Healthcare overhaul comes down to Pelosi and Obama

The bill's fate depends on whether the House speaker can land enough votes - and whether the president can take control of the debate, which Democrats say he has not done.

By Janet Hook and Noam N. Levey
LA Times
March 8, 2010

The fate of healthcare legislation turns on the endgame skills of two Democrats who bring vastly different assets to the task: President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Obama's signature ability to inspire fellow Democrats and Pelosi's well-honed ability to read their parochial needs will be tested as they tackle the job of finding the last stubborn votes for the healthcare bill.

The final push is giving Obama a chance to redeem himself among Democrats who have complained that he has been too detached from the nitty-gritty of crafting the healthcare bill. In recent weeks, he has taken control of the debate, giving his party a second chance after a string of setbacks.

And Pelosi, while notably lacking in Obama's public communications skills, has displayed her ability to corral votes in the Capitol's inner sanctums, which will be a crucial asset.

(More here.)