TODAY'S POLITICS UPDATE DEPT:
Doesn't look like the House is any closer today to passing a health care bill:
"Don't confuse the House timeline with the White House timeline, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) warned reporters Tuesday. "None of us has mentioned the 18th, other than Mr. Gibbs," Hoyer said in response to a question about whether Congress can pass a health care package by March 18, the date laid out last week by White House press secretary Robert Gibbs. "We are trying to do this as soon as possible. That continues to be our objective." In the meantime, Hoyer said an internal fight over abortion restrictions "has to be resolved."
Good luck with that...
Meanwhile, the intensity factor for Republican voters this year is clearly way up; not so for Democrats, especially among the young:
"The worst sign for Democrats is voter enthusiasm. Young voters are a critical demographic for both the president and Democrats in Congress. They were the key to Obama's success last cycle, both in the primaries and the general election. Young voters arguably pushed him over the top in Indiana and North Carolina—two significant states in his victory over John McCain—and, going all the way back to January 2008, they handed him his very first victory, in the Iowa caucuses. This year only 35 percent of young Democratic voters say they'll turn out in November. Young Republicans, on the other hand, are significantly more enthusiastic, with 41 percent saying they definitely plan to vote. Among those who voted for John McCain in 2008, 53 percent told Harvard they were certain to vote this year, while only 44 percent of Obama voters plan to cast ballots. And those who disapprove of Obama's job performance are more likely to vote than those who approve."
In Floriday, it looks like moderate Republican Charlie Crist is toast.
Get to know Marco Rubio; he's the next conservative star.
NCAA HOOPS DIARY:
Women's hoops--UConn 59, Notre Dame 44: nobody will deny UConn this season, not its winning streak or anything else. But despite again shooting less than 40% from the floor, Notre Dame trailed by just 3 points at the half, just 5 several minutes into the second half, and overall gave the Huskies one of their toughest games of the season. Not bad. Build on that, Irish!...
