UPDATE 2: Is there a possible rift starting to appear? According to The Hill, there just might be: Waxman may let health bill skip committee. Here is the quote of interest:

Democratic critics of the bill have warned that the bill doesn’t have enough votes to pass on the floor, and say an end-run around the committee would galvanize opposition among centrists.

“That would clearly ruffle some feathers,” said an aide to a Blue Dog lawmaker.

Breitbart is reporting: Conservative House Dem says health talks collapse:

The head of a group of fiscally conservative Democrats says negotiations with House leaders on health care have collapsed.

Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., who heads the Blue Dogs’ health care task force, told reporters Friday that after a week of talks, the effort to reach agreement between the leadership and the conservative to moderate Democrats fell apart. He said that leaves Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., without the votes to advance the health care bill out of his committee.

However, Waxman has threatened to force a floor vote to break the impasse within Democratic ranks on President Barack Obama’s top domestic priority.

Pray for the Blue Dog’s and lend them your support. Here is a great list from Tea Party Patriots that provides not only which committee each representative is on, but whether they are Blue Dog. Call the Energy Committee members, especially Waxman, and the the Blue Dogs. Let them know you support them and as long as they do the right thing for this country, we have their backs.

Michelle Malkin: Waxman wants Blue Dogs to heel, signals committee bypass.

CNN Political Ticker is reporting: House Democrats splinter over health care

UPDATE 1: Really Bad News: Waxman: Blue Dogs must relent on health reform:

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) says there is “no alternative” to having healthcare legislation bypass his committee if Blue Dog Democrats don’t agree to legislation.

Waxman said if the seven Blue Dogs on his panel do not relent, they could join with the committee’s Republicans to “eviscerate” healthcare reform.

“I won’t allow them to hand over control of our committee to Republicans,” Waxman told reporters.

“I dont see what other alternative we have, because we’re not going to let them empower Republicans on the committee ”

But its okay to sell-out the American people. Has Waxman and the Blue Dogs checked Obama’s latest poll numbers? Less than 50% as of today – for the first time. Tread lightly.

Look at it this way – you are not empowering Republicans, you are saving your jobs.

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Original Post:

Sound familiar – like with the cap-and-tax bill. Just jamming it down our throats. Well it looks quite possible that Ralph Emanuel may be correct in that a vote will happen next week. From the National Review:

Inside Health Policy’s Julian Pecquet, who’s staking out House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, reports that Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman “stormed out” of yesterday afternoon’s health reform meeting and told reporters he has nothing to announce. Asked whether the speaker could bypass his committee and take health care reform straight to the House floor, Waxman replied, “Ask the speaker.”

Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the White House Office of Health Reform, is also in the meeting, along with Rahm Emanuel and Phil Schiliro. And if you’re really desperate for details, we can also tell you that staffers were given Girl Scout cookies.

UPDATE: Following the meeting with Blue Dogs was a separate confab with Pelosi, Clyburn, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and — this is where it gets interesting — Rules Committee Chair Louise Slaughter. Pelosi mostly avoided reporters as she left the meeting. But when asked about bypassing Energy and Commerce she said, “I don’t want to do that.”

Hoyer and Slaughter said no decision has been made.

Apparently, this ain’t over yet. Keep up the pressure; email and phone your representative. To find out who your representative is and write them check here. To contact your representative by phone go here.

More from Hot Air’s Ed Morrissey: Rahm Emanuel says House will vote on ObamaCare next week. Ed says “Uh, sure”. But don’t count out Nanny State Nancy yet.

If this does not derail Nancy and Ralph, I don’t know what will: Also from Hot Air’s Ed Morrissey: Rasmussen: Obama loses majority support.

Also read How To Kill Private Healthcare – Allow Lawsuits Against Employers

Sweetness & Light: Pelosi Not Bound By Obama’s Rx Deals

In other news and opinion:

Surprise! Dems run away from Gitmo again. From Michelle Malkin.

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