifting into a discussion of health care."

Imagine that! Not only do House Democrats not want to cast a vote explicitly for their national health care plan -- they don't want to talk about it, either.

The votes of House Democrats on Sunday will largely determine the votes of independents in November.  Individual members of Congress who vote “no” on the proposed health care overhaul will strike an immediate chord of respect with their constituents, establish an instant reputation for fiscal prudence and independent thinking, and gain the appreciation of voters for listening to them.  Those who vote “yes” will invite the disdain of voters across the entire political spectrum, save the far left.

Independents, even more than most Americans, strongly disapprove of the proposed health care overhaul.  In June, 66 percent of independents supported President Obama in a Fox News poll.  After nine months of the president’s focusing almost entirely on health care, the same poll now shows that only 38 percent of independents support him — an amazing decline.  Even fewer of these same independents, just 29 percent, specifically approve of the president’s handling of health care.  More than twice as many, 63 percent, disapprove. 

A PPP poll now shows Republicans leading on the generic congressional ballot by a tally of 46 to 43 percent.  The GOP has built that lead on the strength of a 44 to 26 percent advantage among independents — the same 18-point margin by which Reagan beat Mondale and FDR beat Hoover. 

Intensity of feeling is also clearly on the side of those who oppose the health-care overhaul.  By two to one, those who strongly oppose it outnumber those who strongly support it (46 percent to 23 percent). This is not just a flash in the pan.  Such two-to-one gaps in intensity have been pretty consistently in evidence since Thanksgiving. 

// <a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/cdg.ws/blog;pos=2;section=;tile=2;sz=300x250;ord=123456789?" target="_blank"></a>

It’s hard to win an election without the support of independents and with the intensity of support/opposition working solidly against you.  But individual House Democrats can quickly quiet most opposition and win over most independents.  With just one vote, they can show that they are independent too.  They can show that they don’t just vote the party line, but are willing to exercise independent judgment and take independent action.  They can show that they are willing to listen to their constituents.  Those who exercise that healthy spirit of independence, even with their party leaders breathing down their necks, will be rewarded by grateful voters in November for their courage. 

// ]]>

From The Hill:

At least six anti-abortion Democrats are open to supporting the healthcare bill if they can get a guarantee from the Senate that it will move separate legislation containing the House abortion language, one of those Democratic holdouts said Friday. Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), one of Rep. Bart Stupak’s (D-Mich.) gang of staunch opponents of the Senate abortion language, said they are in discussions with senators and House leaders to secure such a commitment....Rahall said the remaining opponents were at this point looking for “some type of language we can rely on in the Senate” and a “promise [from the Senate] to act in the future.”

The Senate has already voted down the language against funding abortion. The idea that they will now do otherwise is fantasy, and Rahall knows it.

For his own part, Stupak is a "no." He is much more realistic about the prospects of anything happening "in the future":

“Right now, they got the trifecta: They got the House, they got the Senate and they got a president,” he said. “So basically, they said, ‘Your right-to-life amendments are over.’ And they’ve proven that.

“So one of the offers is, ‘Why won’t you just drop this for now? We’re going to work on it later. This thing doesn’t kick in till 2018,” Stupak continued. “Well, jeez, after you tell us no to our face — ‘You’re never going to get anything’ — why would I suddenly think you’re going to give me something now? I’m a little slow, but I’m not that slow.”

Iranian-born Hassan Nemazee - one of Barack Obama’s top campaign contribution “bundlers” and a major Democratic Party donor - has pleaded guilty to four counts of bank and wire fraud.

Besides Obama, Nemazee helped bankroll prominent Democrats such as Joe Biden, Harry Reid, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Al Franken, Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, James Webb, and Rahm Emanuel.

Former DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe attended many fund-raisers at Nemazee’s Park Avenue apartment, including an event that raised $350,000 for McAuliffe’s own unsuccessful campaign for governor in Virginia.

Nemazee admitted using fake documents to get $292 million in loans from Bank of America, Citigroup and HSBC Holdings. Although he agreed to hand over millions of dollars worth of real estate, hedge fund, securities and bank accounts, a 2008 Maserati and a 2007 Cessna, prosecutor Daniel Levy told U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein that there’s millions more the government has not yet located.

Keep looking.

Judge Stein allowed Nemazee to remain free on $25 million bail under house arrest in his Manhattan apartment until his sentencing on June 30.

Where are all the liberals when you need them to separate out Church and State? Nancy Pelosi seems to think she is on a Crusade today:

Today is the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, particularly important to Italian-Americans. It’s a day where we remember and pray to St. Joseph to benefit the workers of America, and that’s exactly what our health-care bill will do.

Speaker Pelosi should check her calendar again, because the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker is on May 1. Today is simply the feast or Solemnity of Saint Joseph. 

