From ALG News’ Capitol Hill Correspondent Derek Baker:

In the Senate, America got an object lesson in character – or the lack of it – over the weekend from Sens. Reid and Ben Nelson. Reid unveiled his manager’s amendment, which strikes the public option in favor of a program to be run by OPM similar to FEHBP. However, unlike FEHBP, the director of OPM will contract with health insurance companies to provide insurance that covers abortion. In fact, Reid’s bill expressly provides for the federal government to subsidize private health insurance plans that cover abortion services.

Nelson has agreed to vote in support of Reid’s latest bill, despite the fact that it covers abortion services.  Nelson has, in the past, been an opponent of abortion and federal funding for abortion services. He has repeatedly made statements that he would not support the Senate health bill if it did not contain Stupak-Pitts like language. As you may recall, Sen. Reid, as a practicing Mormon, is also supposedly pro-life.

At roughly 1am this morning, the cloture motion for the healthcare abomination passed the Senate by a party-line 60-40 vote (both Reid and Nelson – and of course, Lieberman — supporting). That kicks of 30 hours of debate on the manager’s amendment.

Throughout the weekend, more payoffs and secret deals cut by Reid were discovered.  Language appeared in the manager’s amendment that provides $100 million for a new medical facility at a public university, though it is not clear which state and Senator will receive this perk at the taxpayers’ expense. Provisions benefitting several other states — including Nebraska, Vermont, Florida, and Louisiana – have also been discovered, and there is undoubtedly untold millions tucked away as payoffs in the bill and amendment.

Bottom Line:  When character and integrity are absent, there is no limit to the depravity to which men will resort, regardless of how it affects others or even the entire country.  Barring an act of God in the next three days, Reid’s latest version of ObamaCare will pass the Senate. It is, however, still a very long road through conference to final passage. So, to quote the Bard of Baker Street, “The game is afoot!”

In the House, the RSC and Republican leadership have been active over the weekend urging their members to use all available means to communicate to their constituents on the disaster unfolding in the Senate. Also, Rep. Bart Stupak – a pro-life Democrat who actually has convictions and character – released a statement that said, “While I and many other pro-life Democratic House members wish to see health care for all Americans, the proposed Senate language is unacceptable.”

Bottom Line: While Reid will now get his heart’s desire of a Christmas Eve vote, this sets up an immense battle with the House over abortion funding and lack of a government-run option, which may still be the undoing of ObamaCare.

At the other end of the Avenue, Obama announced a non-binding climate agreement as he prepared to depart Copenhagen and return to the U.S. BO actually called the agreement a “meaningful and unprecedented breakthrough” because, of course, everything he touches is apparently meaning and unprecedented.

Bottom Line: BO also said it was going to be “very hard” to get a legally binding treaty, and he’s right on this.  The American public is becoming more skeptical by the day of the global warming hype, perhaps helped by the inconvenient fact that the East Coast is under 18 inches of snow right now.