3 Votes Shy Democrats Get Back to Work

Senate democrats are about 3 votes shy so they're going to keep cutting from the bill. Obama warned about cutting too much.
I'm not a fan of all that's in the stimulus but the republican approach -- being their typical loathsome selves -- means it must pass. Then those getting the money need to make it work.
Newt Gingrich was on the Today Show this morning comparing Obama to Jimmy Carter, saying Obama is failing miserably. Republicans need to be shut down.
Today's Gallup poll says "America's confidence in Obama is still unshaken" and 58% of the people polled say that nominee troubles are just a normal part of the process. But republicans are taking this moment to gang up on Obama, kicking him all over the place while they perceive that he's down.

CNN: The reason is simple: Senate Democratic leaders and White House officials admit they are about three votes shy of the 60 needed to pass Obama's economic plan, and it would have been too big a risk to hold the vote and have an embarrassing failure.

So now, the bipartisan group of nearly 20 senators is back at it, trying to come up with agreement on cutting about $100 billion out of the more than $900 billion stimulus bill.

Reid has given them a Friday deadline to forge a compromise, and he warned about a possible weekend vote if bipartisan talks don't bear fruit.

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pennsylvania, told reporters they were making some progress and hoped to find common ground on a bipartisan bill.

But multiple senators acknowledged that finding that compromise -- enough spending cuts to lure Republican votes and not too many to turn off Democrats -- has proven extremely difficult.

The bill is still on track to get to Obama by President's Day:

The Senate has 56 Democrats and two independents who usually vote with them. There are 41 Republicans. One Senate seat from Minnesota remains open pending the outcome of an election recount challenge.

Getting the bill through the Senate by the end of the week would keep the legislation on track to be signed into law by Presidents Day, February 16, which has been Obama's target.

People are calling for Newt to be head of Health and Human Services. Not on your life:

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