Pelosi takes the GOP off the table

Washington (CNN) -- Top Democrats are prepared to short-circuit the traditional legislative process and exclude their Republican counterparts during final congressional health care deliberations, senior Democratic sources have told CNN.

Democrats are trying to prevent the Republicans from using Senate rules to slow the push for final passage of a comprehensive reform bill, the sources added.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is set to discuss the politically contentious health care issue when she huddles in her office with other House Democratic leaders Tuesday afternoon. The House Democratic leadership is also likely to meet with President Obama, and plans to hold a conference call with their entire caucus.

Congressional leaders are working to merge an $871 billion Senate bill and $1 trillion House bill that differ on several critical details."

This is quite the development! Not one Republican voted for Health Care reform.... in the Senate, and only one Republican voted for it in the House.

So many have grumbled about wasting time trying to do this in a bipartisan way, which has yielded nothing but stalling, and them throwing up roadblocks every step of the way.

They are out of the sandbox!

They can choose to use "reconciliation", a move that allows them to have 51 votes for the measure to pass in the Senate.... plus this is the critical juncture in which some semblance of Public Option can be pulled out of the fire & included in the bill.

The GOP was in it to kill it. I like that they are no longer invited to the table.... they had their chance- they opted out.

Maybe we should just join Max Baucus in having several drinks & launching into a rant.

Where's the courage?

Not a good faith effort to come up with a constructive, comprehensive alternative.

They did not have anything. None whatsoever.

Even though Max was one of the big takers of Wealthcare lobby money, I admire his drunken candor.

Screw it. Forget the bipartisan bullshit if it does not exist. The Republicans closed this door on themselves.

Shame on them for playing political games with this very important issue.

There are 217 republicans in Congress. ONE voted for health care reform. ONE!

There are 316 democrats in Congress. (House & Senate combined).

I'm not a big Pelosi fan-- but she sure looks happy here.

I'm all for the *don't waste our time, or play political games, on this matter of great importance* approach.

As as Congressman Alan Grayson said 45,000 people die every year for lack of health care.

Enough! Now is the time to make sure your Congressional representatives know that you want the public option.

If the GOP wants to support it, they can be a part of this historic vote, or be left with egg on their face- the dishonor

of not voting to help people with a basic human need & right.