Here’s one theory on the real short-term goal of Pelosi and Obama:  They want to get enough Democrat support that they can pass the Senate Bill and their reconciliation package without having to use the “Slaughter Rule” to “deem” the Senate Bill passed rather than actually voting on it.

While Pelosi and Obama have been saying that people don’t care about “process", they know it’s not true.  They say that everyone knows a vote for the Slaughter Rule is the same as a vote for the Senate Bill.  But if their members knew that, they wouldn’t need the scheme.  For Democrat members of Congress, voting on the rule lets them think they might be able to fool just enough voters to get reelected.

But again, Pelosi and Obama know it isn’t true.  Americans won’t fall for it.  In a way, I think it’s smarter for the Dems to vote for the Senate bill and try to honestly defend ObamaCare than to try to hide behind a transparent procedural maneuver. I think the Democratic leadership knows that as well.

Thus, their goal is not to pass this bill by a one or two vote margin.  They want to have enough “Yes” votes so they can just vote on the Senate bill rather than on the Slaughter Rule which will have the secondary effect, after passing the government takeover of health care, of slaughtering Democrats in November even worse than the blood-letting they’re already going to take.

It must be noted that the situation will become even muddier if the House passes their bills or rule on Sunday because the reconciliation process could be even more complex and arcane than the hoops the House is jumping through.  Republicans are already working out plans to derail the ability to pass reconciliation as the House wants it.  And if they can force changes, it would have to go back to the House.  One huge question remains:  reconciliation must reconcile with existing law.  That means that Obama would need to sign the Senate bill into law, but the House does not like the Senate bill as-is.  If Obama signs the Senate bill into law and then reconciliation fails, America will be stuck with the Senate bill (which is an utter disaster but, if anything, probably better than the House’s reconciliation plans.)  But the House will be extremely displeased if that happens, and they may use the Slaughter rule simply to avoid that possible outcome.

It will be political theater of the highest order.

Finally, keep in mind that the Democrats are finally admitting publicly that a loss on health care “reform” will destroy the Obama presidency for the remaining 3 years for which we must be tortured by a president who hates capitalism, hates fundamental American values, and has no understanding of economics or the real world.  The Democrats’ true goal is to make sure this Manchurian Candidate’s agenda is still at least somewhat achievable and his legacy at least somewhat preserved.