The big question today on the Hill is where do the Democrats go from here? With respect to healthcare legislation, in a week that saw a rapid one-two punch to the hopes and aspirations of the once filibuster-proof Senate Democratic majority essentially knock the party down in a major way, the answer is who knows? I guess this is where the House Speaker and Senate Majority Leader come in to save the day.

Struggling to salvage health reform, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have begun considering a list of changes to the Senate bill in hopes of making it acceptable to liberal House members, according to sources familiar with the situation.

The changes could be included in separate legislation that, if passed, would pave the way for House approval of the Senate bill — a move that would preserve President Barack Obama’s vision of a sweeping health reform plan.

Could the House be attempting to pass the Senate bill via reconciliation — giving solace to those who are writing off the Democratic party in advance of the 2010 midterms? Perhaps, if already approved changes via Pelosi and Reid concerning deals with the unions to decrease taxes on high-end Cadillac plans and other improvements will still pass muster amidst a filibuster-challenged Senate Dem majority. Obama probably hopes so, as he has already begun to move on with other domestic policy matters — those pesky little thorns in his side often referred to as “unemployment numbers“. | LINK

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