Either way, Joseph is also the patron saint of fathers and of happiness at the time of one's death. He would not consider the killing of unborn babies to be health care, and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have appreciated working hard all day only to see the fruits of his labor taken through taxes to subsidize abortions. (h/t Hot Air)

Also, when Pelosi says that every order we can think of has written in support of this bill, she underestimates the number of orders we can think of.

The Caps very popluar and entertaining Red Line show will air Monday on CSN.

The sixth episode of Capitals Red Linea  behind-the-scenes look at the team, airs on Monday, March 22, at 9:30 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet. Capitals right wing Eric Fehr discusses his role on the team and as a radio host in his hometown, while all-access goes behind the scenes at Casino Night in two of the eight segments on this week’s episode.

 

This episode also will be available at Comcast On Demand. The first five episodes are now available online at WashingtonCaps.com (March 15 episode, March 8 episode, March 1 episode, Feb. 23 episode and Feb. 15 episode). 

 

Coming up on Capitals Red Line on March 22:

 

 “Cruisin’”

Viewers take a ride with Capitals’ right wing Eric Fehr, who has established career highs in goals (19), assists (15) and points (34) this season. With all of his success on the ice Fehr is also getting noticed off of it, as he talks about hosting a weekly radio show for a hometown station.

 

Countdown to Puck Drop

Go behind the scenes in the Comcast SportsNet broadcast truck with Bill Bell, who directs all of the Capitals games on CSN. Bell discusses what happens before, during and after Capitals games to deliver the sights and sounds to your living room.

 

 All Access

All Access visits the Capitals’ Casino Night. Go behind the scenes as Brett Leonhardt follows players around and finds out the identities of the real card sharks on the team. Here’s a hint: don’t play Texas Hold ’Em with the two Alexes.

 

X’s and O’s

Successful NHL defensemen master positioning, skating and stickwork and have the ability to make split-second decisions. Tom Poti – an 11-year NHL veteran – breaks down the fundamentals of the position in this week’s X’s and O’s presented by SUBWAY.

 

Press Pass 

Of all the new faces who have joined the Capitals since last spring, none has had the impact of right wing Mike Knuble. Caps media breaks down the impact Knuble has had on the team and its top line in this segment.

 

Forces of Hockey

Hosted by Professor Lou Bloomfield, Ph.D.

Professor Bloomfield – a physics professor at University of Virginia – gets some help from Capitals Alex Ovechkin and Tyler Sloan to break down the science of a trick shot.

Caps Kids Club Red Light Trivia

It’s trivia time. How well do you know your Washington Capitals?

Ask A Cap

Caps players reveal their favorite cities and buildings to play in outside of Washington, D.C., and Verizon Center.

 

Original show listings dates and times:

Monday, March 22      9:30 p.m.                     Comcast SportsNet

Monday, March 29      9:30 p.m.                     Comcast SportsNet

Monday, April 5          9:30 p.m.                     Comcast SportsNet

 

Carolina Hurricanes 4, Caps 3

Bruce Boudreau said postgame that while his team may not have deserved two points tonight they should have gotten two points tonight. Up 2-1 after surviving a barrage of penalties in the second period, the Caps couldn't match some pretty good play from the Hurricanes in the third period. They did escape with a point anyway thanks to a late goal by forward Eric Fehr with just nine seconds left. But they still walk away from this one in a sour mood. Okay - as sour as you can be with the best record in the NHL. Let's not get crazy here.

Rookie goalie Semyon Varlamov was certainly left out to dry three separate times, including on the game-winning goal in overtime when defensemen Jeff Schultz and Mike Green got crossed up and let Ray Whitney walk inside the circles all alone. And though Varlamov managed to get a piece of the puck, the Wizard isn't missing that kind of chance. It slipped past to give Carolina the victory.

"[Varlamov] couldn't have played that play any differently, I don't think," Boudreau told reporters afterwards. "It's a slap shot from between the circles and that's a tough one to stop. We obviously made a defensive error."

Varlamov also faced a breakaway from Hurricanes forward Chad LaRose with just 1:35 left in the game - the goal that made it 3-2 Carolina. The first goal of the night for Carolina was a tap-in by Eric Staal on the power play. But while you can't blame him for those three, Varlamov - definitely too hard on himself sometimes, as Comcast's Joe Beninati mentioned afterwards - will likely stew about Brett Carson's goal early in the third period. His glove let him down during that sequence. Varlamov finished with 25 saves on 29 shots. All in all not a bad night. At the other end of the ice, Justin Peters had a good game for the Hurricanes. He spoiled a couple of quality chances that prevented the Caps from extending their lead and stopped 25 of 28 shots on goal.

