Dems back at the negotiating table with final health bill deal 'very close'

MarketWatch: After health negotiations stretched until the wee hours of the morning Friday, "House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said [later that morning] ... congressional Democrats are 'very close' to reaching final agreement on legislation." He said he hoped that "within the next 24, 48, 72 hours" such agreement would be reached. Meanwhile, Democratic leaders are expected to return to the White House today for more negotiations. This would "mark the third straight day of talks between Obama and Democrats over the health bill. Obama is anxious to sign a bill and move on to other issues including job creation" (Schroeder, 1/15).

The Washington Post: "President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats rushed to strike final deals on historic health care legislation Friday as they nervously eyed next week's special Senate election in Massachusetts that could doom the bill." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was hopeful that tax and spending provisions could be sent to the Congressional Budget Office later on Friday. "Still unresolved would be controversial policy issues, such as financing for abortions, and participants said it could easily take days to reach agreement." Also increasing the time pressure 
are new poll numbers indicating the election to fill the seat of the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is tightening. If Republican Scott Brown wins the special election on Tuesday, he has pledged to vote against the health bill -- leaving Democrats one vote short of the necessary 60 (Werner, 1/15). 

CBS News' Political Hotsheet: "A new survey shows GOP Senate candidate Scott Brown marginally beating Democratic candidate Martha Coakley in the race to fill the late Ted Kennedy's Senate seat, the first time a major poll has put Brown in the lead." Brown, a state senator, has a 50 percent to 46 percent edge over state attorney general Coakley, according to a new Suffolk University/7News poll. Although within the poll's margin of error, the numbers still represent a remarkable shift (Condon, 1/15).