Obama's challenge
The president is throwing down the gauntlet to Republicans:
"I believe the United States Congress owes the American people a final vote on health care reform. We have debated this issue thoroughly, not just for a year, but for decades. Reform has already passed the House with a majority. It has already passed the Senate with a supermajority of 60 votes. And now it deserves the same kind of up-or-down vote that was cast on welfare reform, the Children's Health Insurance Program, COBRA health coverage for the unemployed, and both Bush tax cuts - all of which had to pass Congress with nothing more than a simple majority."Â
Republicans will reject this almost instantly. One has already put together a montage of clips showing Obama saying he wouldn't govern like this.
CNN are quoting a White House insider saying this is a "last helicopter out of Saigon " strategy.
Fleeing a lost war is not the most optimistic metaphor for an adviser to adopt. And it still may go down in flames.
I’m Mark Mardell, the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's North America editor. These are my reflections on American politics, some thoughts on being a Brit living in the USA, and who knows what else? My 
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