The go-ahead goal late in regulation for Carolina came during 4-on-4 play. The Caps have been pretty bad most of the year in that area - usually in overtime, as Boudreau pointed out - and it's become a cause for concern. Caps have now allowed a league-worst 12 goals in 4-on-4 play. They've scored just five. No one else in the league has allowed more than nine - though that's the San Jose Sharks, who have the NHL's second-best record. Not sure what to make of it other than the Caps are so skilled they take chances during 4-on-4 play other teams don't. Any other theories? At least 4-on-4 is far more rare in the playoffs thanks to regular 5-on-5 play in overtime.

"This one was in our defensive zone," Boudreau said. "Usually it's a play that 4-on-4 they end up with a breakaway - like they did [earlier] - where we're getting caught because we're trying to force the issue. I don't know [why]. But we definitely have to smarten up."

Give credit to Fehr, who makes as much of his ice time as any player in the league. Seeing limited special teams action and on the third line most of the season he scored goal No. 20 after a nifty pass in traffic from teammate Brendan Morrison with nine seconds to go and the net empty.  Fehr played 12 minutes total - none on special teams. A questionable late timeout by Carolina coach Paul Maurice let the Caps get a rested Nicklas Backstrom back on the ice. It was his initial shot that was blocked and landed at the skates of Morrison. It wasn't enough, though.

"We've got some experienced guys that didn't play very well tonight," Boudreau said.

Caps Notes

» Joe Corvo with a big night against his former team in his former home, the RBC Center. Scored the first two Caps goals. Those are his first with Washington. He has five points in eight games overall since the trade.

» Two more assists for Nicklas Backstrom - though he was a -1 on the night. Almost registered goal No. 30, too. Backstrom now has 29 goals and 58 assists. He is eight assists shy of his career best set last season and has 87 points overall. That's just one shy of last year's 88. Still with a good shot at a 100-point season with 11 games left.

» Washington is 47-14-10 with 104 points. Magic number to secure home-ice advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs is down to nine points. The most New Jersey can get is 112 if it wins them all. Pittsburgh can get to 111 if it wins its last 11.

» Assists also go to Brendan Morrison, Matt Bradley, Brooks Laich (team-high five shots) and Scott Walker. Bradley and Mike Knuble both had goals waved off. Both were legit calls - Bradley's because the Caps had six men on the ice and Knuble because he either batted the puck in with his glove or with a high stick. Either way, not legal.

» Caps killed 4 of 5 penalties and scored on 1 of 3 power plays. Held Carolina to just 14 shots through two periods. Gave up 15 combined in the third period and overtime.

Game #71

Caps (47-14-9, 103 points) at Carolina Hurricanes (28-33-8, 64 points)

With wins in its first two games of this week-long road trip, Washington sees the Hurricanes tonight. It's the middle of three meetings between the Southeast Division rivals in 15 days. They'll be right back in Raleigh next Thursday, too. Caps have won three of the four games this season - two of those in overtime. Tomas Fleischmann had the game-winner on March 10 at Verizon Center. 

Semyon Varlamov is back in goal for the first time since last Friday. Jose Theodore had started the previous two games. Alex Ovechkin is out for one more game thanks to his suspension. Boyd Gordon was sent home from the trip with a bad back so either Scott Walker - the former Hurricane - or Quintin Laing will start at left wing on the fourth line.

With a win, the Caps would tie the franchise record for road victories (23). That mark was first set in 1983-84. Forward Brooks Laich scored twice in Tuesday's 7-3 win at Florida. He has 23 points in his last 22 games. Mike Green has 70 points. He is one of 13 defensemen in NHL history to post back-to-back 70-point seasons. Only six others did it before their 25th birthday - and every one of them is in the NHL Hall-of-Fame. Leads all NHL defensemen is goals (17), assists (53) and points (70). Only teammate Jeff Schultz has a better +/- rating among defensemen than Green's +31.

Caps are on pace to break the franchise power-play record for a season. Right now they're at 26.2 percent and have hit on 9 of their last 24 chances. Washington has never finished first overall in the NHL in power-play percentage. Its magic number to clinch home-ice advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs is 11 points. Any combination of points for the Caps and lost points by either Pittsburgh or New Jersey inches them closer to that goal. Really, what else is left to accomplish other than Ovechkin holding off the competition for the goals, points race? He guns for his third Hart Trophy beginning Saturday in Tampa Bay.

Washington has also opened up a seven-point lead over the San Jose Sharks for home-ice throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Sharks, the top seed in the Western Conference, do have an extra game left to play - 13 in all. They are 43-16-10 with 96 points. Thanks in part to last Sunday's win over Chicago (44-19-6, 94 points) the Caps are up nine on the Blackhawks.  

"That's what they like to talk about. I understand."  (afp photo)

At a health care rally at George Mason University today, President Obama -- like so many before him -- named the culprit behind (in this case) all the crazy misunderstandings about health care reform. By creating a pointless diversion about how the bill will be passed, he said, the news media does a disservice by not spending more time explaining what's in the bill.

