Health Care Reform: The Dismal Dregs of Defeat

Expect much more on this later today on Hit and Run, but quickly: Pelosi admits defeat.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi just told reporters that she does not believe she has enough votes in the House to pass the Senate health care reform bill as-is—at least not yet.

"I don't see the votes for it at this time," Pelosi said. "The members have been very clear in our caucus about the fact that they didn't like it before it had the Nebraska provision and some of the other provisions that are unpalatable to them."

"In every meeting that we have had, there would be nothing to give me any thought that that bill could pass right now the way that it is," she said. "There isn't a market right now for proceeding with the full bill unless some big changes are made."

UPDATE: Peter Suderman explained why this annoucement was pretty inevitable yesterday.