"It would be nice if we were just kind of examining the substance, we were walking through the details of the plan, what it means for you. But that's not what the cable stations like to talk about," Obama said.

"What they like to talk about is the politics of the vote. What does this mean in November? What does it mean to the poll numbers? Is this more of an advantage for Democrats or Republicans? What's it going to mean for Obama? Will his presidency be crippled, or will he be the comeback kid?"

"That's what they like to talk about. That's what they like to talk about. I understand," he said.

"One of the things you realize is basically that a lot of reporting in Washington, it's just like SportsCenter. It's considered a sport, and who's up and who's down, and everybody's keeping score. And you got the teams going at it. It's Rock 'Em Sock 'em Robots."

It's an old chestnut -- if reporters shift the focus to something you don't want to talk about, then they are the problem and they just don't get it! This bill is about helping people! And Obama is above worrying about "politics."

"Let me say this, George Mason: I don't know how this plays politically. Nobody really does."

"I mean, there's been so much misinformation and so much confusion and the climate at times during the course of this year has been so toxic and people are so anxious because the economy has been going through such a tough time. I don't know what's going to happen with the politics on this thing. I don't know whether my poll numbers go down, they go up. I don't know what happens in terms of Democrats versus Republicans."

"But here's what I do know. I do know that this bill, this legislation, is going to be enormously important for America's future."

Actually, just to quibble: There has been loads of reporting about what's in the bill. And how this plays politically is well-documented in numerous polls. It's also not the job of the news media to promote Obama's agenda. And coverage of the sinister mechanics of the vote or non-vote this weekend is probably a better expression of democracy (and transparency and accountability) than Obama's tacit embrace of "deem and pass."

A federal appeals court has ordered the secretive Federal Reserve Board to release records relating to the $2.14 trillion bank bailout requested by Bloomberg News under the Freedom of Information Act filed in 2008. Bloomberg was seeking the names of firms that received TARP funds or assets that were being used as collateral.

FOIA requires federal agencies to hand over government documents on request. But the Fed refused, claiming an exemption in the law protecting confidential financial data permitted it to withhold the information because releasing it would cause bailed-out lenders “severe and irreparable competitive injury.”

U.S. Circuit Judge Dennis Jacobs, chief of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Manhattan, found “no basis” for the Fed’s refusal to release the requested documents in the FOIA law, agreeing with Bloomberg lawyers that the public has a compelling right to know about the “unprecedented and highly controversial use” of tax dollars.

This is a  huge win for advocates of sunshine in all government activities.

As Democratic leaders continue to successfully twist the arms of the undecided in their caucus, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., declared Friday that the House is "one day closer" to passing health care reform legislation.

Pelosi picked up two more "yes" votes, flipping Rep. John Boccieri from a "no" and picking up the formerly undecided Charlie Wilson. Both Wilson and Boccieri are Ohio Democrats. Boccieri had earlier been opposed to the bill out of concern for its high cost.

The bill also earned the approval of the AARP, which declared that the bill "cracks down on insurance company abuses and protects and strengthens guaranteed benefits in Medicare."

Pelosi stopped short of declaring she has the 216 votes needed to pass the bill, but she hinted that Sunday's scheduled vote on the measure may not be as close as people had been predicting.

"When we bring this to the floor, we will have a significant victory for the American people," she told reporters Friday.

Pelosi also acknowledged that the current bill posted online will not necessarily be the final product, saying Democrats plan to make some changes via a special manager's amendment, but she said any alteration would be minor.

Republicans, meanwhile, continued their argument that voters don't like the bill and any lawmaker who supports it risks being voted out of office.

"Democratic leaders are trying to assure their colleagues that if this bill passes, it will become more popular," Boehner said Friday. "Well, I think they are dead wrong."

Boehner promised that the GOP would remind voters about "every kickback, every payoff and every sweetheart deal that comes out."

Among the most consistent features of the year-long national debate over Obamacare has been that as the public learned more about the various iterations of the proposal, the more opposition to it grew.

This reality must have been seared into the consciousness of one of the congressional Democrats' communications strategists. In a draft internal memo that somehow made its way over to Andrew Breitbart's Big Government site, the unnamed strategist encouraged Democrats to

“Do not allow yourself (or your boss) to get into a discussion of the details of CBO scores and textual narrative.  Instead, focus only on the deficit reduction and number of Americans covered… Do not give [opponents] ground by debating details….Again, instead focus only on the deficit reduction and number of Americans covered.”

You can read the entire memo here.

UPDATE: Democrats question memo's authenticity

Politico is now reporting that Democrats are challenging the authenticity of the memo GOPers are claiming was circulated earlier today to Democratic members from a communications staff strategist.

Breitbart's Big Government, where the memo was originally posted, still has it up, with no reference to the Democrats' denial of its authenticity.